Job evaluation handbook amendments

The Job Evaluation Group (JEG) is responsible for producing the NHS job evaluation handbook, a comprehensive guide for organisations on job evaluation.

The handbook covers areas such as mainstreaming job evaluation, resolving blocked matching and the evaluation of jobs. It also includes details on job evaluation linked to the merger and reconfiguration of heath service organisations, weighting and scoring, band ranges and how to use job profiles.

Amendments

Download the full table of amendments (pdf) made since September 2018.

Updated September 2018
JEG has published a revised handbook to make it more relevant to current practices. Amendments include:

Chapter 2: Introduction

• JEG has added paragraph 7.6 to refer to the Hartley equal pay case decision and to stress that local implementation, as described in this handbook, is essential.

Chapter 3: Additional guidance

• At the end of 1.2, JEG has added that general job evaluation advice will be incorporated into the handbook as required.

Chapter 4: Maintaining good job evaluation practice

• New paragraphs 1.1 and 1.2 have been added to give current context.
• Sections 3 and 4 emphasise the procedures to be used locally and in 4.5 gives guidance on backdating, which previously was missing.
• Section 4 has been updated to reflect that outcomes may go down as well as up.
• Section 5 sets out good practice in assessing banding outcomes for new roles, including the potential for a review or reassessment once the post has bedded in after recruitment.
• Section 6 has been changed, as it previously just related to Computer Aided Job Evaluation system (CAJE) and now the emphasis is on the importance of recording and retaining information and includes previously published NHS Staff Council guidance on keeping good records.
• Reference to Northern College has been deleted from paragraph 7.5 and new paragraphs 7.6 and 7.7 have been added to emphasise the importance of good training and best practice.
• New section 8 incorporates NHS Staff Council guidance on capacity, previous published on the website.
• Former section 8 becomes section 9 and a final paragraph on good practice has been added.

Chapter 5: Mergers and reconfigurations

• New paragraphs 1.4 and 2.4 have been added to reflect the integration of health and social services.

Chapter 6: Factor plan

• In the notes to factor 2, an addition has been made to clarify that educational skills levels are not the same as job evaluation scheme factor levels.
• Minor changes have been made to notes relating to level 2 of the Knowledge, Training and Experience (KTE) factor in order to clarify the difference between levels 2 and 3.

Chapters 7, 8 and 9

• No changes.

Chapter 10: Profiles

• Section 3 has been amended to reflect current practice.

Chapter 11: Job descriptions

• This has been amended to include advice on job evaluation practices when organisations are using job information and job descriptions that have been generated by other organisations.

Chapters 12 and 13: Matching and Local evaluations

• These chapters have been revised to reflect operational realities now rather than during implementation, and current best practice.
• Paragraphs on reviews has been moved to a separate chapter.

Chapter 14: Reviews

• The chapter on hybrid matching has been deleted as this is not good practice and exposes organisations to legal risk.
• New chapter 13 created to cover reviews, both for matching and evaluation, as the process is the same. The wording has been updated only to reflect current best practice.

Chapter 15: Quality and consistency

• The wording of this chapter has been strengthened to impress necessity for robust quality and consistency checking at stages and updated to reflect current best practice.

Chapter 16: Support from JEG

• This has been revised to include the option to seek advice from JEG in certain circumstances. There are also strengthened sections describing when and how JEG might set up independent panels to assist organisations that have come to an impasse. Changes here allow for a clearer differentiation between the role of JEG and the role of NHS Employers.