Union Mail – January 2015: Update Your Records/Travel Disruption

Updating Your Personal Details on Peoplesoft HR

The start of the New Year is traditionally a time for making resolutions and setting out good intentions for the year ahead. It’s also the perfect time to check that your personal details are up to date on the upgraded Peoplesoft HR system. In particular, make sure that your personal information and emergency contact details are correct so that your manager or HR can get in touch with you or your nominated contact without delay. It’s your responsibility to check the information is accurate so don’t wait until it’s too late.

You can check and update your information in the ‘My Details’ section of PeopleSoft HR using the self service options. There is now a range of video and e-learning guides to help you.

We’d also encourage members to complete the diversity monitoring information to help build a more complete understanding of the make up of the workforce. The data is useful to help understand how HR Policies are working and so that the Society is able to fulfil its aspirations of creating a diverse and inclusive employment culture.

Your NGSU membership record

You might also like to check that your NGSU details are up to date and you can do this from our website. When you log into the site you’ll be given the options to ‘edit your information’, to ‘logout’ or ‘begin using the site’. Simply click on ‘edit your information’ to view your membership record and make changes.

Your membership record contains your name and address details; details of your work location and your membership class which determines your subscription rate (e.g. full-time; part-time; short time; maternity leave; pensioner). It is your responsibility to tell us if your membership class changes.

To log onto the website you need your membership number (your employee number without the ‘P’) and your PIN number (you can find this on your membership card). If you would like a PIN reminder, please e-mail us at ngsu@ngsu.org.uk.

Tim Poil
General Secretary

Travel Disruption

It’s also the time of year when the possibility of disruption to travel arrangements arises due to adverse weather conditions. NGSU and Nationwide have agreed a number of policies that cover situations where employees experience difficulties getting into work due to travel disruption or other circumstances.

These are formal policies and employees can expect them to be applied consistently across all Nationwide locations. Managers do have discretion in some circumstances but this must be exercised in accordance with the Policy. It is important that you and your manager keep in touch in such circumstances and this underlines the importance of making sure that your personal details are up to date.

We’ve summarised the key points from some of the relevant policies below but please read the policy document for a complete understanding of these terms and conditions. They can be found in the HR Policy Point on the Intranet or in the Help At Work section of the NGSU Website.

Time off for Other Reasons Policy – Section 2.8 ‘Travel Disruption’ – You must make reasonable efforts to attend your normal workplace or consider if it is possible to work from home or another Nationwide location but you are not expected to put your safety at risk. Provided you have made a reasonable effort but still cannot get into work, you will be paid and not have to make the time up. You are expected to make further efforts to get into work if the situation improves during the day. You may be asked to take unpaid leave or make time up if it is deemed that you could have got into work but chose not to.

Your personal circumstances, consideration of your safety, suspension of public transport and the advice of your local police should all be taken into account in determining what is reasonable.

Time off for Other Reasons Policy – Section 2.12 ‘Time Off for Domestic Emergencies’ – up to one day’s paid leavewill be approvedto deal with unforeseeable situations relating to your home, e.g. flooding or if you are a victim of crime or involved in a serious accident.

Emergency Time for Dependants Policy – you can take up to two days paid leave and a reasonable amount of unpaid leave to deal with an emergency situation involving a dependent, for example, unexpected school closures or disruption to childcare arrangements. The time off is intended to help you make arrangements to deal with the situation and there is an expectation that you will return to work when the immediate emergency is resolved.

For further help and advice please contact your local NGSU Rep or call us on 01295 710767.

Tim Poil
General Secretary

NGSU News in Brief

Branch ‘North’ and ‘South’ Employee Involvement Committees

NGSU Reps met with the Performance Directors in December to feedback issues that had been discussed at Union regional council meetings.

These included concerns about the range of tasks now being undertaken by Customer Representatives and how this impacts on expectations for performance management; minimum resourcing levels in branches; expectations on PBMs to meet strike rates and on-going concerns about the challenges facing MCs to meet process and compliance standards which is impacting on work/life balance. A number of actions were agreed, some of which will be discussed with Area Directors by our Reps and the other actions were taken by the Performance Directors to deal with nationally.

NGSU Meetings in 2015

Dates for National Executive Committee meetings, Regional Council Meetings and National Conference have now been confirmed and a timetable can be downloaded from the ‘Reps’ section of the NGSU website. All NGSU members are able to raise concerns with their local Rep for further discussion and action at these meetings. Later in the year we will provide more details about how members can put forward issues for discussion at Conference, which is the Union’s policy making forum.

Travel Club Competition

Just a quick reminder – the NGSU Travel Club is running a competition to win a free holiday/cruise for two in Dubai. Details of how to enter can be found in the members’ section of the travel club website www.ngsutravelclub.co.uk. The closing date is 13 February 2015.

If you are thinking about booking your 2015 holiday why not give the travel club a call? They aim to beat most travel agent and internet prices. The travel club website is not a price comparison site and so you must call to get details of the discounts available to NGSU members and their families – call on 0800 9531 263 or 01422 847847.

The NGSU Travel Club is operated by Benchmark Travel – ABTA J8828.

January Draw Winners

First Prize : £11,735

133127 : Adele Wiles of Telephone Channels (NAC)

Second Prize : £5,000

129832 : Jeff Watters of Forfar branch

Third Prize : £2,000

125027 : Jay Stevens of Special Investigations (Swindon)

Fourth Prizes : £500

130967 : Tyrene Simmons of Brighton branch

079899 : Michelle Steel of Business Transformation (Swindon)

114180 : Marion Olphert of St Neots branch

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 from our website.

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