The Trade Union (Facility Time Publications Requirements) Regulations 2017, which came
into force on 1 April 2017, implemented the requirement introduced by the Trade Union Act
2016 for specified public sector employers, including NHS Trusts, to report annually a range
of data in relation to their usage and spend on trade union facility time.
The Facility Time Regulations are intended to ensure transparency of facility time and the
associated costs to the taxpayer. Organisations should ensure the costs to the taxpayer of
facility time are proportionate to the benefits in the delivery of public services.
Annual Reporting Requirements
The duty to report covers specific information (set out in detail in Schedule 2 of the
regulations) relating to time off taken for trade union duties, for example negotiations with
employers, representing members in the workplace, or the duties of a learning
representative and activities, or to carry out duties and receive training under the relevant
safety legislation.
Trade union representatives can get paid time off to carry out ‘duties’ which is set out in
legislation. Employers may also grant paid time off for trade union activities for which there is
no statutory right to paid time off.
Data for the reporting period 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 is below.
Whether in providing support to individual members of Trust staff at a departmental level, or
by playing a valuable role in contributing to Trust-wide agendas (for example: Joint
Negotiating and Consultative Committees, Job Matching Panels, Collective Agreements,
Policy Sub Groups, Junior Doctor’s Forum, Health and Safety and Staff Surveys etc.) the
Trust recognises that the participation of trade union representatives supports the
partnership process, and contributes to delivering improved services to patients and users.
Whilst not included in the return, as they are not Trust employees, the Trust also benefits
from the helpful input of fulltime trade union officers as appropriate, and also for one union,
caseworkers for occasions where no local staff side representative is available.
The Trust will continue to monitor and evaluate the amount of money spent on facility time,
in the interests of transparency and accountability.
2023/24 report
Relevant union officials
Total number of Trust employees who were relevant union officials during the relevant
period, 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024:
- Number of employees who were relevant union officials during the relevant period – 32
- Full-time equivalent employee number (of trade union representatives) – 17.98
Percentage of time spent on facility time
Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (NLaG) employees, who were
relevant union officials employed during the relevant period spent a) 0%, b) 1%-50%, c)
51%-99% or d) 100% of their working hours on facility time:
0% – 14
1%-50% – 16
51%-99% – 2
100%- 0
Percentage of pay bill spent on facility time
The percentage of the Trust’s total pay bill spent on paying employees who were relevant
union officials for facility time during the relevant period:
Total cost of facility time: £145,640.43
Total pay bill: £395,831,000
Percentage of the total pay bill spent on facility time, calculated as: (total cost of facility time ÷ total pay bill) x 100: 0.04%
Paid trade union activities
As a percentage of total paid facility time hours, the number of staff hours spent by
employees who were relevant union officials during the relevant period on paid trade union
activities.
Time spent on paid trade union activities as a percentage of total paid facility time hours calculated as 0%
(total hours spent on paid trade union activities by relevant union officials during the relevant period ÷ total paid facility time hours) x 100
The figures have been calculated using the standard methodologies used in the Trade Union
(Facility Time Publication Requirements) Regulations 2017.
