Summary of Terms and Conditions of Employment
All employees, once they have been made a conditional offer of employment, will have various checks completed including references, medical, criminal, and a confirmation of their right to live and work in the UK – in line with the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996. Please note that the College can only legally employ individuals who are legally entitled to live and work in the UK. All employees are also required to obtain an enhanced disclosure from the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). Once satisfactory returns of these checks have been received a contract of employment will be provided, which sets out the main terms and conditions of employment.
This document is intended as a summary of the range of benefits on offer.
Salary
Salaries are paid monthly in arrears directly into your bank account on the second last working day of each month. The exception is December where the salary is paid the second last working day before the Christmas Break.
The Westminster Kingsway pay spine (click here to open in a new window) is subject to an annual cost of living review which usually takes place in December, with arrears backdated to August of the same year.
All salaries are as advertised and will be confirmed in your offer letter.
The pay scales and scope for salary progression for business support and management staff are under review. New staff will be assimilated to an appropriate point on the transitional pay scale according to the level of their post. Their salary will be reviewed on successful completion of their probation and this will usually lead to a 3% increase.
Academic scales are incremental, with increments generally being awarded in August. New academic staff will be assimilated to a point on the scale based on experience, qualifications, and previous salary.
All lecturers are expected to be registered with the Institute for Learning and meet the qualification requirements of the Further Education Teachers’ Qualification (England) Regulation 2007. However within some fields/ areas it may still be necessary to recruit part or unqualified teachers – these individuals would be expected to undertake their training immediately upon starting employment with the College. The highest possible starting salary for an unqualified teacher is spine point 25 (although a recruitment allowance may be awarded subject to completing training within a specified period) and for qualified teachers spine point 39. Access to the top of the qualified pay spine is dependent on demonstrating that you meet certain criteria.
Pensions
All staff are able to join a pension scheme.
Academic staff are eligible to join the Teacher’s Pension (a final salary, defined benefit scheme) have to pay 6.4% of their salary and the College pays 14.1% as their employer.
Managers and Business Support staff are eligible to join the Local Government Pension Scheme (a final salary, defined benefit scheme) have to pay 6% of their salary and the College pays 23.9% as their employer.
Both schemes provide death in service benefits and you can also elect to pay additional contributions in the form of:
• Purchasing additional years.
• Additional voluntary contributions.
Hours of Work
All full-time College staff work 35-hours a week, with fractional staff on a pro rata basis unless stated otherwise. Your line manager will agree with you your normal pattern of attendance in line with the course and/ or departmental and College needs.
For full time academic staff the maximum student contact hours are 850 hours per annum, with an annual target of 828 hours – fractional staff will be pro-rated.
Annual Leave
All annual leave should be requested in advance, recorded on your annual leave card and signed off by your line manager. The 3 College closure days must be taken out of your annual leave entitlement, this applies to part-time and fractional staff if they are normal working days. Bank holidays are in addition to your annual leave entitlement, where the bank holiday falls on your normal working day. With the agreement of your line manager, you are able to carry forward up to 5-days of untaken annual leave entitlement in to the next leave year.
Teaching staff are required to provide an outline of their leave plan to their line manager by the end of October for each year. Teaching staff are not normally allowed to take leave during teaching periods, to avoid student disruption.
All staff are not normally allowed to take leave during the enrolment periods (i.e. end of August to the third week in September), as these are times of heightened activity for the College.
Leave entitlements are as follows:
Lecturers: the full-time equivalent entitlement is 47 days, where the leave year runs from the 1st September to the 31st August.
Curriculum Team Leaders and Advanced Practitioners: the full-time equivalent entitlement is 42 days, where the leave year runs from the 1st September to the 31st August.
Managers/Heads of Department: the full-time equivalent entitlement is 35 days, where the leave year runs from the 1st September to the 31st August.
Business Support staff: the full-time equivalent entitlement is 30 days, where the leave year runs from the 1st April to the 31st March.
Part-time and fractional staff: the annual leave entitlement will be calculated in hours and will be pro rata of the full-time equivalent.
Term-time-only staff: take annual leave during non-teaching periods. You do not receive an annual leave card and your contract will specify the number of weeks you are required to attend the college. holiday pay is calculated and rolled up in to your annual salary.
Probation
The appointment of all new starters is subject to a 6-month probationary period, where an initial review is held at 3-months – this includes staff on fixed-term contracts. The exception to this is a new starter in their first teaching post, where their probationary period is 12-months.
Notice Period
During the probationary period all staff are required to give one months notice in writing.
After the completion of probation the required notice is as follows:
Support staff – one months notice in writing.
Managers, Heads of Department and Academic staff – three months notice in writing.
Retirement Age
The college’s normal retirement age is 65 and therefore we cannot consider applications from those who will be 65 within 9 months of the closing date of the recruitment.
Appraisal and Quality Review
All staff take part in regular appraisals – setting objectives, receiving and giving feedback, and drawing up individual development plans. The College operates rigorous quality improvement procedures including self-assessment and lesson observation for teaching staff.
Training and Development
The College invests in staff training and development and in addition to a comprehensive training programme; specific planning and development days are set aside each year dealing with college wide, centre, school or area of learning specific issues.
Academic staff employed as lecturers are able to have the opportunity to undertake up to 5-days self-directed professional development, which is pro rata for fractional staff. Your Head of Department must agree what development is undertaken.
All employees are able to attend one free academic/ vocational course per year, providing it is run by the College, does not prevent a student from undertaking that course and takes place outside of their normal working hours.
There is a comprehensive annual training and development programme available to all staff.
Support will also be given to staff to obtain a professional, academic or vocational qualification that is needed for the work within the College.
Some training is regarded as compulsory, such training includes equality and diversity training, core health and safety modules and training that is identified by your line manager as necessary for the proper performance of your job.
Maternity Leave
Additional maternity leave and pay are available regardless of length of service.
Paternity Leave
Five days full pay and five days statutory pay is available subject to having six months service.
Special/Carers’ Leave
Up to five days paid time off on compassionate grounds for immediate family or to help staff meet their carer responsibilities at times of unexpected and urgent domestic distress. Unpaid leave is also available to cover a range of circumstances.
Sabbatical Leave
This is not guaranteed, but unpaid leave may be granted for up to 12 months if there are demonstrable benefits to the College. Proposals should be made well in advance, in writing, to your line manager for discussion and subsequent approval by the Head of Human Resources.
Occupational Health and Sick Pay
The College employs the services of occupational health advisors to help and support staff either to stay at work or return to work as soon as possible after a period of sickness. If you are unfortunate to be off sick for any length of time, generous sick pay cover is available as follows:
| Service | Sick Pay Entitlement |
| During 1st year of service | 1-months full pay and, after 4-months service, 2 months half pay. |
| During 2nd year of service | 2-months full pay and 2-months half pay. |
| During 3rd year of service | 3-months full pay and 3-months half pay. |
| During 4th year of service | 4-months full pay and 4-months half pay. |
| During 5th year of service | 5-months full pay and 5-months half pay. |
| During 6th year of service | 6-months full pay and 6-months half pay. |
Note: The above sick pay entitlement is subject to employees adhering to the College’s sick absence reporting requirements.
Eye care vouchers, entitling individuals to an eyesight test, are available and if spectacles are necessary the College pays a contribution towards their purchase.
Discounted membership of local gyms are sometimes available.
Childcare
Discounted fees for staff at our nurseries at the Kings Cross, Regent’s Park and Kentish Town Centres. Childcare vouchers, through a salary sacrifice scheme, are available.
Interest Free Season Ticket Loan
All staff with 6months service are able to apply for an interest free season ticket loan.
Staff Restaurant
A range of snacks and more substantial meals are available at competitive prices at all our sites other than the St James’s Park and Soho Centres.
Employee Assistance Programme (CoreCare)
The scheme is accessed via a telephone Helpline staffed by specially trained advisors, who can be contacted 24 hours a day; 365 days a year; as many times as necessary. Callers to the Helpline are given unlimited support, advice and information to deal with their difficulties. This service can be used for a wide range of problems ranging from emotional/ personal issues to practical and financial advice.
Click here to download the WKC Terms and Conditions as a Word file
or
Click here to download the WKC Terms and Conditions as a PDF file
