What we offer

We’ll give you the information and skills you need in the first months of your career with us. From an e-induction package in your first few days to a welcome event with our Chief Executive - you’ll learn about our vision, priorities and the community we serve.

We aim to grow our people and recruit from within where possible. In most roles, you’ll have the scope to progress or move within or across teams. We provide opportunities such as our Future Leader programme and offer apprenticeships for current as well as new staff. Find out more about more about our apprenticeships and career pathways here. 

We’ve built an impressive package of activities that provide core competencies and a rounded experience for all. All our managers are regularly offered management development learning opportunities to give them the key skills and knowledge to support them in their role. 

We’ll encourage you to take responsibility for your own personal and career development. You’ll have constructive and regular performance conversations and one-to-one meetings with your manager so we can review progress and work with you to plan your future. 

Pay scale increments are paid each April subject to satisfactory performance after annual performance reviews are completed. There may also be an annual ‘cost of living’ award, which is agreed nationally.

We will enrol you into our local government pension scheme (up to 19.7%) when you start with the Council (your automatic enrolment date) if you meet the eligibility criteria.

Pension employee contributions range from 5.5% to 12.5%. In addition, if you pay tax and National Insurance you get tax relief on your contributions and pay a lower rate of National Insurance. 

If you already have continuous service or a pension with a different local authority this can normally be transferred to our scheme.  

LGPS benefits include:

• Tax relief on your contributions, which are added to by the Council 
• A secure pension 
• Tax-free cash 
• Early retirement and flexible retirement is possible 
• Immediate ill-health benefits if you become seriously ill (after qualifying period) 
• Benefits for your dependants in the event of your death in service 

More information is available on the LGPS website.

If you wish to look at your options in terms of the pension scheme more information is available here.

We currently offer all employees a parking permit for the car park next to the Council Offices in the centre of St Albans. 

The travel patterns of Council staff will have an impact on local congestion and air quality, as well as the Councils carbon footprint. Our travel choices can also affect our health, well-being and performance at work.  So the Council offers a range of schemes and incentives to staff to promote sustainability and green travel options including:

• Cycle to work scheme
• Pool cars available for site visits
• Herts Liftshare which is the local solution to linking up people who would like to car share. 

We offer an interest free loan on annual season tickets (providing you are employed full-time, or on a contract that ends a year or more later). You can also access discounts from a number of local operators. 

Govia Train Season Ticket Discount Scheme 

Currently our employees can get: 

• A 50% discount on monthly or annual season ticket with Govia Thameslink on specified journeys 
• A 10% discount on ‘create your own period’ Govia season tickets, Centrebus season ticket discount (Route 34) 
• £15 discount is available for Council staff on a three-month bus season tickets for Route 34 from Dunstable to St Albans. 

We will pay your subscription to one professional body per year if it is essential to the post that you are professionally qualified e.g., RTPI, RICS, CIEH etc.

A collection of staff discount and special offers are available from local businesses which are promoted and updated regularly. We provide and online Benefits platform for access to all discounts and offers.

As well as the cover offered under membership of the local government pension scheme, we offer all staff additional death in service cover equivalent to one year’s salary including access to Bereavement Counselling and Probate helpline.

Staff are offered free annual seminars on managing their finances and planning for retirement. 

Flexi-time (available for most roles): 

• Employees are able to choose when they start and finish their working day as long as they fulfil their contracted working hours and are working in the Council’s core hours - subject to service needs. 

Range of working patterns: 

• We have employees working full time, part-time, job shares, term-time contracts, compressed hours (i.e., four-day week or nine-day fortnight). Please ask about working patterns when you apply for a job. 

Hybrid working:

• Employees are able to work from a variety of locations to best suit the acticites or tasks they need to do. These can include a blend of time in the office, home or other remote locations - subject to requirements of the role, passing the probation period and manager agreement.

We have a range of family friendly policies to support staff to balance work commitments and responsibilities outside of work. These include maternity leave, paternity leave, shared parental leave, adoption leave, ordinary parental leave and carers leave.

Generous annual leave of up to 34.5 days, plus bank holidays

You’ll receive at least 26.5 days, rising to 31.5 days after 5 years of service and then up to a maximum of 34.5 days after 10 years’ service (depending on grade), plus public and bank holidays. 

Part-time staff are entitled to holidays and bank holidays on a proportional (pro-rata) basis.  

We offer access to a free and confidential 24/7 telephone counselling, legal advice and health helpline that is available to all staff and members of their family.

Our external Occupational Health provider offers confidential advice on health and wellbeing at work to support a healthy work-life balance and lifestyle.

Our trained Mental Health First Aiders and Champions are on site to offer support and signposting.

All staff have access to free eye sight examinations and a subsidy for spectacles required for display screen use.

We encourage our staff to keep healthy and active through onsite and virtual wellbeing activities and courses.  We also offer discounted rates at a number of our sport and leisure centres. These include:

Facilities run by Everyone Active around the district including Abbey View Golf & Track Facility, Alban Arena, Batchwood Golf Course & Sports Centre, Eric Morecombe Centre, Harpenden Sports Centre and Westminster Lodge Centre.

• We support staff who chose to cycle into work by providing facilities including showers and secure bike lockers at our Civic Centre office.
• We currently offer an interest free Bike loan scheme to eligible employees and discounts on selected bikes and equipment.
• Even if you do not own a bike, you can use the Council Pool Bikes for site visits and meetings.