Union Mail – March 2015: Annual Reviews/Branch Working/Subs Rates

Annual Performance Reviews

The annual performance review process will be underway soon.

Your performance rating is not just a statement about your contribution – it is used to determine your annual pay award and bonuses, and is often used as a factor in selection processes such as promotion or even redundancy. It is therefore important that your rating is a fair reflection of your overall performance.

We hope most employees will have had regular conversations with their manager about their performance, and so their annual rating should come as no surprise. However, if you believe your rating is not a true reflection of your performance please use the appeals procedure. We will be including a guide to the appeals procedure in the next edition of Rapport magazine and this will be sent to members at their home address later in the month.

If you have any concerns about the performance management process or would like to talk about appealing your rating please call us on 01295 710767.

Tim Poil
General Secretary

Branch Network Working Arrangements

We continue to receive questions from members in the branch network about the way that working arrangements are applied. The current ‘hot topics’ are:

Branch Network – Outbound Calling After Hours

We are aware that a number of Areas in the branch network are holding outbound calling events in the evening and a number of members have contacted us to ask if they are required to attend. These events are normally run on a voluntary basis, unless they are held during normal opening hours and fall within your rostered work pattern. Members who would like confirmation of the position should refer to the Branch Network Working Arrangements Employee Guide for confirmation (see following extracts):

Section 3.8 – Do the changes mean I’ll be rostered into the evening to do outbound customer calling?

Outbound calling is an important part of our business. It is a great way to secure business opportunities and serve the needs of our customers, especially those who don’t have time to visit us during normal working hours. Where outbound calling activities are planned in the evening beyond the branch opening hours we want people to participate in this on a voluntary basis as we believe this is the best way to achieve a successful outbound calling session. Attendance for these outbound calling activities is therefore voluntary.

However, where outbound calling is scheduled during normal opening hours at a time when you would be at work, then this is treated as a standard branch activity which you might be asked to carry out as part of your role.
The Guide can be downloaded at our website www.ngsu.org.uk/branch-working.

Changes to Branch Opening Hours

We’d like to remind members working in the branch network that changes to branch hours which have an impact on their working pattern, for example, staying open later on a Saturday, should be subject to individual consultation. The purpose of consultation is to understand the impact of the proposed change on individuals and to take this into account when confirming the new arrangements. More details about the consultation process can be found in the ‘Branch Network Working Arrangements Policy’ (section 2.4) and ‘Changes to Working Arrangements’ Guides – these can be found on the Intranet or the NGSU website at www.ngsu.org.uk/branch-working.

Automatic ‘Part-Met’ for failing APE objectives

Branch Managers from a number of Areas have reported that they have been told they will automatically be rated as ‘part-met’ if their branch fails to hit the Annual Premium Earnings (APE) objectives – regardless of other aspects of their performance. Business and Personal objectives are an important element when assessing an employee’s performance but the principles underpinning Performance Management require there to be a ‘whole of role’ assessment of performance and should not focus solely on one measure.

Branch employees who believe their quarterly rating is unfair should use the appeals process. Please call us on 01295 710767 for further help and support.

NGSU News in Brief

Employee Involvement Committee (EIC)

The EIC is the forum that oversees the formal relationship between Nationwide and NGSU. The Committee meets quarterly and provides an opportunity to discuss matters affecting employees and to receive updates on Society performance and strategy. The most recent meeting took place in NH in February and included a discussion about Viewpoint results and the digital strategy for the branch network.

Joint Consultation and Negotiation Committee (JCNC)

There are a number of issues currently under discussion at the JCNC. These include: changes to the Pension Fund Member Trustees election process; Performance management – changes to the Annual Appeals Procedure and a review of Allowances and Recognising Loyalty Awards.

We have reached agreement with the Society regarding the opening hours on public holidays and details were published in a Joint Statement issued on Joint Statement – Feb 15 Public Holidays. We are pleased to confirm that most branches and departments will enjoy a four day break over the Christmas period this year, with branches closing on Boxing Day (Saturday) and on the following Monday (the substitute bank holiday).

NGSU Website Changes – The Forum

We have made a few changes to the NGSU website as we prepare for the re-launch of the Forum – our online chat room. We know that the user experience for members accessing the website from their Nationwide PC isn’t the best at the moment but we hope it will improve significantly as the Society updates its web browser during the course of this year. The Forum will be live again later in the month.

Subscription Rates

The National Executive Committee has approved an increase in subscriptions in accordance with Rule 6 within the mandate passed by National Conference in 2013.

The increase will take effect from 1 April 2015. Members who pay their subscription by payroll deduction will have their revised subscription deducted from April’s pay. Members who pay by direct debit will receive separate notification of the revised rate – collection dates for direct debits remain unchanged. The new rates are:

Full Time: £11.00 (was £10.30)
Part Time: £5.60 (was £5.25)
Short Time: £4.30 (was £4.00)
Pensioners: £2.15 (was £1.90)
Mat leave: £2.15 (was £1.90)

O2 Open – Get 30% Off

NGSU is a business customer of O2 and that means our members are eligible for 30% off the Airtime Plan on any 24 month O2 Refresh tariff (Airtime Plan must be taken with eligible Phone Plan). Go to o2open.co.uk to get your 02 Open code and take it to any O2 shop.

Call 0800 987 8047 for more details – remember to tell them you’re a NGSU member.

Note: The Offer entitles you to access to O2 Open discount scheme. 18+, subject to status, credit check and Direct Debit. Offers are subject to availability. O2 reserves the right to change or withdraw this offer.

March Draw Winners

First Prize : £11,831
096170 : Jacqueline James of Member Services (NAC)

Second Prize : £5,000
078794 : Melanie Way of Legal & Finance (Swindon)

Third Prize : £2,000
121403 : Bernadette Sadler of Hanley Branch

Fourth Prizes : £500
133319 : Mollie Young of Support Services (Swindon)
101178 : Victoria MacKay of Shawlands Cross Branch (Glasgow)
122140 : Nicholas Blake of Customer Services & Operations (Swindon)

NGSU members can increase their number of chances in our monthly draw at any time during their Union membership. You can have a maximum of 10 chances – each chance costs just £1. Every month 75% of the draw pool is returned to members as prizes and 25% is retained to help meet the running costs of the Union. The draw is restricted to NGSU members only.

To enter the draw or increase your chances please email us at ngsu@ngsu.org.uk, call us on 01295 710767 or download an application form.

If you pay your Union subscriptions by salary deduction we can collect your draw subscriptions that way too.