EA School Based Flexible Working (Options) - Summary of TC's

The Conditions of Service are determined by the National Joint Council (NJC) for Local Government Services.

You warrant that you are entitled to work in the United Kingdom without any additional approvals and you will notify the Education Authority immediately if you cease to be so entitled during your employment with the Education Authority

Please refer to the advertisement for hours relating to the post. The full-time hours for an EA employee is 36 hours per week.  Employees are required to work such hours as are necessary for the efficient discharge of the duties of the post.

Detailed below are the specific conditions relating to the flexible working options available:

OPTION 1 - To work during school term plus up to two weeks annually. The timing of the additional two weeks is at the discretion of the Principal of the school.  Payment will be for hours worked. 

OPTION 2 - To work 52 weeks which will require you to be on duty for the contracted weekly hours, working during periods of school closure except when on annual leave or other authorised absence. Duties will normally be provided by the school. However, where necessary, alternative work and/or training will be provided by the Education Authority at any other such place of employment as may be reasonably required. 

OPTION 3 - To work as for Option 2 with a further option to request periods of unpaid leave during extended school holidays or closures.

Details relating to the salary scale/rate of pay are in accordance with the agreement relating to your grade. Your hours of work exclude meal breaks. The advertisement for this post provides the salary scale/rate of pay.

EA employees are paid by Bankers Automatic Clearing System (BACS) on a monthly basis. Employees must have a current bank account and provide details prior to the first date of commencement of employment.

In accordance with the Working Time Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 (as amended), all employees have a statutory entitlement to a minimum of 5.6 weeks paid holiday.

The basic annual leave entitlement is increased after 5 years’ service in accordance with existing agreements.

In addition, there are normally 12 public and extra-statutory holidays in any leave year.

Employees who work less than a 5 day/36 hour week, and/or fewer than 52 weeks per annum, will have an entitlement to leave that is pro rata to the hours, days and weeks worked.

Further information in relation to Leave Entitlement for NJC staff can be viewed on the EA Website.

The leave year extends from 1 April in one year to 31 March the following year. New entrants will be entitled to leave proportionate to the completed months of service during the first year of entry.

Please see details below in relation to flexible working options:

Option 1 – Your annual leave entitlement for the full leave year will be paid annually in accordance with existing arrangements in each EA office. The timing of this payment is currently under review and may be subject to change.

Option 2/3 – You are required to take your annual leave entitlement during periods of school closure at a mutually agreed time between yourself and the Principal/Line Manager. For those who have chosen option 3, your annual leave entitlement will be reduced following a block of 4 weeks unpaid leave or more in any leave year. The approval of the Principal/Line Manager must be obtained in advance of taking annual or unpaid leave.

In the event that the location, at which you are based, closes over a holiday period, you will be required to take annual leave accordingly. Alternatively, where it is possible to work from another location, you may request to do so; though any such arrangement must be approved, in advance, by your Line Manager.

School Based staff employed on a flexible working options contract will not normally be permitted to take time off during school opening times unless in exceptional circumstances where leave may be granted.

The Education Authority will pay statutory sick pay (SSP) provided an employee satisfies the rules governing this payment.

Occupational sick pay is paid in accordance with NJC Conditions of Service.

Employees who work less than a 5 day/36 hour week, and/or fewer than 52 weeks per annum, will have an entitlement that is pro rata to the hours, days and weeks worked.

The Education Authority has Schemes in operation for the provision of Maternity, Adoption, Paternity and Parental leave. Further information is available from Education Authority Human Resources.

The first 26 weeks of service is defined as the probationary period.

The Pension Scheme provided by the Education Authority is the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) (NI) which is administered by the Northern Ireland Local Government Officer’s’ Superannuation Committee (NILGOSC).

Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme for Northern Ireland is available. The Education Authority will enrol you in the Scheme on a contractual basis provided your contract lasts for more than 3 months and contributions towards the scheme will be deducted from your pay. In addition, the Education Authority has a statutory obligation to automatically enrol you in the Scheme provided you meet the eligibility criteria at any time during your employment. Information and assistance on automatic enrolment is available from the Education Authority Human Resources Section. If you do not wish to remain in the Scheme you may opt out at any time.

For more information on being a member of the Scheme please visit the NILGOSC website: www.nilgosc.org.uk or alternatively contact the NILGOSC office as follows:

In person:       Templeton House, 411 Holywood Road, Belfast, BT4 2LP

Telephone:     0345 3197 325

Fax:                 0345 3197 321

E-mail:            info@nilgosc.org.uk

Further information is available from Education Authority Human Resources.

The minimum period of notice employees are required to give to terminate employment is not less than 1 calendar month/4 weeks. 

If you are intending to undertake or continue with any other paid employment or work while working for the Education Authority, you should notify the Resourcing Service of your intention to do so. Such work will not normally be of concern provided that it does not, in the view of the Education Authority, conflict with the interests of the Education Authority, or detrimentally affect the interests of the Education Authority, or in any way weaken public confidence in the conduct of the business of the Education Authority, or breach current employment legislation including the Working Time Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998. Further information regarding work that may conflict with the interests of the Education Authority is contained within the Code of Conduct for Employees (Item 7 within the Code refers).

The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 defines working directly with children or young people or in specified places as ‘regulated activity’. It is a criminal offence for any individual on any barred list or who is the subject of a disqualification order from the courts; to apply for, offer to do, accept or do any work in a post involving regulated activity, paid or unpaid.

Appointment to a post defined as ‘regulated activity’ is subject to a satisfactory outcome of the vetting procedure, including receipt of a satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure Certificate from AccessNI. Please note that successful candidates will be expected to meet the cost.

Detailed Privacy Notices are published on the EA website, which provide further information on how EA processes your personal information as well as detail on how to contact us if you have any questions. If you are unable to access the EA Privacy Notices, please contact Human Resources and copies will be provided.

Other policies and Procedures are available from Education Authority Human Resources on request.