Terms and conditions of service
The departments of the Velocity Interoperability Network adopted common terms and conditions of service on 6 September 2026, the day they were established. The same grades, pay spine, hours, leave, probation and notice apply whichever department an officer serves in, and an officer who moves between departments keeps their grade and their place on the spine.
This page summarises those terms so that a candidate knows, before enlisting, what an appointment involves. It is not itself a contract. The offer letter from a department states the grade, the point on the pay spine, the place of work and any conditions particular to the post, and the full terms are supplied with it.
The Careers Office does not set or vary these terms. Questions about how they apply to a particular position should be put to the department that notified it. Questions about this page may be sent to contact@careers.gov.vin.
- 6
- grades on the common pay structure
- 37
- hours in the standard working week
- 25
- days of annual leave on appointment
- 6
- months of probation for every new appointment
Grades and the common pay spine
Every post in every department is placed at one of six grades. Each grade covers a range of points on a single pay spine of twenty-eight points, and each point carries an annual salary that is the same in every department. The value of each point is set annually by the Treasury Department and published with the offer.
A new appointment is normally made at the lowest point of the grade. A department may offer a higher point where a candidate's experience warrants it, and says so in the offer. An officer moves up one point on each anniversary of appointment, subject to a satisfactory review, until the top of the grade is reached. Movement to a higher grade is by appointment to a post at that grade, through the ordinary enlistment procedure.
| Grade | Title | Spine points | Typical posts | Notice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 | Assistant | 1 to 4 | Administrative and support posts | One month |
| Grade 2 | Officer | 5 to 9 | Operational, communications and support posts | One month |
| Grade 3 | Senior Officer | 10 to 14 | Analysts, specialist officers and case officers | One month |
| Grade 4 | Adviser | 15 to 19 | Policy advisers, technical leads and coordinators | Three months |
| Grade 5 | Principal | 20 to 24 | Heads of unit | Three months |
| Grade 6 | Director | 25 to 28 | Heads of directorate | Three months |
Conditions of service
The conditions below apply to every appointment. Where a post carries a condition of its own, such as rota working or a requirement for security clearance, the vacancy summary says so and the offer sets it out.
- Hours of work
- The standard working week is 37 hours, normally worked between 8.00 and 18.00 from Monday to Friday. Posts worked on a rota, including some in the Defence Department's operations room, are advertised as such and attract an allowance stated in the offer.
- Annual leave and public holidays
- Twenty-five days of annual leave in each leave year, rising to thirty after five years of service, in addition to the public holidays of the Network. Leave is taken by agreement with the department and up to five days may be carried into the following year.
- Probation
- Every new appointment is subject to six months of probation, with reviews at the end of the first, third and sixth months. Probation may be extended once by up to three months. The procedure is described on the Selection and appointment page.
- Notice
- Once probation is complete, notice on either side is one month at Grades 1 to 3 and three months at Grades 4 to 6. During probation notice on either side is one week.
- Place of work
- The place of work is the Network site stated in the offer. Working from another location for part of the week may be agreed with the department where the duties of the post allow. Travel between sites on duty is at the department's expense.
- Security clearance
- Posts in the Defence Department, and certain posts elsewhere, require security clearance before appointment is confirmed. The vacancy summary says whether clearance is required. Clearance is arranged by the department and the candidate is told what the process involves before it begins.
- Pension
- Officers join a contributory pension scheme common to every department from the first day of service. The rules of the scheme are administered by the Treasury Department and are supplied with the offer.
- Sickness absence
- Full pay for up to three months of sickness absence in any twelve, then half pay for a further three months, subject to a medical certificate after the seventh day. Occupational health services are provided by the Health Department.
- Conduct and conflicts of interest
- Officers are bound by a common code of conduct. Outside employment, financial interests and relationships that may bear on the duties of the post must be declared to the department on appointment and whenever they change.
Before you enlist
Read the grade of the vacancy you have in mind against the table above, and the summary of the position against the conditions that apply to it. A candidate who is content with both is ready to enlist.
For the stages that follow an enlistment, see Selection and appointment; for the procedure as a whole, see How enlistment works.
