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Payments for emergencies/unplanned incidents

We have put in place emergency arrangements to compensate staff for working over and above their normal working hours. To ensure consistency and enable arrangements to be put in place at short notice in response to future incidents and emergencies this information sets out proposals which can be immediately brought into place when a Gold incident arises and a helpdesk/response team is set up.

Process

Where a Silver or Gold incident arises and response team (e.g. helpdesk) is established, and staff are assigned to operational roles outside their normal day-to-day responsibilities, the following needs to be considered:

  • This arrangement only applies to colleagues who are working on an ad-hoc incident response arrangement (such as a helpdesk) which draws in colleagues across the institution from many different roles and grades, where they are undertaking a role which is different to their substantive role with the University. Other staff who work overtime in their normal role to support the incident response will be subject to the normal overtime or call-out arrangements applicable to their role.
  • Within normal working hours, colleagues re-assigned from their normal duties will continue to receive their normal pay.
  • Where additional working hours, over and above their contracted weekly hours are worked, additional payments will be made at the same rate regardless of an individual’s substantive grade recognising that the same activity of work will be carried out: this will ensure that there is equity and consistency of payment.

Payment

The hourly rate will be based on point 19 of Grade D.

Staff at Grade E and above who are not normally eligible for overtime payments will receive this payment if they work additional hours (above their normal contractual hours) on the incident response.

Time and a half only applies where an employee has worked more than 36.5 hours in a week, so

  • Part-time staff who work above their contractual hours but less than 36.5 hours will be paid at the Grade D point 19 rate – currently £12.89 per hour.
  • Additional hours over 36.5 will be paid at time and a half (currently £19.33 per hour).

Staff who undertake senior responsibilities in leading the emergency response, will be paid for work additional hours at weekends and during University closure days/bank holiday at the plain time rate for Grade F point 41 (this is the top contribution point in the grade), which is currently £24.61.

Staff who receive the payment will not be eligible for compensatory time-off-in-lieu as well.

Implementation

Authority to implement this arrangement will lie with the Registrar and Director of HR, following the invoking of a Silver or Gold incident. For any specific incident, Human Resources will work with the Gold or subordinate Silver/Bronze groups on the detailed arrangements (within the framework set out above) to ensure all eligible staff are recompensed appropriately.

The Gold/Silver incident group will identify appropriate funding for additional payments.

At the discretion of the Registrar, Above and Beyond rewards may be made in addition to the overtime payments.