Grievance Relating to Grade - March 2023

2. New Evaluations or Re-evaluations

Now that all NJC jobs within the Authority have been graded there should be only two circumstances when jobs will need to be evaluated: 
 
•    When a new job is created. 
•    When the duties and responsibilities of an existing job change significantly. 
 
There is no route for an individual to appeal against their grade. However, we recognize that occasionally employees may feel the job profile and grade for their post no longer reflects the role so these guidance notes are intended to provide a route for managers to follow should an issue arise. 
 
It is often the case that it is not actually the grade of the post that is a problem but that the employee feels the job profile no longer reflects their duties. 
 
Managers are reminded that funding for any grade increases must be found from within their budgets. The source of the funding should be detailed in the Delegated Officer’s Report which accompanies the request for a new grade.

3. New Posts

All new posts will be evaluated using the GLPC scheme before they go out to advert. The proposed grade will be shared with the manager who submits the job for evaluation and any queries on the level of the grade can be discussed at this point.  
 
Once someone is appointed, they accept the post on the grade it is advertised at and there is no scope to review the grade unless the duties of the post change significantly in the future.

4. Existing Posts – New Employees

Any employee that moves into an existing post, either from an internal transfer or via an internal or external appointment accepts the post on the grade it is advertised at.

Again, there is no scope to review the grade unless the duties of the post change significantly. 

5. Changes to a Job Profile

Over time the duties and requirements of a post may evolve and the employee(s) in post may feel that the job profile no longer reflects the job they are doing. 
 
If this is the case, the first stage is for the employee(s) to meet with their line manager to discuss the contents of the job profile. This will usually be done as part of the annual appraisal but if changes to duties occur during the year, or the employee(s) do not feel that the job profile accurately reflects the duties they are carrying out, an additional review may need to be completed. If the line manager agrees that the job profile needs to be updated, the changes should be agreed with the employee(s) then a copy forwarded to the Pay and Reward team for retention. 
 
It should be noted that this will not necessarily result in a re-evaluation. If the changes are minor and the main duties remain at a similar level, then the grade will remain unchanged. However, if the changes are significant then the job profile will need to be re-evaluated. If this is the case, the manager should submit a copy of the job profile to their HR Adviser, together with a Delegated Officer’s Report explaining what changes have been made and the reason for these changes. 
 
If the grade of the post does change as a result of the revised job profile, the effective date of the change of grade should be agreed between the HR Adviser and the line manager.

6. When Changes to a Job Profile Cannot Be Agreed

If an employee feels that their job profile does not reflect the duties of their post or where they feel they are actually carrying out a different role to the one they are employed to do (e.g. working to the level of a more senior role) but the line manager disagrees, then the employee may decide to submit a grievance. The first step is to try and resolve the matter informally by discussing it further with the employee(s). If the matter still cannot be resolved, then the grievance procedure may be invoked by the employee. If the outcome of the grievance results in a significant change to the job profile then a re-evaluation of the post will be carried out. 
 
You should note that where a post is re-evaluated, the grade may decrease, stay the same or increase. 
 
If you need any further advice please contact your HR Adviser or the Pay and Reward team.