The WRC recommended that a local authority place a worker on the seventh point of the Senior Executive Officer scale, recognising her technical service in an engineering role. The recommendation was dated 26 August 2022.
The worker had been offered the fourth point when she moved from an acting engineering post to a permanent Senior Executive Officer role. The local authority said the relevant circulars required it to base her starting salary on her substantive Executive Engineer post, rather than her acting salary.
The worker’s union argued that her technical service should count. The adjudication officer found the circulars did not address cross-stream promotions and that the lack of amendments had adversely affected the worker. The officer also found it reasonable for her to expect the seventh point, based on indications from her employer and an offer from another council.
The WRC upheld the complaint and recommended the worker be appointed at the seventh point, effective from 21 May 2021.