Midlothian Council
A client from Midlothian Council has been in touch to say that Learning Assistants have done very badly out of the local pay and grading review - this is not unusual because all too often the employers set out to gerrymander the results - to keep down the costs.
Confirmation of the council's bad behaviour quickly followed as the client revealed that new grades had been 'agreed' over the heads of staff - and imposed by management - but without any input or involvement from the Learning Assistants.
The council's behaviour breaks all the rules of Job Evaluation - which require staff to be fully involved at every stage. In fact, they are expected to sign off new job descriptions - to ensure that key duties and responsibilities are described accurately and fairly - before being assessed.
If this is what's happened to Learning Assistants, pound to a penny it's happened to many other groups of staff as well.
What should people do?
Don't accept this kind of shabby treatment - appeal the new grade - and demand a review. Even if a local appeal fails, the council's bad behaviour and deliberate flouting of the rules can be taken into account when people's cases are considered by the Employment Tribunals.
The employers have no absolutely excuse for cutting corners and deliberately freezing out their staff - after all, they've only had since 1999 to carry out this exercise and to do it properly!
Confirmation of the council's bad behaviour quickly followed as the client revealed that new grades had been 'agreed' over the heads of staff - and imposed by management - but without any input or involvement from the Learning Assistants.
The council's behaviour breaks all the rules of Job Evaluation - which require staff to be fully involved at every stage. In fact, they are expected to sign off new job descriptions - to ensure that key duties and responsibilities are described accurately and fairly - before being assessed.
If this is what's happened to Learning Assistants, pound to a penny it's happened to many other groups of staff as well.
What should people do?
Don't accept this kind of shabby treatment - appeal the new grade - and demand a review. Even if a local appeal fails, the council's bad behaviour and deliberate flouting of the rules can be taken into account when people's cases are considered by the Employment Tribunals.
The employers have no absolutely excuse for cutting corners and deliberately freezing out their staff - after all, they've only had since 1999 to carry out this exercise and to do it properly!
