Welsh Government jobs: external candidate recruitment guidance - Terms of appointment

Posts are available on a part-time, job-share and full-time basis. We welcome applications from people who work part-time.

You will be entitled to annual leave and time off in accordance with the Welsh Government’s annual leave policy, public and privilege holiday policy and family leave policies.  Full-time employees are entitled to 31 days annual leave, plus 10 public and privilege days’ leave, pro rata for part time employees.

You will be eligible for sick pay, holiday pay and any absence entitlements in accordance with Welsh Governments terms and conditions. 

Welsh Government also offers a range of family friendly and flexible working arrangements, which support modern working families. We have designed our policies to enable employees to combine work and family life so that we can retain their valuable skills in the workplace, and they can fulfil their potential.

Objectives will be agreed between you and the line manager at the start of the fixed term appointment with regular reviews carried out at agreed intervals. The line manager will arrange an induction programme or training as appropriate.

Everyone in Welsh Government is supported to develop their skills and capabilities, which includes access to learning and development. We are committed to learning and development and ensure our staff have a minimum of 5 days learning per year. 

Most posts are classed as pan Wales unless otherwise stated in the advert. 'Pan Wales' means that the location in which the vacancy can be based is flexible, subject to the needs of the business. A list of the Welsh Government's offices can be found on GOV.WALES.

Please note it may not always be possible to accommodate a preference for a specific office location.

We are supportive of home working and tailoring patterns to individual circumstances.  In the short term, most post holders will be based at home or working remotely.

The Welsh Government actively encourages smart working.  This means focusing on how you use your time, and where and how you work, to meet business needs in the most productive way. This provides staff with considerable flexibility with location and hours worked. Smart, flexible working is becoming a permanent feature of working life in Wales and the Welsh Government will lead the way in this. (In the short term most post holders will be based at home).

Successful candidates will be appointed at the amount listed under “Actual Starting Salary”. This applies to all external applicants, regardless of whether they are already working for Welsh Government, are existing Civil Servants or have never worked for the Civil Service. Existing salary points for existing Civil Servants will not be matched.

Sometimes posts are advertised as a secondment opportunity. If this is the case, it will state it in the advert. Secondments are for non-civil servants. Secondee’s will remain employed by their current employer for the entire secondment period and on their existing terms and conditions and payroll. Secondees are not eligible for Welsh Government terms, conditions or benefits.

As a secondee remains on their terms and conditions, they will transfer on their current salary. Exceptionally, Welsh Government may be prepared for the secondee to be paid at the minimum of the pay band (at the point of entry only) for the grade being appointed to, however, the secondee’s employer would need to agree with the terms of the appointment, and the temporary increase in their employees pay for the period of the secondment. Where an individual is classed as a lower grade in their home organisation but currently earns within our pay range, they will remain on their current salary. Secondees will not receive any pay awards, increment or salary changes awarded to WG employees.

Our secondee policy and agreement can be shared with candidates applying on a secondment basis on request.

Loans are only open to existing Civil Servants, recruited to the Civil Service via fair, open and on merit competition. Individuals moving on Loan will be subject to the Civil Service Transfer Principles. Unless the agreement is for less than 6 months, successful individuals will move to the Welsh Government’s terms and conditions.

Unless otherwise stated in the Job Advert, Loans are not expected to gain a permanent transfer or permanent promotion to Welsh Government (this is subject to the ongoing need for the role and funding being confirmed at the end of the loan period) and unless otherwise stated in the advert, only those applying laterally are eligible to apply. Individuals on loan will be expected to return to their home department at the end of the agreement and to their substantive grade.