Letter 1 – Confirmation of period of mobilisation
[Date]Tesco Letterhead
Private and ConfidentialAddress
[Name]
[Address]
Dear [First Name],
Employment arrangements as a result of Reservist mobilisation
I am writing to set out the employment related arrangements which will apply immediately prior to, during, and immediately after your period of mobilisation. Please would you sign a copy of the duplicate letter (included) to confirm that you understand and accept these arrangements which entail a temporary variation to your terms and conditions of employment.
Your period of mobilisation will start on [Date]. Throughout the period of your mobilisation your service will remain continuous, and you will return to the same job, or a similar job with no less favourable terms if this is not possible. This period of your employment with the company will be classed as Special Unpaid Leave.
Pay & Benefits
Payment of your company salary will be suspended for the period of your mobilisation. You will be paid a military salary by the Ministry of Defence as per your military rank. If this is not equivalent to your Tesco salary you can apply for a Reservist Award through the MOD. It is your responsibility to claim the Award.
If a pay award is made during the period of mobilisation, the Ministry of Defence will be notified of the award and the effective date by the company to enable them to adjust any Reservist Award.
Benefits of employment will be affected as per the attached sheet.
Deductions from salary
During the period of time that you are mobilised your usual deductions from salary cannot be made. It is your responsibility to contact the relevant providers of any benefits, so that you can make appropriate arrangements to continue or suspend cover.
If there are any payments/contributions that have been made by the company on your behalf, you will be required to reimburse the company on your return to work.
In signing this letter you agree that the company may deduct any money which is owed as a result of the above arrangements.
Contact with the company
Please provide the company with a contact address or email that will apply throughout your period of leave. We will send any relevant communications to either this address or your home address as deemed appropriate.
Completion of Reservist Service
You agree to provide the company with as much notice as possible of your return to work date. This can be done as soon as you know, and can be done by email or in writing.
Upon your return to work you will meet with your manager and myself, and we will send you another letter to confirm your work arrangements.
In the event that your previous role and any reasonable and suitable alternatives at the same location no longer exist as a result of redundancy, the company will try to identify another reasonable and suitable role at an alternative location.
Where you have suspended or cancelled any benefits prior to mobilisation, it is your responsibility to contact the provider to make any arrangements to re-start.
I would like to give you my best wishes on behalf of the company, and look forward to your return to the business.
Yours sincerely
For and on behalf of
TESCO STORES LTD
Manager Name
Position
Declaration:
I understand and accept the arrangements set out in this letter including those temporary variations to my terms and conditions of employment during my period of Reservist mobilisation.
Signed:
Date:
Print name:
Status of benefits while you’re on active service
Benefit / StatusHoliday: / During your mobilisation you won’t earn statutory holiday through us and instead you will earn statutory holiday through the Ministry of Defence (5.6 weeks based on one year’s service). At the end of your deployment the Ministry of Defence will give you a period of leave to recuperate. Once you return to Tesco you will receive your additional contractual holiday, which you are free to take as normal.
NB Holiday is not “paid up” at the point of call-up – it is frozen.
Privilegecard: / You retain your card while you are mobilised. Make sure you have assigned a second card to one additional family member so that they can use it while you are away. They should be livingpermanently with you at your address held on company records. “Family member” is defined as any relative, partner, civil partner, spouse or carer
Shares in Success: / Your share allocation is based on your salary over the previous year, so will be lower to reflect your lower earnings. You can claim any deficit from the Ministry of Defence.
Car cash allowance: / Your cash allowance will stop during the period that you are mobilised so you should claim this from the Ministry of Defence through the Reservist Award.
Healthcare: / Healthcare provided by us will continue. Family or individual cover which you pay for will also continue, but the deductions will be set up as arrears which will be reimbursed to us when you return to work.
NB: Injuries sustained while you’re deployed will not be covered by the healthcare company.
Save As You Earn / You will need to make separate arrangements to continue your contributions. Up to six monthly payments can be missed, but the scheme will lapse if more than six payments are missed. Please contact Equiniti directly if you wish to makearrangements to continue contributions.
Buy As You Earn / These contributions are salary sacrifice (so the contributions are made before tax deductions are taken from your pay). Because of this, you can’t buy shares while we are not paying you. When you come back to work, your contributions will start again.
Sick Pay: / Sickness entitlement will continue to accrue whilst you are away, but sick leave/pay is not applicable during the period of mobilisation.
Life Assurance: / The company life assurance cover will continue while you are away. This is five times your salary if you’re in our pension scheme and one times your salary if you’re not.
Pension contributions: / You need to inform the Ministry of Defence of your pension details so that they can arrange to deduct your contributions from your military salary and send it to us to invest in the scheme. Theywill also pay the cost of employer contributions to us while you’re mobilised.
Personal Accident Cover / You will not be covered for any accidents in a warzone, although you may be covered by accidents occurring whilst you are on pre and post deployment leave. You should contact BHSF to arrange to continue with your contributions for personal or family cover, or to terminate your cover. Please ring 0121 454 3601 and quote your policy number.
Childcare vouchers / As the childcare voucher scheme operates under a salary sacrifice arrangement and you won’t be getting a salary from us, you can’t continue in the childcare voucher scheme. However, the Ministry of Defence operates a similar scheme which you can join for the period of mobilisation. Once you return to Tesco you can re-join the company scheme.
Cycle to Work Scheme / Any hire agreement will remain in place although the monthly payments will be suspended for the period of your mobilisation. Please contact CYCLESCHEME of the period you will be away, and when you will contact them to restart payments on your return from military service. The hire period will be extended by a period equivalent to the period the monthly payments were suspended.
December 2015