Why set up a substitute?
Substitutions enable managers and approvers to arrange cover for line management or finance tasks when they are absent. Setting substitutes is important to ensure that staff get prompt approval of any overtime or expenses, and requests for leave. If you are responsible for shopping tasks, it’s important to have a substitute, to ensure suppliers are paid on time, and to enable prompt approval of things like invoices, credit notes, petty cash transactions and other things that keep your team’s activities running smoothly. Late payment of suppliers is not just bad practice – it can result in fines.What does a substitute do?
The manager chooses someone to approve workflow tasks on their behalf (such as requests for annual leave or agreeing purchase orders). The person chosen for HR tasks must be someone higher in the organisational structure, to maintain the security of people’s personal information. Any colleague can be named as a substitute for finance tasks.How easy is it to set up a substitute?
It’s really easy! The manager can set someone as their substitute through the Shared Services (IBC) portal - ‘Manage Substitution’. It is important to note that substitutions should only be activated during periods of absence and the substitution can be turned on or off by both people. If left on when the manager is back in the workplace, the approval requests will continue to go to both the manager and their substitute which can cause confusion and potentially duplicate actions.What do I need to do?
Full guidance can be found on the help pages on the Shared Services (IBC) Portal What is a Substitution? | Staff and managers (hants.gov.uk). Managers without substitutions in place will receive a monthly reminder email to ensure they are set up.So, get your substitutions setup today by visiting the Shared Services (IBC) portal.