We (Falkirk Council) employ people who are members of the Reserve Forces and we recognise the valuable contribution that Reservists make to the UK Armed Forces, their communities and the civilian workplace.

Reservists can gain skills in planning, decision making, communication and leadership. These skills can help them work effectively in diverse teams, handle pressure and demonstrate responsibility, independence and self-discipline.

Their training also brings to life our values: 

• Responsive
• Innovative
• Trusted
• Ambitious

This policy defines our obligations towards all employees who are active members of the Reserve Forces or those wishing to join. The accompanying document How to manage and support reservists is a practical guide to help manage and support these employees.

We will not disadvantage Reservists who notify the Council of their Reserve status or those Reservists who are made known to the Council directly by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

We support members of the Reserve Forces, and those wishing to join. We acknowledge the training they undertake and support the release of all employees mobilised for Reservist duties.

We will support the Reservist in their return to work after a period of mobilisation, ensuring that where possible they return to their former role, or a mutually acceptable role on similar terms and conditions.

There are 2 main types of reservists:

• Volunteer Reservists: civilians recruited into the Royal Naval Reserves, Royal Marines Reserves, Army Reserve and Royal Auxiliary Air Force.
• Regular Reservists (Strategic): ex-regular servicemen or women who may retain a liability to be mobilised depending on how long they have served in the Armed Forces.

The Reserve Forces Act 1996 also provides for other categories, such as: 

• Full Time Reserve Service - Reservists who wish to serve full time with regulars for a predetermined period in a specific posting.
• Additional Duties Commitment - part-time service for a specified period in a particular post.
• Sponsored Reserves - These are personnel employed by a contractor to provide a service to the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
• High Readiness Reserves - These are Reserves, usually with a particular skill set, that are available at short notice (with written agreement from their employer) .

You are required to inform your manager and HR Helpdesk (hrhelpdesk@falkirk.gov.uk) that you are a member of the Reserve Forces and the specific force that you belong to. HR will record this centrally. This is so that we can provide you with the appropriate level of support. It also assists with resource planning during periods of leave eg training and/or mobilisation. We also recognise the additional skills and experiences that being a Reservist can bring to the Council and therefore it is useful for us to understand where these particular skills and experiences exist.

You are also required to grant permission for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to write directly to us. This is known as 'Employer Notification' and ensures that we are made aware that you are a Reservist and the benefits, rights and obligations that apply.

The MoD will issue written confirmation to us informing us that you are a Member of the Reserve Forces. The letter will provide details of your mobilisation obligations and also your rights as an employee; our rights as an employer; and details of the financial assistance available if you are mobilised. Where possible, it will also provide details of any annual training commitments. The MoD will also send a follow-up letter each year to confirm that the information held is still accurate.

It is your responsibility to ensure your personal details are kept up to date eg if you change employer or leave your respective Reserve Force.

In any circumstance, you will not be disadvantaged as a result of notifying us of your Reserve status.

We recognise the importance of the training undertaken by Reservists that enables them to develop skills and abilities that are of benefit to their respective Reserve Force, the individual and the Council.

You will typically be committed to 24-40 days training per year.

Training tends to take place 1 evening per week, over various weekends throughout the year and one 2-week training period also known as 'annual camp'. Training commitments vary but, in most cases, will include:

• Weekly training - most Reservists train at their local centre for around two-and-a-half hours, one evening a week.

• Weekend training - all Reservists are expected to attend a number of training weekends which take place throughout the year.

• Annual training - a 2-week annual training course sometimes referred to as 'annual camp'. This may take place at a training establishment, as an attachment to a Regular Unit, a training exercise or a combination of any of these. Training normally takes place within the UK, although each year some Reservists train overseas.

We will grant you additional paid leave of up to fifteen days per year to specifically enable you to attend your annual camp. You should make us aware of any service pay and allowances received in respect of the period of special leave as this will be deducted from normal pay.

You should request this leave on MyView using the Paid Special Leave – Service in Non-regular Forces/Reserves category for this.

Additional unpaid leave or annual leave from your entitlement may be granted for short periods of training if you provide sufficient notice, double the amount of time off requested; for example, if you need 2 days off you need to give 4 days' notice. Attendance at weekend training which cannot be undertaken during off-duty will be subject to the same arrangements where possible.

Line Managers should be flexible and aim to adapt work patterns/schedules to allow attendance at the annual camp and other training commitments, for example weekly or weekend training sessions if they fall on working days, unless there are exceptional circumstances. You should refer to the flexible working policy for more information on flexible working and speak to your manager about your options.

You should give as much notice as possible of training commitments to allow appropriate planning for absences.

Once we have approved time off this will not be overturned unless there are exceptional circumstances relating to service provision.

Special leave without pay, should be granted, up to a maximum of 5 working days, per year for attendance at official summer camp events for Cadets.  CFAV's can also use the flexible working policy and employee volunteering policy to help support their commitment to Cadets. 

Mobilisation is when you're called into full-time service with the Regular Forces, which requires you to be available for military operations. The maximum period of mobilisation will depend on the scale and the nature of the operation and is usually no longer than 12 months.

The Call-out papers for mobilisation are sent to us by post or you can hand deliver these to your line manager. The documentation will include the call-out date and the anticipated timeline. Whenever possible, the MoD aims to give at least 28 days' notice of the date that a Reservist will be required to report for mobilisation, although there is no statutory requirement for a warning period prior to mobilisation.

You need to request and your manager needs to authorise the unpaid leave on MyView using the Unpaid Leave (Reservist Mobilisation) so we can issue the correspondence that sets out your position whilst undertaking military service. If you are a Teacher, your manager will need to email payroll@falkirk.gov.uk to request your unpaid leave.

A period of mobilisation comprises 3 distinct phases:

• Medical and pre-deployment training
• Operational tour
• Post-operational tour leave

Before, during and after mobilisation your line manager will be your designated contact within the Council so you are fully supported.

Line Managers should refer to How to support and manage reservist for further information.

Line managers should hold a premobilisation meeting with Reservists.

When a Reservist returns from duty after mobilisation, they are given a period of post operational leave (paid by the MoD) to wind down and receive a medical and briefings before returning to work.

A Reservist has the right to return to their substantive role. If the substantive post no longer exists, the Council will endeavour to place the Reservist in a post with similar responsibilities and similar terms and conditions that they held before.

In order to provide a smooth transition back into the workplace, managers should ensure that the Reservist's return to work is planned in a structured and supportive manner. We recognise that each Reservist's experiences will be different and line managers must ensure that various support options are put in place to meet the needs for each individual.

More information about mobilisation and what line managers and Reservists need to do can be found in the How to support and manage reservist.

In all cases of mobilisation, the Council will release Reservists to report for duty unless there are exceptional circumstances, whereby the decision and reasoning will be explained to the Reservist.

An application to delay or cancel mobilisation can be made:

• As a Reservist, if they are called up at a difficult time (for example, they're caring for someone or in full time education).

• As the employer, if it would seriously harm the business (for example, by causing financial harm or making it difficult to produce goods or deliver services).

The reservist or employer can apply to:

• Defer mobilisation for up to a year - the Reservist will get a new date to report to duty.

• Get an exemption for a year or more - the Reservist will not be called out again until it expires.

• Cancel mobilisation if they've already been mobilised.

Details on how to apply are on the gov.uk website and are included in the call-out pack.

Applications must be made within 7 days of getting the call-out notification.

If this timescale is not met, permission to make a late application will need to be obtained from the Adjudication Officer. If an application is unsuccessful an appeal can be made.

If an unsatisfactory decision is received following the application for a deferral, the Council can appeal for a hearing by the Reserve Forces Appeals Tribunal. Appeals must reach the Tribunals Secretary within 5 days receipt of written notice of the decision. If the tribunal rejects the application for exemption or deferral, the Council will be required to release the Reservist for mobilisation.

The Reserve Forces (Safeguarding of Employment) Act 1985 provides protection of employment rights. This means that your contract of employment will continue to exist during the period of special unpaid leave granted for mobilisation.

There will be no loss of continuous service or service related benefits.

When mobilisation occurs, you'll be given special unpaid leave of absence if this is approved.

Dismissal/redundancy

Your employment cannot be terminated on the grounds of your military duties or if you're mobilised.

The Defence Reform Act 2014 introduced legislation in the UK to provide reservists with immediate right of access, without a qualifying period, to an Employment Tribunal for unfair dismissal if the dismissal relates to Reserve Service.

You can be included in the redundancy pool if this is necessary, for example, following an organisational review. Redundancy criteria will not discriminate against you on the grounds of your Reserve status or mobilisation liabilities.

We are not required to pay your salary during the period of mobilisation. Where mobilisation occurs, you will be given special unpaid leave of absence.

The MoD will assume responsibility for your salary for the duration of your mobilisation. They will pay a basic salary according to your military rank. If this basic element is less than you receive from the Council, it is your responsibility to apply to the MoD for the difference to ensure that you suffer no loss of earnings. This is known as a Reservist Award.

You will receive any normal pay increments in your pay scale when you have been called out. This is to ensure that you're not disadvantaged under the terms of the Reserve Forces (Safeguarding of Employment) Act 1985. A pay increment will not be applied if you have a live warning on file for misconduct.

You may be entitled to claim back any contractual benefits that are suspended during mobilisation as part of your Reservist Award.

You should discuss benefit arrangements with your line manager during the pre-mobilisation meeting and seek advice from HR Helpdesk. This should cover those benefits which will be suspended and for any continuing benefits, arrangements should be made as to how these are paid.

While you're mobilised you can either:

• ask for the days you're mobilised to count towards the Armed Forces Pension Scheme
• keep contributing to your personal or work pension (the Ministry of Defence will pay your employer's contributions)

The rules about pensions and Reserve Forces service are set out in the Local Government Pension Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 1998. If you receive a call-out notice you and your manager should seek advice from Falkirk Pension Fund.

If you're a teacher you should seek advice from the Scottish Public Pensions Agency (Teachers Section) when you receive your call out notice.

More information should also be included in the call out pack.

You are encouraged to take any accrued annual leave before mobilisation. In exceptional circumstances where this hasn’t been possible, a line manager may agree to carry the leave over to the following year.  Any carry forward will be subject to normal carry forward rules.

You will not accrue annual leave during the period of mobilisation as you accrue annual leave with the MoD whilst you are in full time service. When you demobilise, you are entitled to a period of post-operational leave (POL). During this period, you will continue to be paid by the MoD.

Guidance on annual leave can be found at Employees: Terms and conditions - Leave.

When you return, you will start to accrue annual leave with us again.  Any accrued leave not taking in the previous year should be taken before you return to work.

Your service during mobilisation will be included when calculating occupational sick pay.

During mobilisation occupational sick pay from the Council cannot be claimed. Should you become sick or injured during mobilisation you will be covered by Defence Medical Services and any financial assistance will continue to be received (including pay) until demobilised. If the sickness or injury continues and this results in early demobilisation, you will remain covered by Defence until the last day of paid military leave.

After the end of your paid military leave and on your return to our payroll you will be covered by the Managing Sickness Absence Policy.

If you become ill post mobilisation, and a return to work date has been agreed, you will be covered by the Managing Sickness Absence Policy from the first day of your agreed return to work. You will be required to follow the normal sickness absence reporting procedures to qualify for sick pay in these circumstances.

Mobilisation does not break continuity of employment (s.217(a) Employment Rights Act 1996) and therefore we will:

• Record the absence during mobilisation as unpaid special leave
• Note that any period of mobilisation counts towards the Reservists length of service
• Not issue a P45 (in line with HMRC guidance) for service of less than 12 months

Both the Reservist and their employer have obligations under The Reserve Forces (Safeguarding of Employment Act) 1985 regarding the return-to-work process.

More information can be found in the How to support and manage reservist and at Rights and responsibilities for reservists and employers (GOV.UK).

When you return to work you will benefit from a smooth re-integration into the workplace/team. Your line manager should:

• update you on changes and developments.
• offer specific refresher training where it is sought/considered necessary.
• provide skills training to assist with new aspects of the job.
• provide reasonable time off to seek therapeutic treatment if required and ensure you are made aware of any other support.

You have a responsibility to participate in relevant training and keep any necessary memberships, such as PVG, SSSC or GTC up to date.

Further sources of guidance and information can be obtained from the following:

• Defence Relationship Management – Helpline: 0800 389 5459
• Royal Navy Reserves
• Army Reserve
• Royal Air Force Reserves
• SaBRE – Supporting Britain’s Reservists and Employers

April 2026