1. Introduction
The following guidelines cover all staff of the University.
(i) Cases for ex-gratia payments primarily to encourage and reward performance are to be made via the Contribution Pay Scheme. An Acting Up Allowance may be requested when an employee temporarily undertakes responsibilities at a higher grade than the one they are paid on.
(ii) The most common reason for requesting an Acting Up Allowance is where a member of staff covers a period of absence from the University of another member of staff.
(iii) An Acting Up Allowance may also be requested if a member of staff undertakes, on a strictly temporary basis, new responsibilities within a department deemed to be of a higher grade. HR, after discussion with the relevant Head of Department, will advise if and at what grade level such a payment should be made. Under these circumstances an Acting Up Allowance should not normally be requested for more than six months and cannot be used as part of any future regrading case.
In respect of (i), (ii) and (iii) above, based on the merits of each individual case, HR will agree with the Head of Department if an Acting Up Allowance is to be made, bearing in mind the guidelines below.
2. Guidelines
(a) The additional responsibilities must be carried out for a minimum of four weeks.
(b) The calculation of the payment will exclude any absence or leave during the period of undertaking the additional responsibilities.
(c) The amount of Acting Up Allowance will be adjusted on a pro-rata basis to take into account the percentage of the extra responsibilities which have been undertaken, or the amount of time taken by the individual to perform the additional responsibilities.
(d) Acting Up Allowances will normally be made at the median of the grade of the member of staff whose work is being covered for, or the salary of the latter, whichever is the lowest. Where the responsibilities are new to a department, the median of the grade judged to be appropriate shall normally be used
3. Procedure
(a) A Head of Department should make a written request to HR for an Acting Up Allowance to be paid. The request should include the following information :-
- the reason for the payment requested
- the current salary and grade of the person for whom the Acting Up Allowance is being sought
- the current salary and scale of the member of staff whose responsibilities are being covered
- the percentage of extra responsibilities undertaken or the percentage of time taken to perform the extra duties
- the dates during which the additional responsibilities are to be or were undertaken
- the nature of the responsibilities if they are new to the department
(b) Once an Acting Up Allowance has been agreed, HR will notify the member of staff concerned in writing and arrange for the payment to be made.
(c) It is the responsibility of the Head of Department to request from HR an extension to the period of payment should one be required.
Rob Kemp
Updated November 2008