PP080 RESERVISTS POLICY

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1 PP080 RESERVISTS POLICY Introduction Carillion has pledged its support for members of, or those wishing to join the Reserve Forces and acknowledges the training undertaken by Reservists that enables them to develop skills and abilities that are of benefit to the individual and Carillion. Scope All Carillion staff, whether full or part time, who are members of the Reserve Forces or who are interested in applying to join the Reserve Forces. These include: Volunteer Reservists employees who have been recruited into any of the three main UK Reserve Forces: Royal Naval Reserves and Royal Marines Reserves, Territorial Army and Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Regular Reservists employees who are ex-regular service personnel who may retain a liability to be mobilised depending on how long they have served in the Armed Forces. Notification When you enrol as a Reservist you will normally be asked by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for your permission for them to notify your employer that they have a Reservist in their employment. This process is known as Employer Notification and gives the MOD the opportunity to outline to the employer the training commitments as well as informing them about the related benefits, rights and obligations of Reservists. Unfortunately this does not necessarily happen if you move from one employer to another. We would ask therefore, that you advise your line manager that you are a Reservist so that they can support you accordingly. Leave for Training An individual s training liability may vary between the different Reserve Forces. However, typically, individuals are committed to 30 days training per year as follows: Weekly training: most Reservists train at their local training centre for around two and half hours one evening per week. Weekend training: all Reservists are expected to attend a number of training weekends which take place throughout the year. Annual camp: a 15-day continuing training course. Although this usually takes place in the UK, some Reservists may have the opportunity to train overseas. The dates of annual camp are determined by the MOD as early as possible so that the Reservists can arrange time off from work. As a Reservist, 2 weeks additional paid leave (paid as basic pay) will be granted to you by Carillion per year for attendance at annual camp or other authenticated activities. Any further time off will need to be taken out of your annual holiday entitlement or, subject to the prior agreement of your line manager, as unpaid leave. If you are compulsorily mobilised there are procedures which should be followed but you will retain continuity of employment. This applies to all Reservist Armed Forces Organisations. Line Managers will as far as possible facilitate work rosters to allow attendance at annual camp and other training commitments e.g. weekly or weekend training sessions. To help us achieve this you must give as much notice as possible to assist with planning such periods of absence. Any disputes should be referred to your line manager in the first instance and those dissatisfied must refer to the Company s Grievance Policy. Rev /06/2013 Page 1 of 5

2 Mobilisation Mobilisation is the MOD process of calling Reservists into full time service with the Regular Forces, in order to make them available for military operations. Whenever possible, the MOD aims to give at least 28 days notice of the date that the Reservist will be required to report for mobilisation, although there is no statutory requirement for a warning period prior to mobilisation. The maximum period of mobilisation will depend on the scale and the nature of the operation but is typically no longer than 12 months. There are two types of mobilisation: Compulsory mobilisation which only takes place in circumstances where individuals or units with the required skills are not available in the Regular Forces. Voluntary mobilisation where the MOD call Reservists into full-time service. Carillion s consent is also necessary before such mobilisation can take place. An individual who is called out for mobilisation must, therefore, seek prior agreement from their line manager in the first instance. Where practicable, requests of this nature will usually be considered within 5 working days. It should be noted that Carillion is under no obligation to give consent where it would inconvenience the business, but will make every reasonable attempt to support the employee and the Armed Forces. If this is the case, you will be informed, in writing, of the reasons for the refusal. The call-out papers for mobilisation are sent by post to Carillion or sometimes are delivered to Reservists directly. Where you receive the call-out papers you should forward the letter addressed to the employer directly to your line manager as soon as possible. The documentation will include the call-out date (first day of mobilisation) and the anticipated timeline. It will also provide information relating to Carillion s right to apply for exemption/ deferral/ revocation (see below). Applying for Exemption/Deferral/Revocation In all cases of mobilisation, Carillion has the right to seek exemption, deferral or revocation if your proposed absence is considered to cause serious harm to the business, for example, financial harm and/ or impairment of the ability to provide services. Treatment of Terms and Conditions and Benefits during Mobilisation Pay and Contractual Benefits In the event that you are mobilised, the MOD will take over responsibility for paying your salary for the duration of the mobilisation. This means therefore that Carillion is not responsible for the payment of your salary or contractual benefits whilst you are mobilised. The MOD will: Pay a basic salary according to your military rank. If this basic element is less than the salary element you receive from Carillion, it is your responsibility to apply to the MOD for the difference to ensure you suffer no loss of earnings. Cover the cost of contractual benefits Details relating to Financial Support offered by the MOD can be found at: Company Cars All employees in scope of the Carillion car policy who have opted to take a company car may retain the use of their company during any period of mobilisation, subject to the usual benefit in kind taxation or statutory deductions from gross pay as applicable. Rev /06/2013 Page 2 of 5

3 Your company car must not be used for any Reservist activity. Any arrangements for trading up must be honoured by the employee and any trading down allowances will continue to be paid by Carillion. Car Allowance For those employees who have opted to take a car allowance, during any period of mobilisation you may claim up to 325 per month from the MOD towards this benefit. Carillion will fund any difference between your car allowance entitlement and the amount you claim from the MOD. Private Medical Insurance If you are contractually entitled to Private Medical Insurance you will automatically continue to be covered by this plan during any period of mobilisation, unless you decide to temporarily suspend your membership e.g. where your mobilisation is due to exceed a 6 month period. This can be done by contacting Peopleline on and selecting Option 5. If you elect to take this option, you would need to reinstate your membership by contacting Peopleline (on the number above) once you have demobilised and returned to work. Life Insurance Where employees have an entitlement to life insurance protection, cover will be maintained during any period of mobilisation. Group Income Protection (Permanent Health) If you have a contractual entitlement to Group Income Protection, cover will be maintained during any period of mobilisation. This cover will be maintained for each mobilisation period up to a maximum of 3 years. Bonus Entitlement For employees eligible to participate in Carillion bonus schemes, the rules of their specific scheme will apply. Continuity of Employment Where mobilisation occurs you will be given special unpaid leave of absence and your continuity of employment remains. Annual leave You should endeavour to take any accrued annual leave before mobilisation. Carillion is not obliged to accrue annual leave for a Reservist employee during the period of mobilisation and/ or during periods of unpaid leave. You will however accrue annual leave with the MOD whilst you are in full time service. When you demobilise, you will be entitled to a period of post-operational leave (POL). During this period you will continue to be paid by the MOD. Pension Schemes For members of a Carillion pension scheme during any period of mobilisation you can opt to: Temporarily suspend your membership during the mobilisation period. Benefits will be based on pensionable salary prior to the start of the mobilisation period. A period of temporary absence will be set up on your employee pension record. On return to work, and providing your business agrees to fund the employer element, you may make up any missed contributions to the scheme and have your pensionable service reinstated for the mobilisation period. Continue your membership of the pension scheme by making regular (employee) contributions. The MOD will contribute the employer s contribution during this period. Rev /06/2013 Page 3 of 5

4 Life Assurance Provided you remain a member of one of the Carillion pension plans, with the exception of the Carillion Workforce Pension Plan, life assurance at the level associated with your plan membership will be maintained. Other employees will maintain eligibility of life assurance cover of one times basic pay. Redundancy A Reservist cannot be made redundant on the grounds of their military duties or their liability to be mobilised. Reservists can be included in the redundancy pool if this is necessary due to a downturn in business or closure of a department. However, all employees should be treated consistently, and redundancy criteria should not discriminate against Reservists on the grounds of their Reserve service or call-up liability. Return to work As a Reservist you may require refresher training when you return to work, or need time to familiarise yourself with processes and procedures in the workplace. Your line manager will work with you to: Update you on changes and developments in the organisation. Review where your job duties have changed since mobilisation to determine whether a period of skills training may be required to assist with new aspects of the job. Agree with you whether it would be beneficial for you to meet up with colleagues informally or socially before or after return to work to prevent any feeling of dislocation. Agree where appropriate, reasonable time off to seek therapeutic treatment if required. For your information, Carillion employ an occupational health provider who are available to assist you with injury, illness or counselling ongoing from your period of mobilisation. Performance Review Carillion recognises that Reserve Forces activities undertaken by an individual (either through training or mobilisation) bring essential skills into the workplace such as leadership, communication, team working and organisational ability which ultimately lead to improved performance in the workplace. You should list these skills and bring examples of your experiences in the Reserves to your 121 discussions with your line manager and your annual performance review, so that your line manager can evaluate the activities and consider them as evidence of achievement. Reinstatement Following a period of mobilisation, as a Reservist you must apply for reinstatement in writing. This must be done by the third Monday after your demobilisation date. If you are prevented from doing so owing to sickness or another reasonable cause, you must write as soon as reasonably practicable after the third Monday (but, in any event, within six months of the demobilisation date). You must also write at the same time, or within 21 days of the third Monday after demobilisation to notify Carillion of the date on which you will be available to come back to work. Carillion will endeavour to re-employ a Reservist after the period of service has ended, either in their former position or if this is not practicable, a suitable alternative role. In accordance with the Reserve Forces (Safeguarding of Employment) Act 1985, a Reservist will be re-employed for a minimum of 13, 26 or 52 weeks, depending on their length of employment prior to mobilisation, as follows: Rev /06/2013 Page 4 of 5

5 Length of service consecutive period of less than 13 weeks consecutive period of more than 13 weeks and less than 52 weeks consecutive period of not less than 52 weeks Minimum period of time that the employer is obligated to reinstate after mobilisation 13 weeks 26 weeks 52 weeks Right of Appeal If other work is offered and you are dissatisfied with the alternative offer, you should specify in writing the reason/s why you are not willing to accept the alternative offer. This should be sent to your line manager within 5 working days of the offer of alternative employment. If you believe that the response above breaches your statutory rights, you have the right to appeal to a Reinstatement Committee for assessment. Further appeal can be made to an Umpire. Further Information The SABRE website is a good source of information for Reservists, those employees considering becoming a Reservist and their line managers. It can be located at: Version Control Version Date Revision 1 June 2013 First issue Feedback Comments and suggestions regarding this policy should be addressed to: Liz Keates Birch Street Authorisation Janet Dawson Group HR Director Rev /06/2013 Page 5 of 5