Employee Benefits and Facilities - Chilbolton Observatory, Daresbury Laboratory and Rutherford Appleton Laboratory

The Science and Technology Facilities Council offers a variety of job opportunities across a wide range of disciplines as well as providing a number of placement schemes to encourage potential young scientists and engineers, both before, during and after their higher education, with the opportunity to spend some time at the Council using its extensive facilities. Many jobs are open to part time or job share arrangements.

The balance between work and home is viewed as extremely important for the Council, enabling us to employ and retain a large and highly effective workforce. As people are our most important asset, we offer a range of flexible working practices such as flexible working hours, child friendly policies, career breaks and nursery/crèche facilities to support staff with responsibilities outside the workplace. As we are able to offer these opportunities it puts the Council in a strong position to attract women back into scientific and technical careers after taking a break.

This statement details the benefits currently available to Council employees. We are committed to maintaining and seeking ways of improving the terms and conditions of our staff.

Work and life balance:

• Flexible working hours arrangements
• Up to 30 days annual leave plus 10.5 days public and privilege holidays
• Emergency leave/ special leave
• Maternity leave
• Adoption leave arrangements
• Paid paternity leave
• Personal internet access during lunch breaks and before/after work
• Workplace nursery (at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory)
• Parental leave
• Childcare Voucher Scheme
• Career breaks

Conditions:

• Competitive salary
• Final salary pension scheme
• Maternity pay
• Adoption pay
• Enhanced overtime payments

Health and welfare:

• Confidiential counselling service
• Health promotion programmes
• Occupational sick pay scheme
• Civil Service Benevolent Fund
• On-site health club (at Daresbury Laboratory)
• Occupational Health Advisor and Consultant
• Sports and Social Association
• Staff restaurant and coffee lounges

Learning:

• Support for further education
• Access to learning resources
• On-site training facilities and in-house programmes
• Accredited management courses
• IiP accreditation
• Individual learning plans
• Library
• Mentoring scheme
• Learning lunches