Benefits of working for us

Pay bands

We recruit to the minimum of the pay band unless the Job Specification states otherwise:

• Team Band £17,000 - £20,250
• Management Band 3 £21,120 - £25,200
• Management Band 2 £25,700 - £33,200
• Management Band 1 £34,000 - £42,000
• Executive Band 2 £44,000 - £54,400
• Executive Band 1 £54,500 - £66,800

Pensions

Your appointment is pensionable from the outset. You will be able to choose between two Civil Service pension arrangements.

1. Nuvos. This is an occupational pension scheme that currently has a member contribution rate from 3.5% based on salary. As your employer we meet the rest of the cost of the scheme. 
2. Partnership pension account. This is a stakeholder pension with a contribution from ourselves. How much we pay is based on your age. We pay this regardless of whether you choose to contribute anything. You do not have to contribute but, if you do, we will also match your contributions up to 3% of your pensionable earnings. The contributions are in addition to the age-related contribution mentioned above.

Training and self-development opportunities

We are committed to making sure that all members of staff have access to training opportunities. We are an Investors in People organisation and so we are committed to training and developing our employees. We use the Investors in People standard as a framework to apply good management, training and development.

Holiday entitlement

Full-time employees are entitled to 31 days annual leave each year. They are also entitled to 10 public and privilege holidays per year, one of these days to be taken on the Queen's Birthday and one during the Christmas period. Part-time employees receive a pro-rata allowance proportionate to their working pattern.

Flexible working hours

The object of flexible working hours is to give the majority of staff in the Welsh Government a degree of freedom to enable staff to achieve a good work/life balance. All staff are required to be present during a specified part of the day (core time) but are free to arrive and depart at the times of their choice in the periods (known as flexible band widths) which immediately precede and follow core time provided that:

• The overall efficiency of the office is maintained
• Adequate staff cover is provided during the working day
• The net hours of attendance in the long term remain the same as the present net conditioned hours. Although standard hours are flexible, they must always be worked between 7am and 7pm.

Flexible working arrangements

We offer a wide range of special leave options, some of which we will still pay you for. We will decide whether or not to allow you to use one of these options, depending on your circumstances. We will treat all requests fairly.

All permanent female members of staff who have completed at least one year’s continuous service with the Welsh Government are eligible for 26 weeks maternity leave at full pay, followed by an additional 13 weeks Statutory Maternity Pay (from 1st April 2007) and 13 weeks additional unpaid maternity leave.

A co-parent whose appointment is permanent, or is for 1 or more years, is entitled to 15 days' paid parental leave.  This is in addition to their annual leave entitlement. Parental leave for other types of appointment will be allowed at our discretion.

We offer career breaks of up to five years for staff with caring responsibilities, and for staff who would like to study, travel, and do voluntary work and so on.

We can consider offering term-time working however there is no entitlement to an employee opting for term-time working.  Each request and its possible effects on delivery of business must be considered by line management.

Occupational health

The Occupational Health runs a confidential service for all staff. Their main role is to provide guidance and advice on Attendance, Management, Rehabilitation and Work-related ill health.

Your personal safety

The personal safety of staff is also a priority for us and is covered as part of the wider health and safety issues we have mentioned above.

Trade unions within the Welsh Government

There are three unions within our organisation.

• PCS (Public and Commercial Services) has the largest membership within the Welsh Government and represents administrative, executive, support, typing and secretarial grades
• IPMS/Prospect represents specialists, professionals and managers
• FDA (First Division Association) represents senior civil servants.

These unions have members based in Welsh Government buildings all over Wales, London and Brussels.