Benefits

The information detailed below summarises many of the schemes available to Council employees.

If you are appointed, you will receive the Council's Employee Handbook, which provides more detailed information on these schemes. Please note that eligibility to these schemes may differ within parts of the City Council. Some schemes may not be applicable.

Salary

The salary applicable to this post is shown in the job details on this web site. Some Council employees are paid monthly and others weekly, or two weekly depending on the type of job they do. Your "Statement of Particulars" which is issued to you before you start your job, or in some cases very soon afterwards will say exactly how and when you will be paid.

Working Hours

All jobs advertised on this web site are 37 hours per week and open to job share, unless otherwise stated.

Flexible Working Hours

The Flexible Working Hours Scheme applies to most posts. Offices are open from 0730 to 1830 hours. Where flexible working is permitted employees must be at work during core times, 0930 hours to 1200 noon and 1400 to 1600 hours, but may work flexibly during the other hours subject to the needs of the service.

You will be required to work a specified number of hours during each four week accounting period (for full time employees this is normally 148 hours i.e. 4 weeks by 37 hours). A maximum of 20 credit hours or 4 debit hours may be carried forward from one accounting period to the following period.

A maximum of 13 days flexi-leave can be taken in any leave year.

Local Government Pension Scheme

When most people first start working, a retirement pension is one of the last things they think about. As you get older and take on more responsibilities, you may begin to wonder how you will manage when you come to retire or what would happen to your family if anything happened to you. If you leave it too late there may not be time to build up a pension to meet your retirement needs.

It is never too early to start a pension. As a member of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), you will belong to a scheme providing access to high-quality pension benefits based on final pay.

The LGPS is a contributory scheme where employees pay 6% of earnings towards their pension and the council a further sum, currently almost 12%. In return the LGPS provides a full range of benefits, including the following.

• A guaranteed pension based on your final pay and how long you have been a member of the scheme.
• A tax-free lump sum of three times your yearly pension.
• Life assurance cover of at least twice your yearly pay from the day you join the scheme.
• Pensions for your husband or wife and your children.
• Enhanced pension paid early if you have to stop work permanently because you are ill.
• A pension which will increase each year in line with inflation.
• A pension that, in some circumstances, can be paid from age 50, subject to your employer's consent.

If you pay into a company, occupational or personal pension scheme you can ask for the benefits you have built up to be transferred into the LGPS.

You must tell the Council within 12 months of joining that you want to transfer your benefits. The Council may decide to extend this period.

Relocation Expenses Scheme

If relocation assistance is available it will state this on the job advert on this web site.

A new employee moving to take up an appointment with Southampton City Council may be eligible for financial assistance to meet the cost of resettlement, temporary accommodation, travel and temporary storage of furniture.

You will be eligible if you maintain your own home, and move your home at least 15 miles closer to Southampton or from the Isle of Wight, to a new home within 15 miles of the Civic Centre.

The Scheme provides support towards the costs of:

• professional and legal fees for selling and or buying up to £6,000
• incidental expenses of £540 towards new carpets curtains etc
• furniture removal
• lodging and separation, furniture storage, excess travel etc up to £1,600

A detailed copy of the Scheme is available on request.

The scheme provides for resettlement expenses to a maximum of £6,000, disturbance allowance of £1,600 and mortgage assistance subject to comparative regional house prices.

Mortgage Assistance

If Mortgage Assistance is available it will state this on the job advert or in the information included in the recruitment pack.

The council recognises that compared to some other parts of the British Isles property prices in Southampton and southern Hampshire are higher.

The council will assist you in meeting the increased cost of housing incurred through taking up an appointment with the authority.

You will be eligible if you maintain your own home, and move your home at least 15 miles closer to Southampton or from the Isle of Wight, to a new home within 15 miles of the Civic Centre.

Subject to the detailed provisions of the scheme, assistance will be given towards the mortgage interest on the difference between the employee's former property and the purchase price of a comparable house in the Southampton area.

A detailed copy of the Scheme is available on request.

Southampton Car Allowance[]

Many posts are classified as either Contractual car user, where it is a contractual condition that the employee has a car available for use at work at all times, or designated car user where it is desirable that the employee provides a car for use at work.

A single mileage rate of 51 pence per mile is paid with contractual car users also receiving £20 per month.

Season Ticket Loan[]

If you travel to work by public transport we can offer a season ticket loan on an interest free basis, repayable from your pay each month.