Flexi Time Systems

    Flexi-time is a system where employees can vary their contracted working hours within agreed set limits by varying their start and finish times and lunch breaks provided they are present to meet the business needs in their organisation.

    A Flexi system can be used to help promote a work life balance by offering a range of flexible working conditions, including  working patterns and annualised hours. 

    Not all Boards offer flexi-time.  Detailed in the tabs below you will find more information on what is in place within your Board.

    National Services Scotland

     

     

     

    Upgrade to Crown V14.5

    From 6th May 2022 the Crown flexi system was upgraded to Version 14.5   This update will allow the use of Microsoft Edge and change the look and feel of the system and slightly change how we get to some of the commonly used functions.

    The way we use the system has not changed and all current functionality is still there and works in the same way.  You will find guidance on what has changed in this document :  What has changed?

    As this is an upgrade, your log in details will remain the same as previous version.  If you have any questions or queries you should, in the first instance, contact your Crown champion/superuser as listed in this document :  Crown Superusers/Champions



    What is Crown?

    The Crown System captures information relating to employee attendance in real-time. Attendance data is captured automatically through a variety of input devices (such as time clocks or through web browsers) dependant on the needs of the business.  The system records the hours worked and taken, along with a record of absence. It also enables staff to build up a debit or credit of hours worked.  Accrued hours can then be taken as time off by prior agreement with your Line Manager. 

    To access the system please use the hyperlink - Crown Flexi System - NSS  

     

    For support, please raise a call using the NSS Service Portal on your computer desktop and select the DaS option and  'Make a Request'.

    NHS 24

    Flexible working policy is available to all staff within NHS 24, however there is not a organisational wide flexi-time system operational.

    Public Health Scotland

     

    Upgrade to Crown V14.5

    From 6th May 2022 the Crown flexi system will be upgraded to Version 14.5   This update will allow the use of Microsoft Edge and change the look and feel of the system and slightly change how we get to some of the commonly used functions.

    The way we use the system has not changed and all current functionality is still there and works in the same way.  You will find guidance on what has changed in this document :  What has changed?

    As this is an upgrade, your log in details will remain the same as previous version.  If you have any questions or queries you should, in the first instance, contact your Crown champion/superuser as listed in this document :  Crown Superusers/Champions



    What is Crown?

    The Crown System captures information relating to employee attendance in real-time. Attendance data is captured automatically through a variety of input devices (such as time clocks or through web browsers) dependant on the needs of the business.  The system records the hours worked and taken, along with a record of absence. It also enables staff to build up a debit or credit of hours worked.  Accrued hours can then be taken as time off by prior agreement with your Line Manager. 

    To access the system please use the hyperlink - Crown Flexi System - PHS  

     

    For support, please raise a call using the PHS Service Portal on your computer desktop and select the DaS option and  'Make a Request'.

    • Crown Flexi - Public Holidays - PHSPublic Health Scotland

      Public Health Scotland staff get a total of 8 public holidays. These are broken down into 4 fixed (December and January) and 4 floating (May, September and two at Easter).  An additional holiday on 8th May will be added in 2023, for the Coronation.

      For Members of Staff on a Full-Time Standard Pattern (7:30 hours Monday - Friday)

      Four days for the statutory/fixed public holidays in December and January are pre-booked at the beginning of the leave year and are not included in the entitlement.  You will see this information recorded on your ‘Workbench’ by changing the date to December. The 4 floating days (Easter, May, Sept); will be included in your holiday entitlement. A total of 30:00 hours will be added.

      For Members of Staff on a Compressed Hours Pattern

      The full 60:00 hours allocation of public holidays will appear in the Holiday Entitlement total. However, the fixed holidays in December and January, will be pre-booked at the beginning of the leave year, deducting those hours from the holiday entitlement.

      Only the applicable days/hours you work in December and January will be pre-booked as Public Holiday (Part-Time/Compressed).

      For Members of Staff on a Part-Time Pattern

      The total entitlement for part-time staff is calculated on a pro-rata basis. The relevant allocation will be included in the Holiday Entitlement total. The fixed holidays in December and January will be pre-booked at the beginning of the leave year. The hours will be deducted from the holiday entitlement.

      Only the applicable days/hours you work in December and January will be pre-booked as Public Holiday (Part-Time/Compressed).

       

      Should you have any further queries, please email phs.crownsuperuser@phs.scot.

    • Crown Flexi - Who do I contact for help with Crown Flexi?National Services Scotland

      For all enquiries regarding the Crown Flexi system, please use the Crown Flexi System Support and SBU Champions Guide first to either contact your local SBU champion or raise a call using the NSS Service Portal on your computer desktop and select 'Make a Request'.

    • Crown V14.5 What has changedNational Services Scotland
    • Crown Flexi - Who do I contact for help?Public Health Scotland

      Please discuss your issue with your line manager in the first instance. 

      If your line manager is unable to resolve the issue, they should contact phs.crownsuperuser@phs.scot

       

      In the subject of the email they should include one of the following:

      Crown - Work Pattern Query

      Crown - Holiday Information Query

      Crown - Staff Query

      Crown - Other

       

      They should include your name and details of the issue in the main body of the email. 

    • Crown Flexi - My carry forward leave is not showingPublic Health Scotland

      PHS are aware that the carry forward annual leave will have been entered into eEES by your line manager.

      The annual leave carry forward will be done under the NSS Shared Service where NSS HR will provide a report to NSS DaS expected to be completed by Q2 2021.

    • Crown Flexi - PHS 1st April Launch FAQPublic Health Scotland

      My flexi balance is not showing?

      As per 1st April e-mail - your flexi balance, as at close of play 31st Mar 21, will be collected by your line manager and provided as team information to crownsuperuser@phs.scot by 30 Apr 21 (for input by 14 May 21).

       

      Holiday Balance is incorrect for Health Scotland staff (TUPE agreement)?

      Here is clarification of how the information communicated in 1st April e-mail under Public Holidays for Health Scotland is shown within the Crown Flexi System;

      Full-time staff members

      Basic – 202:30 (27 days) or 217:30 (29 days) or 247:30 (33 days)
      Bank Holiday – 30:00 (4 days) to account for the 4 floating public holidays (2 x Easter, 1 x May and 1 x Sept)

      The 30:00hrs (4 days) for the statutory/fixed public holidays are pre-booked for the 27+28 Dec and 1+2 Jan so are not included in your entitlement.  You will see this information recorded on your Workbench (not in your holiday card).

      Compressed/Part-Time working

      60:00 hrs pro-rata will be showing against Bank Holiday as only the applicable days/hours you work on 27+28 Dec and 1+2 Jan will be pre-booked as Public Holiday (Part-Time).

       

      My work pattern is not correct?
      Please can you discuss this with your line manager as the information has been taken from SSTS on 18th Jan and we require your line manager approval if this information is incorrect or has since changed.

      Note – If the SSTS information is incorrect, your line manager will need to log a call with Financial ServiceNow for correction.

       

      Further Support

      The PHS Crown Employee Quick Start presentation and can be found on HR Connect - Flexi Time Systems (scot.nhs.uk), select Public Health Scotland then For Employee Tab.

       

    • Crown Flexi - I cannot open the system?Public Health Scotland

      The system is only compatible with Internet Explorer 11 (IE11)

      https://nhsnss.scot.nhs.uk/CFS3_OpenOptions_MO/General/pLogOn.aspx

    • Crown Flexi Breaks FAQsNational Services Scotland

      1) Am I entitled to a lunch break if I work less than 6 hours on any given day? 

      No.  In line with Section 27 of the Agenda for Change Handbook your working day must be greater than 6 hours to be entitled to take a lunch break.

      2) Am I entitled to a lunch break if I work more than 6 hours on any day?

      Yes.  Section 27 of the Agenda for Change Handbook advises that where the working day is longer than six hours, all staff are entitled to take a break of at least 20 minutes.  The Handbook acknowledges that local arrangements may already be in place, within individual Boards, which provide for breaks of more than 20 minutes (e.g. lunch breaks).  Such arrangements are deemed to meet the provision of Section 27 and no further action will be needed.  To confirm, the NSS local arrangements for a 30-minute break (as agreed in partnership) will therefore be applied.

      3) What is the minimum time I am required to take as a lunch break? 

      30 minutes.

      4) Am I required to clock out for smoke breaks?

      The NSS Flexi-time guidelines provide for staff to have short breaks away from their desks or working area.  It is up to the individual concerned what they use these breaks for, whether it be to have a smoking break, visit the canteen, make a cup of tea, etc. 

      In any such circumstances, there is no requirement to clock in and out.  It is, however, expected that Line Managers monitor these arrangements to ensure that they are not being abused.

    • Crown Flexi Leave Requests FAQsNational Services Scotland

      1) What is a ‘flexi accounting period’?

      Crown Flexi works on rolling 4 week cycle. Each 4 week cycle is 1 flexi accounting period. Please click on the ‘Flexi Balance’ link on your Crown Flexi homepage for confirmation of which week you are in, in the 4 week cycle. 

      2) How many flexi leave days am I permitted to take in each accounting period?

      You can take a maximum of two flexi leave days in any 4 week accounting period.

      3) I work compressed hours (8.3 hours per day). Two flexi days for me would be 16.6 hours. Does this mean that I cannot take two flexi days off within the flexi accounting period?

      If you work compressed hours you could accrue more than 15 hours within the flexi accounting period to enable you to take 2 compressed hour days off. The guidelines only state that you cannot carry forward more than 15 hours.

      4) Am I permitted to take flexi leave if I have insufficient flexi credit to cover the full absence?

      No, please ensure you hold sufficient flexi credit before requesting leave.

    • Crown Flexi Balance Carry Forward FAQsNational Services Scotland

      1) How many hours can I carry forward to the next flexi accounting period?

      Full Time Staff: Whether you work a standard 5 day week or on a compressed basis, you are permitted to carry forward a maximum of 15 hours, into the next accounting period.

      Part Time Staff: Part time staff are permitted to carry forward a pro rata’ed amount of the maximum 15 hours eg a member of staff working 18.5 hours per week is permitted to carry forward 7.5 hours.  Any such additional carry forward must be utilised within the following 12 week period.

      Please Note - There may be occasion where business needs require staff to work additional hours, generating flexi credit in excess of the 15 hour threshold.  Under such circumstances (and by exception), carry forward of flexi credit (in excess of 15 hours) can be authorised by your Line Manager.

      2) I have less than half a day’s annual leave entitlement remaining in the current leave year. Can I convert this to flexi credit?

      In line with the NSS Annual Leave Policy, it is expected that annual leave will normally be taken in periods of no less than ½ day/shift.  However, it is recognised that (by exception) there will be circumstances where balances of less than this (e.g. 2 or 3 hours) may remain.

      Please Note - Remaining annual leave balances of less than ½ day/shift cannot be converted to flexi credit.  Staff however are permitted to utilise this remaining balance, whether used to cover a short term absence (e.g. late start or early leave) or supplemented with additional flexi credit to permit a full or half days leave. 

      To book any remaining annual leave, please discuss this with your Line Manager in the first instance (as is standard process) and once approved formally record your leave via the Crown Flexi system.  Please click here to access the step by step guide on how to do this.

      Staff are encouraged to take all annual leave within the current leave year with carryover of annual leave only being approved in exceptional circumstances (e.g. maternity leave, long term sickness absence, etc).  

      3) What is the maximum flexi deficit I am permitted to carry forward to the next flexi accounting period?

      Regardless of whether you work on a full time, part time or compressed week basis, the maximum flexi deficit a member of staff is permitted to carry forward (from one accounting period to the next) is 7.5 hours (1 standard working day).

    • Crown Flexi System Misuse FAQsNational Services Scotland

      1) What should I do if I become aware of flexi system abuse?

      You should report this immediately to your Line Manager in line with the Implementing and Reviewing Whistleblowing Arrangements in NSS Policy.

    • Crown Flexi Medical and Dental Appointment FAQsNational Services Scotland

      1) What time am I entitled to claim for if I attending a medical or dental appointment?

      You are entitled to claim for: -

       - The duration of the appointment, and

       - The time of a single journey, either between the appointment location and your contractual base location (or vice versa) dependant on the time of your appointment.

      Please Note – This amendment to your clocking should not result in the hours recorded exceeding your contracted hours for the day. 

      2) How do I enter a medical or dental appointment in the Crown Flexi system?

      You should clock in and out as normal and all adjustments will be made retrospectively by your Line Manager.

      Please refer to the Managers User Guide on HR Connect for guidance on how to enter the details on the Crown Flexi system.

      3) I had a dentist appointment this morning and then came to work. Due to an unforeseen work issue I was required to work beyond my normal finish time. The policy states that: "The time credited will be equivalent to the duration of the appointment plus the time for a single journey between the appointment location and their work base location but will not result in the hours recorded exceeding the employees contracted hours for that day." Will I be credited for these extra hours?

      In this situation it is expected that your Line Manager would process the full hours that you worked on that day, as an exceptional circumstance.

      4) What time am I entitled to claim for if I attend an antenatal appointment on a working day?

      You are entitled to reasonable paid time off for antenatal appointments, this includes the journey both ways and the time of your appointment. Further details can be found in section 3.10 of the NSS Maternity Leave Policy

      5) Am I required to clock out to attend a blood donation appointment?

      Should you wish to give blood during working hours, prior to booking your appointment time, please liaise with your Line Manager.

      NSS is keen to support SNBTS, where possible, with regards blood donation.  However, it is equally important to ensure operational demands within your immediate team are met.

      With the approval of our Line Manager, working time can therefore be used to attend a blood donation appointment, if a blood mobile is on site at your place of work, or your local Donor Centre is close by.

    • Crown Flexi Working Hours FAQsNational Services Scotland

      1) How early am I permitted to start work?

      It is the responsibility of each SBU/Line Manager to determine locally the appropriate start/finish times, for their staff, based on their particular business requirements.

      2) I have a member of staff who regularly clocks in prior to 7am or frequently works beyond 7pm and is building up large amounts of flexi time without an obvious workload requirement, as a line manager what should I do?

      As a Line Manager, it is important to keep an awareness of the flexi balances of your team members.If you have any concerns, please speak to the member of staff.  It is important to gain a clearer understanding of their workload and any additional rationale or concerns they may have, which have resulted in them working longer days and accruing flexi credit. 

      If there is no service requirement for them to be in the office so early/late please discuss this with them, highlighting the locally appropriate start/finish times of the department.

      3) If I have a member of staff who constantly exceeds the maximum allowed flexi time deficit, as a line manager what should I do?

      In the first instance, please meet with the member of staff to explore the reasons for this.Are there ways in which this situation could be improved? 
       
      If this is not possible or, after corrective steps, the situation remains unchanged it may be appropriate to remove the member of staff from the flexi-time system and place them on standard hours.  In this case, please seek advice from HR Services. 

      4) Am I required to participate in flexi-time working?

      Although flexi-time working is considered a useful staff benefit, for some, working on a fixed hours basis would be their preference. Please discuss any concerns with your Line Manager, in the first instance.
       
      Should you wish to opt out you should:

       - Complete a Flexi Opt-Out Request Form with your Line Manager;

       - Forward a scanned copy of the paperwork to HR Services (via the Contact Us link on HR Connect);

       - Ensure a Service Now call is raised (via Service Now), requesting that your Crown Flexi record is updated accordingly.

      Please Note - Any request to opt out will be for a maximum of 12 months, in any instance.

    • Crown Flexi Administration FAQsNational Services Scotland

      1) Can I amend/remove a pre-approved absence?

      No. This is something your Line Manager will need to action on your behalf. Please refer to the Managers User Guide on HR Connect for guidance on how to amend this request on the Crown Flexi system.

      2) Can I clear exception on my Crown Flexi account?

      No. This is something your Line Manager will need to action on your behalf. It is very important that exceptions are cleared every week as the data is vital to Reports and Enquiries. If you have an exception, please email your line manager the details. Further guidance on how to process the amendment can be found in the Managers User Guide on HR Connect.

      3) Can I swap my non-working day on Crown Flexi?

      No. This is something your Line Manager will need to action on your behalf. Full details on pattern swaps can be found in the Managers User Guide on HR Connect. Please refer to page 20. 

      4) How do I enter an absence request on Crown Flexi?

      Full details can be found in the Employee User Guide on HR Connect. Please refer to page 5.

      5) How do I enter a missed clocking (in or out) on Crown Flexi?

      Full details can be found in the Employee User Guide on HR Connect. Please refer to page 7.

      6) Can I correct an incorrect crown flexi clocking?

      No. This is something your Line Manager will need to action on your behalf. Full details can be found in the Managers User Guide on HR Connect. Please refer to page 19.

      7) How do I book a half day in the morning on crown?

      Although verbally approved in advance, please ask your Line Manager to manually enter the details into the system, retrospectively.

      Full details can be found in the Managers User Guide on HR Connect. Please refer to page 21.