Re-engagement of Employees
For Grey Book staff who are members of the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (1992) and New Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (2006) a policy regarding re-employment and the treatment of pensions in payment has been in place since March 2010. This policy is based on the Regulations under each scheme and guidance provided by the Government.
The principal and process of the policy is that any re-employment, for all levels, following retirement, must be to an advertised vacancy, and as a result of a normal open and competitive selection process. Where re-employment is secured, the pension is adjusted (where relevant) so that the combination of pension and new salary does not exceed the individual’s salary at the time of their retirement. This adjustment process is called abatement. The process of abatement is not included in the Local Government Pension Scheme regulations and therefore does not apply to Green Book employees.
However, in April 2019 the Authority agreed a discretion to allow abatement not to be applied to specific roles within Business Safety. Following the Grenfell Tower Fire there has been an increased focus nationally regarding the inspection process on fire safety and prevention work conducted by Business Safety teams. Much of this work requires a specialist skill set. The recruitment of qualified personnel in this area has been difficult and a number of qualified staff have recently retired or are due to do so in 2020/21. The loss of these skills from this team would be significant. Therefore a discretion was agreed not to apply abatement to fire safety officers retiring from these specific posts. This discretion will only be for a maximum of two years which will enable the Authority to retain their expertise, whilst new applicants are trained to achieve the necessary technical skill set.
In July 2020 the Authority agreed a further discretion to allow abatement not to be applied to the post of Operational Development Technician PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). This discretion was granted for a maximum of two years. This decision was based on the current post holder’s specialist skill set and their use of these skills within the national arena for the Fire Service. Such skills are not readily available within the recruitment market. During the two year period the Authority is committed to train others to acquire the necessary technical skill set.