As well as offering the opportunity to make a real difference to people’s lives, a career with the Home Office comes with a range of amazing benefits.
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When you join the Home Office you’ll make a real difference every day and you’ll have access to a range of amazing employee benefits.
You’ll receive a competitive starting salary along with a Civil Service pension with employer contribution rates of at least 26.6 per cent
You may have flexible working options to suit your work-life balance and 25 days annual leave on appointment rising with service as well as eight days Public Holidays, one additional privilege day, 26 weeks Maternity, Adoption, or Shared Parental leave at full pay followed by 13 weeks Statutory Pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid. Maternity and adoption support leave, also known as paternity leave, of two weeks full pay. Up to five days paid leave for volunteering, along with support and study leave for accredited learning and development relevant to your role.
To help get to your workplace you can apply for a season ticket loan or a Cycle to Work loan. You can even apply for a Rental Deposit Loan.
To support your wellbeing you’ll have access to Staff Support Networks, an Employee Assistance Programme and discounted gym memberships.
You’ll also have access to employee discounts from a variety of retailers as well as staff recognition schemes including retail vouchers and the opportunity to make tax-free donations to charity through Payroll Giving.
Benefits
When you join the Home Office, you’ll be eligible for a range of benefits, which are detailed below
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- A competitive starting salary
- A Civil Service Pension with employer contribution rates of at least 26.6%
- In-year reward scheme for one-off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements
- The ability to potentially adopt flexible working options that suit your work/life balance, plus the opportunity in future to take a career break
- 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service
- Eight days public holidays, plus one additional privilege day
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- 26 weeks maternity, adoption or shared parental leave at full pay, followed by 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid, after qualifying service
- Maternity and adoption support leave (also known as paternity leave) of two weeks full pay, after qualifying service
- Paid leave for fostering approval processes, support when a child is substantively placed with you plus a foster to adopt policy
- Support for Guardians and Kinship carers
- Corporate membership of ‘Employers for Carers’ providing additional information and advice for carers, plus a ‘Carer’s Passport’ to discuss workplace needs and underpin supportive conversations
- Time off to deal with emergencies and certain other unplanned special circumstances
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- Up to five days paid leave for volunteering, with additional paid leave for those undertaking public duties, including school governor, magistrate, local councillor or special constables
- Support and study leave for accredited learning and development relevant to your role
- The option to apply for an interest-free season ticket or cycle to work loan
- The ability to apply for a rental deposit loan
- Access to staff support networks to support your wellbeing
- Dedicated employee assistance programme (EAP) with access to support with a range of topics, such as debt advice, financial wellbeing, health and consumer/legal issues, plus one to one counselling
- Discounts on gym memberships and other leisure activities, such as cinema tickets, eating out or day trips
- Access to employee discounts from a variety of retailers and staff recognition schemes including retail vouchers
- Travel, home and motor insurance (including cover for young drivers) through the ‘not for profit’ Civil Service Insurance Society (CSIS)
- Eye care voucher scheme through Specsavers for eye tests and a contribution for glasses if required for using display screen equipment
- Occupational Health provider to support your wellness at work
- Support to Reservists before, during and after mobilisation plus 15 days paid leave for training each year
- The opportunity to make tax free donations to charity through payroll giving
- Reimbursement of subscriptions to approved professional organisations, institutes and societies, for example relating to Accountancy, Law or Human Resources
Pay and allowances
Starting pay
The starting salary at the bottom of the grade will always be detailed in the job advert. Progression through the grade will be through the annual pay award cycle.
Specialist skills
Where our ability to deliver our strategic and operational priorities could be at risk through a shortage of specialist skills, then candidates from outside the Civil Service could, in exceptional circumstances, start above the grade minimum. This will always be subject to the maximum of the grade.
Some specialist skills for critical professions attract a Recruitment and Retention Allowance (RRA). The job advert will set out whether or not RRA or any supplement for specialist skills may be applicable.
What if I’m transferring on promotion from another government department (OGD)?
If you’re joining us on promotion from another government department, you’ll usually receive either a 10% increase in salary (basic pay plus London Allowance, if paid separately) or you’ll move to the higher-grade range minimum, whichever is greater. If the pay resulting from the 10% increase is above the maximum of the new grade, the difference will be held on a ‘mark-time’ basis.
What if I’m transferring on level transfer from another government department (OGD)?
If you’re joining us on level transfer, you’ll usually retain your existing basic pay if your location, either London or National, remains the same. Any London Allowance, if paid separately, will be added to basic pay and honoured if the new role is at a London location.
Alternatively, you might join us on level transfer and move from one geographical region to another. You’ll be placed on the Home Office pay range for your grade and location, then moved to the relevant position on the new pay range. If the other government department’s salary is above the Home Office maximum for that location, the difference will be retained on a ‘mark-time’ basis in the new one.
Pension
All Home Office civil servants are invited to join the Civil Service Pension scheme, which offers generous defined benefits, including:
- A Defined Benefit (DB) scheme open to new joiners – member contribution rates range from 4.6% to 8.05%, dependant on your pensionable earnings
- As the employer, we’ll contribute at least 26.6%, rising to 30.3% of your pensionable earnings, depending on your salary
- Death in Service benefits for your loved ones, including lump-sum payments
- Options to boost your pension
- Ill-health retirement options
- A Defined Contribution pension option if Defined Benefits aren’t right for you.
Pensions can be a complicated subject, so this is only a summary of what could be available to you. You can find out more about the Civil Service Pension schemes via the dedicated Civil Service Pension scheme website.
You might also find it useful to refer to the government’s free, impartial Money and Pensions Service. It explains some of the technical jargon and can help you decide what option is right for you.
Cycle to work scheme
The Home Office’s cycle to work scheme is managed by Edenred and allows staff to save on the cost of a new bike and safety equipment.
The scheme works through the staff member allocating part of their salary to pay for bike and safety equipment for either 12 or 18 months, saving them money on tax and National Insurance contributions.
Recognition and Reward
Our recognition schemes allows managers to reward staff for instances of excellent performance. These rewards take the form of vouchers that can be spent at a variety of high street retailers. Managers can also recognise and reward sustained excellence with cash payments, made through payroll.