Extra-mural employment relates to any paid or unpaid employment which you may undertake that is additional to your substantive Falkirk Council post. This includes self-employment and employment elsewhere within or outwith the Council.
The Extra Mural Employment Policy also relates to extra-mural activities not regarded as employment but only where these activities may conflict with the proper performance of your duties. This not intended to refer to adhoc charitable or voluntary work. It may apply, however, where you are an officeholder with a charitable/ voluntary organisation, Parent Council, or other similar body and your extra-mural role has the potential to conflict with your Council employment.
You are required to declare and discuss any extra-mural employment or activities with your manager in advance in order to avoid any conflict of interest with your substantive post.
Declaring Extra Mural Employment/ Activities
If you are considering undertaking additional employment, starting up a business or becoming an officeholder of a charity or other similar body, you must complete an extra mural employment form via MyView in advance.
Any employee currently undertaking such extra-mural employment or activities, which have not been notified to their line manager, must also complete this form.
Once you log in select My Forms and then, Complete a My Form. The Extra Mural Employment Form should be there for you to select. Click Start to enter the form and then complete the necessary information. It is important to include full information including specific working hours in order that this can be taken into account when identifying any potential conflict with your substantive post.
You should complete a new Extra Mural Employment Form on an annual basis to ensure that any change in circumstances does not cause a conflict with your substantive post.
Authorising Extra Mural Employment/ Activities
As a manager, you will receive an email to advise that a member of your team has submitted an Extra Mural Employment form. You need to log into MyView and the form can be accessed in the Dashboard in the Authorisations section. You will see the form that your employee has submitted. You should arrange to discuss it with the employee and complete this form within 10 working days. When you scroll to the bottom of the form you need to confirm that you are the manager and to respond to the further questions that then appear.
Where no conflict of interest is identified
Where no conflict of interest is identified, as a manager, you should confirm your knowledge of the employee's extra-mural employment/activities by completing the details on the form from your discussion within 10 working days and indicating that no conflict of interest has been identified.confirming their approval in MyView.
Where the potential conflict of interest is identified
Where the potential for a conflict of interest to arise is identified, as a manager, you should discuss this with the employee, taking into consideration the details provided and consider methods of preventing such a conflict arising.
For example:
- Limiting the hours worked in the extra mural employment;
- Taking advice if there is to be a business relationship with the Council in the extra mural employment;
- Ensuring that the employee or his/her other employer does not gain financially or otherwise through decisions or actions taken by the employee in the course of their Council employ or as a result of his/her knowledge of confidential Council matters.
If a conflict has been identified, you should indicate this on the MyForm. You will then be asked to confirm whether the form has been discussed with your Chief Officer. You should agree with your Chief Officer whether:
- The extra-mural employment is accepted;
- The extra-mural employment is accepted with recorded restrictions; or
- The extra-mural employment is rejected because the conflict can’t be managed appropriately.
You should record this decision on the MyForm and then submit this confirming the decision.
Reviewing Extra-Mural Employment
It is the employee’s responsibility to advise their line manager of any change in circumstances relating to their extra-mural employment.
Line Managers should however, review extra mural employment/ activities on an annual basis. They will receive a report annually highlighting members of their team who are undertaking extra mural employment/ activities. As a manager, you should ask those listed to complete a new Extra Mural Employment Form. On receipt, you should discuss this with them and follow the process outlined above to consider whether there has been any change in circumstances which may cause a conflict with their substantive post. There will be no requirement to seek further Chief Officer approval where there has been no change in circumstances.