Subject to the outcome of second ballots, the following guidance has been approved by SPRIG to assist organisations by ensuring that staff are provided with accurate information at appropriate stages throughout the transition period from General Whitley Council to Agenda for Change (AfC) conditions of service.

• Job Advertisements
• Job Descriptions
• Content of letters of assimilation to Agenda for Change

This should be kept simple, Organisations should ensure that the words "under review" are included in sections of advertisements and job descriptions that relate to pay (including on-call and unsocial hours), hours or work , leave and any other contractual conditions of service referred to that may change under AfC.

Once the outcome of the ballot is known and if we proceed with AfC the following conditions service will change from 1 December and should be included in job advertisements and job descriptions as appropriate:

• New entitlements to annual leave and public holidays
• New hours of work for full time staff (37.5)
• New overtime rates of time and a half with double time being paid only on public holidays
• Interim arrangements for unsocial hours and/or on-call.

It will still be necessary to quote current salaries and insert the words "under review" until new AfC salaries for posts have been agreed following the necessary job matching or job evaluation processes.

There are three stages to be considered

1 - If the ballot results are positive notification has to be made to staff about the new conditions of service that will apply with immediate effect

• Annual Leave/Public Holidays from 1 October 2004
• Overtime rates from 1 October 2004
• Hours of Work -

Protection/phased approach for current staff commencing 1 December 2004

37.5 for full time staff appointed on or after 1 December 2004.

A template letter (attached) has been prepared for issue to all staff but given the timescales involved it may be unrealistic to expect organisations to have these letters issued individually before 1 December 2004. In order to ensure that staff are aware of changes affecting them organisations are advised to use as many communication channels as possible for this purpose, eg newsletter, pay slips, inter and intranet sites to ensure that staff are kept fully aware of developments. The Scottish Executive Press Office are currently considering the issue of a press announcement on Agenda for Change. (Letter issue date - December 2004)

2 - Assimilation letter (to follow) giving full details of conditions of service under Agenda for Change once the job matching/job evaluation exercise has been concluded for each post or group of posts. (Letter issue date - as and when new pay bands agreed)

3 - A final assimilation letter (to follow) for staff who undertake unsocial hours and/or on-call duties once the new arrangements are agreed and replace the interim regime. (Letter issue date - prior to new arrangements being implemented in April 2006).

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