Redeployment procedure

Introduction

The University is committed to protecting the security of employment for its staff as far as is possible. It is therefore essential that a clearly understood practical redeployment policy is in place which enables staff to be redeployed to suitable posts within the University.

The University undertakes to develop and implement a structured redeployment policy including a positive approach to retraining.

Redeployment eligibility

There may be a number of situations where staff are in a redeployment situation:

• when the job they are currently doing is no longer required;
• when part the of job is no longer required (i.e. 25% or more of the post);
• when, due to medical reasons, they are unable to continue in their present post

All staff in the situations outlined above will have the opportunity to register on the University’s Redeployment Portal with a view to finding an alternative post. However, the Redeployment Portal is not for members of staff who do not fall into one of the situations outlined above who are seeking a new job or change of career.

Where the need arises, the University will ensure that full consultation and communication will take place with staff both collectively and individually and with campus unions at the earliest opportunity. Consultation with the individual and access to the Redeployment Portal would usually be at least 4 months before any change takes place and as soon as is possible for those staff who, due to medical reasons, are unable to continue in their present post.

The University recognises that redeployment may constitute a change to an individual’s contractual terms of employment. Where there is a change to the employment contract this cannot be implemented without his or her consent.

Principles

When dealing with an issue of redeployment the following principles should be followed:

• staff and their representatives have the right to be involved at the earliest opportunity in decisions which may affect them.
• staff have the right to express their wishes and preferences and the University will take these into consideration where reasonably possible.
• insofar as is practicable staff will be encouraged and supported in undergoing any relevant retraining or reorientation, or in having other development needs met, with the aim of assisting them to remain employed at the University. Once staff are registered on the Redeployment Portal they should be allowed reasonable paid time off for retraining from their existing post.
• access to Counselling Services will be made available.

Definitions

Redeployee

Member of staff in an ‘at risk’ group as defined in redeployment eligibility and registered on the redeployment portal.

Suitable alternative work

Suitable alternative work is where the skills and knowledge sought to fill a vacancy match the skills and knowledge of the redeployee with or without further training over the 4 week trial period. In assessing whether or not a vacancy is suitable, a number of factors will need to be taken into account including:

• nature of the job
• status of the job
• qualifications and skills needed and those of the redeployee
• hours
• location and accessibility
• personal circumstances
• career prospects of the redeployee
• interests of the redeployee
• aspirations of the redeployee.

The priority is to avoid redundancy and if an offer of suitable alternative work is made, it will made formally, in writing (see downloads for standard letter).

The offer of suitable alternative work will indicate how the new employment differs from the old employment and will be made before the employment under the previous contract ends.

Although it is the member of staff’s decision whether or not to accept the alternative work, members of staff should bear in mind the availability of other employment should they refuse the offer which is considered suitable. 

Prior consideration for a vacancy

Prior consideration for a vacancy means being considered for a post being advertised on the Redeployment Portal.

Redeployment portal

This is a University talent pool to which only redeployees have access. If they wish redeployees can upload a CV in a standard format and apply for jobs.

All relevant vacant posts will be advertised on the redeployment portal for 2 weeks.

This talent pool is managed by the People Support team. The eligibility criteria are shown in redeployment eligibility.

Restructuring

Restructuring is an exercise that the University wishes to proceed with and full consultation with the relevant campus unions will take place prior to and during the restructuring exercise.

General approach

The Redeployment talent pool will be managed by the People Support team, providing access, and removing access.

Once a member of staff has been identified as a redeployee and has expressed a wish to have access to the Redeployment talent pool the People Support team will provide the redeployee with access.

The People Support team will take a pro-active role in trying to secure alternative employment for redeployees registered in the Redeployment  talent pool by:

• encouraging staff ‘at risk’ to register to the talent pool as soon as possible and providing help with CVs if required
• for redeployment opportunities, the People Support team will ensure a full recruitment exercise has taken place via the talent pool prior to any other advertising taking place.

Staff registered on the Redeployment talent pool will be granted appropriate paid time off for the purpose of attending job interviews for internal appointments and with external employers.

The effectiveness of the redeployment talent pool would be reviewed after the period of 1 year.

The filling of posts

All vacant posts where a search provides possible matches with redeployees will be advertised in the Redeployment  Talent Pool for two weeks.

Individuals with access to the Redeployment Talent Pool will access the vacancies through the My Recruitment Tile in OneUniversity. Redeployment vacancies will be tagged with "Redeployment". Alternative arrangements will be made for any staff who do not have access to OneUniversity.

A suitable match will usually, but not always, be at the same grade and where appropriate shift patterns, and consideration will be given to personal circumstances, location etc., as in the individual’s most recent previous post. 

Schools/Directorates with vacant posts advertised on the register will shortlist/select (if there is more than one suitable candidate) and, if appropriate, conduct interviews prior to advertising elsewhere and considering other applicants. If there is only one possible suitable candidate, a less formal selection process is possible. However, such prior consideration will always involve considering the member of staff against the Person Specification for the vacant post. In order for an initial match to be established the staff member must normally meet most (approx 75%) of the essential criteria for the post. Appropriate training will be made available, if required, during the 4 week trial period.

Once the closing date is reached a short listing process will take place and if there are any possible matches redeployees should be interviewed before any other candidates, other than other redeployees and prior to any other form of advertising.

If a person proves suitable at interview then they should be offered the post, subject to the 4 week trial period.

If the person is deemed unsuitable at interview the individual and the People Support team should be informed, in writing, of the decision and the full reasons for the decision not to appoint. This will assist the individual and enable the People Support team in supporting the staff member in future applications.

Departments undergoing restructuring are not expected to give prior consideration to staff on the Redeployment Register from other departments whilst their own restructuring is in process.

Individual members of staff will have the right to use the Grievance Procedure if they feel that redeployment procedures have not been followed correctly.

Training

The University is committed to considering retraining for redeployment to a post within the University. In the exceptional situation where retraining takes place outside the University any necessary travel and accommodation costs would be met by the University.

Trial periods

Members of staff who are redeployed have a statutory right to a trial period of 4 weeks in the alternative job. The trial period begins when the previous contract has ended and ends 4 weeks after the date the member of staff starts work under the new contract. The trial period will be stated in writing in the job offer.

The trial period is to provide the member of staff with the opportunity to decide whether the new job is suitable without losing the right to redundancy pay. An assessment of whether the job is suitable or not must be made by the member of staff prior to the end of the trial period. If the member of staff works beyond the end of the 4 week period they will be deemed, in law, to have accepted the alternative job.

The 4 week trial period also allows the University to assess the member of staff’s suitability in the new job. Should the University wish to end the new contract at the end of the trial period, the member of staff will preserve the right to their redundancy pay, provided the dismissal is due to the redundancy situation (not another reason e.g. gross misconduct).

Protection arrangements

The University operates in a challenging environment and it must respond and adapt to meet changing requirements. There may, therefore, be occasions when changes impact on the grade and salary of some members of staff. The aim of the Protection Arrangements is to provide an initial period of protection during which an employee is able to adjust to a reduction in earnings.

The University may, from time to time, decide to reorganise the structure and/or work of a unit in such a way that the revised job role/s result in member/s of staff being placed in a job which is at a lower grade and salary than they presently hold. A member of staff who is redeployed at a lower grade, in these circumstances, will be entitled to pay protection.

For the purposes of redundancy avoidance only, outlined in the policy (i.e. where the University makes the organisational decision that results in a member of staff’s grade and salary being reduced), they will receive pay protection for the equivalent of a maximum of 2 grades and for a maximum of 2 years from the date of taking up the new role. The pay protection will extend to any contribution points the member of staff has been awarded.

At the end of the pay protection period the member of staff will be placed on the actual grade for the post, at a spinal point no higher than the maximum for the grade, excluding contribution points and they will be remunerated on this basis.

No annual increments will be paid during the period of pay protection but nationally agreed cost-of-living increases will be awarded.

In the interests of clarity, pay protection will not apply in different circumstances e.g. where a member of staff voluntarily applies for and accepts a lower graded job, or where a member of staff is offered a lower graded job as a result of a redeployment under the capability procedure or as a result of the termination of a fixed-term contract.

Pay protection will cease earlier than the protected period when:

• The member of staff’s salary in the new job reaches or exceeds the level of pay protection
• The member of staff obtains a new job with the University which offers a salary equal to or exceeding their protected salary
• The member of staff chooses to apply and is appointed to a post at a lower level than the protected pay.

In the event that a member of staff obtains a new job which offers a higher salary than the job which was accepted as an alternative to redundancy, but is lower than their protected salary, then the member of staff’s salary will continue to be maintained at a level that ensures they do not suffer a detriment for the remainder of the pay protection period.

At the end of the period of pay protection the member of staff’s salary will reduce to the maximum spinal point of the substantive grade for the new post. The maximum point will not include Contribution Points.

Pay protection will not apply where there is transfer to a lower graded job as a result of disciplinary action, incapability or where the member of staff has requested to work at a lower grade. 

The University commits to positively supporting and assisting members of staff, who have been redeployed at a lower grade and are in receipt of pay protection, to secure employment with the University at the grade they held previously. 

If the member of staff wishes secure a job at grade they held previously they have a responsibility to make serious and conscientious efforts to seek such a post by use of the University’s Job Vacancies website and Job Notice Boards.

The member of staff should inform their People Support team of the post in which they are interested and the People Support team will contact their counterpart in the School or Directorate in which the post exists. The People Support team will request that the member of staff is interviewed for the post if they meet the essential criteria of the post, as detailed in the job advertisement, job description and /or any further particulars. 

If the member of staff is not interviewed, they will be advised of the areas they did not meet the essential criteria in order to assist their development and future applications for posts.

If interviewed, the member of staff will participate in a competitive situation and the most suitable person for the post will be appointed.