ONS pay and Trade Union information

FOI REF: FOI-2023-1565

You asked

Please provide:

1)    The name of unions which are signatories to your main collective agreement covering pay and conditions;

2)    The number of employees covered by the agreement;

3)    A list of pay grades and current pay rates. Please indicate any agreed equivalence between the grade names used within the list and the following civil service grades:

         1) Administrative Assistant (AA)

        2) Administrative Officer (AO)

        3) Executive Officer (EO)

        4) Higher Executive Officer (HEO)

        5) Senior Executive Officer (SEO)

        6) Grade 7

        7) Grade 6

4)    A copy of your latest pay settlement. Please also provide the following information on how any pay increase has been applied:

1. Is the paybill increase based on pay guidance set by the Treasury?
2. Have there been any changes to the pay scales? If so, what were the changes?
3. Were performance-related bonuses paid?  If so, what were the arrangements for performance-related bonuses?
4. Were any other non-consolidated payments made? If so, what were the arrangements for these payments?

We said

Thank you for your request. Please see the following answers to your questions.

 1) 

• FDA  
• PCS  
• Prospect  

To note that Prospect also have specific negotiation rights on substantive terms and conditions of employment for all Field Force (Surveys) employees. 

 2) As of 31 October 2023, UKSA employs 5,890 staff of which 5,796 are delegated grades (AA to Grade 6) whose terms and conditions of service are covered by the Employee Relations agreement. 

3) Please see the associated download named ‘Pay Scale from 01 August 2023’ lists UKSA’s current pay rates and equivalent grades covered by the Employee Relations agreement.

UKSA have also introduced a DDaT Pay Framework. This framework provides different pay arrangements for colleagues occupying specific roles, defined within the DDaT Group 1 roles. Please see the associated download named ‘DDaT Pay Framework’. 

4) 2023/24 Pay award for delegated grades (AA-G6) 

 A consolidated increase of at least 4.5% for all eligible colleagues.

Additional consolidated increases to those in Grades AO below, in line with the additional 0.5% made available in Civil Service Pay Guidance for those in lower grades, providing:

• 9.6% increases for AA/TO, our lowest paid colleagues, ensuring their pay remains above the predicted statutory National Living Wage
• 7.05% increases for AO/IPS Interviewer/Field interviewer colleagues
• 6.5% increases for IPS Interviewer Team leaders

Additionally, we set aside £50k for allowances as an investment for critical DDaT skills to address recruitment and retention needs.

5) The annual increases are in accordance with the Cabinet Office Pay Guidance.

6)  As of 01 August 2023, for delegated grades (AA-G6) the minimum increase for all pay scales was 4.5%, except for grades AO which increased by: 

• 9.6% for AA/TO 
• 7.05% for AO/IPS Interviewer/Field Interviewer  
• 6.5% for IPS Interviewer Team Leaders   

7) No performance-related bonuses are paid to delegated grades (AA-G6).  

8)  A one-off, non-consolidated payment of £1,500 was made to all those who are eligible at delegated grades covered by the Pay Remit Guidance, in recognition of the pressures felt during the 2022/23 pay year. 5,850 colleagues received this payment, if they were employed on 30 June 2023.   The payment was pro-rated to contracted hours of work as at 31 March 2023. 

There were a small proportion of non-consolidated payments made for colleagues on the DDaT Pay Framework on the accomplished spot rate, where the consolidated 4.5% increase would have taken them over the maximum pay range for SEO, Grade 7 and Grade 6. This non-consolidated payment was made to 38 colleagues.

For delegated grades (AA-G6) we operate an in-year recognition scheme where colleagues can raise awards to recognise contributions aligned to our strategic principles outlined in our organisational strategy.  The in-year awards, provide one-off payments of either £50 (paid by voucher), £150 or £250.