In addition to salary, we offer staff a wide range of benefits.
- Family friendly policies supporting work-life balance
- Generous pension arrangements
- Staff support and advice
- Salary sacrifice/net pay deduction schemes
- Employee discounts
...and much more!
Family friendly policies
We recognise the importance of a good work-life balance to allow you to have time for family, friends, community participation, personal growth, and other personal activities, in addition to the demands of the workplace. We have several initiatives aimed at helping you achieve this balance.
Flexible working arrangements
We actively promote flexible working wherever possible in the workplace, whether this be to change your work pattern, reduce your working hours on a temporary or permanent basis or move to a hybrid/home working arrangement. Requests are considered sympathetically in line with the business needs.
Holidays
You are entitled to 25 days annual leave on joining, increasing to 30 days after 5 years’ service. In addition, you also receive 11.5 days public and privilege holidays each year. There is also the opportunity to purchase up to two weeks additional annual leave in any leave year.
Contractual maternity, paternity and adoption leave
Once you qualify, our contractual maternity, paternity and adoption leave schemes entitle
you to the following:
- Maternity leave: 26 weeks on full pay,13 weeks on statutory maternity pay, 13 weeks unpaid.
- Paternity leave: 2 weeks on full pay
- Adoption leave: 26 weeks on full pay, followed by 13 weeks on statutory adoption pay, 13 weeks unpaid.
Shared parental Leave
We recognise that work and parenthood can create conflicting pressures. Shared parental leave encourages a culture of flexible working to assist you to balance family and work commitments. Providing you meet the eligibility conditions, we allow up to 39 weeks shared parental pay, paid at the same rate as our maternity pay.
Career breaks
Requests are considered from anyone wishing to take a career break for a minimum period of 6 months. We will guarantee you will be able to return to the same or – in the case of a longer absence - a broadly similar role on the same terms and conditions.
Special leave
We offer up to 10 days of paid “flexible leave” each year over and above annual leave and public and privilege holidays. This includes special leave for bereavement and domestic emergencies but could also include other situations such as:
• Accompanying a parent or partner to a medical appointment
• Caring for a family member after surgery or illness
• Attending funerals of those out with the immediate family
• Unexpected responsibilities for those with caring responsibility
• Collecting children due to school closures
• Looking after children or family members during illness
• Pet emergencies
• Transport strikes
• Extreme weather situations where travel is inadvisable
This list is illustrative rather than exhaustive, and other situations may also be considered.
Pension arrangements
Your pension is a valuable part of your pay package. You will be automatically enrolled into the Civil Service pension arrangements when you join. If this is the first time you have worked for a public service employer, you will be able to choose between – ‘alpha’, which is a ‘career average’ scheme and ‘partnership’ which is a ‘defined contribution’ arrangement.
Staff support and advice
Trade Union Membership
We understand the importance of effective consultation and staff involvement. RBGE works in partnership with the Prospect trade union. Prospect will provide information on how to become a member directly.
Employee Assistance Service
Help Employee Assistance is a free support service available to you, your partner, and any dependent children under 21 living in the same household. The service provides support to those experiencing emotional, practical, health and social issues. The service is free and completely confidential and operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can access the service by calling 0800 587 5670 or via the HELP Employee Assistance website.
Charity for Civil Servants
The Charity for Civil Servants provides help, advice, and support to current and retired civil servants on a range of issues including money, relationships, caring and wellbeing. You can find out more on their website or Freephone 0800 056 2424.
Payroll Deduction Schemes
All the benefits listed below can be paid for via a deduction from your salary and most of them are salary sacrifice schemes which means you do not attract a charge for national insurance, so your pay goes further. You can also make tax savings with our childcare voucher and cycle to work schemes. Cushon is a net salary deduction scheme, therefore there are no income tax or NI savings with this one.
Halfords
We operate our cycle to work scheme in association with Halfords. The scheme is open throughout the year, and you can elect to buy a bicycle/cycle equipment up to a maximum value of £2,000 and take advantage of a 24-month repayment period.
Car leasing
We have partnered with Tusker to create our car benefit scheme. You can salary sacrifice some of your pay in exchange for a brand new electric or plug-in hybrid car (diesel and petrol vehicles are also available). It’s a great little perk and means you can enjoy a nice new set of wheels without any deposit or ongoing running costs including road tax, insurance, MOTs, breakdown assistance and routine servicing and maintenance.
Home technology
Let’s Connect scheme is designed to make it easier to access to the latest consumer technology from leading manufacturers and spread the cost through salary sacrifice arrangements. The scheme is open all year round and is subject to a limit of £2,000.
Employee discounts
Mydiscounts
The mydiscounts portal within mylifestyle allows you to save money with a huge variety of retailers, and because this is an RBGE benefit you receive a discount on the actual cost of whatever goods you buy.
My Gym Discounts
My Gym Discounts is a voucher based or discount code scheme offering discounts at over 3,000 gyms. The large number of health clubs, leisure centres and fitness studios ensure everyone is catered for no matter where you live or work.
Unum Dental
Unum Dental provides cover to help towards the cost of dental treatments. You can access a wide range of treatments at any dentist in the UK, private or on the NHS and you can choose from various levels of cover, so you’re sure to find on that suits your needs. There are no dental checks prior to joining and all pre-existing conditions are covered, except mouth cancer. This is a self-funded benefit and payment would be made by you directly to Unum via direct debit.
MyHealthDiscounts
MyHealthDiscounts is an employee paid health assessment scheme, providing a range of services to support these four key areas of physical and mental health: health assessments, remote GP appointments, virtual physiotherapy, and online counselling. Their health network comprises some of the major health assessment providers. A simple postcode search facility on the website means you can obtain the discount and purchase directly.
More benefits
Eyecare
Contribution towards the purchase of glasses. We can re-imburse staff up to £60 towards the cost of glasses if these are required when using display screen equipment.
Season Ticket Loan
An interest free season ticket loan for bus or train travel is available to all staff on permanent and fixed term appointments over one year in duration. The loan is paid back via monthly payments deducted from your salary.
Free access to Museums, Galleries and Gardens
Your RBGE staff pass can gain you free access into our Glasshouses and each of our Regional Gardens. You can also use your staff pass to gain free entry into the National Museums of Scotland, the National Galleries of Scotland, the National Libraries of Scotland, and Kew.
Botanics Shop and Restaurant discounts
Use your staff pass to receive a 10% discount on purchases at the Botanics Shop and in the John Hope Gateway restaurant, Terrace Café and East Gate coffee bar. You will also receive a discount at the Regional Garden catering.
Equal opportunities
In recognition of our work and ambitious plans for promoting further equality of opportunities, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has been awarded the Athena Swan Research Institute Bronze Award.
