About annualised hours contracts

Here we explain in a little more detail about the annualised hours contract we offer for the Cycling Instructor role. Please also see our introductory information about Becoming a Cycling Instructor and the other type of contract we offer, which is a bank (zero hours) contract.

What is an annualised hours contract?

Annualised hours are a type of employment contract where you receive a regular monthly salary. The salary is based on a set number of hours to be worked over the course of a year. With an annualised hours contract, the number of hours you work in any one week would vary but your monthly salary would not vary.

Say, for example, you had an annualised hours contract for 600 hours. Each month, you would be paid a salary for 600 ÷ 12 = 50 hours. But one month you might actually work 80 hours and another month 20 hours.

An annualised hours contract means you will know what money you will have coming in each month.

The annualised hours are totalled to the end of each calendar year, so you will be scheduled for the right amount of work to complete your set hours each year.

How will I be paid?

Your salary will be paid into your bank account once a month, on or around the 22nd of each month.

Do I get annual leave?

It is assumed you take your leave outside the hours you work, so you do not book annual leave. Instead, a leave allowance is added on to your pay, which for new employees is 15% of your pay.

How many hours a year will I work?

Generally our annualised hours contracts range between 200 and 800 hours per year. We would agree your hours with you. It will depend upon how many hours you want. The hours that will work for you in practice may also depend on how far you want to travel, especially if you live in a part of Surrey where you don't have many schools close to you.

Can I change the hours in my contract?

Yes, if you found that you wanted more or fewer hours we would discuss that with you.

How far will I have to travel?

Our standard 'working patch' is a 10-mile travelling distance from your home but that can be discussed if you would like it to be different.

How far in advance will I know my schedule?

We try to schedule your hours as early on as we can each year. This helps you to plan and helps us to be confident we can schedule all your paid hours. Having said that, cycle training is a customer-led service and bookings sometimes change, meaning your schedule would need to be amended.

Can I work additional hours?

Yes, if you want to and the work is available, the extra hours will be added to your monthly pay.

Do I have to work in the school holidays?

No. You can choose to but there is no obligation, as we recognise many people have caring responsibilities in the holidays. There is also no obligation to work weekends or evenings - we are only rarely asked to run weekend or evening training anyway.

Can I request not to work if I want some time off?

As mentioned above, you do not book annual leave. You can, though, request to be unavailable for work. If you are on target to fulfill your set hours and have no work booked for the period you want to be unavailable, we would look to approve your request.

How is this different to a zero hours (bank) contract?

1. Both annualised hours and bank contracts are permanent contracts and have the same rate of pay.
2. The main difference is that with an annualised hours contract you have an assured monthly income.
3. The other side of the coin with an annualised hours contract is that you have less flexibility about choosing when you want to work, as you have to fulfill the set number of hours each year.
4. There are some other additional benefits with an annualised hours contract such as pay for long-term sickness, carer's leave where applicable and eligibility for the cycle to work to scheme (discounted cycle purchase).