SFC New Staff Onboarding Policies

This procedure is for all employees at all grades, including probationers. It is designed to deal with cases where you are lacking in some area of knowledge, skills, or ability and are unable to carry out your work duties to a satisfactory standard.

Read the Capability Policy and Procedures.

This policy sets out SFC’s support that is available for carers (internally and externally) so that they are able to openly discuss their needs with their line manager in order to balance their work with caring commitments. By creating a supportive and inclusive workplace, we believe that we can retain our staff as well as attract prospective candidates who have caring responsibilities.

Read the Carers Leave Guidance.

This document sets out a Code of Conduct for staff of the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council. It is based on the model code for staff of Non-Departmental Public Bodies which has been developed by the Cabinet Office and exists primarily to outline the standards of conduct expected from employees of the Council in their role as public servants.

Read the Code of Conduct.

We, the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council (SFC), are committed to creating a work environment where you are treated with dignity and respect and free of harassment or bullying. To this end we will seek to ensure that all employees treat each other with respect, dignity, fairness, equity, tolerance, understanding and trust at all times.

Read the Dignity and Respect at Work Policy.

SFC expects all employees to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner in their day-to-day work, including in their dealings with colleagues and external organisations. Employees are expected to adhere to the SFC’s Code of Conduct for Staff and other corporate policies.

Read the Disciplinary Policy and Procedure.

Our organisation is committed to creating a workplace that promotes equality, diversity, and inclusion for all employees. We strive to provide a working environment where everyone feels respected, valued, and able to contribute their best. This policy outlines our commitment to upholding the public sector equality duty in Scotland.

Read the Equality and Diversity Policy.

SFC is committed to supporting flexible working arrangements to enable staff to balance the competing demands of work and life. We regard this flexibility as being of benefit in helping SFC to attract and retain staff whilst maintaining operational efficiency.

Read the Flexible Working Request Procedure.

The SFC is committed to supporting flexible working hours to enable staff to balance the competing demands of work and life. We regard this flexibility as being of benefit in helping the SFC to attract and retain staff whilst maintaining operational efficiency. This document sets out the rules for operating our flexitime system.

Read the Flexitime Policy.

The grievance procedures exist to enable staff to raise problems or concerns about their work, the working environment or working relationships and ensure a resolution of concerns is achieved in an effective manner and thereby reduces the adverse impact upon individuals. We have based these procedures on the ACAS Code of Practice 1 (Disciplinary and grievance procedures).

Read the Grievance Procedure.

This guidance sets out the principles and framework for annual leave, public and privilege holidays, flexi leave and special leave within the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council (SFC).

Read the Holidays Flexi and Special Leave Guidance.

This guidance is provided to help in the administration and operation of job evaluation panels.

Read the Job Evaluation Panels Guidance.

The SFC uses the Hay job evaluation scheme to evaluate jobs and to allocate them to a grade. Job analysis and job evaluation is carried out by trained personnel who will be drawn from Council staff, although in certain circumstances we may use external Hay consultants.

Read the Job Grading and Evaluation Procedure.

This is a summary of our approach to supporting staff during times of crisis, change and bereavement through the use of Special leave. It is not a contractual document, as Special leave is discretionary.

Read the Management Guidance on Special Leave.

We recognise that on occasion a particular block of work needs to be undertaken which cannot be accommodated within the flexi-time system or requires staff, with their agreement to work more than the standard 35 hour week.

Read Overtime and Discretionary Payments.

As employees of a public body that is responsible to Government Ministers all staff must be aware of the need to be politically impartial whilst at work or in their capacity as an employee of the Council. Staff must also be sensitive about how others interpret their political activities outwith work or associate them with the Council, particularly if the subjects being discussed/dealt with relate to further and higher education.

Read Political Activities.

This policy is in place to ensure that the Council follows good practice and still remains within the principles of equal pay and our job evaluation and grading scheme, whilst accounting for any market factors which require it to pay a different level of remuneration in cases where it has been found exceptionally difficult to recruit and retain staff.

Read the Recruitment and Retention Allowance Policy.

We have designed this procedure to make sure that we follow our policy on equal opportunities, standards of good practice and meet our obligations to promote equality between people of different characteristics.

Read the Recruitment and Selection Procedure.

This policy sets out the organisation’s approach to dealing with potential compulsory redundancies. It has been agreed between the Scottish Funding Council (referred to as the Council from this point on) and the trade union at the Council – UNITE the Union (referred to as UNITE from this point on). It covers all staff who are employed by the Council and forms part of their terms and conditions of employment.

Read the Redundancy Policy and Procedure.

This policy demonstrates SFC’s commitment to encouraging and supporting our employees to look after their own health and wellbeing, specifically in light of the growth of remote and hybrid working practices when boundaries between work and personal life can blur these lines.

Read the Right to Disconnect Policy.

As an employer we are committed to facilitating the development of our staff and this is evidenced by our recognition under Investors in People and through the application of our training and development policy and staff appraisal system.

Read the Secondment Policy.

This procedure sets out the principles and framework for sick pay and sick leave within the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council.

Read the Sick Pay and Sick Leave Procedure.

As an employer we wish to ensure your welfare and to safeguard the organisation’s efficiency and reputation. We regard alcoholism and drug dependency as illnesses which, except where absolutely necessary, should be treated medically rather than within the disciplinary or performance improvement procedures.

Read the Substance Abuse Policy.