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Contents

1. Band Width
2. Core Service Hours
3. Maximum Working Hours
4. Breaks
5. Standard Working Day
6. Lieu Time - Year
7. Credit and Debit Hours
8. Time Take in Lieu
9. Credit Adjustments
10. Commencement/Ending Work at other than your normal workplace
11. Time Recording
12. Violations of the Scheme
13. Industrial Action
14. Adverse Conditions
15. Very Severe Adverse Conditions
16. Recording of Lieu Time

1. Band Width

Due to the diverse services the Council provides, no corporate bandwidth has been set.

Specific bandwidths will therefore need to be determined locally by the appropriate service manager. The bandwidth for Neighbourhood Nurseries matches the core service hours as specified below

2. Core Service Hours

Core service hours have been set from 8.00am to 18.00. This does not mean that the full compliment of employees within the Team must work these hours all the time, merely that an appropriate number of employees must be working to provide the service.

Part-time employees, or employees working unusual hours, are not excluded from the scheme. Local arrangements will need to be put in place to ensure that their working arrangements also reflect the needs of the service.

Where staff work over an above their contracted hours, additional hours will be credited as lieu time and must be redeemed within the next four weeks

3. Maximum Working Hours

To comply with the Working Time Regulations and enable simple administration of the scheme, an employees working hours should not average more than 48 hours per week over any 4 weekly cycle. Any required exceptions need written consent from the employee.

Where consent has been given, this needs reviewing on a 6 monthly basis to ensure appropriateness and to consider the Health, Safety and Welfare of the employee.

4. Breaks

A meal break must be:

• for a minimum of 1/2 hour,
• recorded on the agreed time management system,
• taken no later than 6 hours from commencement of work on each day.

An additional 20 minutes break must also be taken after 9 hours working time has been completed (this excludes the first break period).

These breaks combine employment legislation with Health, Safety and Welfare needs and are a way of ensuring employees do not work long periods of excessive hours.

There is no maximum duration for the break periods or number of breaks but consideration must always be given to the needs of the service. Local arrangements may therefore need to be put in place within each or specific team area (e.g. where more than one break is requested this must be recorded on the bottom of the Lieu time card and a deduction of time placed in the adjustments column).

5. Standard Working Day

Method for calculating time for Annual Leave, Sickness, etc.

The duration of a standard working day is 1/5th of the normal working week, for those working normal standard week and 9.5hrs for those working compressed. The recording of time for such elements as leave entitlement and sickness is based on a standard working day (pro-rata for part-time working). Leave and sickness calculations will continue to be calculated in full or half days, and current arrangements for part/time employees will still apply.

6. Lieu Time - Year

Whilst there is no Lieu time year cycle with schemes being a continual process, an annual review should be incorporated into any scheme

7. Credit and Debit Hours

Managers must determine locally an agreed settlement period for authorization of cards, e.g. 4 weekly or weekly.

The right to accumulate a credit/debit balance relates solely to the recording of attendance hours and does not imply a right to additional payments.

The maximum credit limits within the principles of the scheme, at any time, are no more than 15 hours in credit (pro-rata for part-time working, e.g. a 20 hour working week is: 20 / 37 x 15 = 8 hours credit).

In exceptional circumstances, these limits can be amended locally, within a maximum of their weekly contractual hours in credit or debit e.g. 37 hours per week. This must be determined by the line manager.

In all cases the needs of the service is paramount. Where it is believed that abuse of the scheme is occurring, i.e. time accrued not matching work undertaken, then appropriate action will be taken (see 18 below).

8. Time Taken in Lieu

A maximum of 15 days per calendar year (pro-rata for part time). Again the needs of the service are paramount and prior approval of all leave must be obtained from local management.

9. Credit Adjustments

Credit adjustments are allowed for certain absences from work as detailed below.

1. Leave
   
   Annual leave, statutory leave or special leave will be credited in accordance with section 5 above.
2. Sickness
   
   Any absence due to sickness will be credited in accordance with section 5 above.
3. Medical, Doctors, Dental, Optical And Hospital Appointments
   
   All doctors, dental and optical (except for health and safety vision screening tests) appointments will be debited to an employee's time.
   
   Employees should endeavour to arrange other medical and hospital appointments during their own time. However, it is recognized that in a number of instances, it is unavoidable to make appointments other than during working time. In these instances, time will be credited but must be recorded on the Lieu time-card and an appointment card produced and approved by management.
   
   Employees will always be credited for time at the occupational health unit, blood donors, cancer screening and maternity related matters such as antenatal appointments.
4. Employee Development Courses/Seminar attendance
   
   For courses undertaken at management request or forming part of an employees continuous professional development, full day release, for approved courses, will be credited as a whole standard working day of 7 hours 24 minutes. Where time is worked outside/inside the normal hours of 8.30am to 5.00pm, this time will be credited/debited in addition to the standard 7.24. Excluding travel time outside the normal hours.
   
   Examples:
   
   1. Training course - 9.00am to 5.00pm (meal break 12.00 to 1.00pm)
      
      Worked 7.30am to 9.00am
      Standard training credit 7.24
      Plus hours 1.00 (time worked outside standard hours)
      Total Lieu credit 8.24
   2. Training course - 1.00pm to 8.00pm
      
      Worked 8.45am to 12.00 (journey to college 1/2 hour, meal break 1/2 hour)
      Standard day 7.24
      Less time after 8.30 0.15 (8.30 to 8.45)7.09
      Plus return travel time 0.30
      Plus 1/2 hour lunch 0.30 (standard day assumes 1 hour lunch)
      Total Lieu credit 8.09

10.Commencement/Ending Work at other than your normal workplace

Where a journey from home to place of work or place of work to home (other than to or from HQ) incurs excess time, individual excess travel time will be credited, but must be agreed and approved by line management.

11. Time Recording

Sections must establish a process where individuals personally record/log 'in' and 'out' times. Employees are personally responsible for the accurate completion of records/ cards in accordance with the scheme and any local arrangements determined.

Employees are deemed to be at work as soon as they have personally recorded themselves 'in' (unless travelling direct to site or alternative work location - see 16 above). Completed cards will be validated and approved at Section Head level and an authorised officer may inspect cards at any time. Time cards when fully completed and approved for each settlement period will be kept by administrative sections of services for control and audit purposes for a minimum of two years. This scheme is initially based upon a manual self recording system. However, management reserves the right to amend the recording system and/or scheme subject to consultation with employee representatives.

This should not be seen to be replacing fire records which also should be signed when entering/leaving Council premises. Sections may wish to consider combining systems in order to avoid duplication. Whatever system(s) are in place, for fire safety reasons, they should be clearly visible.

12. Violations of the Scheme

Employees violating the rules will be excluded from the scheme immediately and/or disciplinary action will be taken.

13. Industrial Action

In the event that the  flexibility of the scheme is used to give support to industrial action during any work to rule, ban on overtime, etc., the scheme may be withdrawn or suspended in whole or in part by the Council for the duration involved and work areas affected. Those staff will be required to work standard working hours.

14. Adverse Conditions

All Employees - regardless of participation in the scheme

During periods of adverse conditions employees will be credited only for those hours they attend work. Where management authorise an early departure it is still for individual employees to determine whether or not they wish to leave. No additional credits should be given above the hours worked. The requirement to take a minimum half hour meal break is also suspended and accordingly employees who wish to work through may receive full credited time. Any shortfall in hours of work for employees not participating in the scheme must be made up at the earliest convenient time by agreement with management (otherwise time off without pay may apply). Annual leave may, of course, be used to make up any shortfall in hours.

15. Very Severe Adverse Conditions

The following should only apply in very severe adverse conditions of the sort where, for example:

• Police advice is issued to close offices/operational sites early, or to remain closed.
• Employees are (or are likely to be) stranded overnight at work or in emergency centres.
• There may be 'life or limb' danger.

All Employees - regardless of participation in the scheme

Any employee who attends work for a minimum of 1 hour and is subsequently requested to leave is credited with the full working day. Staff may be released early depending on operational circumstances. The possibility of working from home or other sites should be determined and agreed with management on an individual basis.

Where employees have rung to say they are not attempting to get to work, they should be required to take annual leave, Lieu time leave (where participating) or unpaid leave. Any employees not attending work and not ringing in should normally have a day's pay deducted.

Where there is any doubt, decisions should be taken at managerial level, taking account of the particular circumstances. Employees scheduled to work irregular hours or shifts should be reviewed by managers as they see fit.

16. Recording of Lieu Time

The method of 'self recording' is to be used and each participant will be personally responsible for the accurate recording of, and calculation of time worked, ensuring that entries requiring authorisation are correctly certified.

Employees participating in the scheme will receive a Lieu time recording card. On the receipt of the record card the employee must enter their name, Service, Team the appropriate dates (weekending date is a Sunday) and any credit/debit time brought forward from the previous week.

On arrival at work the employee will sign an attendance register entering the time of arrival, to the nearest minute, adjacent to the signature. The signature must follow directly below the previously recorded signature. Time will be governed by control clocks as designated by the service. Departure for meal break, arrival after meal break and departure at the end of the day are recorded in the same way so that each employee, under normal

Circumstances, will have recorded 4 entries per day. The times of arrival and departure are then recorded by the employee, as they occur, on her/his Lieu time recording card. Any other absences from work (e.g. dental appointments) should be recorded on the card and, where required, signed by the supervisor.

End