Policy Transformation in LBG
The start of 2024 has seen no let-up in LBG’s determination to transform the business from a traditional, centuries old bank to a world class digital operation. The pace of change is set to continue for the foreseeable.
Whilst we don’t want to stand in the way of progress, we are concerned to make sure that bank staff are treated fairly and with respect as they go through this massive change programme.
To get the best outcomes we possibly can for our members, we attend regular consultation meetings with senior leadership teams. Although discussions are generally held in confidence, once embargos are lifted, we’re able share details with you. We’ll do this through a series of News Flashes – so look out for them landing in your inbox.
Our first covers changes to the internal resourcing policy. Here are the changes being made, the reason for the changes and our commentary on each of them:
Colleagues will need to spend a minimum of 12 months in any role before they apply for a new role internally.
Why? The business says it will ensure they have time to build a solid foundation of skills and expertise before moving on and will limit team disruption.
Accord comment: We objected to the mandatory nature of this change, favouring instead softer guidance that allowed for individual circumstances to be carefully considered. So, we sought and reached agreement that exceptions will be applied where needed. Colleagues who are at risk, on secondment or on a fixed term contract will be treated as exceptions. And the minimum tenure requirement may be waived at the discretion of the existing line manager and hiring people partner. We also received an assurance that this won’t impact colleagues taking on a new role that’s subject to an agreed trial period.
If you’re impacted by this change and need advice about your individual circumstances, get in touch by email to [email protected].
Change: Notice periods will be set as a maximum of 3 months for grade F+ and 6 weeks for grades A-E. This applies to internal moves only. There is no change to contractual notice.
Why? The business says that recruitment can be a time-consuming process and put pressure on teams when they’re not at full complement. That’s why they’re asking everyone to adhere to these notice periods to ensure a fair and consistent approach for internal moves.
Accord comment: We understand the business rationale and are supportive but asked that the change be applied sensibly depending on circumstances. So, it was agreed that a different timeframe may be agreed by both current and hiring managers.
Change: When a colleague applies for an internal role on Workday, their current line manager will receive a notification.
Why? The business says it wants to encourage colleagues to have a conversation with their line manager up front. They say it will help to create a more transparent environment around recruitment and ensure managers are able to plan and support the development and career ambitions of their teams more effectively.
Accord comment: We’re all for colleagues being encouraged to be open about career goals, discussing aspirations and preferred career paths during their 121s with line managers. And for line managers to help employees learn and grow so they can move inside the organisation. After all, that’s good for business.
But we’re not comfortable with this change.
We believe that all applications should be kept confidential and it should be the internal candidate’s discretion whether they want to tell their line manager that they have applied for an internal job. We think applications should remain confidential until a candidate is hired.
What do you think? Will this put you off applying for internal vacancies or do you think it’s a positive step towards a more open and transparent culture. We’d love to hear from you. The business has agreed to review member feedback. Please send your comments by email to [email protected].
Change: Hiring managers should have a conversation with an applicant’s manager before an offer is made.
Why? The business says this already happens informally in most situations and it’s right that the hiring manager knows how well the applicant is currently performing against their objectives. They say it creates greater transparency and supports better recruitment decisions.
Accord comment: We understand the rationale but have concerns that poor relationships between colleagues and LMs could influence these discussions. We sought and received an assurance that conversations must be documented, must be restricted to factual information about performance against objectives (not subjective) and made available to the applicant on request. So, an applicant can see what their LM has said about them and can challenge if necessary. We also received an assurance that any abuse of this part of the process would be dealt with seriously.
Change: Those receiving formal support as part of Back to Your Best will not be eligible to apply for internal job vacancies.
Why? The business says this is to ensure these colleagues receive the consistent and close support needed to improve their performance in their current role. They will be eligible to apply for roles when their Back to Your Best plan closes and they return to standard Your Best support.
Accord comment: This makes sense generally but we reserved the right to raise individual cases which may require exceptional consideration. If you find yourself in this situation and need advice, get in touch via an email to [email protected].
Next steps
We’ll be back in touch to update you on the outcome of more transformation consultations as they conclude. But, don’t forget, in the meantime we’re here to advise, support and represent you on any work related issue that concerns you.
If you know of any colleagues who haven’t yet joined us – now’s a great time to ask them to. LBG’s change programme is huge – it will touch every single colleague. Joining is quick and easy via this link.
Thank you for being an Accord member.
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