benefits

Working in Historic Scotland you will enjoy excellent working conditions including a competitive salary, flexible working hours, access to pension schemes and 25 days holiday rising to 30 days after 5 years.

Flexible working

In Historic Scotland we feel that a work/life balance is essential and to help our staff we offer:

• Flexible working hours
• Emergency/special leave
• Maternity/paternity leave
• Adoption leave
• Child care vouchers

Pension

Our new pension scheme offers a choice of valuable pension arrangements including Civil Service pension or stakeholder pension, giving the option to choose the pension that suits you best.

Holidays

All staff are entitled to 25 days holiday rising to 30 days after 5 years continous service, and 11.5 public and privileged holidays per annum.

Training and development

Historic Scotland believe learning is part of your development. We have an in house Training and Development department which organised 2658 training days between April 2006 and March 2007. This equates to 2.6 training days per person.

We also offer

• Relevant Professional subscriptions paid
• Support for further education and personal development
• Study leave for work related courses
• Access to a Learning Resource Centre

Health & Welfare

Our employee’s health and welfare are important to us. There are various services available;

• Employee Assistant Programme – this service offers free access to confidential advice and counselling.
• Occupational sick pay scheme
• Discount at Edinburgh Leisure Pulse Centre gyms
• An in-house gym at Victoria Quay and St Andrews House
• Interest free loans for bicycles and travel passes
  

We are also participating in the Healthy Working Lives award programme. This initiative launched in February 2007 provides a framework for improving health in the workplace. We hope to achieve a bronze award later this year and silver in 2008.

Staff discounts

The following discounts are available to staff;

• Free entrance to all our monuments (and also up to 3 guests)
• Free entrance to English Heritage, Manx and CADW properties
• 20% discount in Historic Scotland shops

Season tickets

If you need help to purchase an annual season ticket for travel between home and office, Historic Scotland may grant you an advance which must be recovered within the life of the season ticket. The scheme is open  to all permanent/fixed term staff who have at least 2 months service.

Relocation

New entrants normally have to pay their own relocation expenses when they are first appointed. Where, exceptionally, assistance is available, this will be stated in the recruitment memorandum/advert. To qualify you will have to satisfy Historic Scotland that you have to move house to live within reasonable daily travelling distance of your new place of work and you must obtain Historic Scotland’s permission before committing yourself to any expense. Historic Scotland will make payment after you have started work and if you resign within 2 years, will ask you to agree to re-pay a proportion of the sum involved.