This "How To" provides guidance to managers in making redeployment referrals and to understand their roles and responsibilities in the process. It also outlines the process for employees completing skills audits.
Manager guidance
Agreeing redeployment
As a substantive manager you should discuss the potential reason for redeployment with your HR Business Partner and also ensure no alternatives are available, for example reasonable adjustments.
Redeployment meeting
Once the need for redeployment has been identified, you should meet with the employee to confirm that redeployment is being considered, discuss the reasons for this and ensure that they agree to engage in the process.
Employees should be given a written invite to this meeting and be reminded that they may choose to bring a colleague or TU representative with them.
The meeting provides an opportunity to:
- Review the reason for redeployment, for example, in health related redeployment cases, you should consider whether reasonable adjustments could be made to the employee's substantive role (in consultation with Occupational Health (OH)) prior to confirming redeployment as an option
- Discuss with the employee whether redeployment is a realistic option for them or whether other alternatives are available
- Seek their agreement that they wish to engage in the process
- Explain the redeployment process and provide a copy of the Redeployment policy for future reference and confirm they will need to complete a skills audit.
- If an employee indicates that they do not wish to be redeployed or engage in the process, they need to be made aware of the potential consequences for their continued employment and be asked to confirm this in writing. Further advice should be sought from your HR Business Partner at this stage
- Explain that, whilst in the redeployment process, they may be offered periods of short term assignments to enhance their skills and experience
- Explain that the Council's vacancies are advertised on myjobscotland and that it is their responsibility to regularly check the vacancies on the website and note their interest in any posts to the HR Helpdesk
- Confirm that you will contact the HR Helpdesk to progress the referral and request the relevant paperwork be sent and confirm timescales for this. Please refer to How to do a redeployment search for further information.
- Explain length of redeployment search
- All details relating to the conversation with the employee should be confirmed in writing
Employees on sick leave
An employee may be on sick leave at the start of the redeployment process. Employees on sick leave can start the redeployment process if OH recommend this and they will have to be certified fit to return by their GP before any training or work experience/trial can start.
In situations where an employee may be returning to work to undertake work experience, you should advise the employee that annual leave accrued during their absence may be used to facilitate a phased return to work as per the Council's Managing Sickness Absence Policy. Accrued leave would not normally be used to facilitate a longer work trial.
Redeployment referrals
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You should complete the Redeployment referral form and email this to hrhelpdesk@falkirk.gov.uk. This confirms you are referring an employee for redeployment following discussion with your HR Business Partner and the employee.
- Downloads
- Redeployment referral form
DOCX file, 32 KB
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HR Helpdesk will then provide a copy of the skills audit to the employee (cc manager) for completion. The Skills Audit should be returned electronically to hrhelpdesk@falkirk.gov.uk.
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On receipt of the referral forms, the HR Helpdesk will send a confirmation email to you and the employee to confirm the start and end date of the redeployment search period as well as the process to be followed.
Completing the Redeployment referral form
- You should ensure that all relevant contact information for the employee is up to date on the referral form.
- Downloads
- Redeployment referral form
DOCX file, 32 KB
- The referral form also includes a Manager Supporting Statement. You should be objective when you are completing this statement. Ensure it is factually correct and do not include anything you are not prepared to discuss with the employee. You can share a copy of this with the employee.
- The statement should include the following:
- the nature of your working relationship with the employee
- the length of service in their current role
- the range of duties and responsibilities carried out
- details of performance, including particular strengths/skills; identified areas for development; skills and experience that would be transferable to another post; training undertaken
- do not include concerns about conduct or performance in your statement unless it has already been raised with the employee
- if you provide information from another manager, you should make it clear where the information came from
Retaining management responsibility
As substantive manager, you will still have management responsibility for the employee and should maintain regular contact with them during the redeployment period. This should take place no less than every 2 weeks.
Redeployment register
Once the paperwork has been completed and returned to the HR Helpdesk, the employee's details will be entered onto the Council's Redeployment Register. This records the current status of all redeployment requests.
Timescales
The redeployment period will last for a maximum of 12 weeks and it is the employee's responsibility to identify any posts advertised that they are interested in. As the substantive manager, you should maintain contact with the employee as part of the ongoing process, to explore options available including potential redeployment opportunities.
Where a potential redeployment opportunity is identified, a work trial will normally last for 4 weeks, although this may be extended where a recruiting manager feels they have not been able to assess the redeployee's skills in the time available or where OH advises phasing back to work over a longer period of time.
Employee guidance
Completing the Skills Audit form
To allow a recruiting manager to assess your skills and experience, you must complete a Skills Audit. This provides details of your current and past work experience, educational qualifications, training and any other relevant information.
Before completing this form, you should take time to consider your skills and experience. Please remember that this form will be passed onto recruiting managers when you express an interest in an advertised post, so you should provide as much relevant information as possible. Do not attach CV's.
The form can be provided electronically or as a hard copy. The completed document will be held electronically to allow it to be forwarded quickly to recruiting managers.
Personal details
Provide your personal telephone numbers and email address so that you can be contacted during the redeployment process.
Current duties & responsibilities
Provide details of your current job and outline the main tasks and responsibilities which form part of your work.
IT skills
Outline your competence/experience in using computers and IT packages. Indicate if you are familiar with MS Office, Teams, email etc. You should also provide details of any specialised systems/packages you have experience of, for example Capita, Seemis, HR Forms, Resourcelink etc.
If you do not use any IT in your current job, you can still include IT skills from previous jobs or your personal life such as using email or completing assignments at college/university.
Training/qualifications
Provide dates and details of qualifications achieved, as well as any other training undertaken. This information may not be relevant to your current post, however previous qualifications can be beneficial when looking for suitable alternative posts.
Previous employment/voluntary work
Provide a history of previous jobs and if there is a gap in your employment, explain the reason, for example, raising family. Please detail any voluntary work separate from paid employment. If necessary, continue this section on an additional sheet.
Additional information
Tick the boxes relevant to your job search. If you have the skills and abilities to be considered across several categories, then tick more than one box. You can also provide details of any services/work areas you have a specific interest in progressing.
You should send your completed skills audit to hrhelpdesk@falkirk.gov.uk. You will then be advised of the start and end date of your redeployment period and the redeployment process which will last for a maximum of 12 weeks.
If there are any changes to this information during the redeployment search, you should email hrhelpdesk@falkirk.gov.uk to update your skills audit.