CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY – PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

The public holidays for Moray Council over the festive period are:

Thursday 25th December 2025

Friday 26th December 2025

Wednesday 31st December 2025

Thursday 1st January 2026

Friday 2nd January 2026

If staff work on any of these days, they will be entitled to enhanced rates of pay which should be claimed by timesheet.

CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY – MANAGEMENT COVER ARRANGEMENTS

The festive holiday period is nearly upon us and as Managers you will be busy making sure that services still operating during the holiday are appropriately covered, to ensure smooth delivery for our customers and service users.

This is just a reminder to make sure that the appropriate management cover arrangements are in place and employees are notified of any changes to ensure they feel appropriately supported and know who to turn to should a situation arise.

EMPLOYEE SURVEY 2025 RESULTS

From 10 March – 4 April 2025 we asked you to use “Your Voice” and tell us how things are for you at work. We had a positive response rate of 29%. Thank you to everyone who took part in the survey, sharing your views and allowing us to obtain a more accurate understanding of how employees feel.

The Employee Survey asks questions across a range of different themes to obtain views from you about your experience of working for Moray Council and this will show us where you have said things are working well and where there may be room to make some improvements. Additionally, by comparing to previous survey results we will be able to track trends and see where previous improvements have made a positive difference.

The results have been analysed and are fundamental in identifying what makes the Council a great place to work and provide the best services we can for the people of Moray.

• 2025 Employee Survey – Headlines
• 2025 Employee Survey – Employee Booklet

The results have been reported to Committee and discussions are taking place with managers at all levels to identify future actions that need to be taken to build on our successes and deliver improvements.  It is important that the results are communicated to staff so please ensure the links are shared with all.

Remember our employee engagement doesn’t stop here so please keep an eye on the interchange for other events in the employee calendar.

ZERO TOLERANCE CAMPAIGN

The updated Unacceptable Customer Actions Policy has been agreed at Committee and a campaign to promote the Council’s zero tolerance approach will follow in due course.  Further information will be provided in the new year.

PENSION DISCRETIONS

The LGPS Scotland Pension Discretions are governed by specific policies that outline how the pension scheme will apply certain events. These policies are essential for ensuring that   the pension scheme operates with 'prudence and propriety' and that the benefits of the         pension scheme are managed effectively. The scheme must have a written policy on how to exercise discretions, which includes the decision-making process for various pension related events and this can be found on the NESPF website.

The following table details the most recently approved Pension Discretions as of October 2025. Please view the most recent update here. This information will also be published on the Pensions Page of the Interchange early next year.

LEADERSHIP FORUM INVITATIONS

Invitations will be distributed shortly to all third tier managers for 2026 forums. Please respond in a timely manner to allow for the accurate preparation of discussion groups for the in-person forums.

TALENTLINK – GEOTAGGING LOCATIONS

New developments to Talentlink in November included the update of Geotagging Locations, meaning that Job Advert locations displayed on job adverts, used in candidate searches and job alerts are based on geotagged locations.

You will see that the below old fields have been deactivated:

• Geographical Area
• Location
• Postcode

When creating and editing a job requisition, the important field is "Job Location".

You must now include a postcode, or the job will not index on the website. “Various Locations” is no longer accepted for any jobs; these will be deleted by Talentlink with no exceptions.

To get the best from the candidate searches, please add each possible location to the requisition. We are currently creating localised areas to aid this process.

If you have any questions, please contact hr@moray.gov.uk

TALENTLINK – CLOSING DOWN JOBS

To ensure that applications automatically archive in line with the ‘Privacy and Cookies’ statements on myjobscotland website and with GDPR regulations, you must close jobs down at the end of the recruitment process.

An audit will be taking place in Spring 2026 so please can you ensure that you undertake this before 31st March 2026.

You can find guidance on Talentlink processes HERE including how to close jobs, resetting your password, how to set up interviews, etc.

SCOTTISH MILITARY COMMUNITY PAGE

The latest edition of the Scottish Military Community Update has been published on Interchange: Latest Updates

This month there is information on the Royal British Legion Nurses, Scottish Men’s Shed of the year, Digital Veterans Card, free online courses, as well as new funding opportunities and much more!

MILITARY COMMUNITY SESSIONS

Are you part of an Armed Forces family—serving, veteran, reserve, spouse, or dependent? Would you be interested in a regular drop-in session to chat about all thing’s military over a coffee and biscuit? These sessions aim to provide support, build connections, and strengthen our community.

If so, we’d love to hear from you! Please contact karen.baker@moray.gov.uk

Feel free to share this with anyone who might be interested—everyone from the military community is welcome!

CAREER FAIRS

A big thank you to everyone who represented the council at recent high school career fairs, showcasing our services, career opportunities, and apprenticeships. Your support was greatly appreciated by DYW, schools, and pupils alike.

Looking ahead, there will be even more chances to promote your services and highlight the diverse career paths the council offers at the 2026 Careers and Apprenticeships Fairs.

If you’d like to help local young people by delivering sessions on CV writing or conducting mock interviews, please get in touch at karen.baker@moray.gov.uk

CYCLE2WORK – NOW CLOSED

The Cycle2work salary sacrifice scheme has closed for the second time this year.

Next year look out for the openings in Spring and Autumn.

More information can be found on our Cycle2Work Interchange PAGE

EYECARE VOUCHERS

The process for requesting an eyecare voucher will soon be changing. A voucher must be requested before booking an appointment for a DSE eye test. Please ensure you follow the process as outlined on Interchange for any staff requests. Interchange will be updated as soon as the change is live.

MENOPAUSE EVENTS IN 2026

Thank you to everyone who popped into our inaugural Menopause Cafés.

Dates for sessions in the Annexe Training Room 1 for 2026 are:

28th January

25th February

25th March

22nd April

27th May

24th June

29th July

26th August

30th September

28th October

25th November

16th December

Come along, bring a cuppa and have a chat about all things menopause!

There will be new activities added, walk and talk, exercise classes, mindfulness sessions, etc. If you would like to be involved, please contact karen.baker@moray.gov.uk

You can find our Menopause Policy and Guidance on Interchange.

MEN’S SHED

Would you like to find out more about the local Men’s Shed initiatives around Moray?

Men’s Shed is a community driven initiative that brings men together to build friendships, share skills and enjoy hands on projects. These welcoming spaces offer opportunities to work on practical tasks such as fixing, building, and creating, whilst fostering social connections and reducing isolation. It’s a chance to learn, contribute to local projects and support your community.

If you would like to find out more information on local Men’s Sheds, please email organisational.development@moray.gov.uk

INTRODUCING THE 2026 CORPORATE TRAINING CALENDAR

We’re excited to announce the launch of our 2026 Training Calendar, designed to support your professional growth and development throughout the year.

We offer a wide range of learning opportunities tailored to help you work effectively in your role and beyond.

A Friendly Reminder:
Please ensure you complete all your core eLearning modules as part of your ongoing compliance and development requirements. Staying up to date helps us maintain a safe, informed, and effective workplace.

Explore the full calendar here - Corporate Training and book your sessions on CLIVE to secure your spot.

We are also partnered with the Skills Network to bring you access to a wide range of free, fully accredited and externally provided courses such as –

• Principles of the Mental Health Worker
• Understanding Autism
• Understanding Environmental Sustainability
• Certificate in Digital Marketing

And many more.

To see the full list of courses and find out more please go to  UK training and development | Moray Council.

And finally we have collated a list of free training and development opportunities which will be continuously updated and can be found on the interchange here - Development Opportunities.

If you have any questions regarding upcoming training, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us at organisational.development@moray.gov.uk

FREE NHS TRAINING AND AWARENESS SESSIONS

NHS Grampian are offering free training and awareness sessions:

22nd January 2026 - Mentally Healthy Workplace Training for Managers and Supervisors
Highlighting employers’ responsibilities and providing help, support and suggestions to improve managers and supervisor’s skills in supporting mental health and wellbeing at work.

26th January 2026 – Breathing Space NHS24
Increase knowledge and understanding of Scotland’s phone line and webchat service for anyone who may be feeling overwhelmed and need to talk to someone

4th February 2026 - Menopause Awareness for Line Managers and Supervisors
Find out how to support women at work who go through this phase in their lives.

9th February 2026 – Keep Active at Work: Reduce Sedentary Behaviour
This popular, fun and interactive session on MS Teams, is for anyone with an interest in how our work environment and settings contribute to sedentary behaviour.

For more information on their free awareness sessions or to book a space, please email: gram.hwl@nhs.scot

PRE-RETIREMENT COURSES

Are your retirement savings on track? Do you know how much income your pension savings may provide? And have you thought about how much income you might need when you retire?

Financial education specialists ‘Affinity Connect’ would like to personally invite you to attend an interactive full day course around the key aspects of planning for a financially secure future.

Retirement might be up to 10 years away but it’s never too soon to start planning. This course is perfect for anyone thinking about retirement or already at the planning stages.

During the course you’ll learn how to:

• Help you plan for the lifestyle changes ahead
• Maximise the benefits of your State and workplace pensions
• Make the most of your tax-free cash
• Understand the income options available from your pension
• Achieve your retirement goals

Affinity is also offering an updated course- ‘Taking Control of Your Finances” with dates to be announced shortly.

The enhanced course continues to cover the core learning outcomes you’ve come to expect, including:

• Understanding personal taxation and take-home pay
• Budgeting and reviewing financial outgoings
• Managing borrowing, improving credit scores, and reducing debt
• Creating savings strategies and understanding investment risks
• Gaining clarity on pensions and planning for retirement

Booking links for the above courses:

Planning for Retirement (Online) - Online Booking

Planning for Retirement (Face-to-Face) - In Person Booking

You can also find more information on how to join a course here - Planning for the Future

TIME FOR TALKING

Christmas can be a painful and lonely time for some people, if you or anyone in your team need support over the Christmas period, please contact Time for Talking (the Councils Employee Assistance Provider) who are open 365 days a year for any support that may be required.

They offer counselling, psychological, mediation and legal support, through a 24 hour helpline, a digital app, online resources and self-help programmes.  

You can contact them via their website www.timefortalking.co.uk, by phone on 0800 970 3980, by app (downloaded from the app store or google play) or chat online to a counsellor through their Live Chat using the password TfTnow

All chats are totally confidential; people don’t need to give their name or email address unless they want to.

More information can be found at Time for Talking

EQUALITY DATA

The Council collects data on ethnicity, race, religion, marital status, disability, sex, sexuality and gender reassignment status - these are all protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 and the data is collected during the recruitment process.

This information is utilised to make sure that its recruitment processes and employment practices are fair, nobody is put at a disadvantage because of any protected characteristic, and that the Council considers how its employees can do their jobs effectively.

One of the challenges for the Council is that a large number of employees do not fill in the equality data. Although people don’t have to share information about their protected characteristics, it does help the Council to deal with inequality more effectively.

We would like to encourage all employees to ensure their data is up to date, and you can do this via the Employee Self-Serve Portal. You can also update your bank details, address, phone number and view your payslips here. All information given is held confidentially.

Information on how to launch the ESS portal is available on Interchange including how to access the portal and find your way round it.

To read more about Equality Data please visit Interchange HERE

ELECTRICAL SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE

Even though the risk of fire is generally well known, there are still over 7,000 workplace fires every year.

Workplace fires can start for various reasons, but faulty electrical equipment is the biggest cause, accounting for almost 25% of workplace fires, followed by waste, combustibles, smoking and human error.

Overloaded sockets

In an office or school type environment, you’re likely to be surrounded by multiple electrical devices including computers, printers and shredders, to the kettle, microwave and fridge in the welfare area. Most workplaces depend on electricity, often requiring multiple appliances to be plugged in simultaneously. This however may overload power sockets which is a common and often preventable cause of electrical fires.

A standard wall socket has a maximum current rating of 13 amps. As such, additional care needs to be taken to ensure this rating is not exceeded. See link to “socket calculator” for more information.

Using damaged extension leads or plugging too many devices into a single outlet can lead to overheating and increase the likelihood of a fire.

A standard extension lead has a maximum current rating (usually 13 amps). Daisy-chaining (joining of extension cables together) increases the number of devices drawing power through a single wall socket, which can easily exceed the safe limit. This can cause overheating, melting of wires and electrical fires along with the chance of loose plugs or exposed wires, damaged insulation and tripping hazards.  (If you use extension leads in ways not intended by the manufacturer, e.g. daisy chaining, it can void their safety certifications and warranties. This means that insurance claims may be denied in the event of a fire.

Always use extension leads which are CE marked and are procured from reputable suppliers.

Coiled extension leads

A further fire hazard can be created if you use coiled extension leads. This is because the electrical current generates heat and the coil can prevent that heat dissipating effectively. The coiled cable increases the electrical resistance, which can reduce efficiency and overheating of both the cable and connected devices which can lead to melting insulation and fire. This is particularly dangerous when high-powered appliances are plugged in. Tightly coiled cables are more prone to kinks and twists, which can damage internal wiring. Wear and tear from repeated coiling/uncoiling can also put strain on them.

If you are routinely using an extension, try to find ways of securing the extended lead to prevent trip hazards and other damage, including:

• Fully unwind extension leads before use
• Use cable reels with thermal cut-outs
• Regularly inspect leads for signs of damage
• Avoid using extension leads as a permanent solution - install additional sockets if needed.

If the electrical equipment used at your workplace is faulty or dangerous, this can substantially heighten the risk of an electrical fire. While the council employs the services of a qualified electrician to regularly PAT test your equipment, it is also very important for you the user to be on the lookout for any signs of loose or damaged cables and plugs, and to replace any equipment found to be faulty.

Faulty appliances

Electrical appliances also pose an increased risk from fire. In particular, those that create heat or have exposed elements such as portable heaters, toasters, etc.

There is also an increased risk whereby equipment is bought which has been manufactured with faults or by unreputable producers. Check regularly for product recalls which may help identify products that you may have that are faulty. Follow this link for more information.