Jobcentre Staffing 2014/15

1. Staffing Allocations 2014-15

PCS have now received details of the staffing allocations for the current year. Contrary to reports from some Managers that the staffing situation is “comfortable” it is clear that there is a need for promotion exercises at both the HEO and EO grades in order to rebalance the grading situation. Overall we are starting the year at the levels to be achieved by March 2015 before forecasted departures.

This raises doubts about the capacity of our Jobcentre members to deliver the SR13 / Help to Work Schemes and provide assistance to other sites for Universal Credit expansion without impacting upon workloads for those remaining. The Branch believes that we need more not less staff.

2. Managed Moves

Concerns were raised by some members that the District request for “managed move” volunteers to transfer to other offices was presented in a coercive manner more akin to a threat of Compulsory Transfers. The DWP Selection Policy is clear that “managed moves are always voluntary, by agreement between managers and a member of staff”.

It has been clarified with the District Manager that the intention is to seek only genuine volunteers. However should Compulsory Transfers be under consideration at a later date then PCS will be fully consulted. The Branch Committee, at its meeting on 15^th May, restated its commitment to oppose any Compulsory Transfers.

https://www.join.pcs.org.uk/en/join-pcs/switch-to-direct-debit/index.cfm

Vote ‘yes‘ in PCS ballot for fair pay

We are asking our civil service and public sector members to vote ‘Yes’ in a ballot to support our campaign for a fair pay rise, including a strike with other public sector unions on 10 July.

On 12 June ballot papers will be sent out consulting members about potential coordinated strike action to break the public sector pay cap and force the government to negotiate with us on pay and other national campaign issues.

We all need a pay rise
More than a million union members in the public sector in England and Wales are preparing to take strike action on 10 July as part of a campaign to break the government’s pay cap.
Our members have seen their pay fall by an average of £2,300 as a result of 4 years of pay freezes and caps, which have limited cost of living rises to a total of 2% over 4 years. They are facing the tightest living standards squeeze for nearly a century.
The government has announced that the pay cap will continue in 2014 and 2015 and possibly beyond that time. Pension contributions for many have increased, further reducing take home pay.
Back our pay claim
We have submitted a pay claim to the Cabinet Office, which seeks:
a £1200 or 5% pay increase.
We have sought central talks on our claim. Unless we are able to force the government to end the pay cap, there is no chance of real negotiations on this claim.

Consultative ballot
We balloted members in March 2013 to take action to force negotiations over our national campaign demands on pay, pensions, job cuts and other issues. This ballot gives us the legal mandate to take action.
During the summer of 2013 we consulted branches about the next steps in the campaign and branches told us that we should continue with our campaign. We now plan to consult members about our campaign plan, which includes taking part in joint action with other unions to break the pay cap. Our plan will also include the launch of a levy to support targeted strike action aimed at putting pressure on our employers to have meaningful negotiations on pay, and other national campaign issues.

Day of activities
To launch our pay campaign we are asking branches to organise a "We all need a pay rise" day on 12 June, including workplace activities such as members holding "We all need a pay rise" red cards and using our new pay squeeze calculator, where members can see what their level of pay should be if it had kept pace with inflation, available at www.pcs.org.uk/pay
As part of the pay campaign we will be continuing to work on ensuring our financial independence from employers by collecting direct debit mandates.

Sign up for direct debit.
We need a serious challenge to the government's pay policy. Our members need a pay rise.
#WeAllNeedAPayRise

Future Work for AA Members

PCS is in discussions with DWP management to seek to ensure that every effort is made to provide future work for our AA members.

DWP management maintain that there are decreasing volumes of work for AA’s. While they expect to need AA’s in significant numbers for a number of years, they argue that the traditional AA role is gradually being displaced by new technology and new ways of working. PCS believes that there is still a considerable amount of work for our AA members. While the nature of AA work may have changed as a result of new technology, work that is appropriate to the AA grade remains.

AA Exit Scheme

As part of their ongoing strategy to reduce the numbers of AAs, DWP allowed 711 AAs to leave DWP at the end of March under the voluntary exit scheme. This immediately created serious shortages of AAs, particularly in Benefit Centres where the AA role is still an essential part of the business model. In one office management have even resorted to seeking to compulsorily transfer AA staff in to replace those allowed to leave on the exit scheme. After the exit scheme around 1,800 AAs remain in DWP.

Document Destruction Work

Members and branches have recently been raising concerns about the JSA document destruction work coming to an end. This work has largely been carried out by AAs across different parts of DWP and concerns have been raised that it may result in some of these members being declared surplus.
There also concerns that new operating models in some directorates could lead to AAs becoming surplus as AA work is effectively up-graded and more senior staff are expected to do their own AA work as part of their job, as has been the case in Job Centres for some years. Management claim that this reduces handovers and helps to achieve their current preference for what they call a ‘Once and Done’ approach. PCS’ view is that where AA staff remain then AA tasks should be done by those members and higher graded staff should not be expected to do AA work.

Talks with DWP management

As a result of these concerns the GEC has been engaging with DWP management to ensure everything is being done to avoid any AA member being declared surplus. The GEC has compiled a paper listing the main areas of AA work that remain in DWP and have sent this to management as the basis for a strategy for avoiding surpluses. Following this, constructive discussions have taken place with management with both parties working together with a view to maximising future AA work and avoiding surpluses.
PCS is not arguing that DWP should abandon its operating models that have designed out AA roles. Instead our position is that DWP can and should ensure that these models are adjusted to provide meaningful AA work where there are AA members still working for DWP. We believe that this could be done relatively easily if there is a will on the part of management to make it happen. Even where AA members are present in very small numbers new technology enables many AA tasks to be moved to them.
PCS’ discussions on this are continuing with DWP management. DWP have assured PCS that they will explore all options before declaring anyone surplus. It is a welcome reassurance that DWP state that they will continue to need a significant number of AA’s for several years. However, although no AAs are being made surplus at present, management they have also said that they are not able to rule out that some AA members may be made surplus at some point in the future. The GEC is committed to doing everything possible to avoid that and to defend the jobs of our AA members. As soon as more information is available further briefings will be issued.

All Members meeting NOTICE

All Members Meeting

NOTICE

PCS CONFERENCE MANDATING MEETING

Thursday 15 May 2014:

4pm till 5pm

The Standish Suite, The Brocket Arms, 38 Mesnes Road Wigan WN1 2DD

The meeting will discuss motions to PCS Conference and instruct our delegates on how to vote on behalf of the Branch. Hard copies of the motions booklets will be provided at the meeting but can be accessed via the following (these are large documents so please consider whether you really need to print them.)

DWP Group Motions: http://www.pcs.org.uk/download.cfm?docid=E97B0FC5-E33C-44D1-96B1C3A1C8B9525F

National Conference: http://www.pcs.org.uk/download.cfm?docid=196DFE84-25C5-48A5-94A7E89AB30238EC

Emergency Motions on events that have occurred since 6^th March should be sent to the Branch Secretary in advance.

A flexi-credit of 1 hour plus reasonable travelling time is allowed for attending. Please inform your Manager if you intend attending and contact your PCS rep if “time off” is refused.

GMEW District Raising the Standard - 1:2:1 Pledge

The Branch is receiving concerns from Jobcentre members that they are being asked to sign a People Performance Pledge.

PCS have had previous correspondence with GMEW District Management on this issue and made clear our opposition to the ‘pledge’.

There is guidance on the intranet for 'People Performance What the DWP Offers and Expects' . PCS therefore do not agree that it is necessary for supplementary ‘guidance’ to be issued.

Furthermore PCS do not agree that it is either necessary or reasonable to expect members of staff to sign the 'pledge' as it is not a requirement within the People Performance Policy.

PCS consider the pledge to be imbalanced as it failed to provide sufficient assurances that

"Prior to my 1-2-1 my line manager will ensure I have sufficient time away from my desk to prepare for the meeting."

"My line manager will provide objective examples of my performance."

District Management advised us that these concerns would be taken forward as a review of the ‘pledge’. Unfortunately we are not aware of any changes to the pledge having been made.

Our advice therefore remains that we oppose it’s introduction, do not consider that it can be mandatory to sign up to and advise that members do not sign it.

If anyone has any problems arising from a refusal to sign the pledge they should contact their local rep immediately.

Steve Finch
Branch Secretary

People Performance end of year Reports – Appeal all Unfair Ratings

Since at least August 2013 the Branch was complaining to District and Regional Management that members were not being given explanations of what the expected performance standards were for their peer group to differentiate between an Exceeded, Achieved or Must Improve ratings. This is despite it being a requirement under the People Performance Policy.

Our concern arose from personal cases where it appeared that some Managers were forcing people into the Must Improve rating in order to meet the ‘guided distribution, despite DWP repeatedly issuing reassurances that these did not have to be met, or because of relative performance compared to others.

We were also stated our deep concerns at reports that members were being told that the performance marking was because of comparisons to others performance, rather than against the performance expectations.

When we asked for the 2013 End of Year results by peer group we were told that “There is no intention to release any more detailed breakdowns of this information below national level”. In other words they have the information but won’t share it.

It was therefore a surprise to be sent a copy of a ‘Standards’ paper in late January 2014 claiming to be a re-issue. PCS replied stating that not only was this the first time we had seen the document but that if we had then we could not have agreed to it being used. Our significant concerns included:

That it was unclear as to what grade of staff the paper relates to as many of the behaviours listed are not applicable below the HEO grade according to the Civil Service Competency Framework.

The repeated reference to performance in relation to others in the peer group is not consistent with DWP Policy. Assessing compared to others in the peer group indicates that the focus in on ensuring the guided distribution curve is met rather than an assessment of achievement against known and appropriate performance expectations;

The approach being taken is at best a validation process for all grades and at worst a return to direct relative assessment as under the PDS system. This is not consistent with DWP Policy.

That we cannot accept an expectation that in order to merit an 'exceeded' rating a member of staff must often demonstrate for the grade above, and believe that this is not consistent with DWP Policy.

That whilst we could accept that a willingness to volunteer may be relevant as evidence for an achieved or exceeded rating we cannot accept that a reluctance to volunteer is evidence of a must improve rating.

PCS asked that the paper either be modified, taking these comments into account, or withdrawn completely. Unfortunately the District has insisted that it intend to use the ‘Standards’ as a “steer” for Managers.

We have therefore escalated this matter to the NW Group Director requesting, that as performance expectations were not clearly explained at the start of the reporting year, that all appeals against disputed end of year performance markings in this District will be supported on procedural grounds.

However, only an optimist would expect the Group Director to see sense over this issue.

The Branch is also aware of some ‘conduct’ issues being used as reasons for a Must Improve in other parts of the NW. These we believe are due to the pressures being put onto Managers to meet the ‘guided distribution’, something the DWP repeatedly claims is not required. Reasons have included such things as:

Wearing allegedly inappropriate clothing
Being unhappy following a bereavement
Being new to the job
Making an alleged negative comment when in fact it was constructive
Making a personal telephone call

In all of these cases the Must Improve was overturned on Appeal with PCS assistance.

The Branch is therefore reminding members that they can contact their local PCS rep should they be dissatisfied with their end of year Performance Rating. We will then ensure that you are represented during any appeal.

Steve Finch
Branch Secretary

DWP to impose spells of absence trigger point from 1 April 2014

Revised Attendance Management Policy, Procedures and Advice will be published on 1st April 2014. This PCS briefing outlines the proposed changes related to spells of absence. Consultation is continuing with the Departmental Trade Union Side (DTUS) about this and other key issues. PCS is arguing against punitive measures and the need for improved support for disability related absences and better procedural fairness and justice for all employees.

DWP message to employees
DWP wants to send a message to employees that short term, irregular absences is not something the Department can continue to support. DWP therefore plans to introduce:

- A four spells of absence trigger point, in addition to the eight day Trigger Point (previously known as consideration point).

- A review of an individual's sick absence over the previous 12 months at Welcome Back discussions.

- A series of How To guides.

Other changes include adopting civil service employee policy terminology, such as, “Consideration Point” will be replaced with “Trigger point” and “Backsliding period” will be replaced with “Sustained Improvement Period.”

Application of Spells of absence
DWP procedural guidance for the application of a spells of absence trigger point excludes disability related absences and rules out pro-rata application for part-time employees.

Other qualifications may be introduced but current DWP guidance for 1st April states:

- Spells of absence refers to the number of separate instances an employee is absent within a defined period, rather than the total number of days.

- The Trigger Point is four spells of absence for all employees, regardless of their working pattern, in a rolling 12 month period. It is not prorated for part-time staff.

- A spell is usually at least one full working day but where an employee has repeatedly taken part day absences, the line manager may consider whether it is reasonable to total the number of hours sickness absence into whole days and then these would count towards the Trigger Point. If the manager considers this is reasonable, they will need to let the employee know in writing that they will do this if the pattern of part-day sickness absence continues. It should not be done retrospectively and the aggregated total should not be entered on RM.

- The Trigger Point may be reached and action taken if employees are absent on four separate occasions within that period, regardless of the length of absence.

- The considerations which apply when a trigger point is reached for eight days remain the same in terms of management action, for spells. Managers should refer to the guidance to ensure they follow the correct course of action.

- Warnings are not automatic and should not be given where one of the special circumstances applies.

- Managers are expected to discuss concerns about attendance levels informally with the employee, before they reach the trigger point, particularly when spells or trends are emerging and consider what forms of support are appropriate in order to prevent further absence and help them remain at work.

- Management intervention must be taken timeously so the right help and support for an employee is identified at the earliest opportunity.

- Spells of absence do not apply to disability related absences. Planned absences for dialysis, chemotherapy or scheduled minor operations are not counted as a spell.

- Spells can be linked. If an employee returns to work and is then absent within one calendar week with the same incapacity, the spells should be linked and classed as one spell.

Transitional arrangements from 1st April
Spells of absence are applicable to all employees from 1st April 2014 but:

- Sickness absences before 1st April will NOT count as spells of absence.

- Sickness absences that began before 1st April and include or continue past 1st April will NOT count as a spell of absence

- The trigger point for employees in a 6 month Review Period on 1st April 2014 will not include spells and will remain as four days

- Once this period has ended, the trigger point will also include spells.

- The trigger point for employees who are in a 12 month Sustained Improvement Period on this date is 8 days and will include spells from and including 1st April.

Involvement of HR Expert
There will be a re-emphasis on the approach line managers need to take before applying discretion, which includes seeking advice from a HR expert. The relevant sentence (currently within paragraph 3.2(b)), has been amended, from 1st April 2014, to read:

“Before applying their discretion, or informing the employee of the decision in circumstances not listed, the manager must seek advice, not instruction, from their line manager (or a senior manager) and a HR Expert. The decision on the action to be taken remains the responsibility of the line manager and must not be escalated to, assumed by or attributed to the person giving the advice.”

PCS requires significant improvements
PCS Policy significant improvement of DWP Attendance Management. DWP must introduce improvements not bad practices. Consultation is continuing with DTUS and PCS will take all necessary action to remove unfair, unnecessary and punitive policies and achieve improvements to support disability related absences and better procedural fairness and justice for all: DWP Must Improve.

http://www.pcs.org.uk/download.cfm?docid=90FEF86E-0538-4EAB-9EA81DA3950FD007