Salar - Agenda for Change

The process of assimilating employees onto new AFC pay bands is cumbersome and complex to say the least. With the fact that most assimilations will not be carried out until well after the implementation date of AFC bands, there is also an immense arrears payment issue to be addressed. A number of NHS Payroll Departments have reported that an employee AFC assimilation usually takes between 45 minutes to an hour, on average to complete; and that's with all the data at hand. With hundreds and often thousands of employees to be processed by a single payroll department, assistance with this immense task is welcome. Therefore, as a result of concerns raised by our NHS customers, Salar has produced a software product, ExpertAFC, specifically designed to address these issues.

ExpertAFC works by processing data downloaded from existing payroll systems. By analysing this data, the software can identify which new AFC Pay Scale each employee should be transferred to and what arrears may be due to them. The software also retains an Audit of how the assimilation and arrears were calculated so that any subsequent employee queries can be easily answered.

Software Calculations – Assimilation Process

1) Looks at current pay scale and point to establish basic pay. Then adds all pay elements that have been paid in assimilation reference period that are to be included in basic pay for assimilation to AFC rate.

2) Software will then carry out assimilation to AFC pay band entered. Where this cannot be completed warning message given.

3) AFC pay scale awarded will be either Review Body or Non Review Body AFC pay scale. This is based on if old pay scale was identified as Review Body or Non Review Body as part of the reference tables held in the software.

Main Control Screen

Functionality

1) Calculates AFC Assimilations.

2) Calculates Protection.

3) Calculates Arrears Due.

4) Provide Employee Statement on Assimilation, Protection and Arrears.

5) Inform Payroll Staff Where Calculations can not be completed or need to be checked by payroll.

Automatic Calculations take place using values entered for
AFC Pay Band.
AFC Unsocial Hrs %.
AFC On Calls %.
Recruitment and Retention LT & ST %.
High Cost Area Payments.

The software can process either one person at a time or groups of employees. Data can be loaded from just about any payroll system which has the facility to produce reports.

Sample Assimilation

Data Requirements

1) Options page to record fixed data and calculation Periods for assimilation and arrears.

2) Holds all Old Pay scale table are held with points and values and grade hours including if pay scale is review or non review body.

3) Holds all New AFC Pay scale tables. Codes and Descriptions for all data items that make up Gross pay are held with AFC actions to be undertaken for assimilation protection and arrears.

4) Download of Employee and Job Information taken from Payroll System.

5) Download of Payslip Information taken from Payroll System.

The software is configurable to meet individual Trust requirements and changing conditions over the assimilation period.

Software Calculations – Arrears

1) The software will calculate arrears due.

2) The software will first list all elements of pay paid in the arrears period from the payslips to be recovered i.e. unsocial payment weekend enhancements on calls and overtime payments etc.

3) It will then calculate the difference between old basic and new basic including incremental point changes due to incremental dates.

4) It will then calculate new AFC elements i.e. unsocial, on call %’s and RRLT and ST plus HCA payments.

5) It will then recalculate overtime payments due at the new AFC rates, including for those staff who’s contracted hours exceed 37.5 which have previously been paid at basic rate.

6) It will then total arrears due split between pensionable and non pensionable.

Assimilation Audit