Rewards and Benefits
We are changing, while our offer is good we want it to be better so we’re working on that too.
We are committed to providing our employees with a diverse and exciting environment in which to work, encouraging creativity and innovation whilst recognising the need to support ongoing personal development and a flexible work life balance.
Holiday
We provide you with a extended holiday allowance. Please take it all!!
- 26 days per annum from day one.
We recognise that as you serve with us, you make our community better and to recognise that we provide increases at 5 and 10 years service.
- 30 days per annum after 5 years service.
- 32 days per annum after 10 years service.
And, you can purchase 10 more days per year via salary exchange.
Pension
Pensions can be complicated.
At Swindon we make it simple and auto-enrol all our colleagues into the local government pension scheme. As a member of the scheme you contribute to the scheme funds which enables you to build up a Defined-Benefit (DB) pension pot.
The pension accrual rate is 2.04 %.
What does that mean?
It means the pension scheme give you an income at your normal pension age linked to inflation which is guaranteed for life. It means you build up a pension worth thousands of pounds annually.
Family friendly
- 52 weeks maternity leave, 6 weeks at 90 %, 33 weeks at SMP rate, and 12 weeks at nil pay; need to have 26 weeks service ending the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth.
- 10 Keep in Touch Days (KIT) during your maternity to support your return to work and give you a little pay boost if you want it.
- 52 weeks shared parental leave, subject to the policy terms.
- 2 weeks paternity leave at 100% pay.
- Life insurance via your pension.
Learning
We are committed to your professional development, and we are committed to supporting people though our apprenticeship levy funding and via our development budgets.
We empower and enable our colleagues to obtain a range of qualifications; talk to your manager about development as we are better with you.
Flexible Working
We are offer a range of flexible ways of working, as we know the value they bring to colleagues across the Council.
- Flexitime
- Work from home arrangements
Does this apply to everyone?
There are roles that cannot be performed at home or require you to be there is person; and at times we are going to need to speak with each other face to face.
Management teams within the Council have flexibility to apply arrangements in ways that work for them, there teams and for the people we serve.
Health and Wellbeing.
- Sick Pay that increases depending on how long you serve with us:
- After 4 months you are eligible for 1 months pay at 100% and 1 months pay at 50%.
- After 1 years service, you are eligible for 2 months pay at 100% and 2 months pay at 50%.
- And so on … until 6 months pay at 100 % and 6 months pay at 50%.
Our employees really value the flexibility that we are able to offer (subject to business needs), below are some direct quotes from our staff on the benefits of flexible working for them:
Flexible working is essential for me to maintain my work life balance as sole carer to young children still at School.
It has allowed me to do my job and undertake a professional qualification.
It means a lot to me, as I can avoid rush hour journeys, spend less time on public transport & arrive to work refreshed.