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Your pay and grade
Every job has a grade which has up to 4 pay points. These pay rates are subject to review and may change.
See our information on salary scales and pay grades.
Generally you start at the bottom of a grade and you go up one pay point when you have worked for us for 12 months and every 12 months after that until you reach the top of your grade.
All our employees are paid monthly on the 25th of the month or the previous working day.
These pay scales apply to local government service employees other than some schools employees appointed by the governing body and some employees paid on Soulbury pay grades.
Job adverts contain details of the salary which applies in each case.
Travel and expenses
Travel expenses
We will reimburse you if you use your own car for your job. The current rates are:
- 45p per mile for first 10,000 miles
- 25p per mile after 10,000 miles.
You cannot claim mileage to and from your home. Different arrangements apply for some groups of staff.
Expenses
As a general rule, we do not pay meal costs whether you are at your normal workplace or working away. If you need to stay overnight, the costs of accommodation and meals can be claimed with prior approval from your manager.
Excess travel
If we need to change your work base to somewhere more than 5 miles away from your current one and which is further from home, we will pay an excess travel time allowance and expenses, in accordance with our scheme, for up to 3 years.
Overtime and allowances
Overtime
The standard working week for full time workers is 37 hours. If required, after 37 hours per week you will be paid at time and a third, and double time for bank holidays, if you are graded below band 14. There are different arrangements if you work banked or average hours.
Weekend work and enhanced hours
Some jobs have a working pattern which includes weekends. In these jobs, if you work overnight (7pm to 7am) enhanced rates of pay (one and one third) will apply. If your working pattern does not include weekends and you have to work overnight or at weekends, enhanced rates of pay (one and one third) will apply to these times.
Bank holidays
There are eight statutory bank holidays to which our staff are entitled: New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day, Spring Bank Holiday Monday, August Bank Holiday Monday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day.
If you have to work on a bank holiday, arrangements will be made to recompense you for this.
If you work part-time your bank holiday entitlement reduces according to the number of hours you work (pro rata).
Standby and sleep-in duty
If your job means that you have to be available for response outside normal hours, or you have to sleep on work premises, you will be paid a set amount. Any additional hours worked will be paid at the appropriate rate for the day and time of day.
You can only get allowances and enhancements when you actually do the activity (for example sleeping in) or you work the hours. Allowances and enhancements are not paid if you are off sick or for other absences except for annual leave and bank holidays when they are paid according to your normal work pattern. If you are on maternity leave, your occupational maternity pay will include an average of allowances and enhancements paid to you in the 3 months prior to you commencing maternity leave.
As a general rule you get only one enhanced rate for the hours you work. We do not pay multiple enhancements for the same hour worked. So, for example, overtime at the weekend between 7pm and 7am is paid at time and one third, not time and two thirds.
Your pension
You can join the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) any time before your 75th birthday. It doesn't matter if you're full time or part time, permanent or temporary, you can join, no matter how long your contract is for.
Under the scheme’s rules, in most cases you will be brought into the scheme automatically as soon as you start work for us. This is generally the case unless your contract is for less than 3 months or is on a casual or relief basis, in which case you can ask to join.
Detailed information about the Local Government Pensions Scheme.
Flexitime, time off and leave
All of the following leave allowances are based on full-time work of 37 hours per week. If you are part-time your leave allowance will be reduced according to the hours you work (pro rata).
Flexitime
Some jobs are suitable for flexitime working. Flexitime means that you can work your hours between 7am and 7pm according to the needs of the service. If you work enough hours over a 4-week period, you may take up to 2 days or 4 half-days flexi leave.
Payment during absences
Except for annual leave, bank holidays and maternity leave, your pay during an absence will be at plain time rates. You will not be paid enhancements such as allowances for unsocial hours or a sleep-in duty or standby. Standard leave entitlement for the various categories listed is based on contracted hours.
Annual leave
Annual leave allowance starts on 1 April each year and are:
- grades 1 to 9: 25 days rising to 30 days after 5 years continuous service
- grades 10 to 13: 27 days rising to 32 days after 5 years continuous service
- grades 14 and above: 34 days with no increase.
Sick leave
If you have time off for illness you will be paid at plain time rates, including on bank holidays. How long you get sick pay depends on your length of service:
- first year of service: 1 month on full pay and after 4 months service 2 months on half pay
- second year of service: 2 months on full pay and 2 months on half pay
- third year of service: 4 months on full pay and 4 months on half pay
- fourth and fifth year of service: 5 months on full pay and 5 months on half pay
- after five years’ service: 6 months on full pay and 6 months on half pay
Special leave
Up to 5 days paid and 5 days unpaid leave – covering bereavement, urgent domestic and dependent leave – is available in a rolling 12-month period.
Maternity, paternity, adoption, parental and foster care leave
If you qualify for maternity, paternity, adoption, parental or foster care leave, you have various rights and entitlements which will be applied appropriately.
Leave for public duties
We encourage you to play an active part in the life of your community. Paid time off for public service is available in certain circumstances.
Trade union time off
We have arrangements for paid time off for trade union duties and unpaid release for certain trade union activities.
Medical appointments
You should take all medical appointments in your own time. The only exceptions are appointments for occupational health, antenatal, conditions covered by the Equality Act and hospital appointments which cannot be arranged outside your working hours for which you are entitled to paid time off. You can also have a certain amount of paid time off for health screening, immunisation and donor activities. Individuals employed on standard hours can usually make arrangements with their manager to work the hours back to avoid any deductions in pay.
Our working relationship
We have written policies and procedures which help us to make sure that all our staff are treated fairly and equally. Our disciplinary, grievance, harassment and bullying, attendance management, ill health capability and performance capability procedures apply to all staff along with a range of other policies covering working arrangements.
Notice
If you want to leave your job you must give us the following notice:
- grades 1 to 9 - 1 month
- grades 10 to 13 - 2 months
- grades 14 and above - 3 months.
If we give you notice, the minimum period of notice you are entitled to receive is as detailed or one week for each year of continuous service, up to a maximum of 12 weeks, whichever is the greater.
Development and training
We want to ensure that all our employees develop to their full potential and are fully qualified to provide the best service to local people and we provide supervision and training accordingly.
Political restriction
Some jobs in local government are politically restricted which means the job holders are not allowed to have any active political role. If your job is politically restricted, you cannot stand for election, canvas or address political meetings either at work or outside the workplace.
Colleague benefits
Derbyshire County Council is a great place to work and there are many benefits you can enjoy throughout your career, which could make your life easier and more rewarding. The list of current benefits in addition to your pay and pension includes occupational health services, a counselling service, physiotherapy, eye tests for those who work with display screen equipment, childcare vouchers, cycle to work scheme, and several others.