In normal circumstances employees covered by the EP&M terms and conditions of employment become eligible for a higher graded duties payment on completion of four weeks in the higher graded post.
Once the qualifying period has been satisfied the allowance will be paid from the date on which the employee started doing the duties of the higher graded post.

Higher graded duties payments can be made for a maximum of 6 months.
Any extension to such an arrangement, would be in exceptional circumstances and following approval from the relevant Chief Officer and Talent Manager, People and Organisational Development.

Details of the Acting Up / Higher Graded Duties opportunity that has arisen should be circulated to relevant employees / teams and they should be asked to register their interest in undertaking the duties, using the expression of interest form.
If only one employee registers interest, and it is determined that they are suitably skilled and experienced then they should be assigned the higher graded duties.
If more than one employee registers interest, the Line Manager will decide which one of the following options is the best course of action in the circumstances:
– Interview all interested employees and appoint one based on who best meets the essential criteria of the higher graded role.
– Allocate duties on a percentage basis (i.e., divide the responsibilities between the number of interested employees / a selection of the interested employees).
– Allocate duties on a rota basis (e.g., monthly/bi-monthly).

The calculation of the higher graded duties payment should be based on the same principle as our normal recruitment and selection process. That is, the payment is based on the first point of the grade of the higher graded role.

Please click here to view Salary Grades.

If more than one employee is sharing the duties of the higher graded role, the appropriate percentage payment is calculated. This can lead to an employee receiving a different payment from their colleague if they are on a different incremental point on the grade for their substantive role.

If an employee is undertaking less than 100% of the duties of the higher graded role, the appropriate percentage payment is calculated based on the difference between the lowest point of the grade of the higher graded role and the employee’s basic rate of pay, multiplied by the percentage of the duties of the higher graded role being undertaken.

Higher graded duties payments are made a month in arrears e.g., for a higher graded duties arrangement which starts on 1st October, the employee will receive their first payment under this arrangement at the end of November.

The authorisation for Higher Graded Duties payments form should be completed by the requesting manager, approved by the relevant Chief Officer, and then sent to Talent@aberdeencity.gov.uk for review and processing.

Higher graded duties should NOT be used as a substitute for the normal recruitment & selection procedure to fill a vacancy. Higher graded duties should only be used for short- term temporary circumstances such as cover for long term sickness absence, lead in time to permanent appointments being taken up or cover prior to an imminent organisational change (i.e., the change will occur within 6 months).
Should the role be vacant at the end of the higher graded duties arrangement then the normal recruitment process should be followed to fill the vacancy.