Policies

Flexible Working Arrangements 2024

Next review: October 2026

Flexible Working Time Arrangement Policy

October 2024

Contents

1.    Introduction     
2.    Relevant Employment Law   
3.    Hours of Work    
4.    The Standard Working Day   
5.    Staff on Sick, Annual Leave or Working Away from the Office on Official Business   
6.    Eligible Other Occasions When Credit Time May Be Allowed for Absences    
7.    Standard Hours Not Worked at the End of the Accounting Period    
8.    Arrangements for Time Off Under the FWH Scheme Recording the Number of Hours Worked    
9.    Recording the Number of Hours Worked   
10.    Monitoring Arrangements    
11.    Maintaining a Service to the Public     
12.    Compassionate Leave    
13.    Emergency Leave    
14.    Taking Emergency Leave    

Contact Details:

Town Clerk
Franklin Hall
Halton Road
Spilsby
PE23 5LA

01790 753189
townclerk@spilsbytowncouncil.gov.uk

1.    Introduction

a.    Every employee has the statutory right to ask to work flexibly after 26 weeks employment service. An employee can only make a statutory request once in any 12-month period. This document outlines the structure of the Flexible Working Time (FWT) arrangements for Spilsby Town Council.

2.    Relevant Employment Law

a.    Employment Rights Act 1996

3.    Hours of Work

a.    Flexible working hours allows for flexibility in the hours of attendance for staff provided that the needs of the office come first. This means that the work must be carried out efficiently and effectively and staffing must meet the needs of the work.

b.    Over a four-week period, called the "Accounting Period", staff must work their "Standard Hours."  If they work more or less than the Standard Hours staff may “carry-over" the excess or deficit.  This is described in paragraph 7

c.    Standard hours are:
i.    For the Town Clerk - 24 hours per week.
ii.    For the Deputy Town Clerk - 15 hours per week.

4.    Standard Working Day
a.    The FWT scheme splits the working day into four periods. Each period is known as a band.

The working day will be as per contract of employment.

5.    Staff on Sick, Annual Leave or Working Away from the Office on Official Business

b.    These absences should be recorded on the FWT update sheets and authorised by the line manager.

c.    Where an absence on official business exceeds 7 hours a credit for reckonable time is permitted

6.    Eligible Other Occasions When Credit Time May Be Allowed for Absences

a.    Casual absences from work such as visits to the doctor, dentist, hospital, opticians, antenatal classes etc. (staff must try to reduce the period of absence as far as they can by arranging suitable appointment times i.e., early or late in the working day).

b.    Unavoidable delay in arriving at work due to transport disruption or other exceptional circumstances and for early departure for similar reasons. Line managers must consider the circumstances of each case and they must ensure that staff participating in FWH and staff who do not participate in the scheme are treated equally. A credit may be given for an absence which occurs either wholly or partly outside core time provided the line manager is satisfied the member of staff would normally have been at work for the period in question.

c.    Special leave for domestic purposes; external training; further education. 

7.    Standard Hours Not Worked at the End of the Accounting Period

a.    Within certain limits it does not matter whether staff work too many or too few hours within one 4-week Accounting Period.

b.    Staff may carry over time to the next accounting period as follows:
i.    a credit of up to a maximum of 10 hours.
ii.    a debit not exceeding 10 hours.

c.    Any arrangements in relation to accumulated hours will be introduced on a pilot basis initially and reviewed after a period of six months in operation.

d.    The review will encompass the impact of the arrangements on the work/life balance issue for the staff involved.

8.    Arrangements for Time Off Under the FWT Scheme Recording the Number of Hours Worked

a.    Time off is subject to the approval of the line manager, who will take the needs of the office into account.  

b.    Staff may take the equivalent of 1 ½     days off in any one Accounting Period without it being counted against annual leave entitlements. This is in addition to the carry-over provisions outlined in paragraph 7.

c.    Staff must arrange their attendance during the rest of the Accounting Period to make sure that they have worked the approximate Standard Hours by the end of the period - subject to the maximum carry-over described in paragraph 7.

9.    Recording the Number of Hours Worked

a.    By the computerised FWT sheet held on the office computer.

10.    Monitoring Arrangements

a.    The success of the scheme depends largely on good relations between staff and their Line Manager.  

b.    With good sense and good will the scheme provides benefits for both management and staff.

c.    It is the responsibility of line managers to monitor and supervise the attendance of their staff.

d.    Nothing in this agreement alters the above and individual FWT records should be examined frequently and at irregular intervals.   

11.    Maintaining a Service to the Public

a.    Town Clerk’s office will still be open to the Public Monday-Friday between 10am and 12.00 pm.

b.    If this is not possible, a notice must be displayed on the Spilsby Town Council notice board with closure dates.

12.    Compassionate Leave

Spilsby Town Council aim to extend sympathy, compassion and understanding should employees suffer a bereavement.  At all times, the Council will try to assist employees to come to terms with their loss.

Application for bereavement leave should be made to the Town Clerk.  

Spilsby Town Council will normally grant up to 5 days unpaid leave in in the event of the death of an immediate relative (spouse, parent, step-parent, grandparent, brother, sister, child, mother-in-law and father-in-law).  Any time off in addition to this should be discussed with the Town Clerk.  Reasonable unpaid compassionate leave will be granted taking into account such factors as the relationship with the deceased person and the timing and location of the funeral.

We accept that sometimes the need to take this leave can arise at very short notice, but request that employees should discuss their requirement with their manager before taking any time off and, in any event, at the earliest opportunity.  All requests for compassionate leave will be dealt with on a confidential basis.

13.    Emergency/Dependents Leave

All employees with dependents can take reasonable unpaid time off to deal with unforeseen emergencies.  This is unlikely to amount to more than a day or two a year.

This policy covers all instances where you may need to take unplanned absence to attend to urgent or serious situations affecting your dependents and where no alternative provision is available.

Emergency leave is designed to provide carers with the opportunity to make alternative arrangements for the care of dependents.  The Emergency leave policy is not intended to be use to allow carers to look after dependents on an ongoing basis (although time off may be available under other policies).

14.    Taking Emergency Leave

Dependents, including parents, husband, wife, partner, civil partner, children or individuals living as part of the family for whom you are the main carer or an individual who depends on you for care, e.g.-, an elderly neighbour.

Emergency leave is only intended to cover unplanned absence to attend to urgent or serious situations affecting your immediate family or dependants.  It is impossible to provide a complete list of circumstances that are covered under the policy; however, the most common circumstances are as follows:-

•    To provide assistance on an occasion when a dependant falls ill, gives birth or is injured or assaulted;
•    To make arrangements for the provision of care for a dependent who is ill or injured;
•    As a result of the death of a dependant;
•    Because of the unexpected disruption or termination of arrangements for the care of a dependant; or
•    To deal with an incident which involves a child of the employee and which occurs unexpectedly when the child is at School.

As soon as is reasonably practicable in the circumstances, contact the Town Clerk (or Chair of the Council) by telephone to explain the circumstances, and if possible, an indication of the length of time off you are likely to need in order to make alternative arrangements.  If the Town Clerk (or Chair of the Council) is unavailable you must contact another Councillor instead.

If you need to stay and care for a dependant on an ongoing basis you can agree with the Town Clerk (or Chair of the Council) to take annual leave, or where you have insufficient annual leave to take a period of unpaid leave.  Alternatively, you may be able to take Parental Leave where the care is for your child.