Joint Statement from AXA and Unite

This statement tells you the overall pay budget (how much AXA has to spend on salaries) and framework (how AXA will spend it) for 2019. This is negotiated between AXA and Unite for Associate to Professional bands and applies to all AXA Insurance and Corporate Centre employees.

Overall Budget

This year’s talks have concluded with an offer of a 3% increase for the total pay budget for employees in Associate to Professional bands. The same budget will apply to the Senior Professional to Senior Leader bands. Whilst the overall increase to the budget will be shared across all eligible employees, individual increases will vary based on the circumstances set out below. Any pay increases will take effect from 1 April 2019. 

Associate to Professional Pay Approach

Pay awards will be made to employees in these roles based on performance rating and position of salary in the pay range. The % amounts are set in order to be able to make larger awards to high performers and those lower in the pay ranges, while also remaining within the overall budget. 

Individual outcomes will be formally communicated to employees in March. Further information about how pay is distributed using the matrix can be found on the Manager Area on ONE.

Senior Professional to Senior Leader Pay Approach

Managers who are responsible for pay decisions for the pay review process (also known as Pool Heads) will have full discretion to set pay awards within the overall budget for employees in Senior Professional to Senior Leader roles. These decisions are made in the context of a range factors including individual performance, the external market and comparable pay between peers.

Future Changes to Pay and Bonus Approach

Following the recent changes made to AXA’s bands and pay ranges, it has been decided that Professionals will move into the discretionary approach (currently applied to Senior Professionals and above) for pay and bonus awards paid next year (2020). 

In implementing this change AXA will pay particular attention to ensuring fairness remains at the forefront of pay and bonus decisions and, as with any change, the approach will be subject to review to ensure it is meeting the objectives that have been set down for it.

Other Adjustments

AXA UK’s minimum salary will be increased to £16,380 (based on a 35 hour FTE contract). There are no other changes to pay ranges.

There are some local pay arrangements, like the AXA Insurance Claims Development Framework, which are managed outside of this process.

There’s more information on the pay review process on the My Pay & Benefits pages on ONE.

Next steps

Unite will ballot its members on this offer, with the ballot taking place between the 11th and 20^thFebruary.

Please speak to your line manager or Unite representative if you have any questions.

As many members working in Claims will know, the Development Framework designed to advance staff more quickly though their pay scale than the performance related pay system has more than a few problems and is not working as it should be.

We have been engaging the company on this topic for some time now and have agreed to commence a full scale review in the second quarter of this year. At present individual disciplines within Claims eg. liability, motor etc. are reviewing that skills they regard as necessary for an employee to be rated as competent and be able to handle the bulk of items that cross their desk.

Cleary this is not going to be a swift fix, but we are hopeful that we can help ensure the necessary changes are put in place to ensure the Development Framework system works as it should do (ie. to the benefit of the staff and company) and not as it has been.

Unite the Union met with representatives of AXA today and submitted a 3.5% pay claim on behalf of the bargaining unit.

Further negotiation meetings have been scheduled for this month.

The 2019 Unite in AXA pay survey can be accessed here.

Based on a 95% return of ballot papers issued, the result of the 2018 pay ballot in Northern Ireland is as follows:

For: 56%
Against: 44%
Spoilt: 0%

We have communicated this to the company…

Thank you to everyone who voted and the local workplace reps for the hard work they put in running the ballot.

Today Unite in AXA commences balloting its members in Northern Ireland in respect of the company proposals on pay and reward for staff in Belfast, Derry and the Northern Ireland branches, negotiated after a series of meetings this year.

As members in Northern Ireland appreciate there were many concerns about pay and reward especially market competitiveness that needed addressing. We have discussed these at length with the company and the end result is a proposal we believe addresses almost all of these issues resulting in substantial pay rises for the vast majority of staff.

Unfortunately a small number of benefits and current practices have had to be changed due to regulatory requirements or employment law, however we feel AXA has been reasonable in the alternatives proposed to address these necessary changes.

Overall the company proposal addresses almost all of the concerns that members have raised with us over the last few years and will see the vast majority of staff receiving substantial improvements in their current levels of pay and reward. 

Additionally the introduction of a new grading system (part of a global process driven by AXA Head Office Paris and being rolled out across the group) will now enable staff in Derry to enjoy the benefits of career development previously unavailable to them.

The ballot commences today and will run until noon on Tuesday 29th May.

If you have any questions please speak to your local Unite in AXA rep.

Based on a 75% return of ballot papers issued, the result of the 2018 pay ballot is as follows:

For: 72%
Against: 27%
Spoilt: 1%

We have communicated this to the company…

Thank you to everyone who voted and the local workplace reps for the hard work they put in running the ballot.

This statement confirms the overall pay budget (how much AXA has available to spend on salaries) and framework (how AXA will spend that money) for 2018. These details are negotiated between AXA and Unite and apply to employees in all roles at Levels 6-9 in AXA Insurance and Corporate Centre.

Overall budget

This year’s talks have concluded with an offer of an increase in the total pay budget of 3% for employees in Levels 3-9. Any pay increases will take effect from 1 April 2018.

Levels 6-9 Pay Framework

Pay awards will be made to employees in these roles based on your performance rating and where your salary is positioned in the pay range.

Levels 3-5 Pay Approach

Senior managers will have full discretion to set pay awards within the overall budget for employees in Level 3-5 roles. Your performance and current salary against the pay ranges will be part of the decision making.

Other adjustments

AXA UK’s minimum salary will be increased to £15,925 but other pay ranges are unchanged, although AXA UK’s approach to pay ranges and pay families is currently under review.

There are some local pay arrangements, like the AXA Insurance Claims Development Framework, which are managed outside of this process.

There is more information on the pay review process on the My Reward pages on ONE.

Next steps

Unite will ballot its members on this offer, with the ballot taking place between 7 February and 20 February 2018.

Please speak to your line manager or Unite representative if you have any questions.

 

Click here to read the latest Unite in AXA newsletter on our 2018 pay claim.

Please leave your feedback below or talk to your local union rep.

The 2018 Unite in AXA pay survey can be accessed here.