Rewards and benefits
We offer a competitive reward and benefits package for our staff:
Pay
- Competitive starting salary (additional location allowance for London based posts);
- Option of a competitive occupational pension scheme and partnership pension which is a defined contribution arrangement, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you. Please note from 1 April 2015, a new Civil Service pension scheme - alpha - was introduced. alpha is a Career Average pension scheme. This means the final pension is based on a percentage of pensionable earnings from each year of active membership. You will still have the option of joining a partnership pension and are encouraged to visit Civil Service Pensions for more information, and
- Competency Pay Progression is a new approach to supporting your development, and rewarding you for that development. It provides a clear path for you to advance within your band, guiding you in developing your skills and competencies, and rewarding you financially for the enhanced contribution these competencies enable you to make.
Learning and development
- From the day you join us, we offer development activities to maximise your potential through on-the-job and structured learning;
- Encourage development through professional qualification routes, and
- Support with further education study (related to your work), including a reverse mentoring scheme.
Whatever your role, from the day you join us you will be encouraged to develop the right skills, knowledge and competencies necessary to do your job well. We are committed to providing high quality learning and development opportunities to all our staff and support continuous professional development.
We understand the importance of providing opportunities for career development and progression as part of investing in our people. To recognise the continuous drive for improvement and to keep pace with the changing needs of ONR, we are committed to learning and development each year and we will support staff in obtaining professional qualifications and maintaining professional membership of an appropriate body that is relevant to our work.
Holidays and work/life balance
We recognise that you may need to combine work with the demands of your home life. To help our staff maintain a balance we offer;
- Generous annual leave allowance, plus public holidays and the option to buy additional annual leave (or sell);
- Flexible working hours (including hybrid working) and patterns to help combine your work and home life.. We will always do our best to be as flexible as possible balanced with the business need.;
- Paid family leave (maternity, paternity and adoption leave) and
- Special leave to help you manage caring responsibilities in exceptional circumstances or unexpected emergencies, including the facility to take unpaid 'career breaks' (subject to conditions).
Family friendly and inclusive policies
We appreciate that if you’re thinking about joining us you may be interested in understanding how we support you with family and caring responsibilities.
Subject to eligibility, we aim to be supportive and flexible by offering the following:
- 52 weeks of maternity/adoption leave, paid at your normal rate (of up to 26 weeks) and a further 13 weeks of statutory pay set by the government;
- 12 working days paternity leave (proportionate for part time staff), paid at your normal rate of pay;
- Our shared parental leave and pay mirrors our maternity and adoption benefits. Eligible new working parents can choose how to share the caring responsibilities of their child by sharing up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of shared parental pay;
- You can take a total of 18 weeks' unpaid leave for each of your children up to their 18th birthday. The leave can start once your child is born or placed for adoption, or as soon as you have completed a year’s continuous service with us, whichever is later;
- Where required, childcare expenses provided for overnight stays or longer working hours;
- Special leave to help you manage caring responsibilities in exceptional or unexpected emergencies, including the facility to take unpaid 'career breaks' (subject to conditions);
- A period of paid compassionate leave can be agreed for anyone experiencing, for example, the bereavement, or serious illness of, a close relative or dependent;
- Working carers policy for reasonable time off to fulfil caring responsibilities, in exceptional or unexpected circumstances;
- Childcare vouchers;
- Transitioning at work policy;
- Disability Confident Leader - guaranteed interview scheme (GIS) for applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria, and
- Guaranteed Interview Scheme for all veterans who meet the minimum criteria.
IT and working environment
- Training and access to current technology for multiple communication options and enhanced mobile working;
- Secure, modern offices with restaurant facilities provided in the majority of locations, and
- Where available, car parking facilities and free parking at our Merseyside headquarters.
Health and wellbeing
- Free occupational health service provision and independent counselling service to support employees and managers;
- Free and confidential Employee Assistance Program and Wellbeing Portal available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help you with any finance, family, health, or wellbeing issues you may have. We make sure there's someone on-hand to offer guidance, advice, and useful information for our people when they are experiencing hardship at work or at home;
- Eye care provision;
- Competitive rates to access on site gym at our Redgrave Court office;
- Option of relevant Trade Union membership with a range of benefits and discounts;
- My Lifestyle package– which includes money-saving shopping, cycle to work , praise and recognition voucher and monetary schemes;
- Benenden Health , a non-profit organisation;
- The Charity for Civil Servants is the civil service's occupational charity, helping current, former and retired civil servants and their dependants;
- Menopause policy;
- Mental Health Ambassadors and First Aider/Confidential Support Network;
- Workplace adjustments procedure, and
- Suite of Health, safety and wellbeing training.
Travel
- Additional allowances for working/travelling on ONR's business or if you work at a higher job band for a specified time;
- Relocation contribution offered for some positions (stated in the job description if applicable);
- Advance of salary to buy a travel season ticket, car parking season ticket or bicycle, and
- Cycle to Work Scheme.