Public sector pay strategy 2023 to 2024: technical guide

Supports the application of the 2023 to 2024 public sector pay strategy and applies to staff in the Scottish Government and its associated departments, agencies, non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) and public corporations.


11. Pay Strategy Quick Reference

Pay Metrics and Limits

  • Full cost of pay award must be shown to be affordable with budget settlements.
  • Floor metric of 2%. Based on the assumed 2% overall increase in paybill included in the Resource Spending Review for 2023-24 to 2026-27.
  • Central metric of 3.5%. The Pay Strategy recommends that the average paybill increase will be 3.5%.
  • Ceiling metric of 5%. Where business efficiencies and/or savings have been identified, paybill increases can exceed the central metric of 3.5% but are restricted to an overall maximum of 5%.
  • Chief Executives basic pay uplift is capped at the same cash amount as the lowest paid employees.

Low pay measures

  • Sets guaranteed wage floor of the real Living Wage of £10.90 per hour.
  • Pay awards must be progressive, protecting the lowest paid and continuing to reduce income inequality.
  • Suggested cash underpin of £1,500 for those earning a full-time equivalent salary of £25,000 or less.

Addressing inequalities

  • Provides the flexibility for employers to use paybill savings to address evidenced equality or pay coherence issues.

Other Elements

  • Retains the position on progression as a matter for discussion between employers and their staff and/or representatives (limited to a maximum of 1.5% for Chief Executives).
  • Strongly encourages employers to standardise to a 35-hour working week.
  • Requirement for employers to have Right to Disconnect policies agreed with staff representatives.
  • Continues the commitment to No Compulsory Redundancy. Proposals to change the NCR through the application of the Severance Policy for Scotland (extend, pause or reverse), will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  • Maintains the suspension of non-consolidated payments (bonuses).
  • Continues the expectation to deliver a 10% reduction in the remuneration package for all new Chief Executive appointments.
Scottish Chief Executives Pay Framework 2023-24 (base pay)

Pay Band

Minimum

Maximum

Ceiling

3

£113,621

£153,684

£224,550

2

£94,266

£132,872

£177,098

1A

£78,137

£112,152

£142,134

1

£67,550

£101,654

£130,531

Chairs & Members Daily Fee Framework 2023-24 (gross Daily Fees)

Chairs Tier

Minimum

Maximum

Ceiling

Tribunal

£346

£567

£717

Tier 1

£344

£504

£561

Tier 2

£225

£378

£447

Tier 3

£159

£242

£329

Members Tier

Minimum

Maximum

Ceiling

Tribunal (specialist skills only)

£271

£396

£516

Tier 1

£248

£366

£459

Tier 2

£190

£278

£348

Tier 3

£107

£198

£281

Contact

Email: financepaypolicy@gov.scot

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