Tuesday 24 March
The worldwide coronavirus (COVID-19) position is changing on a daily basis, with a number of countries now significantly impacted. The UK Government and Scottish Government continue to review the position with health advisers and to review the guidance that is being issued to all of us.
As such, we have considered the impact of this on the workforce in relation to the governance arrangements for recording and payment and have developed these COVID-19 Recording & Pay Guidelines, detailed below. They will also be published on the Hub (the Council’s intranet).
Employees should also continue to follow all other guidance in the regular Employee News updates being issued and the contacts outlined for any queries.
Once again, I would like to thank you all for your continued understanding, co-operation and support in relation to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and hope you find these Guidelines helpful.
Thank you
Ann Davie
Depute Chief Executive, Education, People & Business
24 March 2020
COVID-19 Recording & Pay Guidelines
1. SCOPE (EMPLOYEES)
1.1. These Covid-19 Recording & Pay Guidelines apply to all employees of East Dunbartonshire governed by Chief Officers, Local Government Workers.
1.2. These principles also apply to workers including:
- Sessional Workers
- Casual/Supply Workers
2. SCOPE
2.1. COVID-19 has been determined by the World Health Organisation as a pandemic and in responding to it, the Council’s approach to service delivery is based on Scottish and UK Government guidance and Public Health Guidance.
3. WORKING ARRANGEMENTS
3.1. Where it is possible to do so, and where there is no impact on service delivery,
employees should work from home. This will apply to smart working, office-based employees, who have laptops and who can access the systems required to carry out their roles from home. Employees must ensure that they have their laptop and charger at home to ensure that they can continue to operate. Likewise, if you have a work mobile phone, please ensure that you have both phone and its charger available.
3.2. All other working arrangements and the status of each facility continues to be updated through the Employee News updates.
3.3. Where employees are self-isolating or social distancing for a specified period, a validation of their circumstance will be made through contact by the HR & OD Team and updates recorded thereafter.
4. RECORDING
4.1. To ensure a consistency of approach, the reason for each case of absence from work associated with COVID-19 will be determined and recorded by the HR & OD Manager and/or the Executive Officer - Organisational Transformation.
4.2. In each of the cases to date, the following principles will apply:
Employee advised by NHS or their GP to self-isolate:
- This will be validated, monitored and recorded on the COVID-19 database by the HR & OD Manager
- In the cases where the employee has a laptop/mobile worker, they will be required to work from home.
- In the cases where the employee or worker does not have a laptop/mobile worker and cannot be redeployed to carry out other functions they were required to self-isolate, their absence will be recorded as permissible absence on i-Trent.
Employee has tested positive for COVID-19, the following will apply:
- The absence on i-Trent will be recorded as infection disease and as such does not affect sickness absence or any sick pay entitlements.
- This will be determined and approved by the HR & OD Manager and/or Executive Officer – Organisational Transformation
Employee has an underlying health condition (as defined within NHS guidance), pregnant or over 70:
- This will be validated, monitored and recorded on the COVID-19 database by the HR & OD Manager
- In the cases where the employee has a laptop/mobile worker, they will be required to work from home.
- In the cases where the employee or worker does not have a laptop/mobile worker and cannot be redeployed to carry out other functions they were required to self-isolate, their absence will be recorded as permissible absence on i-Trent.
Pay Arrangements
- This will be validated, monitored and recorded on the COVID-19
database by HR & OD Manager
- In cases where the employee or worker has tested positive for COVID-19, the following will apply:
- The absence on i-Trent will be recorded as infection disease and as such does not affect sickness absence or any sick pay entitlements.
- This will be determined and approved by the HR & OD Manager and/or Executive Officer – Organisational Transformation
5. SESSIONAL, CASUAL & SUPPLY EMPLOYEES
The following will apply where:
5.1 Sessional, casual and supply employees with variable weekly hours where services are not currently being delivered and attendance has been confirmed as not being required:
- Payment will be made for all hours that were scheduled for the week that you were informed that services were cancelled or not required.
- Thereafter, the average hours that were worked in the period 12 weeks prior to the first day of attendance not being required, will be paid on a weekly basis until services resume.
- Payment will be made based on the normal hourly rate in accordance with the applicable terms and conditions.
5.2 Employees scheduled to work within the period of self-isolation
- Payment will be made for all hours that were scheduled for the week that you were informed that you had to self isolate.
- Thereafter, the average hours that were worked in the period 12 weeks prior to the first day of self-isolation will be paid on a weekly basis until services resume.
- Payment will be made based on the normal hourly rate in accordance with the applicable terms and conditions.
5.3 Employees who are sessional, casual or supply and who have underlying health condition (as defined within NHS guidance), are pregnant or over 70
- Payments will be made on the basis of 5.1 & 5.2 above
Overtime Claims and Authorisation Procedures (with effect from 20 March 2020)
- All overtime claims must be received electronically for processing
- Authorisation should take place from the relevant manager electronically and forwarded to the payroll inbox
- This applies to all claims submitted after Friday 20th March 2020
- If there are any queries please contact Gillian McLean, Telephone: 07770745667 Email: Team Leader Employee & Payroll Services at gillian.mclean@eastdunbarton.gov.uk