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STAFFING ISSUES LIKELY TO BE RAISED IN THE CONSULTATION PROCESS

In document TUPE. A Guide for Schools (Page 31-37)

Transfer / Induction:

 Experience of relevant service management among senior managers of the new organisation

 TUPE transfer of staff

 Pensions (admitted body status; comparable pension scheme)

 Consultation / negotiation arrangements with trade unions and professional associations

 Trade union / professional association recognition

 Advice for staff (ie. personal / welfare support)

 Communication with staff (ie information material, newsletters, notice boards etc)

 Early understanding of the role for each member of staff

 Options for future terms and conditions (where appropriate)

 Induction arrangements (the culture of the new employer, business strategy, health and safety, equal opportunities)

 Work base, location

Competencies of New Employer:

 IiP or equivalent

 Skills audit / training needs analysis of staff

 Personal development programmes

 Customer care philosophy (and training for staff group on this)

 Probation / capability procedures

Behaviour:

 Disciplinary procedures

 Performance management (appraisal)

 Performance measurement of the organisation

 Quality assurance mechanisms

 Counselling of staff

 Arrangements for team meetings / briefing sessions

 Code of ethics

Development:

 Continuous Professional Development scheme

 Training programme / investment in training

 Suggestion scheme

 Customer surveys

 Management of change and consultation mechanisms

Stability:

 Continuity of employment for staff

 Clearly defined line management responsibility

 Recruitment and retention measures

 Communication to staff (for example team or staff group meetings)

Change (Reductions in Staffing):

 Communication commitment

 Formal consultation mechanisms

 Framework for redundancy management - measures to avoid redundancy

- recruitment freeze - temporary / agency staff - reduced hours

- flexible working - restructure

 Ring fence arrangements

 Voluntary redundancy / early retirement

 Clear / objective selection policy for compulsory redundancy - redeployment

- retraining - relocation

- remuneration protection - severance policies

 Counselling for staff

Equality:

 Compliance with the Equality Act 2010 (for all employers) and Equality Duty (if transferee is a public body)

 Equal Opportunities policy (for staffing and service delivery)

 Consultation on the Equal Opportunities policy

May 2014

 Who is responsible for Equal Opportunities (ie. which senior manager?)

 Training

 Complaints procedure / grievance policy

 Equality Impact Assessment

 Action plan to ensure policy is implemented

 Monitoring (eg. recruitment)

 Communication Health and Safety:

 Health and Safety policy

 Consultation on the policy

 Accountabilities of staff (especially senior managers)

 Training

 Arrangements for risk assessment

 Adequate resources to address concerns

 Monitoring

 Communication

APPENDIX 3 The Legal Position on Continuous Service

Movement and Continuity of Service

Unfair Dismissal Redundancy and

Redundancy Pay

Occupational Sick Pay Occupational Maternity Pay

TUPE to academy then move to Community/Voluntary Controlled School within the same local authority

Change of employer – 12 months continuous service for

Change of employer – 12 months continuous service for

Will not qualify for the full entitlement unless:-- The employee has four

years aggregated service in Community or VC School; or - the Local Authority

recognises service in academies for this purpose (see Circular)

Entitlement needs to be

acquired anew unless the Local Authority chooses to recognise service in academies (see Circular)

TUPE to academy and then moves to a Voluntary Aided or Foundation School within the same local authority

As above As above The VA or Foundation school is

the employer, so has the discretion to decide whether to recognise service with the academy or with previous schools (see Circular)

The VA or Foundation school is the employer so has the discretion to decide whether to recognise service with the academy or with previous schools (see Circular) Community to VA/Foundation

School or VA/Foundation to Community school in the same authority (or a different authority)

If the move is within the same local authority this would be treated as the same employer (Section 218(7) of the

Employment Rights Act 1996).

If the move is to a school in a different local authority then there is a change of employer and the employee needs 12 months continuous service to claim unfair dismissal. (2 years continuous employment from April 2012).

As above In all cases the move is from

one employer to another and the new employer has the discretion outlined above. Only movement from a Community/VC school to a Community/VC school within the same local authority or different local authorities automatically builds up

entitlement to full sick leave/pay entitlement under the Burgundy Book. (See Circular)

In all cases the move is from one employer to another and the new employer has the discretion outlined above. Only movement from a Community/VC School to a Community/VC School within the same local authority or a different local authority builds up entitlement to full maternity leave/pay entitlement under the Burgundy Book. (See Circular)

May 2014

TUPE Amendment Regulations 2014 APPENDIX 4

The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE Regulations 2006) were amended by the Collective Redundancies and Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (the amending Regulations 2014) with effect from 31 January 2014 with a further change being effective from 1stMay 2014..

The Government introduced the changes to the TUPE regime, effected by the amending Regulations 2014, to "remove unnecessary gold-plating ... and remove unfair legal risks to companies carrying out transfers"

A summary of the changes and how these relate to schools can be found below

Summary of Changes with effect from 31stJanuary 2014 as a result of the Collective Redundancies and Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (Amendment) Regulations 2014)

What Has Changed Effective

Date

Schools Related Example Further Advice for Schools

Effect of the Transfer on Contracts of Employment / Dismissal of Employees because of the transfer A variation to a contract of employment will be void, or a dismissal unfair, if the sole or principal reason for the variation or dismissal is the transfer (in relation to transfers that take place on or after 31 January 2014) The wording of the regulation 4, which deals with the effect of a transfer on contracts of employment, and reg.7, which deals with the dismissal of employees because of a transfer, more closely reflects the language of the

Acquired Rights Directive (2001/23/EC).

31/1/14 A school ends their facilities management contract and is to undertake the task in house. The employees of the previous provider transfer to the employment of the school. The school dismisses the

grounds maintenance officer as the site agent is to undertake the duties of the role.

The dismissal may be deemed to be unfair as the principal reason for the dismissal is the transfer.

Advice should be sought from HR provider and legal insurers prior to varying contracts of employment or the dismissal of employees following a transfer.

Community/VC Schools and Nursery’s should also contact the HR Statutory Schools Team at the earliest opportunity should a dismissal be identified.

Change in the location of the workforce following a transfer

A change in the location of the workforce following a transfer can be within the scope of "an economic, technical or organisational (ETO) reason entailing changes in the workforce".

31/1/14 A school in a hard federation ends their catering contract with an external supplier, and brings the provision in-house. The Governing Body of the Federation determine that school meals for all pupils in the Federation are to prepared in a kitchen 10 miles from the original location.

Advice should be sought from HR provider and legal insurers prior to varying contracts of employment or the dismissal of employees relating to a location change following a transfer.

This may prevent a genuine place of work redundancy from being automatically unfair (under reg.7) and allowing a change of location by reason of a transfer to constitute a valid contractual variation (under reg.4)

This change may meet an ETO reason entailing changes to the workforce for a place of work redundancy or contractual variation.

All maintained Schools should also contact the HR Statutory Schools Team at the earliest opportunity should a place of work redundancy or contractual variation be identified.

Provision of employee liability information (due diligence)

The transferor is required to provide employee liability information to the transferee 28 days before the transfer, rather than the previous 14 days before the transfer.

Transfers on or after 1/5/14

A community school converts to an academy trust on the 1stSeptember 2014.

Employee liability information is required to be provided to the Academy Trust by 4thAugust 2014.

Additional time planning will be required to meet the statutory timescale. Failure to provide employee liability information may lead to a complaint to tribunal and a compensation award subject to a

minimum of £500 per employee in respect of whom the transferor has failed to provide the information

For transfers out of the school or an Academy conversion early liaison with the Schools HR and Payroll provider is advised in order to ensure adequate time is allocated to produce and provide employer liability information.

Community/VC Schools and Nursery’s should also contact the HR Statutory Schools Team at the earliest opportunity to ensure CBC is involved in the

provision of employee liability to the transferee.

Rights & obligations relating to Collective Agreements made after transfer

Rights and obligations relating to a provision of a

collective agreement do not transfer, where the provision is agreed after the transfer, and the transferee does not participate in the collective bargaining process.

31/1/14 A school coverts to an Academy on the 1st July 2014 and a teachers’ pay award is collectively agreed nationally to be effective from 1stSeptember 2014 the pay award is not, by law automatically

applicable to the transferred employees on teachers’ conditions of service

In these circumstances The School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document ceases to be a statutory entitlement for teachers but becomes a contractual obligation subject to consultation and dialogue between employee and

If the school is a transferee, advice should be sought from their HR provider and legal insurer as part of the transfer process. Trade Unions may request the transferee to confirm that collective agreements will be adopted by the transferee.

May 2014

employer.

Renegotiation of terms derived from collective agreements

Renegotiation of terms derived from collective agreements, where the variation is because of the transfer, is allowed one year after the transfer, provided that the change does not result in the rights and

obligations of the employee being no less favourable overall to the employee as compared to those immediately before the change.

31/1/14 A School ends their catering contract with an external provider and brings the provision in-house. The employees of the external provider transfer to the

establishment of the school on their existing terms and conditions of service.

The school wishes to renegotiate the employees terms in order for them to be engaged on NJC terms and conditions of service in line with other support staff.

This is possible under the revised

regulations provided that the change does not result in the rights and obligations of the employee being no less favourable overall to the employee as compared to those immediately before the change.

If the school is a transferee, advice should be sought from their HR provider and Legal Insurers prior to any

renegotiation of terms derived from collective agreements, where the variation is because of the transfer

Definition of Terms

Transferor – Employer who is to transfer staff to a new organisation / employer as part of the TUPE provision Transferee - Employer who is to receive the transferring staff as part of the TUPE provision

In document TUPE. A Guide for Schools (Page 31-37)

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