Question about salary then break from nhs then going back at a lower band

[Sunnydays2468]

Hi, so I was previously a higher band; 6.
I then took a year out for personal reasons.
I then went back to the nhs but a different role and a lower band ie 4.
Question is- I don’t think I went in at the top of band 4 when I went back- I didn’t think to check.
So, if I was previously a band 6 and then took a year out and then applied for a lower band job approx a year later, was I entitled to go in at the top of band 4?
( Since also I’ve many years experience in the nhs ie over 15 years even before I went back)
Thanks.

You probably went in at the bottom of band 4 as that’s standard. You would have had to have argued and got the manager to agree to starting at the top due to previous experience, if you didn’t raise this nothing would have been done.

As pp says - you'd have gone in at bottom unless a case was made to take previous experience into account. Might be worth checking if a retrospective case can be made, though you may have left it too late.

Thanks, I’ll maybe ask Union if I’m speaking to them. Wish I’d thought of this at the time!
Since break was over a year I wonder if it’s possible even if I’d asked.
Would be a nice surprise if I did have a case.

It’s possible to negotiate your pay point no matter how long your break has been for or if you have no nhs experience but relevant experience.
it needs to be agreed through your line manager at commencement of post though. And I think is essentially at their discretion.
it’s certainly not automatic and you are not necessarily “entitled” to it.
However your annual leave entitlement accrued prior to your break in service still stands, so make sure that is honoured. And your sick leave entitlement also does if your time away was 12 months or less.

Thank you for this answer- do you have a link to the annual leave entitlement continuation? Would be really grateful to have a link to the right to continue of annual leave entitlement.
Thanks!

https://www.msg.scot.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/Agenda-for-Change-Handbook-Master-Scottish-Copy-Feb-2024-1.pdf

All the policies are on this website it’s the agenda for change rule book. Hopefully this gives some clarity. There’s lots of myths out there about “oh don’t break your service”.

Thank you so much!