Travel
All travel should be minimised wherever possible, with use of e-mail, telephone and video conferencing instead.
If travel is necessary, the cheapest/most cost effective available means should be used, and the number of people attending meetings and events from a single area kept to an absolute minimum.
Rail travel should be standard class, not first class. The exception, to be authorised by line managers, is if by booking ahead a first class fare can be obtained for less than the flexible standard fare. Booking standard class tickets ahead of time can be even more economical.
There will be a strong presumption against non-operational overseas travel. Apart from block travel as part of training exercises (where there is an assumption that this will be already planned to be in the most cost effective manner) or entitlements to home to duty travel for people who are temporarily deployed overseas, exceptions will have to be applied for. Any such exceptions, which should be kept to an absolute unavoidable minimum, will require approval, as follows:
- For personnel up to and including 1*, by Command Secretaries and equivalents; or by other 2* officers or civil servants as specifically delegated by TLB Holders for this purpose;
- For 2* and above, by the Top Level Budget Holder; and
- For TLB Holders, Board members and Ministers, by 2nd PUS or VCDS.
There is to be no use of first class for overseas travel. Business class overseas travel will only be permitted for flights of a duration of over 4 hours (or where special dispensation has been agreed in accordance with the exceptions procedure above).
Travel that has already been planned or booked should be re-examined to see if it can be cancelled or the class of travel reduced. Where savings can be made, they should be.
External Recruitment
With immediate effect all external recruitment of civilian staff including agency staff and manpower substitution should cease.
Exemptions should be granted only for posts that are vital to supporting current operations, Business Resilience (including health and safety, security and business continuity), or are otherwise business critical. They will require approval as follows:
- For recruitment to posts below 1* level, by Command Secretaries and equivalents (see list below);
- For posts at 1* and above, by 2nd PUS or VCDS, consulting TLB Holders.
In the case of exceptions made for agency staff, the delegated authorities should satisfy themselves that no suitable person from the local Redeployment Pool could be made available in the required timeframe.
Current external recruitments should be reviewed in light of the above criteria and be put on hold as appropriate unless a point of no return has been reached.
Overtime
Some staff have contracts which require them to work overtime. Apart from this category of employees, all overtime must be explicitly authorised in advance. Command Secretaries and their equivalents will delegate authority to do this as appropriate. Those authorising overtime should be guided by the principles that overtime should generally only be allowed where:
- It is incurred in direct support of current operations and is claimable against the Reserve (i.e. from HM Treasury);
- It is essential for Business Resilience (including health and safety, security and business continuity) or are otherwise business critical;
- Posts demand routinely long hours such that Time Off In Lieu does not represent a realistic alternative because it could not be taken.
In all cases, overtime should be kept to a minimum and scrutinised carefully by line managers, and Time Off In Lieu considered as an alternative wherever possible. However, payment for untaken annual leave will not be made where this results.
Travelling Time
As for overtime, payment of travelling time will only be allowed if authorised explicitly in advance. Command Secretaries and their equivalents will delegate authority to do this as appropriate. In all cases, payment of travelling overtime should be kept to a minimum and scrutinised carefully by line managers, and Time Off In Lieu considered as an alternative wherever possible. However, payment for untaken annual leave will not be made where this results
Entertainment
No new official entertainment should be arranged. Exemptions to this should be sought as follows:
- For cases below 1* level, by Command Secretaries and equivalents;
- For cases at 1* and above, by 2nd PUS or VCDS, consulting TLB Holders.