You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 15-27, which are based on Reading Passages below.
Write answers to questions in boxes 15-27 on your answer sheet.
GT Reading Sample – “Benefits for staff of Hamberton Hospital” & “Performance-related pay”
Read the text below and answer Questions 15-21.
Benefits for staff of Hamberton Hospital
Our attractive benefits package is one of the ways we acknowledge the contribution they all make in the provision of high quality patient care. Our package is extensive and varied.
As a Hamberton employee, you’ll enjoy both National Health Service (NHS) and locally developed schemes, providing you with a range of benefits. These include:
Financial Benefits
• opportunity to contribute to the NHS Pension Scheme – highly regarded by the independent pensions and insurance sector
• Injury Benefits Scheme
• excellent occupational sick pay and maternity leave and pay entitlements
• loans to assist with the purchase of housing for employees in the health service
Work-Life Balance
Here at Hamberton, we are committed to helping all employees balance their work and home life commitments. We believe by helping people make this balance we are able to recruit, retain and motivate the most valuable asset of the NHS – our employees. We are committed to making this balance work for all employees equally, not just parents.
Over 50% of our staff work part-time in a range of flexible working options, which include:
• job sharing
• term-time-only working
• part-time working
• individually-tailored working patterns
We also support employees further through our caring and special leave arrangements.
Health
• our own occupational health department, providing a totally confidential service open to all staff during normal working hours
• a round-the-clock free and confidential counselling service
• policies supporting phased returns to work after long illnesses or injuries
Other Benefits
On-site facilities include:
• excellent food provided in our restaurant
• ample parking
• retail outlets
NHS Discounts
All NHS employees can access the NHS Discounts scheme. This allows members of staff free access to a number of discounted products and services. For example, discounts are available at many high street shops and elsewhere, including savings on toys, utility bills, days out, and much more.
Red Guava
This is a further discount benefit, which is available to employees of Hamberton. Red Guava provides discounts on holidays, for example, and can save you money in many other ways too.
Questions 15-21
Complete the sentences below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 15-21 on your answer sheet.
15. The hospital provides benefits to show its recognition of the ………………………… of staff to its work.
16. Financial benefits include pay for staff who are ………………………… or on maternity leave.
17. ………………………… are available for staff who wish to buy a home.
18. Helping staff with their work-life balance is not restricted to …………………………
19. The hospital has ………………………… that are designed to help staff return to work after a long absence.
20. The facilities on hospital premises include a large area for …………………………
21. The cost of ………………………… is reduced by using the Red Guava scheme.
Read the text below and answer Questions 22-27.
Performance-related pay
There are a number of reasons why your employer might introduce this type of pay scheme. They may:
• be keen to retain current staff
• want to compete for new talent
• be seeking a fairer way of distributing wages.
In order for performance-related schemes to work, they should be based on clear, measurable targets agreed by both employer and employee. You will normally find out about these targets from your contract of employment and the performance appraisal meetings you have with your manager.
Short-term schemes
Short-term schemes usually offer bonus payments, or, depending on the type of work, commission on sales achieved. Payments vary and these schemes are normally used just to encourage staff to improve their own performance.
Long-term schemes
Long-term schemes offer rewards like share options, and can help to encourage loyalty to the organisation and its aims. Such schemes tend to be used as a way of retaining senior staff.
What to do if you have problems
If you don’t receive bonus or commission payments which you believe you are owed, check your contract of employment or staff handbook to see how your bonus is paid. Ask your employer if you need more information.
If you think a mistake has been made, you should:
• speak to your employer to see if there has been a misunderstanding
• ask your employer to set out in writing how they have calculated your pay
• keep copies of any letters and notes of any meetings.
There are three ways that the law might cover a case of unpaid bonuses:
• breach of contract
• unlawful deductions from wages
• unlawful discrimination.
Deductions from wages / breach of contract
Any right to a bonus will normally be included in your contract of employment. It may not always be written down. It can be verbally agreed or understood to be there due to normal practice in your particular area of business.
Failure to pay a bonus or commission that you are entitled to could amount to an unlawful deduction of wages.
Discrimination
Your employer must not discriminate against particular groups of people – for example, by giving smaller bonuses to women. Ideally, your employer should have some guidelines setting out the normal range of bonuses to give, and these must be followed without discriminating against any specific group.
Questions 22-27
Complete the notes below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 22-27 on your answer sheet.
Performance-related pay
One of the reasons for introducing performance-related pay is in order to 22 …………………… existing employees.
Employer and employee should agree on some 23 …………………… that can be measured.
Short-term schemes: bonus or the payment of a 24 …………………… related to sales.
Long-term reward schemes: generally offered to employees at a 25 …………………… level.
Details of bonus payments: may be included in a contract or a handbook for staff.
If you think there has been a mistake with your pay:
• discuss the issue with your employer
• keep records of any relevant 26 ……………………
It is illegal for employers to discriminate against any specific group, e.g. by giving less money to 27 …………………… .
Answer:
15. contribution
16. sick
17. loans
18. parents
19. policies/schemes
20. parking
21. holidays
22. retain
23. targets
24. commission
25. senior
26. meetings/letters
27. women