Guidance

Staff transfers: further details for importing managers

Updated 7 October 2024

This page provides further detail on the staff transfer process for the importing line manager.

Eligibility

All civil servants recruited through fair and open competition can apply for, or be considered for a staff transfer on:

• a level grade
• a lower grade
• promotion

The transfer process applies to:

• ministerial and non-ministerial departments and their executive agencies
• employees transferring from the Scottish and Welsh governments

• the following crown non-departmental public bodies employing civil servants:

  • Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS)
  • Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
  • Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE)
  • Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR)

If employees are not sure they are eligible to transfer, they should contact their HR Business Partner.

Employees on probationary periods

If employees are on a probationary period, the job advert should clarify their eligibility to transfer.

Systems and processes

Exporting department’s responsibilities

Making sure information about employees is accurate and shared within the 4 week notice period for payroll. This allows for transfer with minimal disruption to employees and their department.

Releasing employees to their new role within 4 to 8 weeks. This excludes time taken to complete any vetting needed.

Paying employees until the day they transfer. This should avoid any overpayments. For example, increased student loan, pension or national insurance payments.

Transferring employees should not start in their new role and department until:

• payroll transfer is confirmed
• their new department can pay them

Your department’s responsibilities

Your responsibility is to:

• complete pre-employment checks
• arrange transfer of any valid security clearance
• keep in touch with the employee
• make sure they have a staff number and start date
• pay the employee from their start date

Pre-employment checks

All staff transferring from other departments undergo some pre-employment checks. These are known as baseline personnel security standard (BPSS) checks. Some departments also refer to them as ‘basic’ or ‘baseline’ checks.

They help departments follow legislation to provide evidence of right to work, including:

• right to work in the UK
• right to work in the Civil Service
• the employee’s nationality and immigration status
• an identity check

Basic, standard or enhanced criminal record checks may be needed.

The job advert should confirm the level of checking needed for the role.

National Security Vetting (NSV)

In addition to BPSS checks, some roles need National Security Vetting (NSV), sometimes called security clearance:

• Counter Terrorist Check (CTC)
• Security Check (SC)
• enhanced Security Check (eSC)
• Developed Vetting (DV)
• enhanced Developed Vetting (eDV)

These are mandatory for certain job roles and locations. If the employee holds a National Security Vetting (NSV) clearance level or needs one for their new role, this is part of their transfer. National security vetting: clearance levels explains the different levels in detail.

NSV sits with the employee, not their role.

If employees have the same or higher level of NSV than is needed for their new role, this will normally transfer to your department. The employee will complete Part A-1 of the staff transfer form and submit this if:

• they have valid NSV clearance to transfer
• the role requires NSV clearance

The new department is responsible for the transfer of NSV. You should support the employee with this.

If employees do not have the same or higher level of NSV for their new role, they will need a new NSV check. You cannot agree their start date until after this is done.

Depending on the employee’s new role, they may need additional checks, for example:

• relationships with current prisoners
• safeguarding checks to work with children or vulnerable adults
• other checks the role may need. For example, those not covered by NSV or Baseline personnel security standard (BPSS) checks

The employee should contact you to find out if they need any extra checks.

Core checks needed when moving between departments

These include:

• right to work, every time an employee moves between departments. This is to make sure they have the right to work in the UK and in the Civil Service
• identity check
• criminal records check (if applicable)

When an employee moves departments, other parts of BPSS are not needed as standard.

When criminal record checks are needed

Example 1 Employee has had BPSS in the last 5 years. Do not repeat criminal record check.

Example 2 Employee has a valid NSV. Do not repeat criminal record check.

Example 3 Employee has not had BPSS in the last 5 years. Employee does not have a valid NSV. Do a criminal records check.

NSV and transfers advice for line managers and vacancy holders

To start transferring national security vetting for your incoming employee:

The incoming employee completes Part A-1 of the staff transfer form and sends this to you. You must submit this to your vetting authority. For example, your Cluster Security Unit (CSU), departmental vetting authority or team. You should find their details on your departmental intranet.

Your Vetting Authority/CSU should respond within 48 to 72 hours. They will confirm the employee’s security clearance level and expiry date. This is the initial security clearance confirmation and will tell you if a new clearance is needed. Your Vetting Authority/CSU may ask for more information.

If valid NSV is confirmed, and you have completed all other parts of Step 5, you can agree on a start date. You can tell the employee they can continue the staff transfer process.

If you need to carry out a new NSV, pause the transfer until this is done.

The Vetting Authority or CSU does the formal transfer of security clearance following your department’s current practice. This is done before the employee transfers payroll to the new department.

Your Vetting Authority or CSU will contact you if they need your input. This is if there is:

• an adverse flag
• a restriction on the employee’s security clearance file

They will also contact you if there are any potential delays in the transfer of NSV clearance.

If clearance is needed for the employee to start in their new role, this could have an effect on the start date.

Workplace adjustments

Workplace adjustments are changes to remove or reduce disadvantages in the workplace. They can be physical or non-physical changes to help employees. They are sometimes known as reasonable adjustments. Any agreed adjustments should be recorded in a Workplace Adjustment Passport. This should be up-to-date and agreed.

An employee’s workplace adjustments might be known as ‘hard’ adjustments. For example, a chair, desk, or specialist computer software. ‘Soft’ adjustments may include:

• changes to the employee’s start and finish times
• how they are allowed travel to, from and for work
• large print, braille or other formatting changes

The employee should share and discuss their current Workplace Adjustment Passport with you. This should help make sure the adjustments the employee needs are in place for your start date. If you have to order items to meet the employee’s needs, this may take time. You should consider this when agreeing your start date.

If the employee has hard adjustments

The employee’s current line manager decides which hard adjustments can transfer. Specialist chairs, footrests or other equipment should transfer instead of ordering new ones. For all adjustments, they will consider:

• cost effectiveness of transferring where buying new may be cheaper
• compatibility of software or IT equipment
• if the employee has any hard adjustments which cannot transfer

The employee’s current manager should discuss this with you. This is so you can buy any equipment to meet the employee’s needs in time for their start date.

If the employee has soft adjustments

You should discuss any current soft adjustments with the employee. They should consider if these are necessary in your new role. Some soft adjustments may be specific to the role. For example, a later start time was agreed in the employee’s current role. In their new role this could be later as standard.

Carer’s Passport

The need to re-negotiate flexibilities contained in an employee’s Carer’s Passport should be minimised when they transfer between departments.

Basic pay and allowances

The new department makes sure pay, allowances (if applicable) and other information on the terms of the post are:

• clearly signposted on adverts
• agreed and recorded on time so the HR record can be set up

The employee will receive an employment contract on or before their start date. If they do not, they should contact you. Employees keep employment rights related to length of service. For example, annual leave and pension.

The new department’s pay arrangements will normally apply for:

• permanent transfers
• loans of more than 6 months

The current department will pay an employee’s salary until the date of transfer. If the employee’s first day in their new department is a Monday then their last day of service in their old department will be a Sunday. Your department will take up payment on the employee’s first working day with you.

Individual departments are responsible for pay decisions below Senior Civil Service grades. This includes when an existing Civil Servant transfers into a new department.

Check your departmental intranet for further guidance.

Level transfers

Basic pay normally stays the same for level transfers. Excluding:

• specialist pay or allowances
• location allowances
• unsocial hours payments

If the employee’s basic pay is below the minimum of your pay range, your department will place the employee on the minimum basic pay for their grade.

If on level transfer, the employee’s basic pay is above the maximum of your department’s pay range, they will be put on the maximum basic pay for their grade.

Your department’s mark time pay policy will decide if the amount above the maximum pay range will be:

• lost
• paid on a mark time basis

Promotion

If an employee transfers to your department on promotion, your department will work out the basic pay for the employee’s new grade.

Existing civil servants who gain promotion may:

• move to the bottom of their new grade’s pay scale
• receive a per cent increase in basic pay

whichever would be greater. Your department will confirm the basic pay per cent increase.

An employee transfers on promotion with basic pay over the maximum of their new department’s pay range

Your department will put the employee on their maximum basic pay for the grade. Your mark time policy will decide if the amount above the maximum pay range will be:

• lost
• paid on a mark time basis

Allowances

When employees transfer or move on loan to a new department, allowances are not automatically kept. They are not consolidated into base pay. The employee’s new department decides on payable allowances following transfer. Payment of an allowance may include:

• location
• specialist, skills
• unsocial hours
• recruitment and retention

This list is not exhaustive.

Your department will make sure job adverts state relevant allowances for the role. If the role does not have a specialist pay range or allowance, the employee will lose any existing specialist pay or allowances.

Your mark time pay policy will decide if these are kept on a mark time basis.

Location

Pay departments have different location pay areas. The employee may continue to work in the same place. But, they should not assume that they will continue to be entitled to the same location pay or allowance.

Your department makes sure that the job advert sets out the location pay area. It should also state the:

• relevant location
• pay range
• and/or location allowance

Performance awards

End of year performance award

Entitlement depends on the transfer date to the employee’s new department. Employees should not receive two performance awards for the same performance period.

Example 1: An employee transfers after their old department’s settlement date. The old department will honour the payment. Departments keep payroll open for 6 months after transfers. This is so they can process any outstanding payments.

Example 2: An employee transfers before both their old and new department’s settlement dates. This is after the end of the performance year. Their new department will pay their performance award on their settlement date if appropriate. If it is not possible or practical for the old department to pay an employee’s performance award, the expectation is that the new department will honour the payment.

In-year performance award

In-year awards, either a voucher or cash award, should be paid before employees transfer from their old department.

If this is not possible

The old department should pay in-year awards to employees within 3 months of the award date. There should be no reason to transfer the liability to the new department.

Loans

The loans policy guidance explains both the HR and financial implications to make decisions on loans easier for everyone. It includes details for loans of more than 6 months, and short term loans where there is no movement of payroll. If you or your employee have further queries about loans, contact your HR team or HR business partner.

In this section, the definitions are:

• Host: the department who the employee is on loan to
• Home: means the department the employee on loan from
• New department: any external department/government organisation. It does not mean the host or home department

Loans of more than 6 months

These examples are for employees who are on long term loan - for more than 6 months. These moves need a payroll transfer between home and host departments. This section does not apply to short term loans because there is no movement of payroll.

Example 1: Completion of loan over 6 months. Return to home department. The employee should complete the staff transfer form, stating that this is a return from loan.

The host department completes Parts B and C of the staff transfer form. They should do this to avoid an overpayment.

If security clearance is transferred for the loan, it needs to return to the host department. Use Part A-1 of the staff transfer form to do this.

The home department should confirm the employee’s salary upon return.

The host department removes the employee from their payroll. This will be 1 calendar day before the employee’s start date back at their home department.

At least 4 weeks notice should be given before the start date. The transfer date should take into account payroll cut-off dates of both departments.

The home department will:

• add the employee to payroll from their start date
• reinstate the employee if the payroll is frozen
• take into account any changes in salary

Example 2: Employee stays at host department - permanent level transfer or promotion after more than 6 months on loan The staff transfer process is not needed - there is no payroll transfer. The host department follows their internal guidance and changes the employee to permanent status. This may happen as a managed move or through a recruitment process.

The host department notifies the home department of the permanent transfer. This is for the home department to remove any potential end date of loan from their HR/ payroll system. The employee’s record terminates (if applicable).

Example 3: Employee moves to new department during a loan of more than 6 months. The employee’s move is not to a host or their home department. The employee follows the staff transfer process. The host department completes Parts B and C of the staff transfer form. They notify the home department of the employee’s permanent transfer to another government organisation. The home department removes any end of loan date from their HR/ payroll system. They will end the employee’s record if applicable.

Example 4: Leaving the Civil Service during a loan of more than 6 months The employee follows their host department’s normal termination process. The employee should refer to their host department’s intranet for guidance.

The host department tells the home department the employee has resigned.

The home department terminates the employee’s record if required.

Short term loans

Loans of 6 months and under do not follow the staff transfer process. A short term loan can convert into either:

• a long term loan
• a permanent transfer (level transfer or promotion)

If the loan becomes long term or permanent the staff transfer process must be used. The home department must complete Parts B and C of the staff transfer form.

Return to Step by step for a successful transfer: guidance for importing managers