Harmonisation Opt-in exercise: Implementation

The opt-in exercise for staff impacted by harmonisation has now closed.

This means that there will be some staff who have opted-in to the pay and terms and conditions for the area of the business they work, and others who will have chosen not to opt in.

• For staff who have opted in, we now need to implement your new pay, terms and conditions.
• For those who have not opted in, we will need to continue to manage you on your legacy contractual terms.

Line managers need to be clear whether their staff have opted-in or not and if not, which organisation staff transferred in from so they can reference the correct measures statements and legacy policies where applicable.

A summary of the changes staff and managers need to be aware of is provided below. For full guidance, please refer to the Implementation guidance for managers and staff).

Staff who have opted in

Staff who have opted in: Former Parent Organisation / Supply Chain staff

• Working hours: from 1 January 2023, staff will transfer onto the standard Probation Service 37 hour working week.
• Pay assimilation: Staff will move onto PS/ HMPPS/ MoJ pay, depending on where they work in the organisation. This will be backdated to the date of transfer.
• Pay award: As of 1 April 2022 for PS and HMPPS and 1 August 2022 for MoJ, staff will become eligible for the PS, HMPPS or MoJ pay award as applicable. Staff working within the Probation Service, and former CRC staff working in HMPSS/ MoJ who have opted to remain on their temporary PS pay assimilation will be eligible for the Competency Based Framework.
• Family leave terms will be applied from the date of transfer (refer to full guidance for details), PS Annual leave entitlements will apply from the date of transfer but refer to full guidance for transition arrangements
• Other entitlements such as special leave, career breaks and PS sick pay terms (for those not already aligned to PS terms) will apply from 1 January 2023.
• See full guidance for a summary of all terms and applicable dates.

Staff who have opted-in: former CRC staff

• Pay assimilation: staff will move onto HMPPS or MoJ pay, depending on where they work in the organisation. Pay will be backdated to the date of transfer.
• Pay award: staff will become eligible for the HMPPS or MoJ pay award as applicable.
• For all other terms, PS terms apply as per the National Agreement.

Pay

Assimilated pay, backpay for any salary increases and pay allowances and any pay awards due will be paid in January 2023 pay. Where staff have changed roles / locations and hours since transfer, this will create additional processing work and may raise queries which we will look to resolve but may cause delay in processing payment.  As a line manager if you are aware of any such changes you do not think have been escalated (some staff have done this already so please check) please can you contact HandSTenquiries@justice.gov.uk to advise – ensuring you include the employee’s name / number.

In the interim please do not submit any SOP forms for those subject to harmonisation as it will cut across this process and risks adversely impacting on pay for individuals.  Any questions please contact HandSTenquiries@justice.gov.uk

For pay queries post payroll please contact SSCL.

Any impact of pay being backdated on tax or benefits such as Universal Credit are the responsibility of the individual to resolve but SSCL will provide a detailed pay breakdown on request in such circumstances.

Enhanced voluntary redundancy

More information about any EVR scheme, including eligibility criteria, will be shared in early 2023.

Staff who have not opted in

Staff who have not opted-in – former Parent Organisation and Supply Chain Organisation staff 

Staff who did not opt-in retain their legacy contractual terms. This includes pay and legacy pay allowances and any such legacy allowances holding as pay protection will not be time bound.

Staff who have not opted-in: former CRC staff (working in HMPPS/ MoJ)

• Staff who do not opt-in will remain subject to their temporary Probation Service pay assimilation.
• Staff will remain eligible for the PS pay award and be eligible for CBF pay progression, regardless of where they work in the organisation.
• For all other terms, Probation Service terms apply as per the National Agreement.