Working for the Agency

Working hours
Normal working hours for our London office is 41 hours per week, including daily meal breaks of one hour. Outside of London, working hours is 42 hours.

The Agency operates flexible working hours, which allows employees to adjust their working day to suit individual needs. We also accommodate staff who wish to work part-time or job share, subject to business needs. Other flexible working arrangements can be considered.

Probation
All staff joining the Food Standards Agency is required to serve a probation period of eight months, unless they join from another Government Department.

Annual leave
Annual leave allowance is 30 days, plus 10½ days public and privilege holidays.

The Civil Service offers the choice of an attractive occupational pension or stakeholder pension, giving flexibility and choice. Details of the pensions available can be found on the Civil Service website.

Normal retirement age in the Food Standards Agency is 65.

Normally to be eligible for employment, you will need to be either a UK national, or a national of another European Economic Area (EEA) Member State, or a Commonwealth citizen with the right to live and work in the UK. In addition, if you have dual nationality you will be eligible as long as one of the nationalities meets these requirements. Certain non-EEA family members may also be eligible for employment. If you are unsure of your eligibility, please enclose a short letter with your application setting out your current nationality status.

All staff working for the FSA are required to apply for approval before becoming associated with any kind of private business interest related to the food industry. If you are associated with any private business of this nature, you are requested to notify your interest in it, and how much time you expect to devote to it. The FSA may then consider whether there would be any conflict with official duties if you are offered and accept the appointment.

This applies to purely financial interests as well as interest where you are involved in managing the business. You should tell us if you have an indirect association of this kind, for example through a partner or family member with whom you are in close contact.

There are also rules about taking up employment for staff who leave the Agency and the Civil Service. These apply generally to the Senior Civil Servants, but also other staff in particular circumstances.

We are an Investor in People organisation and as part of our team you can look forward to quality training and development opportunities. We believe in helping all our people to make the most of their talents and realise their full potential - that's why we provide everyone with the opportunity to develop further, offering formal development opportunities in addition to on-the-job training. There will be the opportunity to undertake development to meet the needs of the job and for some personal development.

All Civil Servants are servants of the Crown and owe a duty of loyal service to the Crown. As Civil Servants, employees of the Food Standards Agency are subject to this provision.

The Minister for the Civil Service is responsible for the central framework which governs the conduct of civil servants. See this framework in the Civil Service Management Code. See further information in the Civil Service Code.

The Agency has seven grades outside the Senior Civil Service. The grade titles are those generally in use in most Civil Service Departments.

There are two sets of pay ranges – one for staff based in Aviation House (the Agency’s headquarters in London) and a national range for all other staff.

The general pay band structure and main grades are as follows:

• Administrative Assistant and equivalents
• Administrative Officer, Personal Secretary, Assistant Scientific Officer and equivalents
• Executive Officer, Senior Personal Secretary, Scientific Officer and equivalents
• Higher Executive Officer, Higher Scientific Officer and equivalents
• Senior Executive Officer, Senior Scientific Officer and equivalents
• UG7 ('Grade 7')
• UG6 ('Grade 6')

Each grade pay range is expressed from the pay band minimum to the performance ceiling (PC) and is divided into two parts. The lower part incorporates a number of steps enabling satisfactory performers to progress to a point called the progression target rate (PTR). The second part allows certain staff to move beyond the PTR and up to the PC. There are clear rules for starting pay on promotion and on appointment. Normally, all movement from a lower to higher grade is by individual job advertising and appointment (JAA).

The structure, with range minima steps, PTR and PC national and London pay bands, can be found at the link below. The figures are those established as at August 2007.

Salary progression will normally be based on annual performance assessment and effective from 1 August each year.

We run a voucher scheme to provide financial assistance to staff who have childcare responsibilities. Additionally we have a subsidised corporate gym scheme with a couple of organisations who have facilities close to our locations. These schemes are open to all Agency employees, irrespective of their circumstances.

All our staff are also eligible to join HASSRA, our recreational association, and the Civil Service Sports Council. Both these organisations offer a range of sporting, social and recreational events, and membership also attracts discounts on a range of goods and services. Permanent staff with a minimum of two months service are eligible to apply for an advance of salary to purchase a season ticket for travel to and from work.

The Agency operates a no smoking policy.