The following details have been supplied by PCS DWP Group:
Members will be aware of messages that have gone out via the management chain concerning levels of leave over the festive period within the Pensions directorate. PCS has continued to raise concerns with management about some of the messages that have been escalated to group office by concerned members.
Background
The DWP wide policy on leave throughout the year says that 18-25% of available staff can be allowed annual leave at any one time. Any variation has to be authorised at OSN level with a justification based on business need.
Earlier this year in Pensions directorate, a message went out indicating that the 25% allowance would be applied on December 23, 24, 30 & 31 December on English and Welsh sites and in addition on 27 December & 3 January for Scottish sites. However Pensions management also said that they intended to restrict annual leave to just 10% cap on January 2 & 3 in English and Welsh sites. Despite regular contact and objections from PCS management pressed ahead with planning within these leave quotas with many staff being expected to express a leave preference by the end of September.
In parallel to this a message went out across the directorate that if key performance measures were achieved then the 25% leave allowance could be increased to 33% over the festive period apart from 2 & 3 January.
Update
PCS have met management at both Operations level and at directorate level to attempt to resolve the situation with festive leave in Pensions. PCS has argued that the cost to the business of maximising leave over the festive period is minimal and the effect of denying leave has a long term negative effect on staff morale and wellbeing. PCS pointed out to management that in previous years there have been examples where staff have been requested to work over the festive period only to be sent home early because of low work volumes.
PCS has asked national Operations management to lift the 25% limit on annual leave over the festive period. Operations management agreed verbally that Managers should try and give staff more than the 25% annual leave over the festive period wherever possible, while acknowledging there were some areas of Operations where this would not be possible due to operational pressures. However this message has yet to be confirmed in writing.
10% Limit scrapped
Within Pensions Directorate PCS challenged the imposition of the 10% limit for January 2 & 3. Following PCS’ intervention, Pensions management have now agreed to remove this 10% limit and instead offer the standard 18 to 25 % on those days.
Unfortunately PCS is aware that the message that has been cascaded to Pensions managers is not to allow leave above 18% on 2 and 3 January. PCS will continue to press management to allow more staff to take leave on these days.
Pensions management have told PCS that a decision will be made at the end of November to increase to 33% the percentage for annual leave over the rest of the festive period. This decision will be subject to satisfactory performance measures being achieved by the end of November.
At present PCS are awaiting written confirmation from Operations wide management response to our approaches to management requesting that managers maximise the numbers allowed to take annual leave over festive period. Within Pensions directorate we would hope that management reflect upon their position and apply the highest possible percentage across the whole of the Christmas and New Year period.
The GEC consider the current position to be unsatisfactory and will be consulting members and branches as negotiations continue. We would hope that there is not a repeat of the action taken by some pension centre members last year. However members are indicating that this is a sensitive issue and there is a considerable amount of anger at the management position in many sites within the Pensions directorate.
