Your pay, hours and holidays
Your holidays
Your annual holiday leave entitlement is in your contract.If you need a copy of this contact the People and Culture Office on 0131 348 6500.
Requests for leave
Requests for leave are normally agreed on a first come, first served basis with fair consideration over previous authorised holidays. The decision will be based on business needs and when the request has been made. To avoid disappointment, make sure you give as much notice as you can. To encourage staff to utilise all of their annual leave balance and as a minimum to remain within the carry over limits, your Group Head may set a latest date by which you must have all of your leave booked for that year. You can book your leave using the TRS (Time Recording System).
Flexibility will be provided so that colleagues can take annual leave at a particular time to celebrate and/or comply with their religious or belief-related obligations.
There may be restrictions on annual leave when Parliament is sitting and you will normally be expected to take annual leave during recess periods. You may not take annual leave unless it has been agreed, normally in advance, with your line manager.
Carrying over leave
You should always aim to take your full entitlement during the holiday year. However, you can carry over one third of your annual holiday leave entitlement from one holiday year to the next, without prior approval. If you wish to carry over more than one third, your Head of Office or Team Leader can approve this for you. They can also approve your request if you think in advance that you will carry over up to one third of your annual holiday leave.
If you’re unable to take your annual leave or public/privilege days because of:
- long term illness
- maternity, shared parental or adoption leave
You may carry forward the entitlement you would otherwise have lost to the next holiday year. If you become ill during a period of annual leave or when a public/privilege holiday falls, you should let your manager know using the normal absence reporting procedures. You may be able to request these holidays back if your absence is covered by a GP fit note.
Your hours of work
Your hours of work are in your contract. If you need a copy of this, please contact the People and Culture office on 0131 348 6500.
We have a flexible working hours arrangement in place. This arrangement is highly valued by colleagues and is based on mutual trust and confidence. This means that we all have a shared responsibility for making sure it operates successfully. You should enter the time you start and finish work and how long you take for lunch accurately and honestly. If you’re a manager, you must monitor working time recorded and be alert to working times that appear to have been recorded incorrectly.
Further information can be found in the following policies:
The misuse of the flexible working hours arrangement will be treated very seriously as it is potentially gross misconduct. This may result in the consideration of disciplinary action including dismissal. In addition, some incidents of misuse of the flexible working hours arrangement may constitute fraud.
If you’re unsure about anything, talk to your manager at the earliest opportunity. If you’re a manager and need advice, contact your People Officer.
Your pay
Your salary and associated terms and conditions, including how to claim back expenses, are in your contract. If you need a copy of this, contact the People and Culture Office on 0131 348 6500.
We’re an equal pay employer. Our negotiated grading structure includes job evaluation of all roles on the pay scale to ensure pay equality. We publish equal pay audits which compare the pay of women and men doing jobs of equal value.
Read the Grading and Classification of Staff (711KB, pdf) posted 05 October 2022
View the Pay Scale (175KB, pdf) posted 21 March 2023
Read the Diversity Monitoring and Pay Gap Report (4MB, pdf) posted 23 March 2023
We’re proud to be a Living Wage employer. We also have a no compulsory redundancy arrangement which provides job security and employment protection for our staff. These commitments are reflected in our pay policy arrangements.
Your pension
Your pension arrangements are detailed in your contract. If you need a copy of this, contact the Pay and Pensions Office on 0131 348 6500.