advance summer mag

Summer2014 ADVANCE magazine 1

M A G A Z I N E

M A G A Z I N E

S U M M E R 2 0 1 4

Y O U R V O I C E A T W O R K

Stress SurveyOURFINDINGS

RewardsTHEBRANCHREWARDSCHEME

Employment factsCHANGESINTHELAW

Telephone: 01442 891 122www.advance-union.org

Mental healthTheissuesthatcanaffectusall

2 ADVANCE magazine Summer 2014

Xxxxx 9Xxxxx 9Xxxxx 9

PublishedbyAdvance,2ndFloor,16/17HighStreet,Tring,HertsHP235AH

telephone: 01442 891122fax: 01442 891133Email: [email protected]

Allarticles©advancemagazine2014ortheauthor.Thecontentsmaynotbereproducedwithoutpermission.Writers’viewsarenotnecessarilythoseofAdvance.

Editor:LindaRolph

Design&production:www.design-mill.co.uk

Rewards 14Changes to the Branch Reward Scheme

Rep chat 15Nicola O’Shea talks to us

obituaries 16Bob Crow and Tony Benn

the plight of older 17working womenMore women are now working longer hours

Employment facts 18Changes in employment law

pay progression 19Pay and bonusses

Linda’s team 20Contact telephone numbers

Inthisissue...

10

9

15

CONTENTSNEWS 4PensionsAdvance electionsMeeting datesPay progression

Lottery winners 5

Summer recruitment 5campaignWin an iPad

Stress survey 6The findings of our survey

the branch Director role 9Update

mental health issues can 10affect anyoneIssues can arise from excessive stress at work

knowing what a risk is 12Each year all Retail employees must undertake annual testing

branch consolidation 13The bank is continuing to consolidate branches

12

Printedonrecycledpaper

WIN A TABLETiPad

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5


Evening helpline ContactLindaeveryWednesday8.30–10pm07850 742340

WelcomeF

irstly, I want to congratulate everyone on the fantastic results of the first Quarter of 2014, especially with regard

to Customer Engagement scores and the 48% increase in profits that you have made for Santander. No matter how good the brand (or, indeed, the products) of any company are, the main reason why customers remain loyal is because of the people who work for it. This includes Santander. Of course, customers want the best possible rates and this is understandable. However, it is also important for customers to relate to the people who are supporting them with their choices and options. It is you who makes the difference.

With regard to Incentive/Reward schemes, this is a difficult topic and most people have their own views on it. However, what unites everyone is the belief that any scheme should be fairly distributed to everyone who has played their part in achieving good results. Performance ratings give structure to annual pay awards. However, a CP rating has a very detrimental effect on everyone whose reward package includes an incentive scheme. Whilst some managers may say that a CP rating reflects a good performance (near where you should be), this is not reflected in bonus payments. This is reflected in the Santander UK Annual Pay bonus agreed in 2013 (and payable in 2014): specifically, a person at S1 level who receives a CP rating would only receive a 1.5% increase while another person at the same level who received an SP rating would receive an increase of 6%. Therefore, Advance would like to see a fairer incentive/annual award and a reduced gap between the monetary awards given to SP and CP ratings

respectively. Until this happens, we will continue to scrutinise all CP ratings in each business division and continue to advise people receiving such ratings to appeal.

Whilst no trades union is able to negotiate bonuses, this does not mean that we cannot make suggestions to change it and that is exactly what we have done. We highlighted our issues to the Head of Reward.

We are fully aware that incentives are a large part of most people’s reward packages nowadays. Pay increases mainly reflect your year-end rating. However, incentive payments should reflect your contribution to your team, be it monthly, quarterly or annually and we believe that it is unfair to be penalised twice (at your interim bonuses and, again, at your annual pay increase). If you work for a bank, the “stock in trade” is going to be money and risk: most mistakes involve money or risk.

Advance believes that being penalised for a mistake or two through your incentive scheme is harsh. Allowances should be made for mistakes as the learning from these mistakes should ensure that they do not happen again. No-one comes to work saying “I think that I will make a mistake today”: mistakes happen – it should not be the

norm that the only option open to the manager is to penalise the individual through their reward or by disciplinary action because of it. We will let you know how our discussions progress. I am sure that you will agree that any incentive schemes should reflect the company’s philosophy of “simple, personal and fair”.

For our members in the branch network, the updated Resource Management Guide is available on our website for members only. This should really help to resolve many of the day-to-day issues that you face. We look forward to receiving your feedback.

Finally, I hope that you all have a lovely summer and a well deserved break with your loved ones.

Until next time,

Linda Rolph, General Secretary

‘WhiLSt No tRADES uNioN iS AbLE to NEGotiAtE boNuSES, thiS DoES Not mEAN thAt WE CANNot mAkE SuGGEStioNS to ChANGE it AND thAt iS ExACtLy WhAt WE hAVE DoNE. WE hiGhLiGhtED ouR iSSuES to thE hEAD of REWARD’


ThefollowingmeetingstookplaceinMarch,AprilandMay:● 7thMarch SGF● 10thMarch SantanderCorporate&

CommercialBanking● 13thMarch North-West&YorkshireSub-Committee● 21stMarch NorthSub-Committee● 24thMarch QuarterlyMortgagemeeting● 24thMarch TDSub-Committee● 24thMarch SouthWestSub-Commitee● 26thMarch London&SouthEastSub-Committee● 27thMarch BusinessBanking● 10thApril GeobanQuarterlySub-Committee● 15thApril RetailP&TUpdate● 23rdApril RetailDistribution● 24thApril FinancialPlanningSub-Committee● 29thApril Health&SafetySub-Committee● 12thMay RetailMulti-ChannelSub-Committee● 13thMay CentralSub-Committee● 20thMay NorthSub-Committee

MinutesfromthesemeetingsareavailabletoallmembersontheAdvancewebsiteusingtheirmembershipsign-ondetails.ThefollowingmeetingswillbetakingplaceduringJune:● 5thJune SantanderConsumer● 10thJune RetailP&TUpdate● 12thJune BusinessBanking● 12thJune RetailDistribution● 16thJune TelephoneDistributionSub-Committee● 23rdJune South-WestSub-Committee● 25thJune LondonandSouth-EastSub-Committee

MinutesforthesemeetingsareavailabletoallmembersontheAdvancewebsiteusingtheirmembershipsignondetails.

NEWS

mEEtiNG DAtES AROUNDTHEBUSINESS

FromMonday2JunetoFriday4JulyelectionnominationformswillbeavailablefromtheAdvanceofficeforthefollowingposts.

National Executive Committee (NEC) representatives are needed for 3 Areas:

● North-West & Yorkshire ● Corporate & Commercial ● Santander UK Global Business.

ThecriterianecessarytoapplyforanNECpositionarethatacandidatemusthavecompletedafulltermontheAreaCommitteewithinthelast3yearsandworkwithinAdvance’sbargaininggroup.

Advance has Area Representative vacancies in the following areas:

● Retail North, ● Retail London & South-East, ● Retail Central, ● TD & Intermediaries, ● Santander UK Global Business ● Corporate & Commercial.

IfyouarenotinoneoftheaboveareasbutwishtostandasanAreaRepresentativeinyourarea,thereareopportunitiestoapplyforafewmorevacancies.

TobeeligibletoapplyfortheAreaRepresentativerole,candidatesmusthavebeenafullypaidupOrdinarymemberofmorethan12monthsstandingandworkwithinAdvance’sbargaininggroup.

If you are interested in applying for a position, please contact Abbie McCarthy by email at [email protected] or call her at the Advance office on 01442 891122.

Advance elections

In January we reported on the agreement reached with the Bank on changes to pensions which included a two-year pay deal.

A formal 60-day consultation period on the proposed changes with Defined Benefit (Final Salary) pension scheme members has now concluded and the proposals as originally agreed will come in to effect in March 2015, after the second year of our pay deal. To recap, the pay deal next year will be worth at least 2.8% for the majority of Advance members and when the You Choose payments are added it will be worth significantly more.

Advance negotiated a Pay Progression scheme with Santander in 2012. Pay Progression is the agreed way for an individual to progress to the midpoint of salary and is based on the job family pay range and depending on your year-end appraisal being at least an SP.

Your manager has all the information to provide you with your own current position. The information relating in detail to how individuals so far have achieved an award is on page 19.See the chart on page 19.

pENSioNS

pAy pRoGRESSioN

pENSioNSStop pRESS

membershipsignondetails.

pAy pRoGRESSioNupDAtE


LOTTERYWINNERSNOVEMBER 2013Position Lottery Number Retail/Head Office

1stPrize £1,000 17215 London&South-East2ndPrize £500 29558 NotListed2ndPrize £500 14387 NotListed3rdPrize £100 32007 London&South-East3rdPrize £100 6200 NotListed

DECEMBER 2013Position Lottery Number Retail/Head Office

1stPrize £1,000 33414 FormerEmployee2ndPrize £500 32822 CustomerTelerelationsBelfast2ndPrize £500 28901 Complaints3rdPrize £100 12550 NotListed

JANUARY 2014Position Lottery Number Retail/Head Office

1stPrize £1,000 23185 London&South-East2ndPrize £500 14939 London&South-East2ndPrize £500 31692 NotListed3rdPrize £100 26365 NorthRetail3rdPrize £100 29708 London&South-East

FEBRUARY 2014Position Lottery Number Retail/Head Office

1stPrize £1,000 28622 CentralDivision2ndPrize £500 23655 TelephoneDistribution2ndPrize £500 33585 RetailCentral3rdPrize £100 31463 Geoban

MARCH 2014Position Lottery Number Retail/Head Office

1stPrize £1,000 18929 Manufacturing2ndPrize £500 32865 London&South-East2ndPrize £500 22635 SMEBanking

APRIL 2014Position Lottery Number Retail/Head Office

1stPrize £1,000 18929 Manufacturing2ndPrize £500 32865 London&South-East2ndPrize £500 22635 SMEBanking

WiN up to £1,000 every month

SUMMER RECRuitmENt CAmpAiGN RECRuitmENt CAmpAiGN

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Summer is here at last... light evenings, sunny days and holidays to look forward to. To celebrate the arrival of summer, Advance is running a Recruitment Campaign from beginning of June to the end of August.

The prizes are:● 1st Prize – an iPad!! ● 2nd Prize – a Nexus tablet!!● 3rd Prize (multiple prizes) – a £20 voucher for a Marks & Spencer

meal for 2 and a bottle of wine.So, come on – there is plenty of time for you to help us! Start recruiting today and win some prizes!!

If Advance receives a minimum of 100 new members by the end of the campaign, we will put all the lovely recruiters’ names into a prize draw which will take place on 30 September. The only stipulation (and there is always one) is that anyone you recruit are still members when the prize draw takes place. If you have any questions, ask Paris or Abbie at the Advance office on 01442 891122.


Advance carried out a Stress Survey in which we asked for the opinions of our members on issues that led

to stress in the workplace. Since then we have worked with the bank on these issues.

Key to addressing a number of areas has been the development of an updated guide for Managers. This has been produced over a period of months with Advance and written to ensure that available information relating to your working life is the same across the network, regardless of which branch you are working within. The guide is named ‘Resource Management Guide’. It provides a consistent approach to all issues you raised with us in the Stress Survey. It was originally introduced in 2009 but has now been updated and enhanced.

The Guide is available to all branch staff and can be found on the branch share point site. Advance has also published the guide on our website for members only. Simply click on the Advance website homepage and follow the instructions. The bank is producing a hard copy of the Guide to be sent to every branch. Advance has asked for assurances that it will be easily accessible for all. This was agreed by management. Advance and management have agreed that throughout June and July Branch Managers/Directors as well as divisional support teams will also receive further information to ensure that they are clear with the content of the toolkit and understand their responsibilities. The Guide also provides an overview of other information which may be useful.

The major findings of the survey and how they have been addressed are as follows:

DEMANDS OF THE JOB

Your top 3 issues to the demands of the job are:

1. A long working hours’ cultureWithin the Guide, a section entitled, ‘Day-to-day management of resources’ provides details of how Branch Managers and Directors can effectively ensure there is sufficient resources within the branch. This section includes an overview of overtime, flexible working, lieu days, late night working and rosters.

2. Insufficient time to do what is expected

This had been helped in some branches with a reduction to footfall and in some locations where extra staff have been added due to branch closures. The introduction of new technology such as chip-and-pin and other reduction in risk checks has all assisted. However, as soon as members contact us with issues we have no hesitation in raising them in the relevant meeting whilst maintain individuals confidentiality.

3. A lack of rest breaksThis was not a major issue for the telephone contacts centres, or, in the main, head office sites. Regarding rest breaks in branches, we are aware that good Managers ensure their staff obtain a snack am and pm. However, we are also aware that many branches are not allowed a snack, other than their lunch time. Whilst the law may

say that individuals are not entitled to a break for six hours, this is very much a twentieth century law and not fit for purpose in the twenty-first century in a busy workplace. Advance have raised this issue direct with Martin Bischoff Managing Director, Retail Distribution who has confirmed that he would expect all his Branch Managers to ensure their teams have access to comfort and snack breaks. Advance will, in the future, raise this issue of snack times at Divisional meetings or when members, especially, part-time, raise concerns that despite being able to drink in an office, or on the counter, the Manager refuses without any apparent fair reason. So keep letting us know and we will do the rest! LACK OF CONTROL

The next issue highlighted by the survey is a lack of control. This relates to the issues below:

1. Unrealistic expectations by some managers

Many of our members felt that they were not allowed to make minimal changes to the way they worked and every single suggestion was never considered. However, if staff were working under pressure, they were often penalised for minor mistakes.

Despite having a low resource due to annual leave, sick leave or vacancies, existing objectives were expected to be met. As part of the Guide in the section entitled ‘Extended Absence’ a range of options available to Branch Managers/Directors is covered including how to use other resources such as on call, use of overtime and sharing of colleagues across towns to overcome this issue.

Stress survey

SuRVEy

AdvancecarriedoutaStressSurveyinwhichweaskedfortheopinionsofourmembersonissuesthatledtostressintheworkplace.



2. Micro-management(Where an unreasonable level of attention was paid to what members were doing during the day). Our members have advised us that this situation has improved slightly. Advance will continue to review this issue and ask for your feedback.

3. A lack of toleranceMinor mistakes by some managers has often led to members being called to disciplinary hearings. However, Advance consultants who have represented members have had the allegations overturned in the majority of cases. Unfortunately, this is still an issue.

Advance has raised the unfairness of Stage 1 and 2 hearings in which a manager can issue a warning it would

appear without involving either People & Talent (formerly HR) or their Regional Manager. Stage 1 and Stage 2 management of the disciplinary policy is directly owned by the Business and support is available through the HR Helpline for Managers before and during a disciplinary hearing. Stage 3 hearings are supported by the People Consultancy Team and the details of any potential disciplinary action are logged onto Peoplesoft. Advance believes that all stages of the disciplinary process must be logged on Peoplesoft prior to the hearing taking place (as it does with stage 3) as the consequences of a Stage 1 or 2 hearing can include a lower end-of-year appraisal rating and an impact on bonuses.

Advance will continue to press the business to be aware of all Stage 1 and 2 hearings and to intervene at an earlier stage where it is apparent that issues can be resolved informally, rather than pursuing a disciplinary hearing. We will be working with the Bank to ensure that all managers complete the appropriate Disciplinary Policy web based training within the Learning Management System. Managers should be encouraged to review the disciplinary policy contained within the ‘Santander is You’ portal before they make a judgement on the need for disciplinary action. We will also continue to raise issues at appropriate meetings, as this is a very de-motivating issue for our members who feel that Disciplinary action should be used as a last resort, rather than the first course of action, in line with the banks’s philosophy of ‘Simple, Personal and Fair’. We will advise you of the outcome of our talks in the next edition of our magazine.

WORK/LIFE BALANCE

This was another factor that came from the survey findings:Issues relating to work/life balance were raised by our members such as a lack of planning in relation to lieu days, rotas, Saturday working and late night callouts. These points are now covered in the Guide. Advance believes that with the introduction of Financial Centres, a pilot should take place to trial flexible working hours. We believe that this will be a solution to the issue of members being expected to work before 8.45 AM or after 5.15 PM.

Where Advance is aware of managers who try to force their team to work extra hours without payment or lieu time, we will have no hesitation in escalating this issue to senior management in Retail, naming branches but not individuals. As we remind management constantly, a ‘Thank you’ for hard work is the minimum that a manager should say to staff.

This information below is extremely important and ADVANCE will guarantee that no individual details or responses will be disclosed to ANYONE outside of ADVANCE.

Work-related Stress Survey Dear Member,

Advance is launching a survey for all members on work-related stress. This is a very important issue to yourunion as the feedback from members and colleagues is that work-related stress is rising.The Health and Safety Executive defines stress as ‘the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demands placed on them’.We acknowledge the fact that everyone has a different tolerance to pressure. This can manifest itself in manyways from minor ailments to serious health concerns. Recently the Lloyd’s CEO, stated that ‘Where your healthis concerned, you should not ignore the warning signs. I will not let this happen again’. This is a very powerful and positive message and should certainly be adopted by all members.Advance knows that stress at work increasingly impacts on people in their jobs to some extent or another andtherefore would ask you to take 10 minutes to fill out this survey. This survey will form the baseline tounderstanding what is happening in your workplace and will shape our discussions with Santander to developa strategy to combat work-related stress.

Santander currently does not have a Stress Policy and Advance believe it is important to develop an agreedpolicy with Management. In the meantime, your union is keen to understand the pressures and stress youface on a day-to-day basis.

Please complete this Stress Survey (overleaf) which will take only 10 minutes to do. The closing date for thesurvey is 1st December 2012. Your contribution is vital. This survey is for members only, however if one of yourteam wants to complete the survey and is not a member of Advance please ask them to contact the Advanceoffice on 01442 891122.

Advance will work to analyse the feedback and will cascade the results in due course. Your union will presentthe findings to the Bank and to the divisions thereafter.Thank you.

Linda RolphGeneral Secretary, Advance

NAME

CONTACT NUMBER

EMPLOYEE NOROLE

We will ensure that the identity of respondents is kept anonymous.Please complete as soon as practicable – the closing date for the survey is 1st December 2012.

ADVANCE_A4_Oct2012_Layout 1 07/05/2014 12:47 Page 1

HELP AT WORK


OTHER CAUSES OF STRESS:

1. Lunch breaks outside of the core time (11.30 to 2.30) should be mutually agreed , as this is your unpaid personal time.

2. You advised us that changing your working hours or moving branches with no consideration to your personal circumstances (eg dependent care) was a substantial cause of concern. We are pleased to report, this has now been addressed in Section 9 of the Guide and should help to alleviate this issue.

3. A lack of respect from some managers. Where this issue has been raised with management of the relevant regions, it has been dealt with. Advance will continue to act on any feedback in relation to this issue.

4. A management style of ‘telling rather than leading’. Santander has acted on our feedback and has introduced a comprehensive training programme for their managers which focuses on leading teams rather than just issuing instructions to them.

Following detailed presentations that Advance gave to the bank regarding our Stress Survey results, it was agreed that the bank would conduct their own survey. The results of Santander’s survey were very similar to our own. Following further discussions, Dave Moore, Head of Health, Safety and Wellbeing has implemented the following:

● Santander’s Mental Health Support programme has been promoted to assist individuals with anxiety and depression.

● 95% of work-related stress risk assessments are now undertaken within 12 working days.

● Access to Santander’s Employee Assistance Programme for non-work related stress has been simplified.

● A pilot on Health & Lifestyle assessments in Head Office and the Branch network is in its closing stages. As the name suggests, the aim of this pilot was to understand the health and lifestyle issues that affect people within the business. As part of the pilot, people will be offered an assessment by a Lifestyle Coach who will draft an individual Personal Health Profile for them and then, if requested by these people, an action plan, is developed with the Lifestyle Coach on how they can improve their lifestyle including looking at factors such as exercise, sleep, diet, alcohol intake and blood pressure.

In addition, the following improvements will be implemented during 2014:

● New guidelines will be introduced on ‘Keeping Pressure Positive’, ‘Managing Pressure and Building Personal Resilience’ and ‘Managing Non-work Related Stress’ to reflect the Robertson Cooper model. Leadership coaching for these initiatives has also been developed as has been positioned with Learning, Talent and development,

for inclusion within existing programmes, as well as the potential for use as a stand- alone offering.

● The existing Managing Work Related Stress e-learning course is to be updated when new guidelines are delivered.

● Divisional action plans are being developed for implementation across the business.

● The development of a ‘Positive about Mental Health’ training programme will soon be completed. This is designed to give line managers confidence and competence to have a difficult conversation with an individual who is or may be experiencing mental ill health.

Family Support Services website to be introduced through Bank Workers Charity, giving access for Santander staff, to a range of support service providers, for specific non-work related issues.

Advance is committed to ensuring that Santander addresses all of the issues that have been identified in our survey. We hope that you agree that with the introduction of the manager’s Guide, the majority of the issues you have realised in the survey have now been addressed. Advance believe that we are one of the few Unions in the financial sector working with the business that have addressed many of the issues raised in our survey.

It is shown that when you have the opportunity to confidentially raise your issues relating to your work life to Advance, we have continued to be ‘Your Voice at Work’ in working with the bank to find a satisfactory resolution.

It is our intention to undertake a further survey at the end of 2014 or early 2015. This will enable us to ensure your working life continues to improve.

‘ADVANCE iS CommittED to ENSuRiNG thAt SANtANDER ADDRESSES ALL of thE iSSuES thAt hAVE bEEN iDENtifiED iN ouR SuRVEy’

SuRVEy


Got any questions? ContacttheAdvancehelpline01442 891 122

At the time of going to press the Advance team have been busy supporting members whose branches

are to be consolidated later this year. Advance has been in ongoing

consultation with Santander on the Town Management and the Branch Organisational Change project for some time.

You may recall that with the introduction of the Branch Director (BD) role in December 2013, the bank proceeded with a recruitment process, searching internally for suitable people who met the requirements of this demanding role. During Phase 1, 347 candidates were assessed for 209 vacancies. Of this selection process, 96 candidates were successful. In some cases, Branch Directors were eligible for a trial period. Since then there has been further internal recruitment and people who did not meet the requirements during Phase 1 were given direct feedback and some have now successfully been selected for one of these roles. At the time of writing this article, there are still vacancies.

Advance is advised that the Town Management model is working well, with branch teams contributing rather than competing and creating a better team environment. However, there is still work to be done. Advance recently emailed all of the Branch Managers, Local Business Managers and Protection Advisers that we had email addresses for and asked for feedback relating to these changes. The feedback that we received is currently being analysed and will be discussed with management. If you did not receive an email asking for feedback, this is because we do not have an email address with which to contact you. You can notify Advance of your email address by sending it to Abbie at [email protected]. We will keep you updated on this issue.

We understand that the bank is on a learning curve. However, we know that training, managing new roles (such as Mortgage Advisers, Business Banking Advisers and Protection Advisers) and a lack of time are some of your concerns. We will advise you of management’s response in the next edition of our magazine although we would expect the issues to be resolved long before that time. As Advance continues consultations with the business, your valuable feedback ensures that we give you full support.

PHASE 2 OUTCOME

During earlier consultations, Advance was able to provide your valuable feedback to the business and, from 7 April, further information was communicated to the bank.

Another key issue for some members has been the location which a candidate will be offered, having successfully attained the required performance standard for the role of Branch Director and, following on from this, the position of the impacted Branch Managers. Advance has advised management of this issue.

Advance have been advised that successful candidates will be contacted from mid-May onwards (initially by their DMD/DCD) to confirm their location and whether they will undertake BD1 or BD2 role. Where candidates cannot be offered their branch of preference, discussions will take place to consider other locations. For those Branch Managers (in-situ) impacted by these appointments, depending on the circumstances and the BD start date, the in-situ Branch Manager may need to move branch. The bank will ensure that they have meaningful work and that the travel policy is adhered to. Management wanted to be able to have all Branch

Managers in their location and role by the end of Quarter 2. However, due to the need to continue with BD interviews, this will not be possible. This process should be completed by the end of Quarter 3. Advance understands that our members need to be able to plan their futures (taking into account their full personal circumstances) and we have had assurances from management that they will consult us at the earliest opportunity.

upDAtEthe branch Director role

Advancewelcomesallfeedbackfromourmembersonthismatter:thisenablesustoconductdiscussionswithseniormanagementwithfullandaccurateknowledgeofthefacts.Ifyouhaveanyconcernsorfeedback,pleasecontactoneoftheseniorteam:allcallsaretreatedconfidentially.


Mental Health issues can affect people from any walk of life. These issues can be the result

of factors in an individual’s personal life, their work life or a combination of both. Mental health issues can also result from excessive pressure at work. They can manifest themselves in many ways, such as irritability, mood swings, disturbed sleep and a loss of appetite. However, in the long term, these issues can lead to serious medical conditions such as heart disease, depression, psoriasis and osteoporosis.

Personal issues that cause mental health issues can come from a variety of events: the most commonly cited causes are bereavement, marital or relationship break-up, financial hardship and health problems.

Work-related issues that lead to mental health issues are the most common cause of sickness absence

in the UK today. The annual cost of this condition to the UK is £6.5 billion with 10.4 million work-days lost. The Bank Workers Charity (BWC) found that mental health issues cost the Banking industry £17 million per year. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) defines work-related stress as ‘The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them at work’. This condition develops when a person is unable to cope with the pressures being placed on them.

In a survey of 5,000 bank employees the BWC found, ‘An unimaginable level of work intensity created by the rapidly changing working environment during the recession’. The report went on to say that this finding, taken in conjunction with increasing work intensity, gives a worrying indication of the excessive levels of pressure on bank workers. Their survey found that

60% of employees suffered from poor sleep, 47% were worried about their future and 40% were concerned about financial security.

Work-related pressures can affect people at any level of a business, regardless of their position. They are also common across all industries in both the public sector and the private sector. A key point about stress is that it is not actually an illness in itself – it is a state of mind. However, if it becomes excessive or prolonged, it can develop

‘thiS CoNDitioN DEVELopS WhEN A pERSoN iS uNAbLE to CopE With thE pRESSuRES bEiNG pLACED oN thEm’

mENtAL hEALth

mENtAL hEALth iSSuESCAN AffECt ANyoNE

MentalHealthissuescanaffectpeoplefromanywalkoflife.



into mental and physical illnesses. Mental illnesses within companies

results in sickness absence, staff turnover (which, in turn, leads to higher recruitment and training costs) and ‘presentee-ism’, all of which increases costs incurred by the company. Presentee-ism refers to the situation where an individual is too ill to be at work but, because of their fear of hitting sickness absence triggers, they attend work. Because of their condition, this leads to them making many mistakes and generally having a very poor quality of work. This, in turn, has an adverse impact on the team in which they work (for example, leading to colleagues having to correct their work or deadlines for completed work being missed).

One key factor in an organisation’s ability to cope with stress is supervisors using their knowledge of staff at a local level in determining how they work. In other words, stress affects different people in different ways and what might be an extremely difficult situation to one individual might be seen as a challenge to another. By managers knowing the relative strengths of each member of their own team, they can reduce potential for stress to occur by getting each member to work to their strengths.

Causes of stress in the workplace have been identified as the following:

● Demands: As stated, individuals being unable to cope with the demands of their role.

● Control: Members having little or no say about the work that they do.

● Support: People not receiving enough information or support from their colleagues or managers.

● Relationship with colleagues: individuals being subjected to unacceptable behaviour, such as bullying.

● Role: Individuals not understanding their role and/or their responsibilities.

● Change: Members feel that they are not informed of changes in the organisation that they work for. This can lead to increasing feelings of insecurity.

The effects of mental health issues on individuals can vary and is unique to each individual. Employers have statutory obligations to address causes of stress within their workplaces. The HSE states that under Corporate Social Responsibility, an employer must take action to minimise the impact of work-related stress. In addressing this issue, they cite the following as being ways in which work-related stress can be reduced:

● Adopting a more collaborative, less autocratic management style,

● Managing under-performance in a supportive and non-confrontational way,

● Encouraging control and choice for staff, as far as possible,

● Publicise the employer’s Bullying & Harassment policy, explaining the consequences of bullying,

● In cases where individuals already have symptoms of stress, they should be encouraged to seek advice from their GP. In such instances, Santander’s People & Talent department and Occupational Health should also be involved.

Minimising mental health issues in the workplace is in everybody’s interests. The obvious benefits to individuals are that reduced stress makes for a happier workplace. For the employer, reduced stress leads to substantial the cost savings mentioned earlier and a more productive workforce.

‘bECAuSE of thEiR CoNDitioN, thiS LEADS to thEm mAkiNG mANy miStAkES AND GENERALLy hAViNG A VERy pooR quALity of WoRk’

HELP!AsYourVoiceatWork,Advancetakestacklingthecausesofwork-relatedstressveryseriously.Ifyouhaveanyconcernsrelatingtothisissue,pleasecontacttheAdvanceofficeon01442891122.Allcallsaretreatedconfidentially.

DID YOU KNOW?

60% 60% of employees suffered from poor sleep

47% 47% were worried about their future

40% 40% were concerned about financial security


Each year all Retail employees in the branch network must undertake annual testing. Retail employees will be tested

on various different risk parts of their role to ensure that they have sufficient knowledge to carry out all elements of their job. The pass mark for these tests is typically 80% and failure to pass could lead to de-authorisation in the area that the failed test relates to.

Advance have dealt with some issues in which members have carried out the training as a ‘group exercise’ in which individuals are given the answers to questions to ensure that they pass all of the tests. The Bank’s position is that although the learning can be done in groups, it is critical that all tests be completed individually without the sharing of answers. This ensures that the individual is competent to do the job and is compliant with regulation. The danger of completing annual testing in a group is that it can be difficult for members in a disciplinary hearing to evidence that accidental breaches of policy are the result of genuine errors.

At meetings with Retail senior management Advance have raised the importance of scheduling training effectively. The Bank has confirmed that it is committed to ensuring that adequate time is allocated for all employees to personally complete their required training. The Bank highlights that managers need to schedule time for

training in an organised and effective manner and the Bank will provide as much notice as possible for managers to plan and schedule this training. People can also complete the learning by printing out the training booklets rather than having to follow the online version. However, your manager has to give you the time to do this! At recent meetings the Bank has also confirmed that through our discussions planning (including effective time management) will be added to the Future Forward training agenda that will be delivered to all Branch Managers and Branch Directors. Advance believes that by

raising this issue on your behalf, it will soon be resolved.

Individuals need the time to study so that they genuinely understand the subject-matter that they are being examined on and gain a more thorough understanding of the different parts of their role. This must become a standard procedure for all managers to adhere to.

This issue is of paramount importance for Advance, the Bank and, most importantly, the individual. We will be discussing the whole issue of training for branch staff and let you know the outcome in the next edition of our magazine. We will monitor progress on this issue.

ANNUAL TESTING

IfyoufeelthatyouarenotbeinggivensufficienttimetostudyforthesetestsorifyouareaskedtocompletethetestsinamannerthatbreachestheBank’sprocedure,pleasecontacttheAdvancehelplineon01442891122.Allcallsaretreatedinconfidence.

knowing what a RiSk is

‘thiS ENSuRES thAt thE iNDiViDuAL iS CompEtENt to Do thE Job AND iS CompLiANt With REGuLAtioN’ ‘iNDiViDuALS

NEED thE timE to StuDy So thAt thEy GENuiNELy uNDERStAND thE SubJECt-mAttER thAt thEy ARE bEiNG ExAmiNED oN’

All because of you!


At the time of going to press the Advance team have been busy supporting members whose branches are to be

consolidated later this year. As part of the Branch Footprint

programme the Bank is continuing to consolidate branches where multiple branches are present in a town/financial centre. At the time of going to press 67 branches will be consolidated in the second half of 2014 (15 ex-Abbey, 21 ex-Bradford & Bingley and 31 ex-Alliance & Leicester) and the first closures will begin in July. Throughout May, Advance has had a representative on hand at staff briefings to answer any questions and discuss any issues that our members had.

As with previous branch changes, our agreement with the Bank means that all CSAs and PBs will be transferred to other local branches in their town or, as agreed, to a branch closer to their home location on their existing terms and conditions with no change to working

patterns or hours. As a reminder, the Branch Footprint

programme is part of the broader Retail Transformation project which focuses on making changes to the Bank to ensure that the company achieves its goal of becoming a more customer-focused bank.The changes to branches reflect an in-depth analysis of the current branch network, focusing on refurbishments, improving efficiencies through consolidations and new openings.

The Footprint programme will refurbish and modernise over 60% of the branch network by the end of next year, including all of the Branch Director centres. Following discussions, Advance was pleased that it was agreed that staff facilities would be improved to ensure a better working environment for employees in the network.

The Bank will also be opening new branches in new and existing towns in addition to the three that have already been opened this year in Saffron

Walden, Northallerton and South Shields. We welcome the fact that the Bank is continuing to invest significantly in the network at a time when many banks are making significant reductions in theirs.

Although branches are being closed through branch consolidations, unlike many competitors, such as RBS, the Bank are not exiting any town/financial centres and are moving to a single improved Branch where possible.

Advance regularly meet with Senior Managers in the Retail bank to discuss the Branch Footprint programme and the Town Management operating model - this includes the introduction of the Branch Director role. Similarly, the level 400 role is often a topic of discussion which we raise with Management. We are going to provide a full update on the future of the level 400 role in the next Advance Magazine.

Rest assured, we will continue to support our members who are affected by these closures as this process continues.

Got any questions? ContacttheAdvancehelpline01442 891 122

bRANCh CoNSoLiDAtioN

● Highest customer satisfaction ever!

● Lending up by 12%● Profits up by 48%● 250,000 new customers● £1 billion increase to

1-2-3 balances

CoNGRAtuLAtioNS to EVERy oNE of you!All b

ecause of you!


REWARD SCHEME

A dvance, like all trades unions, is not able to negotiate on incentives. However, we always want

to know the details of schemes, the number of individuals who receive rewards and roughly the value of these rewards. We believe that all incentives should be:

● achievable,● fair● beneficial

Above all, Advance wants the bank to reward good service and allow for the fact that everyone makes mistakes.

We were briefed on the new scheme and our feedback was taken into consideration especially regarding our concerns on the discretion that Regional Managers had in relation to incentives. We are pleased that this discretion has now been removed and that other enhancements have been made.

In Quarter 2 a new Branch Reward scheme was introduced containing two key elements:

A quarterly financial centre team reward based on a new scorecard including liability, asset and customer loyalty assessments (c70% of reward opportunity).

An annual individual reward linked to individuals’ PEPs (Performance Excellence Plans) (c30% of reward opportunity).

This scheme covers all roles (including Mortgage Advisors, Protection Advisors and Local Business Managers) reflecting changes in the Retail Management reporting lines.

For the whole team to be eligible for the quarterly reward, minimum

measures must be met on conduct risk, operational risk, complaints quality, and customer satisfaction. The Financial Centre Level Reward (a quarterly reward) is based on the whole job scorecard which includes service, customer loyalty, 123 value creation, customer liabilities and customer assets. The introduction of this scorecard (which assesses a wider view of performance than the old performance guide) means the Regional Manager discretion has been removed.

Importantly the quarterly reward applies to all financial centres regardless of whether a Branch Director is leading the centre or not.

With regard to the Customer Conduct gateway details, failure to meet any of the thresholds will result in the exclusion of the whole financial centre. The details of each metric are:

●Customer SatisfactionThis is based on results from an email-based survey sent to customers who have transacted in the Financial Centre in the quarter. The minimum satisfaction rate is 60%.

● Complaints QualityThis measure focuses on QA results and evidence of non-logging of complaints. To be eligible for a reward, the centre needs to score less than 2 QA Fails in the quarter or a pass of 85% of complaints checked.

● Operational RiskThe measure of success in this area is that on the Branch Risk Report the branch scores a minimum of 13 out of 18 measures within tolerance (green or amber).

● Conduct RiskThe team and the individual must not move into Cohort D during the quarter.

In addition to the Customer Conduct Gateway, performance is reviewed throughout the reward period by UKB Risk & Control in relation to behaviours remaining customer-centric.

There are individual detailed Conduct Risk cohort measures for the Team Conduct Risk, PB and SRM, Mortgage Advisors and LBMs.

An Appeals process is in place which can be found on Santander’s Intranet. Advance strongly believes that individuals should appeal if they feel that they have been penalised unfairly.

Advance welcomes your feedback (both positive and negative) in relation to this scheme. you can send feedback to Susan power at [email protected] . All feedback is treated confidentially.

RewardsChangestotheSantanderBranchRewardScheme.

‘ADVANCE WANtS thE bANk to REWARD GooD SERViCE AND ALLoW foR thE fACt thAt EVERyoNE mAkES miStAkES’


iNtERViEW

REP CHAT

What is your name?NicolaO’Shea

What is your job title? CustomerServiceAdvisor,LiverpoolRegion.

What is your role in Advance?ItookontheroleoflocalAreaRepresentative4yearsago,currentlyIamalsoActingNECRep(NationalExecutiveCommittee)forNorthWest&YorkshireDivision.IregularlyattendmeetingswiththeDivisionalTeamtoconstructivelyputforwardanyissuesorconcernsfromourmembers,Ialsoattendmeetingswithhigh-levelManagementtolistentoimportantupdatesanddiscusspolicieswithinSantander.AnimportantpartofmyroleistoregularlykeepintouchwithotherRepsacrossdifferentareasofthebusinesstosharebestpractices,inadditionIoftenvisitstaffmembersintheBranchtobetterunderstandandseefirsthandthedaytodaychallenges.

What are the most common issues that Advance members face?SomeofthemostcommonissuesIoftendealwithare:●Lackofcommunicationandconsistency,often

staffaremisinformedbytheirlineManagersorinformationisnotrelayedbackcorrectly.

●LowresourcingwithintheBranchnetworkcausinganxietyandstress.

● Lackoftimeandshortdeadlinestocarryoutimportantcompulsorytraining.

What most do you like about your role within Advance?ItgivesmeagreatsenseofachievementtobepartofaUnionthatcanmakearealdifferencebyunderstanding,listeningandvoicingconcernsfromourmemberswhomaynothavetheconfidencetospeakwiththeirownManagement.

how do you relax?That’sagoodquestion!InmysparetimeIliketounwindatmylocalgym.Ialsoenjoyreadingbooksandgoingtothecinema.

Why do you believe members should join Advance?IamverypassionateaboutthefantasticworkthatAdvancecarryout,theyactasyourvoicewithinSantander.IbelievetransparencyandfairnessareofparamountimportanceinanyworkplaceandAdvanceworkextremelyhardtoachievethis.IfeelitisimportanttobepartoftheUnionassometimeswemayfaceunexpectedchangesandchallengeswithintheBankanditispieceofmindthatyouhavethesupportandrepresentationifneeded.Ourmembersarekeptuptodatewithongoingdiscussionstakingplaceandanyimportantchanges,inadditiontothenewslettersmemberscanalsologontotheAdvancewebsitetoviewinformationineachDivision.Forasmallmonthlyfeeofjust£6.70membershipiswortheverypenny!

if you had one work-related wish what would it be?MywishwouldbeforSantandertobethebestplacetoworkinanenvironmentwhereeveryonefeelsvaluedandisrewardedaccordinglyfortheirhard-workanddedication.

What newspapers do you read?IfIwastobuyanewspaperitwouldbeTheDailyMail,Ioftenkeepuptodatewithcurrentaffairsontheinternet,IalsoreadtheAdvancemagazineofcourse!

‘iN my SpARE timE i LikE to uNWiND At my LoCAL Gym’

Nicola O’Shea



obituARiES

Advance was saddened to learn of the death of Bob Crow, the General Secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT). Bob was also a member of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) of which Advance is a part of.

Crow described the aims of a trade unionist as to secure ‘Job security, being safe, best possible pay, best possible conditions, decent pensions and a world that lives in peace’. He was not a member of any political party when he died but he previously supported the Socialist Alliance, believing that all socialist parties should unite. In his career, Crow consistently backed the cause of the lowest paid workers (such as cleaners) whose jobs were most frequently outsourced to separate companies.

As part of Bob’s beliefs he announced that the RMT would be

at the forefront of the NO to EU – Yes to Democracy platform which promoted ‘independent, democratic states that value its public services and does not offer them to profiteers; a Europe that guarantees the rights of workers and does not put the interests of big business above that of ordinary people’.

Bob was not afraid to face unpopularity in pursuing the best interests of his members. Asked to comment on industrial action that he had backed, he stated ‘What do they expect a trade union to do? If you join one you expect it to fight for your rights and your job – and that’s what I’m doing’.

Bob’s personal values were prevalent in his personal life as well as his professional one. A lifelong supporter of Millwall FC, he always lived in a council house stating, ‘I was born in a council house, as far as I’m

concerned I will die in one’. He was entitled to buy his house at a discount but he refused as he believed that social housing stock should remain available for future generations. He also believed that people had the right to make their own decisions as to how they lived their lives, stating that his brother was a stockbroker but Bob was more concerned that he supported Arsenal FC!

During Bob’s leadership, membership of the RMT rose from 59,000 to 78,000 and London tube drivers’ pay rose to £52,000 nearly twice the national average wage.

Bob died on 11 March after suffering an aneurysm and heart attack. Francis O’Grady, General Secretary of the TUC, called him ‘an outstanding trade unionist, who tirelessly fought for his members, his industry and the wider trade union movement’.

Advance was sad to learn of the death of Tony Benn on 14 March, less than a month before his 89th birthday. Benn was a Labour politician who was a Member of Parliament for 47 years and a Cabinet minister in the 1960’s and the 1970’s.

Benn, a hereditary peer, renounced his peerage so that he could remain as an MP in the House of Commons. In his career he fought tirelessly for the rights of workers. For example, as Secretary of State for Industry he increased nationalised industrial pay, provided better terms and conditions for workers such as the Health

and Safety at Work Act and set up worker cooperatives to motivate and reform struggling industries. In his subsequent role as Energy Secretary, Benn defended larger Welfare States against international market forces which tried to penalise them.

Benn was critical of abuses in the power of the Civil Service, industrialists and the media, comparing the latter to the medieval Church, saying that it ‘. . . ensures that events of the day are always presented from the point of view of those who enjoy economic privilege’. He went on to say that, with regard to the power of the economic elite, ‘. . . the UK is only superficially governed by MP’s and the voters who elect them. Parliamentary democracy is, in truth, little more than a means of securing a periodic change in the management team, which is then allowed to preside over a system

that remains in essence intact. If the British people were ever to ask themselves what power they truly enjoyed under our political system they would be amazed to discover how little it is . . .’.

In true reflection of his left-wing values, Benn, as Postmaster General, proposed issuing stamps without the Sovereign’s head but his proposal was met with private opposition from the Queen. Instead however, the portrait was reduced to a small profile (which is still used on commemorative stamps).

After leaving Parliament, Benn was President of the Stop the War Coalition from 2001 until his death.

Tony Benn was an exemplary statesman, whose career was hallmarked by honesty to his own values and commitment to those who he represented, both in terms of his political allegiances and the public whose causes he defended.

bob Crow remembered

tony benn remembered

concerned I will die in one’. He was

Advance was sad to learn of the death


UNISON, the public services union, have recently carried out a survey of over 5,500 women and found them

to be more at risk of discriminatory practices than any other group. Similar findings were reported in the TUC’s report, Age Immaterial and in the Labour Party’s Commission on Older Women. In addition, the Labour Research Department (LRD) has recently produced a report, Women deserve better, which focused on working practices for women over the age of 50.

The findings of these studies detail how although more women in this age-group are in the workforce, their interests are only scantly addressed by both employers and the current government. They also illustrate the fact that many older women work a considerable number of hours per week and would like to have the opportunity to work more. Indeed, many such women who work part-time supplement their income by taking a second or even a third job.

For the first time in history, the majority of women aged 50 – 64 are now in employment. Specifically, in 2013 62% of women in this category were in employment with an increase in employment in the next age group up (women aged 65 +).

The TUC’s report also showed that the gender pay gap doubles for women in their 50s compared to women overall. Full-time older women earn 18% less than men per hour. Added to this, nearly half of the women aged over 50 work part-time, often earning less than £10,000 per annum.

The Labour Research Department’s report focuses women working in both the public and private sector, concentrating on the rising number of working women over the age of 50.

A further issue facing older women

was the lack of any prospect of getting promotion to a higher grade with very few women believing that they have any real prospect in this respect. The report shows that women have less chances of promotion or moving to senior positions than men. While more than one-third of women would like to move to a senior grade job but fewer than 6% felt that they had any prospects of promotion.

Many of the women interviewed said that they had to remain in fulltime employment beyond the age of 64. The numbers of women working fulltime reflected the fact that many needed to in order to make ends meet. Specifically, one-third of those over 65 worked fulltime while 50% of those aged 60 – 64 worked fulltime while the figure for those aged over 50 was 61%. One-quarter of the women who worked part-time because they could not get fulltime work and one-third said that they would like to work more hours: this figure was even more for those in the lowest grade jobs.

Added to the pressure of dealing with low wages, many older women have to balance their working lives with pressures at home. Specifically, many have to also undertake the role of carer for both children and adults at home. One UNISON member commented, ‘Financially I cannot give up my wage but I need to find a way of looking after my disabled grand-daughter and elderly mother and still pay the mortgage’. The UNISON survey showed that a considerable number of women provided part-time care for their grand-children so that the children’s parents could go to work. Added to this, one-third of all women interviewed in the UNISON survey were primary carers looking after a dependent adult. A lack of opportunity for older women to engage in flexible working worsens this problem. The conflict of demands on their time puts

Severalrecentstudieshavehighlightedthedifficultiesthatarefacedbywomenaged50andoverintheworkplace.

WORKING LONGERSeveral reasons have been cited for the need for older women to work longer. ● poor returns on pensions,● the raising of the retirement

age for women to 60 from April 2010,

● increasing financial demands associated with paying for dependent care (including dependent adults, children and grand-children) and

● increased exploitation through the use of zero-hours contracts.

many older women under far more pressure than their younger counterparts. These findings were endorsed by the LRD report which stated that one-third were of the women interviewed were primary carers and were responsible for an adult dependent. This, in turn, affected their opportunity to apply for flexible working. It also adversely affected their work/life balance as they found it difficult to balance their commitments at work with their caring duties at home.

Commenting on the findings of the report, Karen Jennings (Assistant General Secretary, UNISON) said, ‘If women are expected to work longer, they should equally have better promotion prospects and expect to have better training and pay. It’s not right that they should have to continue in work with very little tangible benefits. Women should not be expected to continue working on a low pay, no-say basis. We want to see a better deal for them’.

Advance fully endorses Karen’s comments. At various meetings we have asked for statistics on women over the age of 50 who work for Santander in relation to matters such as job level and pay. This will become a standard item to reflect the change in modern working life, going forward.

the plight of older working women

Got any questions? ContacttheAdvancehelpline01442 891 12250+ WomEN


An early conciliation practice has been introduced in which claimants must first contact the employee

relations service ACAS in an attempt to resolve disputes through conciliation. From 6 May, if ACAS found that a settlement could not be reached or that the prescribed timescale expired without a settlement being reached, it would issue an early conciliation certificate to the claimant who would then be able to initiate tribunal proceedings. This process is outlined in an ACAS publication, Early conciliation explained.

In addition, under a new ruling, employers may be liable to pay a fine if they fight an employment tribunal and lose. An employment tribunal judge may order the fine to be paid if the case has ‘aggravating features’. The figure awarded will usually be half of the amount of compensation ordered to be paid to the claimant. The minimum amount awarded is £100 and the maximum is £5,000.

New rates for statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay were disappointing, with only a 1% rise to £138.18 per week. The same percentage rise also applies to statutory sick pay which will be a weekly figure of £87.55.

The above changes came into effect on 6 April this year.

NOT SO FAIR BRITAIN

In some parts of Britain almost half of those employed earn less than the Living Wage. In the country as a whole, 1 in 5 jobs pay less than the Living

Wage figure £7.65 per hour, or £8.80 for London. Advance was one of the first trades unions to sign up to this standard.

The startlingly low figure is more prevalent in some areas than others with some regions showing significantly lower earnings potential than others. For example, in Kingswood (near Bristol) 48% of the population earned less than £7.65 per hour while the figures for Woodford Green (North-East London) and Harrow West having figures of 43% and 42% respectively. Regionally, there were also stark examples with both Sefton Central (on Merseyside) and Dwyfor Meirionnydd (in North Wales) both showing that 40% of their workforce earned below the minimum wage. These figures were in contrast to those of the South-East of the country where only 5% of the workforce were paid less than the minimum wage.

Commenting on the problem of in-work poverty, the TUC General Secretary Francis O’Grady said, ‘Working families are experiencing the biggest pressure on their living standards since Victorian times. Pay has been squeezed at all levels below

the boardroom and it’s costing our economy dear. The number of Living Wage employers is growing rapidly and unions are playing their part in encouraging more employers to sign up and pay it – but government must show equal initiative’.

FACTORY OUTPUT INCREASES AT START OF 2014

Official figures have shown an increase of 0.7% in manufacturing output in the 3 months to January 2014. This increase was due to a rise in the output in rubber and plastics by 5.2% and a 3.7% rise in chemicals and chemical production. This rise was offset by a reduction in car industries by 1.5% and a 1.6% reduction in pharmaceutical drugs.

Factory output was 2.2% higher than the 3 months ending January 2013. For 2013 in total, manufacturing output had contracted by 0.7% on the previous year.

MINIMUM WAGE RISE

The Low Pay Commission, the independent body that advises the government on the National Minimum Wage, has recommended that the adult hourly rate of pay should increase by 3% from £6.31 to £6.50. The government has accepted this recommendation and this increase should take place on the coming 1 October.

‘uNDER A NEW RuLiNG, EmpLoyERS mAy bE LiAbLE to pAy A fiNE if thEy fiGht AN EmpLoymENt tRibuNAL AND LoSE’

EmpLoymENt LAW

EmploymentEmploymentEmploymentfACtS

Severalimportantchangeshaverecentlycomeintoforceinemploymentlaw.


Commenting on this increase, TUC General Secretary, Francis O’Grady stated that this rise ‘must be seen as only the first step in a series of bolder increases in future years that will help the many low-paid workers – who are suffering the tightest squeeze in their living standards in a century’.

THE VALUE OF APPRENTICESHIPS

The UK is being adversely affected on 2 counts in relation to the lack of apprenticeships, according to a report, Up to the job, produced by Demos, the cross-party think tank that aims to bring politics closer to people. With 6.6% of young people (aged between 16 and 24) in trainee schemes, this is one of the lowest levels in western countries. More than half of school leavers would like to enrol in an apprenticeship but could not get a place.

Fewer than 10% of firms in England

offer apprenticeships compared to at least 25% in other countries. This is borne out by a comparison of the ratio of apprenticeships to employees: in England there are 11 apprenticeships for every 1,000 employees while in Austria the figure is 39, 40 in Germany and 43 in Switzerland.

The economic benefit of increasing apprenticeships was calculated to add an extra £4 billion to GDP if the country matched leading competitors and added 300,000 apprenticeships.

There is much demand for

apprenticeship places at top firms such as BAE Systems, KPMG and British Gas.

Jonathan Todd, the chief economist at Demos, stated, ‘The UK economy is currently facing a twin crisis of severe youth unemployment and a shocking productivity gap. Both could be solved in one fell swoop by boosting apprenticeships. Britain is losing the global race and letting down its young people by not doing more to skill up’.

‘thE uk iS bEiNG ADVERSELy AffECtED oN 2 CouNtS iN RELAtioN to thE LACk of AppRENtiCEShipS’

Need help at work? ContacttheAdvancehelpline01442 891 122

Advance was pivotal in advising Santander to take on apprenticeships. Following the last update from Marcus Lee, Head of Resourcing, apprenticeships are well embedded in Santander and are growing.

STRICTLY PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL

1 2012 Executive Bonus Plan

Pay and Bonus- Pay Progression

!  In 2013, 1652 employees received an increase due to pay progression. This equated to a cost of £1.8m to Santander.

!  In 2014, due to the increase in the qualification periods across the in scope population, 2926 employees received an increase due to pay progression, which equated to a £3.4m cost to Santander UK.

!  The average increase due to pay progression in 2014 was £1,192.

!  The average position in range across the full in scope population for Pay Progression is 101% post pay review.

Pay Progression Chartfrompage4


General Secretary LindaRolph 07850742340Deputy General Secretary RoseO’Neill 07793307333Assistant General Secretary JimLeonard 07764977808Assistant General Secretary GerryMoloney 07917578979Advance Consultant LindaBartle 07595411956Advance Consultant RobertaBarbour 07764977807Advance Consultant KeithHoyland 07568096141Advance Consultant DebbieCroucher 07741271673Chair of NEC CarolineStevens 05511431997Vice-Chair of NEC SueGrundy 05511430122

NECArea 1 Retail North TomWilcoxArea 2 Retail North West & yorkshire VACANCY–NicolaO’Shea(Acting)Area 3 Retail Central AnnetteMcColganArea 4 Retail London & South East MariaMalekiArea 5 Retail South West AshleyRaffertyArea 6 tD & intermediaries SineadMossArea 7 manufacturing NicolaJonesArea 8 Geoban JoanneO’NeillArea 9 Santander uk Global business VACANCYArea 10 Corporate & Commercial VACANCY

AREA REpRESENtAtiVESArea 1 Retail North SheilaSloan WhitehavenArea 2 Retail North West & yorkshire AnselnoGarcia Southport AmandaSpencer Bolton Area 3 Retail Central TinaBelsham-Noon Leicester MarkRichards MiltonKeynes AlanO’Sullivan Birmingham LaurenSamson Watford Area 4 Retail London & South East JennyBelgrave London LynnRobinson London EwelinaSzaban London BeverleyWhyte LondonArea 5 Retail South West MatthewBatcock Bournemouth MattBrown Hastings RobertFerry NewtonAbbot RuthLegge Oxford TomNoel Abergavenny DavidPrice Llanelli MariaSnook BournemouthArea 6 tD & intermediaries LeahBarrett Belfast HelenDutton Bradford AdelleRalston Glasgow TraceyStubbing BradfordArea 7 manufacturing ValBridges MiltonKeynes GerryFreeman Newcastle SandraGowling MiltonKeynes CathyKelly Belfast FrankLuke Newcastle HelenMcGuane MiltonKeynes Area 8 Geoban KarenBell Sheffield DamienBrown Sheffield ClaireCroxall MiltonKeynes HazelFreeman Newcastle MumtazHaidari Bradford SamanthaStanley Newcastle MichelleSwaile NewcastleArea 9 Santander uk Global business StewartHowley Manchester DorothyWilson IsleofManArea 10 Corporate and Commercial VACANCY

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