Employee benefits
We offer many rewards and benefits that make the council a great place to work.
Lifestyle savings and discounts
Employee Benefits Platform
Aberdeenshire Council employees have access to an Employee Benefits Platform.
The platform provides access to exclusive discounts on from hundreds of high-street and online retailers and local offers to help you save money. The lists of savings is massive but there are discounts from 4%, 52% and even more available at various supermarkets, food, drink and food delivery companies, days out and experiences, cinema and theatre, health and beauty, fashion and beauty, home, garden and pets, car and motoring, mobile, broadband and utilities, travel and fitness.
See below a few of the retailers that offer discounts.
Adidas UK
American Golf
Argos
Asda
ASK Italian
ASOS Online
B&Q
BMI Healthcare
Boohoo
Boots
Café Rouge
Clarks
Costa Coffee
Currys
Dorothy Perkins
Easyjet Holidays
Eurostar
Farmfoods
Foot Asylum
Foot Locker
Go Ape
Green King
H.Samual
H&M
Iceland
Ikea
Jet2Holidays
Laithwaite’s
Lastminute.com
Les Mills on Demand
Madame Tussauds
Marks & Spencer
Miller & Carter
Morrisons
MyProtein
Naked Wines
Nando’s
National Trust
New Look
Nike UK
P&O
Pizza Express
Plusnet
Prezzo
Primark
River Islands
Sainsburys
Screwfix
Sky
Sports Direct UK
Swarovski
Tesco
The Body Shop
The Fragrance Shop
The Gym King – online
Ticketmaster
Toby Carvery
TUI
WHSmiths
Zizzi
Aberdeenshire Staff Leisure Discount
A Live life Aberdeenshire Membership for Aberdeenshire Council staff has been introduced, these are designed to elevate the wellbeing journey of our employees. With more value, flexibility, no joining fees and the convenience of multi-venue access, these discounted memberships support a healthier and more active lifestyle. We believe in making wellbeing accessible and convenient for all who contribute to the organisation.
Money matter
Employee financial wellbeing is very important to us and we believe in paying our employees fairly and ensuring that our salaries are competitive in the marketplace.
Salary increases
Most employees are paid an incremental progression salary with an increase in rate of pay following 12 and 24 months service. Many positions offer the opportunity of following a career development scheme where further salary progression is achieved by meeting set development criteria.
Incremental progression for teaching staff follows the national terms laid down by the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT). For the majority this will mean an annual increase in pay for up to a period of six years depending on initial placement on the pay scale.
Aberdeenshire Council is committed to paying all employees no less than the Scottish Government Living Wage.
Financial assistance
We are a member of Grampian Credit Union and our employees can save securely and access affordable loans repaid through salary.
Payroll giving
You can support your favourite charity tax-free with regular donations taken directly from your salary.
Positive work life balance
Finding a suitable balance between work and daily living is a challenge that we all face. Families are particularly affected.
We want to support all our employees to have a positive work-life balance and we offer a range of flexible and family friendly initiatives and working arrangements to our employees.
Generous annual leave entitlement
Up to 5 years continuous service – 29 days
After 5 years continuous service – 34 days
Flexible working
The Council has various flexible working options such as Flexi Time, Mobile Working, Home Working, Annualised Hours, part time or term time working that you may be able to request depending on the service delivery your job requires.
Career break
A career break is an opportunity for employees to take a period of extended unpaid leave with the option of returning to work in the same or similar post.
Maternity, paternity and adoption leave and pay
We offer maternity and paternity enhancement on top of the government statutory rates of pay. We also provide adoption leave provision and adoption pay.
Family special leave
There may be times where you are faced with family illness or urgent family situations. We have paid and unpaid Special leave provisions in place to support our employees.
Sickness
Unfortunately, there are times when our employees are not feeling great or have health conditions that mean they need to take some of work. As a local government employee, you will receive the added benefit of the Sickness Scheme which is designed to supplement the Statutory Sick pay and Employment and Support Allowance.
We also offer supportive measures to phase employees back to work once they have recuperated sufficiently to return to work.
Phased Return to Work Where an employee has been off sick and appears to have recuperated sufficiently to return to work, the Occupational Health Provider or a Medical Professional may recommend a phased return to work. The purpose of a phased return is to rehabilitate the member of staff to their full duties and build back up to undertaking their normal working hours within the earliest agreed timescale.
Where appropriate, we also allow for reasonable adjustments is to remove or minimise, as far as reasonable, any disadvantages created by an employee’s disability or sickness to perform their day to day duty.
Health and wellbeing
Aberdeenshire Council recognised the importance of good health health and wellbeing of our employees. As an employer, we are in a unique position to educate, motivate, and support employees in understanding the importance of looking after health, safety and wellbeing.
Simply health
Employees can claim cash back for everyday health care appointments, such as dental check-ups through the Simply Health Cash Plan.
Eyesight testing
For those regularly using a screen as part of their job, we offer a contribution towards glasses if they are needed for screen use.
Employee assistance programme
We provide an independent, impartial and confidential service designed to make your life easier, as well as providing a service that is available to assist managers.
This service can be accessed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Occupational health
The Council’s Occupational Health Provider, work with and to the benefit of both the employer and employee to address the medical needs and occupational health issues of employees whilst at work.
Our provider works closely with employees to ensure the control of potential health risk at work after injury, medical condition or ill health.
They will also support absent employees to return to work and where appropriate can offer physiotherapy to employees who have physical injuries which interfere with their normal working activities.
Lifestyle management
We provide policies and tips to help you cope with the pressures of everyday life:
- Time off for IVF treatment, blood and bone marrow donations
- Dignity at work policy: protection of employees dignity and rights
- Stress and work policy: provides help, advice and counselling for those with stress related problems both at work and at home
- Healthy Working Lives: you can be assured that we are an organisation whose policies and procedures support employees to actively lead a physically and mentally healthy lifestyle
Smart travel and technology
Aberdeenshire Council aim to support employees to help reduce the impact commuting has on time, finances, health and the environment.
Car lease scheme
Our Car Lease Scheme is a great added benefit of your employment. For a fixed monthly amount, you get to drive a brand new car of your choice. Everything is included – MOT, insurance, servicing and maintenance, breakdown cover and repairs – no more unexpected garage bills.
This scheme is open to permanent employees and those on fixed-term contracts of at least three years duration.
Cycle to work scheme
The Cycle to Work scheme is cost-effective way to get new cycling equipment as by entering a salary sacrifice arrangement you do not pay tax or national insurance on these products. This reduced cost is then deducted from your payslip over 12 or 18 months.
Technology
With more of us working from home we offer exciting home and electronics staff benefits which give you the chance to enjoy the latest technology in a more affordable way. It helps you afford the things that matter to you as you spread the cost items over a set period of time directly from your salary.
Learning and development
We provide a range of opportunities for career advancement and skills development starting from your first day.
Induction
We offer a comprehensive induction process to enable new starters to familiarise themselves with their immediate surroundings on day one through to a corporate induction that covers a range of organisation wide initiatives.
You will be given a full induction into the local requirements of your job, covering all you need to know. You will find out what is happening within the Council and topical issues of the day, as well as details about our hopes for the future and what you can expect from us.
Personal Development
Aberdeenshire Council values its employees and is committed to supporting lifelong learning as well as developing all employees throughout your career.
Aberdeenshire Council has a dedicated Learning and Development Team to help with your development needs and the Council aims to support all employees so you can:
- learn new skills and reach your full potential in the job you do
- derive greater satisfaction from the role you fulfil
- best serve the people of Aberdeenshire.
As an employee, you are therefore encouraged to make the most of opportunities for personal or career development.
Employee annual review
You will also be provided with an opportunity to meet with your manager specifically to:
- Review work performance over the last year
- Recognise and celebrate achievements
- Agree the work priorities for the coming year and plan how to achieve these
- Identify the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to do the job effectively
Retirement
To support our employees in saving for the future, a pension savings account is automatically set up for all eligible employees on joining Aberdeenshire so that you can start marking regular contributions to your pension savings as well as us making an employers contribution.
Pension
To support our employees in saving for the future, a pension savings account is automatically set up for all eligible employees on joining Aberdeenshire so that you can start marking regular contributions to your pension savings as well as us making an employers contribution.
Aberdeenshire Council is part of the Local Government Pension Scheme, one of the largest public sector pension schemes in the UK.
The benefits you get when you retire are based on the length of your membership in the scheme and your final years pay. The pension you build up during your employment keeps pace with your pay rises. After you retire, your pension keeps pace with the cost of living increase.
Tax-free cash
You have the option to exchange part of your pension for some tax-free cash on your retirement.
Peace of mind
Your family enjoys financial security, with immediate life cover and a pension for your husband, wife, civil partner or nominated co-habiting partner and children, in the event of your death.
Early retirement
You can choose to retire early and receive your benefits immediately, although they may be reduced for early payment. It’s also possible to retire from age 55 and receive your benefits immediately, provided consent is reached with the Council.
Flexible retirement
From age 55, if you reduce your hours or move to a less senior position and, if you are under age 60, you could draw some or all of the benefits you have built up – helping you ease into retirement, however your benefits may be reduced for early payment.
Options to pay extra
You can boost your pension by paying more contributions to your pension pot through a salary sacrifice arrangement and make Income Tax and National Insurance contribution (NIC) savings on your salary sacrifice amount.