Northern Ireland Office
January 2002
Work-life
Bal A nce
Line
Manager’s
Toolkit
Contents
Page
Introduction
1
Section 1
What is Work-life balance within the NIO?
3
Business benefits to the NIO
4
Section 2
Adoption leave
7
Alternative working hours
7
Annual leave and public and privilege holidays
10
Career breaks
11
Care responsibilities
12
Family emergencies
12
Flexible working
13
Job-share
14
Maternity leave
15
Paternity leave
16
Parental leave
16
Special leave
18
Section 3
Managing Work-life balance within the NIO
21
Introduction
In the Spring of 2000 the Prime Minister launched the Government’s Work-life Balance (WLB)
campaign. In GB the initiative is being driven by the Department for Education and Skills (DFES)
(formerly the Department of Further and Higher Education). In Northern Ireland the Department
for Employment and Learning, (DEL) has lead responsibility for the initiative.
The WLB initiative is aimed at encouraging employers, in both the private and public sectors, to
consider the benefits in business terms of enabling their employees to achieve and maintain a
better balance between work and home. It also aims to address the needs and aspirations not
only of carers but of all employees, whatever their reasons for seeking a better balance between
work and home-life.
About this NIO toolkit
This toolkit largely mirrors the DFP NI booklet and aims to highlight the business benefits of
promoting and practising Work-life Balance policies. It also outlines the range of issues to
consider when applying WLB policies and offers some practical advice for line managers which
should be applied when making decisions.
Section 1
Contains background information about Work-life Balance and the benefits to both the NIO as
an organisation and individual members of staff of adopting a positive approach and policies
around WLB.
Section 2
Outlines the existing policies that the NIO has in place and the good underpinning practices to
support these policies.
Section 3
Sets out good practice on managing work-life balance and recognising stress. It also considers the
effects of harassment and the services provided to support NIO managers and employees.
Further information
At the end of each section references are given to indicate where further guidance and additional
information can be obtained. At this time, the HCS Handbook references are not complete as it
is currently under revision. Subsequent revisions of this booklet will remedy this temporary
omission.
1
Section 1
What is work-life balance within the NIO?
“Family Friendly” working is now recognised as an issue that concerns fathers as much as
mothers, but still the term serves to reinforce the perception that such policies are for a minority
of working parents with young children. In fact, choice, control and flexibility in working
conditions and personal fulfilment outside work are equally important, for example, to young
workers, single people, couples, older employees and workers whose relationships and families
are not necessarily conventional. Hence the more recent and inclusive term, “Work-life Balance”
has now been adopted and seeks to place the issue of employee well being at the core of business
strategy.
Employers recognise that individuals at all ages and stages work best when they are able to
obtain a satisfactory balance between their work and other aspects of their lives. Helping people
to achieve a better balance between work and life is therefore a way of supporting business
delivery and enhancing people’s performance.
Work-life strategies
●
view flexible working as something to benefit both the NIO and the employee;
●
place joint rights and responsibility on employees and managers to find workable business
driven solutions;
●
embrace the needs of people at different stages of the lifecycle;
●
recognise diversity in the workplace;
●
respect equality of opportunity for all; and
●
emphasise the business and social benefits to be gained.
Employees need work-life balance to:
●
manage their teams to get the best for the NIO’s business as well as for individuals;
●
manage their work and home responsibilities without undue pressure;
●
maintain a caring relationship with their children, dependant adults and partners (where
applicable);
●
participate in other activities for their own personal development and the benefit of their
communities (where applicable); and
●
feel valued for themselves and their work.
Many jobs, both inside and outside the Civil Service, have been created on traditional
assumptions that an employee’s first commitment is to their job and that supporting activities (for
example, running the home, childcare and elder care) are the responsibility of a non-working
spouse. However, the current social and economic realities are in stark contrast to these
assumptions.
3
The reality is that employers have to take a new approach to the way jobs are designed.
Employers who do not offer Work-Life Balance policies will find it increasingly difficult,
particularly with falling unemployment, to attract new staff and retain existing people. It is
therefore important to offer a variety of flexible policies to reflect the shifting emphasis and
compete in the current employment market. Understanding the needs of staff and trying to
accommodate them, whilst meeting business needs, lets the employer demonstrate commitment
to their staff.
Overall general points to consider
When managing and working with Work-life Balance policies it is important to take into account
the following points:
●
it benefits the NIO and individuals if people feel comfortable to be able to approach you
with their requests;
●
people cannot always control their personal circumstances;
●
all applications have to be considered fairly;
●
people, some living alone, can also have caring and other responsibilities;
●
not everyone has caring responsibilities, but everyone has a life outside of work;
●
always consider if you cannot agree a request, what prevents you from doing so;
●
what are the Line Manager’s and individual’s responsibilities, within this request?;
●
consider how the person might feel in making such requests;
●
ensure all requests are considered on an individual basis;
●
Personnel Services Division are there to support you in making a decision;
●
your reasons for making the decision, whether it is favourable or not, need to be transparent
and you will have to justify your decision to the applicant; and
●
ensure that some requests are not treated more favourably than others. Remember that
some decisions could be open to legal or other challenge.
Business benefits to the NIO
The NIO has adopted a number of personnel policies which support work-life balance principles
and have brought benefits.These include:
Helping to retain trained, experienced staff
It can often cost the NIO more to recruit and train a new employee than to keep the original
employee. So by improving working conditions and adopting Work-life Balance policies this will
help the NIO to retain employees.
Being able to state with confidence that the NIO is an employer with flexible working
practices which can aid external recruitment
If the NIO as an organisation offers flexible working practices it means that the business has a
wider more diverse pool of potential employees to choose from and so can recruit people with
better skills and experience.
4
Reducing absenteeism, sickness and stress
Rates of staff absenteeism tends to fall when employees can take up flexible working patterns.
More committed, motivated and willing staff when they are at work because they are
more able to balance their work and home lives
When employees are motivated this can contribute to enhanced customer service and improve
performance.
Greater productivity, morale and better performance
Levels of employee satisfaction improve when a balance between work and life is achievable and
as a result employees productivity rates rise.
Compliance with new employment legislation
The Government has put into place a basic framework of legal rights that contribute to Work-life
Balance, for example:
●
under the Working Time Regulations, an employer cannot normally require an employee
to work more than 48 hours a week on average. Employees, however, can choose to
work longer;
●
all female employees, regardless of length of service, are entitled to take 18 weeks
maternity leave;
●
parents who have worked for their employer for at least one year are entitled to 13
weeks unpaid parental leave in respect of a child born on or after 15th December 1999;
●
all employees are entitled to a reasonable amount of unpaid time off work to deal with
some types of emergency situation involving a dependant;
●
Part-Time Workers Directive ensures that part-time employees are not treated less
favourably;
●
under the Disability Discrimination Act, employers may have to make reasonable
adjustments to the working arrangements of an employee with a disability, so that they
are not substantially disadvantaged compared to an employee without a disability;
●
under the Sex Discrimination Act, direct sex discrimination is unlawful. Treatment that is
discriminatory in practice in its effects on one sex - indirect discrimination - may be
unlawful.
Enhanced image in the community and to customers
By improving the flexibility of working patterns and offering policies to enhance Work-life
Balance it will enable the NIO as an organisation to recruit from a larger pool of resources. This
will lead to a more diverse work force which in turn reflects customer profile and enables the
organisation to provide a better service to all its customers.
5
Enhanced image of the NIO as a good employer, increasing our potential for building
external partnerships
Having the commitment of the employees can help you improve the service you provide to
customers and also enhance your image as a good employer within the community and when
working with external partners.
6
Section 2
Adoption leave
An allowance of up to 20 days paid adoption leave for a child brought into the person’s full-time
care for the first time.
Specific points to consider
●
the 20 day entitlement to special leave can be shared between both parents if both work as
Civil Servants and may be taken as a block or in instalments over the first year from the date
of adoption;
●
if the officer is taking more than one child into their full-time care at the same time then
only one period of adoption leave is applicable. However, if another child is adopted at a
later date then the employee is entitled to apply for adoption leave for any further
adoption;
●
adoption leave is in addition to unpaid parental leave. See section on parental leave.
General point to consider
It is important to remember that adoption can be a very demanding time for prospective parents,
starting with the pre-adoption interviews and working through a lengthy process ending with
the adoption itself.
●
HCS Staff Handbook is currently under revision.
●
NICS Staff Handbook Leave & Attendance Part Chapter 3.
●
NIO PSN 113/00 refers.
●
CSC 3/00 parental leave.
Alternative working hours
Alternative working hours are open to everyone working in the NIO subject to business and
operational needs.
Specific points to consider
●
the change of hours can be temporary or permanent and the individual needs to make that
clear when submitting a request. A new contract will only be issued if the change of hours
is for four weeks or more;
●
if a request to a change in working patterns is agreed it does not necessarily have to be on
a permanent basis, (providing both parties are happy to undertake a temporary
arrangement). It often suits both parties to have a trial period, with an in-built review and
an option on both sides to say whether it has worked. At the end of the trial period it would
be for you (the manager) to decide whether to make the arrangement permanent. Even for
a trial period any change of hours needs to be notified to NIO Personnel Services Division
(Pay Service);
7
●
women returning from maternity leave, who make requests to work alternative work
patterns must be given the same consideration as anyone else making that request. You
must ensure that you do not discriminate against them in any way and try to accommodate
their request, where possible;
●
under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 it is a requirement to make reasonable
adjustments for employees who have a disability. This includes changing working hours
where they cause substantial disadvantages to the person with the disability;
●
ensure individuals are aware that they may be able to temporarily change their normal
working pattern to accommodate training or similar activities;
●
alternative work patterns are not an automatic right so managers have the discretion to
refuse a request. Equally managers cannot automatically say ‘no’, but should consider every
possible option before making a decision;
●
as the NIO is a sizeable employer with the capacity to backfill with other part-time
individuals when filling posts, operational reasons for turning down requests need to be
strong and legally defensible;
●
ensure that individuals understand the impact on annual leave, public holidays, sick absence,
pensions and overtime (for example, overtime rates of pay are only paid to people who work
part-time hours after 37hours have been worked).
General points to consider
●
people have a wide variety of reasons for wanting to work alternative work patterns and
their reasons do not necessarily have to be linked with looking after children, or dependants,
before it can be approved;
●
each request needs to be discussed in detail with the individual before making a decision.
When managing employees who work an alternative work pattern consider the
following (this should not be used in the decision process):
●
they need the same amount of time as a person who works full-time hours to use IT systems
and read guidance;
●
they need the same amount of training as a person who works full-time, but an alternative
means of carrying out the training may need to be identified;
●
they are entitled to the same number of Appraisal Reviews as a person who works full-time;
●
they need the same considerations about development within their role as someone who
works full-time;
●
they need the same amount of time to manage their staff as a person who works full-time;
●
when setting objectives and targets ensure that these reflect the hours which they work and
the other issues highlighted above, for example, someone who works two and a half days
per week should not be expected to deliver 50% of a full-time individual’s targets because
they will still have to do the other activities highlighted above for which they will need the
same amount of time as a colleague who works full-time; and
8
●
from the manager’s point of view, it is also worth remembering it takes the same amount of
time to manage someone who works alternative hours as it does to manage someone who
works full-time;
●
a communications strategy will need to be developed to keep people who work less than 37
hours updated and it is beneficial to involve the office team in doing so. For example, if a
communications meeting is held on a day that a part-time person does not work, someone
or some method needs to be identified to update the individual(s) - if it becomes an
individual’s responsibility then it will also impact on their time. Where possible,
communications meetings should be arranged at a time suitable to the majority of staff, or
days alternated to ensure all team members have the opportunity to attend a meeting;
●
you may need to manage feelings of “guilt”; some people “worry” about going when they
have completed their part-time hours when there is still work to do;
●
give thought to how people manage their work if they work reduced hours. For example,
what time is their first and last appointment? Are there any rural transport issues for
customers’ attendance on the days the individual works?
●
part-time working arrangements need to be carefully designed to ensure that the team
works well and avoid exploiting individuals who work part-time hours. At the same time
ensure that full-time members of staff do not feel that they are taking on the work of the
part-time member of staff when they have left the office.
There are no set rules as to when to say “yes” to an application and when to say “no”. Each
request has to be dealt with on an individual basis comparing the request with the needs of the
business.
●
if you cannot agree to a person’s request, due to operational commitments, try to identify
and negotiate alternative solutions, set a review date to reconsider your decision, in line
with the operational needs. You may be able to negotiate a rota for part-time working
hours within your team, providing everyone is in agreement;
●
you have to be prepared to handle people’s disappointment where you refuse an
application. Some people can feel resentment even when policies have been applied
correctly;
●
ensure that any reason for refusing an application is justifiable and you are able to explain
clearly your decision;
●
look at the wider picture when considering requests; your office may not be able to
accommodate, but another office may and a full-time officer from that office may want a
transfer request (but avoid moving someone else against his / her choice to accommodate
the part-time request). Individuals may be able to claim expenses.
●
NICS Staff Handbook Leave & Attendance Part Chapter 1.
●
HCS Staff Handbook is currently under revision.
9
Annual leave and public and privilege holidays
Annual leave is intended to give everyone regular periods of rest and recuperation. You should
encourage individuals to take their full entitlements within their leave year.
Specific points to consider
● it is good practice to ask for requests for annual leave at the beginning of each calendar
year. This will allow you to plan ahead and agree periods of leave;
● all requests for annual leave should be given the same consideration. For example, a person
who requests a week off during school holidays but has no childcare commitments should
be given the same consideration as a person with school age children;
● disagreements may occur when several people request leave at the same time and
operationally it is not possible to agree all requests. You should make every effort to resolve
this type of situation, taking into account:
● previous applications and approvals, for example, you may have refused leave in the
past for some individuals yet approved it for others;
● leave already taken, for example, you may consider have they had a period of leave
over the last few months or are they in need of a break; and
● work commitments and cover within the office as a whole. (You will need to ensure
that you have a clear policy on minimum staffing requirements in your office).
● none of the above should be used in isolation to make decisions, you should take account of
all the above when considering applications;
● annual leave for individuals who work part-time is calculated on a pro rata basis.
Privilege holidays/public holidays
Full-time staff receive up to 12 days public and privilege holidays per year;
Alternative work pattern staff receive a proportion of the full-time equivalent;
●
HCS Staff Handbook is currently being revised.
●
NICS Staff Handbook Leave & Attendance Part Chapters 2 & 7.
10
Career breaks
Career breaks are extended periods of leave for up to five years. They can be granted for most
purposes including further education, domestic responsibilities such as the care of young
children, elderly or sick relatives, starting a business alternative employment (there are limitations
for NICS staff wishing to work in N.Ireland). Career breaks enable individuals to exercise a real
choice in these circumstances whilst providing an avenue back to work in the NIO.
Specific points to consider
● you (as line manager) will need to discuss with your branch manager how the career break
can be covered, for example, permanent or temporary recruitment, before you forward a
request onto Personnel Services Division;
● if you (as the Head of Division or delegated officer) approve a request the application should
be forwarded to NIO Personnel Services Division promptly for salary and administrative
purposes i.e. "keeping in touch" arrangements;
● NIO Personnel Services Division can advise you on the following issues on request;
a good attendance record and at least a satisfactory marking on their most recent
annual report.
● the NIO will not consider applications from individuals if inefficiency or disciplinary action is
being taken against them or when their expected date of return is within one year of
retirement age.
● if you feel that you are not able to approve a request, because you cannot release the person
on operational grounds, your reasons for making the decision need to be transparent. You
will have to justify your decision to the applicant and guidance should be sought from
Personnel Services Division.
General point to consider
Ensure you discuss with the individual the full range of relevant options, including work pattern
and job-share in order to arrive at the best solution for everyone concerned.
Keeping in touch
Personnel Services Division (PM2) (through Office Services) will set up Keeping in Touch
arrangements (NIO PSN 73/2001 refers) to keep staff informed whilst on career breaks, which will
include, for example, sending out memos, key documents and job promotion opportunities
regularly and will also keep in touch on the phone and invite staff on career breaks to attend
communications meetings;
Whilst staff are on career breaks their knowledge will naturally decline, therefore any refresher
or retraining required needs to be planned immediately on their return to work.
●
HCS Staff Handbook is currently under revision.
●
NICS Staff Handbook Leave & Attendance Part Chapter 3.
11
Care responsibilities
Where an individual has responsibility for the care of a dependant, the sort of work they can do
may be restricted by the extent to which they can make satisfactory care arrangements.
Specific points to consider
If a person’s care arrangements break down because of unexpected events, you should highlight
the provisions available to them, for example, special leave, temporary re-arrangement of
working hours, flexible working patterns (including part-time, job-share), or career breaks.
Annual leave and staff welfare services are other alternative avenues to explore.
Ensure employees are aware that they can be reimbursed if they incur additional care costs for
attending a training event, work extra hours or have their normal working pattern varied.
●
HCS Staff Handbook is currently being revised.
●
NICS Staff Handbook Leave & Attendance Part Chapter 3.
Family emergencies
Following the introduction of the Employment Relations Act 1999, individuals have the right to
a reasonable amount of time off to deal with family emergencies.
Specific points to consider
Family emergencies are:
● to help out when a dependant falls ill, gives birth or is injured or assaulted;
● to arrange for an ill or injured dependant to be cared for;
● as a result of the death of a dependant;
● because a dependant’s care arrangements are disrupted or terminated;
● to deal with an incident involving a child which occurs unexpectedly in school time.
A dependant is defined as a spouse or co-habitee, child, stepchild, parent or step-parent or
anyone who depends on the individual. They do not have to reside at the same address. This
applies to same sex couples also.
● unpaid special leave (Emergency Leave) is a statutory right and you are expected to allow
this to deal with initial emergencies as outlined;
● paid special leave can be considered;
● annual leave or flexi leave, if requested, can also be considered.
General point to consider
What constitutes a reasonable amount of time off should be decided on a case by case basis and
on each individual’s circumstances. If you need further advice you should contact NIO Personnel
Services Division who will be able to offer general advice.
12
●
HCS Staff Handbook is currently being revised.
●
NICS Staff Handbook Leave & Attendance Part Chapter 3.
Flexible working
This is a system of working hours that provides flexibility on start and finish times and length of
lunch break around core hours and subject to business needs. It allows people to vary their
working times to provide a balance between work and home and enables the NIO to operate its
business effectively. It permits individuals to choose to work longer hours when there is an
operational need (within the guidelines of the Working Time Regulations 1998). It also gives
individuals autonomy to decide whether they need a more flexible arrangement on any given
day.
Specific point to consider
Operational
Any review of an existing flexible working hours policy, for an office/location, must include
consultation with trade unions.
General points to consider
● flexible working patterns enable people to vary their working times to achieve a balance
between work and home and enable the NIO to operate its business effectively. Flexible
working arrangements are not there purely for an individual’s benefit;
● if you agree to review working hours it does not have to necessarily be on a permanent
basis. It often suits to have a trial period, with an in-built review and an option on both sides
to say whether it has worked. At the end of the trial period it would be for you to decide
whether to make the arrangement permanent. If you decide not to make the arrangement
permanent then your reasons would need to be transparent and defensible. This applies
both to an office/team or an individual;
● in consulting staff about what they think will meet individuals’ and business needs you will
not lose control of the situation but you will gain some commitment from those people to
ensure it works effectively. Work-life Balance is about a joint responsibility to meet business
and personal needs; coming up with alternatives together will help to increase ownership;
● staff know we have a commitment to our customers and that targets have to be met so let
them look at how they balance their needs against the business needs and have your team
come up with some recommendations, around flexible working hours, for you to consider;
● in reviewing any workflow, identify what can be done within the time that the IT systems
are accessible and what can be done outside of those times;
● some people may prefer to travel early to avoid the rush hour. Whilst you may allow them
to enter the office, if you can justify to them that there is insufficient work then you can
rightly say that they should not count time towards flexi until work becomes available, for
example, if someone arrives at the office at 7.30am and there is no work available until
8.00am, when perhaps the post arrives, then their flexi time will not start until 8.00am;
● people have tighter entitlements to annual leave than flexi leave, but you can have some
control about the amount of flexi leave that people accrue;
13
● individuals who work part-time hours are also entitled to work flexible working hours and
are allowed to accrue excess or deficit hours.
Legal framework
Be aware of any special needs of your staff. Under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995
we have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for employees who have a disability. For
example, some people with a disability may have difficulty travelling during the rush hour and
need their hours adjusted accordingly. Another example may be flexibility over lunch times to
allow staff to administer medication and/or attend treatment.
●
HCS Staff Handbook is currently being revised.
●
NICS Staff Handbook Leave & Attendance Part Chapters 1 & 3.
Job-share
This is where two or more people share a full-time or a part-time post. The manager gets the
benefit of full cover for a post, while the individuals are able to work together to share the hours
for the post.
Specific points to consider
● seeing an opportunity to job-share may prompt some people to apply to work part-time
hours. You must consider this as you would for any requests for part-time working;
● if your office cannot accommodate a request to job-share then NIO Personnel Services
Division will be able to advise about any other job-share vacancies that may be available.
General points to consider
● job-sharing introduces part-time people into posts which have usually been seen as full-time
and extends the number of jobs which can be done on a part-time basis;
● each request to job-share needs to be discussed in detail with the individual before making
a decision;
● job-sharing allows continuity of cover - if one person is off work, some of the work will still
be completed. The other sharer(s) may even agree to undertake extra hours to provide
cover. You must ensure that the sharer(s) are in agreement over cover arrangements;
● two or more people often bring a wider range of skills, experience and enthusiasm to a job
than one person;
● the job-sharers will need to develop a good working relationship and a robust handover
mechanism;
● once a job-share is created the two people concerned are not ‘bonded’ for life. They will
each have development needs and the job-share may only be a transitory arrangement;
● when managing individuals who job-share, you need to plan carefully each individual’s
responsibilities and consult with them when discussing their role and responsibilities;
● it is important that those job-sharing are recognised as individuals and treated as such;
14
● communication is vital in a job-share, both for the individuals involved, their team and their
line managers;
● two people who job-share apply for promotion. If one person is successful and the other is
not, it is important to handle the situation sensitively.
●
HCS Staff Handbook is currently under revision.
●
NICS Staff Handbook Leave & Attendance Part Chapters 1 & 2.
Maternity leave
The NIO offers two maternity leave schemes. They are statutory maternity leave and NIO
contractual maternity leave.
Specific points to consider
● maternity leave is a complex subject with its roots firmly established within employment law.
If you are unsure about any issues you should refer to either the HCS Handbook (under
revision) or NICS Staff Handbooks, Leave and Attendance Part, Chapter 6 and to NIO
Personnel Services Division;
● the Employment Relations Act 1999 established a statutory right to 18 weeks paid maternity
leave (statutory maternity leave) for all women irrespective of length of service, hours of
work or appointment dates;
● the NIO’s provision offers up to 52 weeks maternity leave which includes the statutory
maternity leave, statutory unpaid maternity leave and unpaid NIO contractual maternity
leave. Eligibility conditions apply to NIO contractual maternity leave;
● it is important to remember that maternity leave is not discretionary and employees are
entitled to take the full amount of leave they qualify for. Women are not obliged to take
their full entitlement to maternity leave, but it is against the law for a woman to work in
the two-week period following childbirth;
● a woman can take her full entitlement to unpaid NIO maternity leave at the time of birth or
reserve some or all of it for a later date. The reserved portion can be shared between both
parents if they are both civil servants. It is not necessary for both parents to work for the
same HCS/NICS Department. This does not affect or disqualify parents from applying for
parental leave or discretionary special leave for emergencies (NICS Staff Handbook, Leave
and Attendance Part, Chapter 3) (HCS Handbook is currently under revision);
● all women have a right to ask for a risk assessment to be carried out in respect of their
current job during pregnancy;
● for advice and entitlement conditions for maternity pay and maternity allowance please
refer to the appropriate HCS (under revision) or NICS Staff Handbook, Leave and Attendance
Part, Chapter 6 and to NIO Personnel Services Division.
Ante-natal care
The NIO has an obligation to allow reasonable time off with pay for ante-natal care, such as
hospital and doctors appointments for all pregnant employees. Reasonable time off should be
viewed as adequate time off to attend the appointment and for travel to and from the venue;
15
Time off for these appointments is applied for in the same way as special leave to line
management. (See NICS Staff Handbook Leave and Attendance Part – Chapter 3) (HCS Staff
Handbook is currently under revision).
Relaxation classes
You may also need to consider applications from pregnant employees for time off with pay to
attend relaxation classes. It is necessary to obtain confirmation that this was advised by a doctor,
registered midwife or registered health visitor. Refer to the advice given in the appropriate HCS
or NICS Staff Handbook before authorising time off for these classes.
Parent craft classes
Time off for parent craft classes is dealt with in the same way as relaxation classes.
Keeping in touch
NIO PSN 73/2001 outlines the need for NIO line managers to set up keeping in touch
arrangements, to keep staff informed whilst on maternity leave. For example sending out
promotion, trawl notices, memos and key documents regularly and keeping in touch on the
phone and invite staff on maternity leave to attend communications meetings.
Return to work
A woman has the right to return to work following statutory maternity leave (18 weeks) or
additional leave (up to 29 weeks after childbirth). She has the right to return to the same or an
equivalent job and on the same terms and conditions, once this period of leave has ended;
If on her return a woman wishes to change her working pattern you must make every effort to
comply with the request. NIO Personnel Services Division will be able to provide further advice;
When a woman returns from maternity leave you should deal sympathetically with requests to
express breastmilk and should make arrangements for her to do so safely and privately. For
example, provide a private room.
●
HCS Staff Handbook is currently under revision.
●
NICS Staff Handbook Leave & Attendance Part Chapters 6 & 3.
Paternity leave
Please see special leave section – page 18.
Parental leave
Parental leave is a period of unpaid special leave granted to all parents to look after or make
arrangements for the good of a child, not necessarily connected to the child’s health. This is in
addition to maternity leave and paternity leave and is unpaid.
16
Specific points to consider
Parents are entitled to 13 weeks unpaid parental leave provided they have one year’s continuous
service and:
● they are a parent of a child born on or after 15th December1999 and that child is under five
years old when parental leave is applied for; or
● they have adopted a child, after 15th December1999, under 18 years old. The right to take
leave lasts for five years from the date the child was adopted or until their 18th birthday,
whichever comes first (this is in addition to adoption leave); or
● they have acquired formal parental responsibility for a child which is born after 15th
December1999 who is under five years old;
● if the child is disabled parental leave entitlement may be taken up until the child’s 18th
birthday;
● parental leave should be taken in weekly blocks, for example, if an individual applies for two
days parental leave this will count as one full week of their entitlement (unless it is in
connection with a disabled child);
● the amount of parental leave can be limited to four weeks in any one year; However special
leave can be applied for in addition to the parental leave;
● as it is planned leave, the individual should discuss it with you as far in advance as possible;
● each request needs to be discussed in detail with the individual before making a decision;
● each request needs to be given equal consideration;
● determine how the absence will impact on both the work of the office and the people in it;
● parental leave is an entitlement, but there is no automatic right to take it on a particular
date, so managers have the discretion to refuse a request for a particular period in time.
Equally, managers cannot automatically say ‘no’. You have to consider every possible option
before making your decision;
● line managers have the discretion to postpone the start of any parental leave period for up
to six months (except for the first period immediately following birth or adoption);
● when applying for parental leave jobholders must give their Divisional Head or delegated
officer notice of at least 21 days. For example, if they require two weeks’ parental leave they
must notify you at least 21 days prior to the start date of the leave;
● whilst on parental leave the person will not lose any pension rights built up prior to taking
the leave, nor will their annual leave be reduced;
● on return from parental leave the person has the right to return to the same or an
equivalent job.
●
NIO PSN 113/00 refers.
●
HCS Staff Handbook is currently under revision.
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●
NICS Staff Handbook Leave & Attendance Part Chapter 3.
●
CSC 3 /00 Parental Leave.
Special leave
Special leave is not an automatic right in all circumstances and an individual can be asked to cover
part of their absence with other forms of leave if it is appropriate in the circumstances. Special
leave can be both paid and unpaid.
There are two main categories of special leave:
● entitlements (eligibility conditions apply);
● marriage leave – five days paid .There are eligibility conditions attached to these which are:
● you must have an appointment date earlier than 1st March 1990; or
● have an annual leave allowance of less than six weeks;
● have not previously taken any marriage leave; and
● intend to return to work after leave.
● paternity leave - two days paid + one days paid special leave;
● adoption leave - 20 days paid;
● parental leave - 13 weeks unpaid;
● bereavement leave - Up to five days paid - depending on circumstances;
● family emergencies - statutory entitlement to unpaid leave to cope with the initial
emergency. Payment of leave or further leave is at manager’s discretion;
● reserve forces training - eight days paid (maximum);
● jury service - special leave with pay for duration of service;
● other discretionary leave - special leave (with or without pay) dependent on the individual’s
circumstances and the operational needs of the office at the time.
A full list of special leave entitlements and eligibility criteria is contained within both the
HCS/NICS Staff Handbooks; (HCS is currently under revision; NICS Leave & Attendance Part,
Chapter 3).
● people on temporary (non-permanent) appointments have no right to paid special leave
except for jury service and ante-natal classes. They are, however, entitled to statutory leave,
that is, emergency leave.
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Specific points to consider
● all requests for special leave must be made in writing;
● any strict local policy on special leave must be avoided as each request has to be dealt with
individually based on its merits;
● NIO has an obligation to allow reasonable time off for individuals to undertake public
service roles, but is not obliged to pay them during their absence;
● in cases where they are applying for discretionary leave, consider if the applicant can
reasonably be expected to cover the situation, at least in part, by annual or flexi leave;
● there are pay, leave and other implications in allowing special leave without pay;
● you can accept retrospective requests for special leave, in fact, due to the nature of the
situation, staff may only be able to discuss it with you after the event;
● you must keep a record of all applications for special leave and review them periodically.
This will help you to monitor who has applied for special leave (approved or refused) and
whether any individual has repeatedly applied for special leave for the same type of
situation. It will also help you ensure that no individual or group of individuals has been
treated less favourably;
● under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) employers have a duty to allow
employees who are covered by the Act to be absent during working hours for rehabilitation,
treatment or assessment.
General points to consider
● each request needs to be discussed in detail with the individual before making a decision.
Discuss the application and, where possible, offer other solutions. Bear in mind that some
applications for special leave may arise out of very sensitive situations and it may be difficult
for the person to discuss them;
● if you turn down an application for special leave with pay purely on the basis that the
individual cannot be spared from his / her duties, but then grant annual or flexi leave to
others for the same period you will have to justify your actions in any subsequent grievance
case;
● you cannot ask individuals to take annual leave or flexi leave instead of special leave with
pay where they are entitled to special leave because of the circumstances;
● consider whether the applicant has demonstrated that he / she has tried to make alternative
arrangements, as part of any discussion with him / her;
● determine how the absence will impact on both the work of the office and the people in it,
but do not use it to make the applicant feel guilty. You need to balance impact on business
operations and the urgency of the situation facing the individual;
● if you agree a short-term request then ensure people know that they should make
contingency arrangements if that situation is likely to occur again;
● if it is a long-term special leave request, consider if there is an alternative available, for
example, career break or a change in the individual’s working pattern;
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● before making a decision about long-term absence you need to consider how much
immediate and ongoing operational problems would be caused by the long-term absence;
● you have to be prepared to handle people’s disappointment where you refuse an
application; some people can feel resentment even when policies have been applied
correctly;
● bereavement - it is good practice for managers to complete the request for special leave
paperwork so staff do not have to go through another process unnecessarily;
● when individuals return from special leave you need to make sure the ‘emergency’ which led
to the request is now over and has been dealt with. If their difficulty has not been resolved,
you need to consider what further support you can give them.
●
HCS Staff Handbook is currently under revision.
●
NICS Staff Handbook Leave & Attendance Part Chapter 3.
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Section 3
Managing work-life balance within the NIO
As a manager, staff may come to you for help and advice when they are experiencing problems
both at work and at home. If pressures, both at work and home, become too much then this may
lead to stress which can affect both work and home lives. Long hours working is an increasing
pattern in the workplace and may result in extra demands and pressure being placed on
individuals.
As a manager you have a Duty of care for your people. Duty of care means you recognise when
someone needs extra support to manage his or her workplace role.
General points to consider
● be accessible and available to all staff and adopt an open and honest approach. Individuals
will feel more able to discuss issues with you;
● be alert to factors like a pattern of sick leave, dip in performance and poor timekeeping
which might indicate a problem;
● be aware of the sources of stress and the risks attached to ignoring adverse effects. Do not
forget your own stress levels also;
● consider how jobs and duties are organised to help in managing undue pressure and long
hours working. You may need to review the resources allocated to areas of work and also
your own expectations of employees;
● clearly define individual’s roles, when expectations placed on them are clear and non-
conflicting, stress can be kept to a minimum;
● effective communication - listen to people’s concerns and give a commitment to address
them where possible. If you cannot influence a concern then say so;
● you need to be aware of the first signs of stress. These include:
● poor workplace relations with colleagues and customers;
● becoming withdrawn from colleagues;
● emotional outbursts;
● unaccustomed gloominess;
● irritability, lack of concentration;
● loss of motivation and commitment;
● increase in sick absence;
● poor decision-making; and reduced output or productivity.
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● you must be prepared to deal sympathetically and sensitively with people who may be
suffering from stress;
● remember stress can come from numerous sources, home as well as work;
● the previous symptoms may not only be as a result of stress, other factors/problems may lead
to similar patterns of behaviour, for example, health problems, personal problems, problems
within the workplace and harassment;
● ensure that any matters are dealt with sensitively and confidentiality is maintained, unless
the individual clearly indicates otherwise.
Operational
● many people who are committed and responsible will stay in the office or work at home if
the need be, for as long as it takes to get the work done. Sometimes managers perhaps
without realising it, or perhaps quite consciously, take advantage of their staff’s
commitment;
● ensure that you acknowledge all staff commitments and not just the ones you notice are
there during your working pattern. If people are doing a good job then acknowledging this
will help to improve staff morale;
● it is important to remember that you need to value quality as well as quantity of work
delivered;
● consider the needs and abilities of new recruits. There is a lead in time before a person is
fully effective. Concern about letting people down, not being effective, is very stressful;
● it is important to remember to achieve a balance between the work undertaken by the new
employee and their knowledge. If your new recruit is working late you may want to ensure
that they are not feeling too much pressure and that they have the knowledge required to
undertake the job;
● consider the expertise of individuals. It is not fair to expect people to do work for which
they have neither the right expertise, nor the right training and then give no support.
Neither is it fair to review their performance at the end of the period in a new post and
judge them by the standards applied to long serving members;
● it is important to remember that individuals at different ages and stages in their lives may
have different approaches to Work-life Balance. They may have different outlooks and
different priorities in their lives at different stages.
Harassment
Harassment causes tension and conflict in the workplace which, in turn, can impact on both
individuals’ work and home life. Some of the effects of harassment can be similar to those of
stress. They may include:
● fear and anxiety;
● loss of confidence and self-esteem;
● poor performance;
● stress;
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● depression; and
● sick absence.
It is important as an NIO manager to set up and uphold standards of behaviour so that individuals
can work in a harassment free environment. Further information can be obtained from the (July
2000) Equal Opportunities guide (which is also electronically available from within OASIS, Equal
Opportunity folder) or from the NIO Equal Opportunities Officers or NIO Harassment Contact
Officers.
Grievance
Where a request for change in relation to the policies covered cannot be agreed, then staff
should be made aware of the NIO grievance procedures. Please refer to the NIO Equal
Opportunities Guide (also available electronically on OASIS, Equal Opportunity folder) or contact
the NIO Equal Opportunities Officers.
Support services available to NIO staff
NIO Welfare Service, Occupational Health Services (OHS), Trade Unions, Civil Service Benevolent
Fund, Civil Service Sports Council, NICS Sports Association, NICS & Kinderkist Holiday Play
Schemes.
Other facilities may be offered at Directorate/Agency discretion – e.g. the availability of fitness
facilities at NIO Millbank, London and at Stormont House, Belfast.
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