Job security agreements (JSA) and the redundancy policy are exactly what they sound like – they are to provide security for colleagues and to ensure that you are able to remain in employment.

When your role is no longer needed, no longer needs as many people doing it, or is to be done in a different part of the country, that puts you at risk of redundancy – at risk that you may lose your job. The JSA and any related procedures make sure that you are treated fairly during this process, and that if a you are able to perform another role, that your employer cannot just let you go and has to at least try and offer you something similar.

If there is absolutely no way that you can reasonably perform another role, it also makes sure that you receive compensation for losing your role. In places with strong unions, like LBG, there is often a negotiated package in place that is better than the legal minimum payment you are entitled to.

The main point of the policy is to keep you in employment. This is also one of the three main principles of Unite and every good trade union up and down the country. That does not mean that the bank can ‘push’ you into a job unreasonably. If there is a genuine reason you cannot do a job, then you cannot be forced into it and if, ultimately, another role cannot be found, you would walk away with your redundancy package.

However, if you can do roles like customer service, even if this is slightly outside of your comfort zone, then as long as the bank put the time and effort into training you, it’s a reasonable ask that they invest in you to keep you in paid employment. The new policy even goes further into discussing what your career might look like, should customer service not be your long-term ambition.

Training.

A role is seen as suitable if the new role is similar in terms of salary, hours, location, and skillset. It also takes into account any disabilities or other protected characteristics that may prevent you from taking the new role.

A reasonable role pushes the skillset part of the equation to potential skillset. This asks the question whether, with some investment into training, you would be able to succeed at the new role. All other considerations such as location, hours, caring requirements and disability will still be considered.

Most of the considerations for a reasonable role are the same as a suitable role. The reasonable definition has been brought in to make it easier for colleagues to stay in jobs they can do, whilst still allowing those who want to leave to leave, albeit potentially on reduced terms.

Your first step if you thinking of declining a role should be to speak to a Unite rep. We will be able to provide you with the best advice and see if we need to reach out to our Colleague Relations contacts to get some context. We can then put the case forward for you to leave on better terms if we agree with your case. If we are unsuccessful we have a proven track record of supporting members to get the right outcome at employment tribunals.

That’s correct. In the past, they’ve been reviewed annually and colleagues have told us that they’ve made decisions based on this which they’ve later regretted. Now they’re here to stay and will only change if the unions negotiate a change.

To find your terms, go to Life@LBG and find the Redundancy page. Halfway down you’ll find Severance calculator. Click here to find out what your terms are and how much pay you would receive under redundancy.

The new terms mean that you are eligible for a payment should you lose your job by means of redundancy from day 1 of your permanent employment with LBG. If you find yourself in this position in your first year, you will be eligible for whatever payment you would receive if you had been working here a full year.

If you take up a role at the same grade, your pay and benefits will remain the same (unless there are specialist allowances in the old or new role). There may also be an opportunity for the lateral move

policy to apply, depending on how different the roles are. If you take a role at a lower grade, your pay and annual leave are protected for 2 years. GPS and shift/variable payments are aligned to the new role.

Your pay would be marked against the pay range for the new role. This means that if the bank revert to pay rises based on position in market you may be impacted negatively. After 2 years, if you have

not secured a role at the higher grade, your pay will reduce and your pay will move in line with your peers in the role. To mitigate this, work with your new manager to create robust development plans

where needed.

If you refuse a reasonable role, you would receive 50% of the 2012 terms. However, your base pay should not be reduced immediately at all. Your GPS and allowances may be impacted straight away, but this is one of the reasons why Unite will continue to advocate the incorporation of any unconsolidated award into your base pay.

Again, if you are thinking of turning down a role for this reason, speak first to your local Unite rep.

Most roles will come with a ‘competency period’. If you want to try the role and go through training but are not able to make it through competency, despite you and the business attempting to get you to competency, then you will still be entitled to your heritage terms.

Unite have sought legal advice on this matter and our advice from our solicitor was that there was no evidence that the terms are ‘contractual’. However, through negotiations you can see that we have been able to secure the terms anyway, regardless of their contractual status.

No matter whether you signed the harmonised contract or not, if you were brought into LBG before January 2019 through the purchase of MBNA and have continuous employment, you will be on the MBNA terms. If you are made redundant, the bank will process two calculations. One on the heritage MBNA terms (capped at 12 months’ pay) and one on the 2012 LBG terms (smaller award per year service, but a higher cap). Whatever ends up with you getting the most money would be the payout you receive.