Underwood Carpenter Employee Handbook - Latest 02 11 16
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<strong>Employee</strong> <strong>Handbook</strong><br />
Issue Date: November 20<strong>16</strong>
Contents<br />
The Purpose of this <strong>Handbook</strong> 6<br />
Our Support Mentors 6<br />
Aims 6<br />
Non-Contractual and Contractual Terms 6<br />
Amendments to the <strong>Employee</strong> <strong>Handbook</strong> 6<br />
Section 1 7<br />
1 7<br />
Benefits for <strong>Employee</strong>s 7<br />
<strong>Employee</strong> Wellbeing 7<br />
Training and Development 7<br />
Professional Membership Fees 7<br />
Personal Development Plan 7<br />
UC Pension Plan 8<br />
Perkbox Benefits 8<br />
Medical Insurance 8<br />
Eye Sight Tests for Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Users 9<br />
2 9<br />
Your Working Environment 9<br />
Code of Conduct 9<br />
Dress Code 9<br />
Alcohol/Drugs/Substance Abuse 9<br />
Equal Opportunities 10<br />
Bullying and Harassment 10<br />
Working from Home / Flexible Working 12<br />
Personal Property 12<br />
Public Duties 12<br />
<strong>Employee</strong> <strong>Handbook</strong> Issue Date: November 20<strong>16</strong><br />
2
3 12<br />
Work and Family 12<br />
Maternity Pay and Leave 12<br />
Paternity Pay and Leave 15<br />
Shared Parental Pay and Leave <strong>16</strong><br />
Parental Leave 19<br />
Family Emergencies 20<br />
4 20<br />
Health and Safety 20<br />
Health and Safety Policies 20<br />
5 21<br />
Marketing and Branding 21<br />
Marketing 21<br />
All forms of marketing and related initiatives must be agreed and signed-off by<br />
your Line Manager. 21<br />
Branding and Standard Templates 21<br />
6 22<br />
Corporate Social Responsibility 22<br />
Business Ethics 22<br />
Environment 22<br />
Community 22<br />
Philanthropy 22<br />
7 22<br />
Problem Solving 22<br />
Disciplinary Procedure 22<br />
Grievance Procedure 29<br />
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Section 2 30<br />
1 30<br />
Terms and Conditions of Employment 30<br />
Attendance and Time Keeping 30<br />
Working Time Regulations 30<br />
Driving on Company Business 30<br />
My Space: Timesheet, Expenses and Mileage System 31<br />
Holidays 33<br />
Sickness Absence 34<br />
Work Related Stress 39<br />
Healthcare Appointments 39<br />
2 39<br />
Protecting our Assets 39<br />
Company Property and Security 39<br />
3 41<br />
Security and Information Technology Governance 41<br />
Internet, Email and other IT Systems 41<br />
Social Media 41<br />
Acceptable Personal Usage 42<br />
Monitoring 42<br />
Rules for usage of internet and email systems 42<br />
Prohibited Activities 43<br />
Monitoring 44<br />
Telephones 44<br />
4 45<br />
Bribery and Disclosure 45<br />
Anti-Bribery 45<br />
Data Protection 47<br />
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4
’Whistle Blowing’ Procedure 47<br />
Public Interest Disclosure 48<br />
5 48<br />
Leaving the Company 48<br />
Notice/Termination of Employment 48<br />
Redundancy 49<br />
Retirement 49<br />
<strong>Employee</strong> <strong>Handbook</strong> Issue Date: November 20<strong>16</strong><br />
5
Introduction to the <strong>Employee</strong> <strong>Handbook</strong><br />
Welcome to our Team and we hope you will find your career with us both enjoyable and<br />
rewarding.<br />
We recognise our people are our future. We are continually learning, evolving and developing new<br />
ways of working that benefit our team and the Company as a whole.<br />
Our objective is to make our Company a great place to work and one in which each of our team<br />
feel recognised and are encouraged to grow and succeed.<br />
The Purpose of this <strong>Handbook</strong><br />
We have prepared this <strong>Handbook</strong> with the objective of providing our team with useful information<br />
on all aspects of our policies, standards and procedures. We hope you will find this information<br />
useful as a reference document.<br />
A copy of this handbook is available on the HR Policies and Company Procedures drive :<br />
1. <strong>Employee</strong> <strong>Handbook</strong><br />
It is important that you ensure you make yourself familiar with its contents, but always feel able to<br />
discuss any business or personal matters with your Line Manager or one of our Support Mentors.<br />
Our Support Mentors<br />
Tim Salter, Allan McPherson, David <strong>Underwood</strong> and Rachael Lewis<br />
Aims<br />
It is our intention to clearly set out policies and procedures to ensure that all employees are treated<br />
consistently and fairly and that new members to our team have a point of reference on<br />
employment matters.<br />
Non-Contractual and Contractual Terms<br />
The contents of this handbook fall into two categories, non-contractual and contractual terms of<br />
employment.<br />
To help you define which items are non-contractual and which ones are contractual, this<br />
handbook has been split into two sections:<br />
Section 1:<br />
Section 2:<br />
Non-Contractual<br />
Contractual<br />
Amendments to the <strong>Employee</strong> <strong>Handbook</strong><br />
It is important that we keep reviewing our people policies and procedures to ensure we comply<br />
with all legal requirements and adhere to best practice. The Company therefore reserves the right<br />
to make changes to policies and procedures contained within the handbook or otherwise to add<br />
in additional clauses/policies.<br />
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Section 1<br />
This section covers non-contractual policies and procedures. Whilst they do not form part of your<br />
contract of employment, they do nevertheless include policies that must be followed. It is therefore<br />
important that you understand these requirements, if they are not observed it may lead to a<br />
breach of Company policy and possible disciplinary measures.<br />
1<br />
Benefits for <strong>Employee</strong>s<br />
• <strong>Employee</strong> Wellbeing<br />
• Training and Development<br />
• Professional Membership Fees<br />
• Personal Development Plan<br />
• UC Pension Plan<br />
• Perkbox Benefits<br />
• Medical Insurance<br />
• Eye Sight Tests for Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Users<br />
<strong>Employee</strong> Wellbeing<br />
We appreciate that at times, work can be stressful (either on a temporary or permanent basis) and<br />
at certain times in people’s lives, they are less able to tolerate stress levels that previously they<br />
would have been able to cope with and need a little extra support.<br />
Should you ever feel that your job is causing you undue stress or that you need extra support,<br />
please speak to your Line Manager or a Team Mentor so that we can work together to discuss ways<br />
of addressing the situation.<br />
Training and Development<br />
The Company is committed to training all employees to fully develop their potential and ensure that<br />
standards of competence are maintained.<br />
In conjunction with the Company's commitment it is expected that all employees will make a similar<br />
commitment to their own development, through their attitude to the opportunities and self learning.<br />
Professional Membership Fees<br />
At the Company’s discretion, we may reimburse professional fee subscriptions provided that they<br />
are relevant to your activities for the Company.<br />
Personal Development Plan<br />
Personal Development Plans are a key part of our business strategy and our staff development<br />
plan. We will aim to carry out reviews at least every three months or as agreed in your PDP Action<br />
Plan.<br />
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PDPs have four main objectives:<br />
- To provide an opportunity for you to have a dialogue with your Line Manager, enabling you<br />
to discuss and receive feedback and evaluation on your performance.<br />
- To provide a method to set and review key objectives linked to personal, team and<br />
Company objectives and values.<br />
- To provide a means to identify and prioritise learning and development needs, and to<br />
define an action plan for each employee.<br />
- To provide an opportunity for reflection and discussion about your performance and<br />
aspirations in a constructive and open environment<br />
Competencies and performance will be reviewed against the specific job role but the review<br />
process may also seek to provide support and development for future new roles and opportunities.<br />
UC Pension Plan<br />
The Company operates a workplace pension plan that is managed by Aviva. Eligibility is subject to<br />
meeting scheme membership criteria, namely;<br />
• You earn over £192 per week (or £833 per month),<br />
• you are aged 22 or over and,<br />
• you are under state pension age<br />
<strong>Employee</strong>s meeting the eligibility criteria will be automatically enrolled into the UC Pension Plan.<br />
The eligibility criteria may be updated in line with changes in legislation from time to time.<br />
Employer and employee contributions are based on a percentage of basic salary. The<br />
percentage the Company will contribute into your UC Pension Plan is 1.5% and employees will<br />
contribute a minimum of 1%. Contributions will increase in increments, currently planned for<br />
October 2017 and then October 2018 to reach the minimum contribution level of 3% for the<br />
employer and 5% for the employee. This may be subject to change to align with legislation<br />
amendments.<br />
Upon enrolment, employees will receive a Scheme Membership pack, detailing how to log on to<br />
your own Aviva account for monitoring/managing your pension plan, how to opt out of the<br />
scheme and details of Aviva product discounts. You may also refer to the UC Pension Plan<br />
microsite: https://www.aviva.co.uk/mypension/ucpensionplan/.<br />
If you choose to opt out of the scheme, in line with pension regulations, you will be automatically<br />
enrolled again every 3 years, at which time you will need to opt out of the scheme if you wish to<br />
remain opted out.<br />
Perkbox Benefits<br />
The company operates a Staff Benefits package. This benefits package will give you access to<br />
discounts at major retailers, restaurants, cinemas, leisure facilities and much more. Further<br />
information will be provided with your membership invitation.<br />
Medical Insurance<br />
This benefit may be provided subject to grade. Alternatively, the company is able to obtain<br />
preferential rates for medical insurance should you require this cover. Please contact the Finance &<br />
HR Manager should you wish to obtain a quote for you or your family.<br />
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Eye Sight Tests for Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Users<br />
<strong>Employee</strong>s who regularly use PCs or other display screen equipment (i.e. for more than 2 hours per<br />
day or 10 hours per week) are entitled to have DSE eye sight tests, up to every 2 years if required,<br />
paid for by the Company.<br />
Should you need a DSE eyesight test you can claim reimbursement upon presentation of your test<br />
payment receipt with your next expenses claim. The cost of your eye test will be reimbursed up to<br />
a maximum of £25.<br />
2<br />
Your Working Environment<br />
• Code of Conduct<br />
• Dress Code<br />
• Alcohol/Drugs/Substance Abuse<br />
• Equal Opportunities<br />
• Bullying and Harassment<br />
• Working from Home / Flexible working<br />
• Personal Property<br />
• Public Duties<br />
The following sections cover our key policies for creating a positive and professional working<br />
environment.<br />
Code of Conduct<br />
The Company expects all employees to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner at all times,<br />
not only in terms of behaviour, but also with regards to their personal attire and choice of<br />
language. You are a representative of the Company, and your conduct, both inside and outside<br />
work premises, may reflect on the image and reputation of the Company.<br />
Maximum effort should be put into building relationships with our clients, as excellent customer<br />
service is the key to our continued success and profitability. Any negative feedback from clients<br />
concerning customer service will be investigated and should it be found that you were<br />
discourteous or rude to any client, you may be subject to disciplinary action.<br />
If for any reason you are required to work at a client’s premises you are reminded that you must<br />
abide by the policies of that client and also act as a good ambassador of the Company.<br />
Dress Code<br />
Starting with your first day and continuing throughout your employment, you represent the<br />
Company. We encourage everyone to maintain appropriate attire and personal appearance in a<br />
manner that is professional in our business environment. We are more relaxed about smart casual<br />
wear in our office, but would still ask that due consideration be given to the image you present to<br />
any visiting clients or suppliers<br />
Alcohol/Drugs/Substance Abuse<br />
No illegal drugs or substances are allowed on the Company’s premises. If you are found to be in<br />
possession of illegal drugs or substances or you are suspected of dealing drugs on Company<br />
premises the police will be informed immediately. Any employee who is unfit for work, as a result of<br />
<strong>Employee</strong> <strong>Handbook</strong> Issue Date: November 20<strong>16</strong><br />
9
excessive drinking or suspected use of illegal drugs or substances, will be sent home immediately on<br />
suspension, with pay, and will be liable to disciplinary action being taken. Being unfit for work as a<br />
result of drinking alcohol or the use of illegal drugs or substances, possession of or dealing drugs is<br />
normally considered to be an act of gross misconduct and may therefore result in your dismissal<br />
from the Company.<br />
If any employee is on a course of medication or prescribed drugs they must inform their Line<br />
Manager immediately if the effects of the drug may impair their ability to work or to operate<br />
Company equipment, including driving vehicles on or off the Company’s premises, so that a risk<br />
assessment can be carried out and appropriate action taken to protect your welfare and the<br />
health and safety of others.<br />
Equal Opportunities<br />
The Company is an equal opportunities employer committed to all aspects of employment,<br />
including recruitment, the provision of training and career development opportunities to:<br />
• Provide the same level of opportunity for everyone<br />
• Attract and retain new employees<br />
• Show our clients that we are a fair Company<br />
• Ensure that our employment and business practices do not infringe the law<br />
• Demonstrate our commitment to be an equal opportunities employer<br />
The Company values diversity and it is in everyone’s interests for the environment in which we work<br />
to be harmonious and respectful. We will treat all employees fairly and with dignity and we will<br />
provide a working environment free from direct and indirect discrimination, harassment or<br />
victimisation.<br />
Any employee’s conduct outside of work that could have a bearing on their employment or could<br />
bring the Company’s name or reputation into disrepute will be dealt with under the Company’s<br />
disciplinary procedure.<br />
All employees for employment with this Company will be given equal opportunity regardless of their<br />
age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity,<br />
race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation or any other condition which cannot be shown to<br />
be relevant to performance.<br />
Employer’s Responsibilities<br />
The Company will fulfil it’s commitment to equal opportunity by:<br />
• Recognising it’s legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and also other associated<br />
legislation and appropriate case law<br />
• Providing facilities for any employee who believes that he/she has been unfairly treated to<br />
raise the matter through the grievance procedure<br />
• Regarding any deliberate discriminatory action, including harassment, by any employee as<br />
a serious disciplinary offence<br />
Bullying and Harassment<br />
This policy sets out the Company’s approach to dealing with any form of bullying or harassment<br />
within the work environment. This policy applies to all workers and includes not only their usual work<br />
environment but any work-related functions held out of working hours, such as Christmas parties,<br />
leaving drinks and so on.<br />
The Company will not tolerate any acts of harassment or bullying.<br />
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<strong>Employee</strong>s must remember that everyone will differ in their interpretation of ‘bullying’ and<br />
‘harassment’, and what may be acceptable to one person may not be acceptable to another.<br />
Bullying and harassment behaviours are defined by how the person feels and not by what the<br />
bully/harasser intended.<br />
Bullying and harassment can cause significant stress, fear and anxiety for the recipients and can<br />
manifest itself in high absence levels, low morale, poor performance, high turnover and illness.<br />
The following is a list of examples of bullying and harassment, but is by no means exhaustive:<br />
• Physical abuse (pushing, shaking or blocking someone’s way)<br />
• Shouting and swearing at an individual, making threats<br />
• Personal insults and name-calling<br />
• Spreading malicious rumours<br />
• Punishments given for no apparent reason<br />
• Persistent criticism and belittling individuals<br />
• Setting unrealistic targets on purpose, setting people up to fail<br />
• Removing responsibility and allocating menial tasks<br />
• Racial abuse<br />
• Displays of sexually offensive material (e.g. pin-ups)<br />
• Requests and insistence on sexual favours, actual sexual violence<br />
• Threat of dismissal, loss of promotion for refusal of sexual favours<br />
• Unnecessary physical contact<br />
• Insensitive jokes or pranks or lewd comments<br />
• Deliberate exclusion from conversations or teamwork<br />
• Internet / email bullying, persistent harassment on email or social media sites<br />
Procedure for Dealing with Bullying and Harassment<br />
Any employee who feels they have been bullied or harassed should report the matter either<br />
informally or formally to their Line Manger, a Team Mentor, HR Manager or Director of the<br />
Company. Subject to the outcome of that discussion, a disciplinary investigation may then take<br />
place.<br />
Allegations of bullying and harassment are very serious. Any employee who brings a complaint of<br />
bullying or harassment will not suffer any victimisation for having done so but, should their complaint<br />
prove to be untrue and made in bad faith, then disciplinary action may be taken.<br />
Minor Acts of Bullying or Harassment – Informal approach<br />
If the employee feels able to deal with the issue themselves, they should approach the individual<br />
concerned and make it clear that their actions are not acceptable, and that if the behaviour does<br />
not stop they will have to consider making a formal complaint.<br />
Serious Acts of Bullying or Harassment<br />
If the informal approach has not been successful or if the bullying or harassment is sufficiently<br />
serious then the formal grievance procedure should be instigated by writing down the details of the<br />
bullying or harassment in the form of a complaint and handed to your Line Manager.<br />
Confidentiality<br />
Please be aware that whilst confidentiality will be maintained as far as possible, in some<br />
circumstances the Company may have a duty of care to investigate and take action to resolve<br />
the problem, even in instances when the employee concerned would prefer that no action be<br />
taken.<br />
<strong>Employee</strong> <strong>Handbook</strong> Issue Date: November 20<strong>16</strong><br />
<strong>11</strong>
Working from Home / Flexible Working<br />
Whilst we support flexible and mobile working, we expect our team to work from the Company’s<br />
Head Office at least one day per week to maintain proper communication with their Line Manager<br />
and ensure they operate as part of the team structure and are fully up to date with ways of<br />
working. Individual arrangements must be agreed with your Line Manager.<br />
If the Company agrees to you working from home for any part of a day or any part of a week, you<br />
must first satisfy the Company that you have adequate facilities available for you to work from<br />
home. This will include ensuring that you have the means to maintain full telephone and email<br />
communication at all times. If agreement is granted by the Company, any subsequent change<br />
whatsoever that may affect your ability to work from home in the required manner must be notified<br />
to your Line Manager immediately. Failure to satisfy this requirement may result in appropriate<br />
actions in line with the Disciplinary Procedure.<br />
If working from home or away from the office, you must ensure that the following are being<br />
achieved:<br />
• Regular communication, including discussion of your workload, whereabouts, objectives<br />
and achievements<br />
• Regular submissions of evidence/reports/documentation relating to your workload,<br />
whereabouts, objectives, achievements, etc<br />
• You have access to the appropriate resources in order to fulfil your business objective<br />
• You are easily contactable by telephone and or email during your contracted hours<br />
• Your locations are regularly updated with head office<br />
Personal Property<br />
You are reminded that the Company does not accept any responsibility for loss or damage to an<br />
employee’s clothing or personal items.<br />
Public Duties<br />
If you are required to be a witness in court or attend jury service, leave of absence may be<br />
granted.<br />
If granted, you will be required to complete the loss of earnings form provided by the courts.<br />
3<br />
Work and Family<br />
• Maternity Pay and Leave<br />
• Paternity Pay and Leave<br />
• Shared Parental Leave<br />
• Parental Leave<br />
• Family Emergencies<br />
Maternity Pay and Leave<br />
If you are absent from work due to pregnancy or confinement, you must take compulsory<br />
maternity leave of at least 2 weeks and are entitled to maternity leave of up to 52 weeks and, if<br />
you satisfy particular qualifying conditions, you may be entitled to certain statutory payments.<br />
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12
Please note, however, that owing to the complexity of the legislation the following is only a<br />
summary.<br />
Notification of Pregnancy<br />
Once you have your pregnancy confirmed you should notify your Line Manager at the earliest<br />
opportunity and, if possible, give an indication of when your baby is due. Notifying the Company of<br />
pregnancy is particularly important for anyone whose work involves, for example, lifting or carrying.<br />
However, at the latest, you are required to notify the Company of your intention to take maternity<br />
leave by the 15 th week before your expected week of confinement (EWC). You will need to advise<br />
the Company:<br />
• That you are pregnant<br />
• The week your baby is expected to be born<br />
• When you want your maternity leave to start<br />
You are entitled to change your mind about when you want to start your maternity leave,<br />
providing you advise the Company at least 28 days in advance.<br />
Once the form MAT B1 (which states the expected date of birth) has been issued by the midwife or<br />
doctor, you should give this to the Finance and HR Manager.<br />
The Company will respond in writing within 28 days of receiving your notification of your leave<br />
plans, setting out the date of which you are expected to return to work if you take your full<br />
maternity leave.<br />
You should notify the Company of the date of your baby’s birth as soon as is convenient after the<br />
birth. Maternity pay and leave provisions are applicable to anyone whose baby is born after 24<br />
weeks of pregnancy.<br />
Risk Assessment<br />
The Company may carry out a risk assessment and if your job, or any of your duties, is identified as<br />
carrying any risk for you or your unborn child you will be notified immediately and all reasonable<br />
arrangements will be made to remove you from those risks. This may mean that your working<br />
conditions are altered or that you are offered other more suitable duties for the duration of your<br />
pregnancy. If neither of these options is possible it may be necessary to suspend you on full pay<br />
until you are no longer at risk. If you unreasonably refuse a suitable alternative vacancy which is<br />
offered you may lose your right to pay.<br />
If you have any concerns about your own health and safety during your pregnancy at any time<br />
you should speak to your Line Manager immediately.<br />
Ante Natal Care<br />
Time off with pay is allowed for the purposes of antenatal care advised by a doctor or midwife<br />
provided that you can provide evidence of an appointment (except for your first ante natal<br />
appointment, which you can attend first and provide evidence later).<br />
The father/partner is entitled to attend up to 2 ante-natal appointments; time off for these<br />
appointments will be unpaid.<br />
Maternity Pay<br />
If you have been employed by the Company for 26 weeks, 15 weeks before the week in which<br />
your baby is due (the qualifying week) and your earnings are above the lower earnings limits, you<br />
will be entitled to statutory maternity pay (SMP).<br />
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If you have been employed for less than 26 weeks you will qualify for maternity leave, but not for<br />
maternity pay.<br />
SMP is paid for a maximum period of 39 weeks and is paid in the same way and at the same times<br />
as normal salary.<br />
Maternity pay is paid at 90% of normal earnings for the first 6 weeks of the maternity leave period<br />
and then 33 weeks at the SMP flat rate which is reviewed in April of each year, or 90% of average<br />
weekly earnings if this is less than the SMP rate.<br />
If you are not entitled to SMP you may be entitled to receive Maternity Allowance which can be<br />
claimed from The Department of Work and Pensions by completing form MA1 which is available<br />
online.<br />
Maternity Leave<br />
All employees are entitled to 52 weeks’ statutory maternity leave. This comprises of 26 weeks’<br />
ordinary maternity leave (OML), immediately followed by 26 weeks’ additional maternity leave<br />
(AML).<br />
The earliest date you can commence your maternity leave is <strong>11</strong> weeks before the expected date<br />
of confinement (EWC), although you are not required to take any maternity leave before the birth<br />
if you do not wish to do so. However, if you are absent from work for a pregnancy related illness<br />
during the 4 weeks before the start of your EWC, your maternity leave will start automatically,<br />
regardless of the date you intended to start your maternity leave.<br />
For babies due on or after the 5th April 2015, if both you and the father/partner meet the qualifying<br />
requirements you will be able to opt in to Shared Parental Leave, allowing you to share up to 50<br />
weeks with the father or partner, after the initial compulsory maternity period of 2 weeks. For more<br />
information on Shared Parental Leave, please see the section below.<br />
Keeping in Touch Days<br />
During your statutory maternity leave period you may carry out up to 10 days’ work without<br />
bringing your maternity leave to an end. This can include attending training or keeping in touch<br />
with the workplace by, for example, attending Company or team meetings.<br />
During your statutory maternity leave period there is no obligation on the Company to provide you<br />
with work, nor is there any requirement on you to attend work if you do not wish to do so.<br />
Contractual Status during Maternity Leave<br />
Whilst on maternity leave you are entitled to receive all your normal contractual benefits, such as<br />
annual holiday entitlement, but, you are not entitled to receive your normal pay during this period.<br />
All other terms and conditions of employment remain in force throughout the full period of<br />
maternity leave.<br />
If an employee wishes to return to work during or at the end of the period of ordinary maternity<br />
leave they are entitled to return to their original job. If they return at the end of additional maternity<br />
leave and their original job is no longer available, they will be entitled to return to a job of a similar<br />
nature and status.<br />
Returning to Work<br />
If you intend to return to work at the end of your full maternity leave entitlement you are not<br />
required to give any further notification to the Company. However, if you wish to return to work<br />
before the end of your maternity leave, you must notify the Company in writing at least 56 days<br />
<strong>Employee</strong> <strong>Handbook</strong> Issue Date: November 20<strong>16</strong><br />
14
efore your intended date of return. If you do not give appropriate notice, this may delay your<br />
return to work.<br />
If you decide not to return to work you must give the normal contractual notice period for<br />
termination of employment.<br />
If you request to return to work on different terms and conditions of employment than before the<br />
commencement of your maternity leave, the Company will give reasonable consideration to this<br />
request and will not unreasonably refuse permission. Please see the Company’s policy on<br />
requesting flexible working.<br />
Paternity Pay and Leave<br />
This policy sets out the entitlement for ordinary paternity leave and pay.<br />
Ante Natal Care<br />
The father/partner is entitled to attend up to 2 ante-natal appointments or adoption meetings; time<br />
off for these appointments will be unpaid.<br />
Ordinary Paternity Leave (OPL)<br />
In order to qualify for paternity leave you must:<br />
• Be the biological father of the child or the mother’s husband or partner; or<br />
• Be the adopter’s spouse or partner;<br />
• Have worked continuously for the Company for 26 weeks leading into the 15th week before<br />
the baby is due; or<br />
• Have worked continuously for the Company for 26 weeks leading into the week in which<br />
the adopter is notified of being matched with a child; and<br />
• Have or expect to have responsibility for the child’s upbringing.<br />
The Company will ask you to provide a self-certificate as evidence that you meet the eligibility<br />
conditions outlined above.<br />
Length of Ordinary Paternity Leave<br />
You can choose whether to take either one week or 2 consecutive weeks’ paternity leave. Leave<br />
cannot be taken as single days.<br />
You can choose to start your leave:<br />
• From the date of the child’s birth (whether this is earlier or later than expected); or<br />
• From the date of the child’s placement; or<br />
• From a chosen number of days or weeks after the date of the child’s birth (whether this is<br />
earlier or later than expected); or<br />
• From a chosen number of days or weeks after the date of the child’s placement; or<br />
• From a chosen date.<br />
Leave can start on any day of the week on or following the child’s expected birth (or placement),<br />
but it must be completed within 56 days of the actual date of birth (or placement) of the child, or if<br />
the child is born (or placed) early, within the period from the actual date of birth (or placement) up<br />
to 56 days after the expected week of birth (or placement).<br />
Only one period of leave will be available, irrespective of whether more than one child is born as<br />
the result of the same pregnancy, or whether more than one child is placed.<br />
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Ordinary Statutory Paternity Pay<br />
During ordinary paternity leave, most employees will be entitled to statutory paternity pay (SPP).<br />
SPP is paid at the standard rate of statutory maternity pay (SMP), which is reviewed in April of each<br />
year, or 90% of average weekly earnings if this is less than the SMP rate.<br />
Notification of Intention to take Ordinary Paternity Leave<br />
You will be required to inform the Company of your intention to take paternity leave by the 15th<br />
week before the baby is expected, or within 7 days of being informed by the adoption agency of<br />
a match. You will need to advise your Manager:<br />
• The week the baby is due; or<br />
• When the child is expected to be placed; and<br />
• Whether you wish to take 1 or 2 weeks leave; and<br />
• When you want your leave to start.<br />
You are entitled to change your mind about the date on which you want your leave to start<br />
providing you advise the Company at least 28 days in advance.<br />
Contractual Status during Ordinary Paternity Leave<br />
The contract of employment continues during ordinary paternity leave and entitlement to all<br />
benefits continues, with the exception of salary (and other remuneration payments).<br />
Return to Work After Ordinary Paternity Leave<br />
You will be entitled to return to the same job following paternity leave.<br />
If you decide not to return to work you must give the normal contractual notice period for<br />
termination of employment.<br />
If you request to return to work on different terms and conditions of employment than before the<br />
commencement of your additional paternity leave, the Company will give reasonable<br />
consideration to this request and will not unreasonably refuse permission. Please see the<br />
Company’s policy on requesting flexible working.<br />
If you would like to take further leave, you can opt in to Shared Parental Leave (SPL), please see<br />
the Shared Parental Leave policy for more information.<br />
Shared Parental Pay and Leave<br />
Eligible employees will have the right to share up to 50 weeks Shared Parental Leave (SPL) to care<br />
for a child due or adopted on or after 5th April 2015.<br />
Eligibility<br />
In order to qualify for Shared Parental Leave:<br />
• The mother/primary adopter can only share the leave with the one partner/spouse or the<br />
father of the child and this person must share the main responsibility for the care of the<br />
child; and<br />
• The parent intending to take SPL must be an employee and be employed for the duration<br />
of the SPL (or at the start of each leave period); and<br />
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• The mother/primary adopter must be entitled to maternity or adoption leave or statutory<br />
maternity or adoption pay or maternity allowance and have ended/given notice to end<br />
the maternity/adoption entitlements; and<br />
• The employee seeking SPL must have worked for the Company for at least 26 weeks at the<br />
end of the 15th week before the week in which the child is due (or at the week in which an<br />
adopter was notified of having been matched with a child for adoption) and still be<br />
working for the Company at the start of each period of SPL; and<br />
• The other parent/partner must have worked for 26 weeks in the 66 weeks leading up to the<br />
due date and have earned above the minimum earnings threshold; and<br />
• Give the correct notice, including a declaration and evidence that both parents meet the<br />
employment and earnings tests.<br />
It’s possible that only one parent may be eligible to take SPL, e.g. the other partner may be selfemployed<br />
and so will not be eligible to take SPL, but will still need to pass the earnings test so that<br />
their partner, an employee, can qualify. If both parents meet the qualifying requirements, there will<br />
be a joint entitlement and they will have to decide how to share the SPL once the mother/primary<br />
adopter has curtailed their maternity/adoption leave.<br />
Shared Parental Leave (SPL)<br />
Shared Parental Leave can be taken at any time after the 2 weeks of compulsory adoption or<br />
maternity leave as long as the SPL is taken before the child’s first birthday and providing that there<br />
is some untaken maternity/adoption leave to share.<br />
In order for Shared Parental Leave to start:<br />
• The mother or primary adopter must have returned to work; or<br />
• The mother or primary adopter must have given a ‘binding notice’ (a decision that can’t be<br />
changed) to the Company of the date when they’ll end their maternity or adoption leave;<br />
and<br />
• Ended or given a binding notice to end their maternity/adoption pay.<br />
Therefore SPL can start for the father/partner while the mother or adopter is still on maternity or<br />
adoption leave if she’s given binding notice to end her leave (and pay if appropriate).<br />
Alternatively the SPL can start at the end of the maternity/adoption leave or sometime later. Both<br />
parents can either take SPL at the same time, or separately in blocks (if eligible).<br />
An employee must opt in for SPL and give the Company at least 8 weeks’ notice before the start of<br />
the first period of SPL. <strong>Employee</strong>s can give their employer up to 3 separate notices – each notice<br />
can be for a block of leave or the notice may request a pattern of discontinuous leave involving<br />
different periods of leave.<br />
Please note that discontinuous means blocks of 1 week e.g. 1 week off, 1 week in work, 1 week off<br />
etc.)<br />
The Company will agree to blocks of continuous leave, and will consider requests for blocks of<br />
discontinuous leave, but, depending on the needs of the business, requests for discontinuous leave<br />
may be refused and the total weeks of leave will need to be taken in a single continuous block. The<br />
Company will ensure that a response is provided to requests for discontinuous leave within 14 days<br />
of receiving the request.<br />
SPL can start on any day of the week and may only be taken in complete weeks.<br />
If the request for discontinuous leave is refused then the employee can withdraw their request on or<br />
before the 15th day after the request was made and it will not count as one of their 3 requests, if<br />
the employee doesn’t do this then they must take the total amount of leave they had requested in<br />
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a continuous block. The employee can choose when this leave period will begin within 19 days the<br />
request was given to the Company but it cannot start sooner than the date initially requested. If the<br />
employee doesn’t choose the start date, then the leave will begin on the starting date originally<br />
requested.<br />
If the employee is eligible for SPL but doesn’t have or doesn’t want to share the SPL with a father or<br />
partner, then they can use the SPL to take their leave in separate blocks.<br />
Both parents will have to complete a declaration confirming that they meet the eligibility<br />
conditions outlined above and giving details of the Shared Parental Leave and how they plan to<br />
take it.<br />
Only one period of leave will be available, irrespective of whether more than one child is born as<br />
the result of the same pregnancy, or whether more than one child is placed.<br />
Discussions regarding SPL<br />
If you are considering taking Shared Parental Leave, you are encouraged to speak to your<br />
Manager or Finance and HR Manager at an early stage. Once we have received your notification<br />
that you would like to opt into Shared Parental Leave, we may simply write to you to agree the<br />
period of leave, or may arrange an informal discussion to discuss your intentions and how you<br />
would like to use your entitlement.<br />
Shared Parental Pay (SPP)<br />
In order to be entitled to Shared Parental pay, the following conditions apply:<br />
• The child’s mother or adopter must have been entitled to statutory maternity pay, statutory<br />
adoption pay or statutory maternity allowance; and<br />
• The child’s mother or adopter has not exhausted the full 39 weeks statutory pay entitlement<br />
by the start of SPL; and<br />
• The other parent must have earned an average salary of the lower earnings limit, or more<br />
for the 8 weeks prior to the 15th week before due date.<br />
The entitlement to Shared Parental Pay will depend on how statutory maternity pay, statutory<br />
adoption pay or statutory maternity allowance has been taken. If the mother/primary adopter has<br />
not taken the full entitlement to pay then the remaining pay entitlement will transfer over to Shared<br />
Parental Leave and can be taken by either parent.<br />
For example, if a mother takes 2 weeks compulsory maternity leave, but wants to opt in to Shared<br />
Parental Leave for the remaining 50 weeks, then there will be 4 weeks of pay at 90% of average<br />
earnings, followed by 33 weeks at the flat rate of Shared Parental Leave which can be shared<br />
between the parents depending on who is taking SPL.<br />
If the full entitlement to statutory maternity pay, statutory adoption pay or statutory maternity<br />
allowance has been used at the time that SPL starts then neither parent will be eligible to receive<br />
Shared Parental Pay and therefore the period of SPL will be unpaid.<br />
Change of Start/End Date for Shared Parental Leave<br />
You are entitled to change your mind about the date on which you want your leave to start, or<br />
end providing you advise the Company at least 8 weeks in advance. However, notice of a change<br />
of date will count towards the 3 requests for Shared Parental Leave. The only exception being if<br />
the change is as a result of the child being born early or if the Company requests the change.<br />
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SPLIT (Shared Parental Leave in Touch) Days<br />
During your Shared Parental Leave you may carry out up to 20 days’ work without bringing your SPL<br />
leave to an end or impacting on your right to claim SPP. This can include attending training or<br />
keeping in touch with the workplace by, for example, attending Company or team meetings. In<br />
addition, reasonable contact to discuss your work or return to work will also not bring your SPL to an<br />
end.<br />
During your SPL there is no obligation on the Company to provide you with work, nor is there any<br />
requirement on you to attend work if you do not wish to do so. Therefore, for the avoidance of<br />
doubt, before commencing your SPL we will discuss with you what contact you feel would be<br />
appropriate during your leave.<br />
Contractual Status during Shared Parental Leave<br />
The contract of employment continues during Shared Parental Leave and entitlement to all<br />
benefits continues, with the exception of salary (and other remuneration payments).<br />
Return to Work After Shared Parental Leave<br />
You will be entitled to return to either the same job following SPL, or a job or a similar nature and<br />
status depending on the length of your absence.<br />
If you decide not to return to work you must give the normal contractual notice period for<br />
termination of employment.<br />
If you request to return to work on different terms and conditions of employment than before the<br />
commencement of your SPL, the Company will give reasonable consideration to this request and<br />
will not unreasonably refuse permission. Please see the Company’s policy on requesting flexible<br />
working.<br />
Parental Leave<br />
Any employee with continuous employment of one year or more who has or adopts a baby/child<br />
will be entitled to take up to 18 weeks’ unpaid leave. This can be taken at any time prior to the<br />
child’s 18th birthday.<br />
You carry your entitlement with you from employer to employer; you will therefore be required to<br />
disclose the amount of parental leave that you have already taken with your former employer(s).<br />
Leave must be taken in blocks of not less than one week except where time off is needed for the<br />
care of a disabled child. You cannot take more than 4 weeks’ parental leave in any one year.<br />
Requests for leave should be made at least 21 days in advance of the leave dates. The Company<br />
would appreciate as much notice as possible in order to try and accommodate requests where<br />
possible.<br />
The Company is unlikely to request more than a 3 month delay in taking leave; however the<br />
Company reserves the right to postpone requests for leave by up to 6 months.<br />
Should the request for leave be considered to be for reasons other than looking after a child,<br />
spending time with a child etc., leave will be refused.<br />
During the leave period, you will owe a duty of ‘fidelity’ to the Company. Therefore, should you<br />
choose to use parental leave to work elsewhere or to carry out activities not compatible with the<br />
reasons given for taking leave, you will be subject to disciplinary action.<br />
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At the end of the leave period, you will have the right to return to the role you were in prior to<br />
taking leave unless, in exceptional circumstances, you have taken in excess of 4 weeks, in which<br />
case you will be entitled to return to the same role or a role of a similar status and nature. An<br />
employee who fails to return on the due date from parental leave may be subject to disciplinary<br />
action.<br />
Family Emergencies<br />
In the case of family emergencies, employees will be allowed a reasonable amount of unpaid time<br />
off to:<br />
• Assist a dependant who is ill, gives birth or is injured (spouse, child, parent or someone who<br />
lives in the same household other than an employee, lodger or tenant)<br />
• Arrange care for a dependant who is ill or injured or to assist when existing arrangements<br />
break down<br />
• Make arrangements following the death of a dependant<br />
• Deal with an incident involving their child during school hours<br />
You should note that any time off should only be long enough to deal with the problem that has<br />
arisen and the incident or emergency must be quite serious and genuinely unexpected.<br />
For these purposes ‘dependant’ is defined as a spouse, child, parent or someone who lives in the<br />
same household other than an employee, lodger or tenant. The definition for the first two reasons<br />
as identified in the above list extends to someone who reasonably relies on the employee for help<br />
on a day-to-day basis.<br />
To qualify for time off an employee must inform their Manager why they need to be off as soon as is<br />
reasonably practicable, and give some indication of how much time they would need. Should you<br />
fail to contact the Company as soon as reasonably practical of the reason for your absence, you<br />
will lose the automatic right to time off. In contacting the Company, you must also say how long<br />
you are likely to be absent. Should you not notify the Company of why you are absent or if you are<br />
thought to have abused this right in some way, you may be subject to disciplinary action. Such<br />
occurrences are likely to be viewed as a serious breakdown in the mutual trust and fidelity that<br />
needs to exist between the Company and its employees.<br />
4<br />
Health and Safety<br />
• Health and Safety Policies<br />
Health and Safety Policies<br />
The Company aims to provide a safe and healthy environment for all it’s employees, visitors and<br />
contractors. In order to achieve this aim it is necessary that the full support and co-operation of all<br />
employees, visitors and contractors is willingly given.<br />
Health and Safety is the responsibility of all individuals and their recognition of this responsibility is<br />
crucial. The objectives are to prevent all injuries wherever possible and to establish safe working<br />
practices throughout all areas.<br />
It is the duty of the Company to take all necessary steps to ensure that all plant and equipment is<br />
maintained in a safe condition and that the Company’s premises are free of defect that may<br />
affect the health of those using them.<br />
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It is, therefore, the Company’s policy to comply with all statutory requirements concerning Health<br />
and Safety, both in practice and spirit. However, it is the duty of all employees and other users of<br />
the Company’s premises to take all necessary precautions to protect themselves and others from<br />
injury, which may arise from their actions, and everyone is to abstain from any act of endangering<br />
others.<br />
Health and Safety policies and procedures are located on the HR Policies and Company<br />
Procedures drive :<br />
2. Company Health and Safety Policies and Procedures<br />
It is each employee’s responsibility to ensure they are familiar with the Company’s Health and<br />
Safety Policies and conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of the Company’s<br />
policies and procedures.<br />
5<br />
Marketing and Branding<br />
• Marketing<br />
• Branding and Standard Templates<br />
Marketing<br />
Marketing takes many forms including:<br />
1. Promotional and tender submission material<br />
2. Marketing corporate events<br />
3. Advertising<br />
All forms of marketing and related initiatives must be agreed and signed-off by your Line Manager.<br />
With all marketing material, the Company brand including logo and font type must be strictly in<br />
accordance with the Company’s branding templates.<br />
Social and corporate events may be approved but these must reflect the Company’s professional<br />
standing and be appropriate. Such events must be agreed with your Line Manager.<br />
Branding and Standard Templates<br />
Correct branding of documentation is of great importance. All documents, however formal or<br />
informal, reflect the Company and its professionalism. We have set out clear guidelines on the use<br />
of the Company’s font and logo, including sizing. These must be adhered to and should not be<br />
deviated from.<br />
Clear guidance and standard templates can be found on the HR Policies and Company<br />
Procedures drive.<br />
It is the responsibility of all employees to ensure they are familiar with, and adhere to, branding<br />
requirements. If there are any aspects of this requirement that you are unsure of, you should<br />
contact the Office Manager.<br />
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6<br />
Corporate Social Responsibility<br />
• Business Ethics<br />
• Environment<br />
• Community<br />
• Philanthropy<br />
Our Corporate Social Responsibility agenda is embedded in our culture and values.<br />
Demonstrating our commitment to Corporate Responsibility evolves as we align our business values,<br />
purpose and strategy with the social and economic factors that enable us to act as a responsible<br />
and ethical business.<br />
Business Ethics<br />
Committed to active professionally and fairly in all our business dealings and relationships. Ensuring<br />
full legal compliance in all that we do.<br />
Environment<br />
Proactively engaging in better ways to protect and improve our environment. Treading as lightly as<br />
possible with the objective that the legacy of our work makes a positive contribution for current<br />
and future generations.<br />
Community<br />
Creating and maintaining a safe environment where our people can grow and achieve fulfilling<br />
and rewarding careers in an environment of equal respect, dignity and opportunities.<br />
Philanthropy<br />
Placing great emphasis on community giving and charity support and creating opportunities for<br />
our people and those we work with to make a difference.<br />
7<br />
Problem Solving<br />
• Disciplinary Procedure<br />
• Grievance Procedure<br />
Whilst every effort is made to ensure that your working life is trouble free, there may be times when<br />
problems do occur. This is why we need to have in place both informal and formal procedures to<br />
facilitate problem solving in the workplace.<br />
Disciplinary Procedure<br />
Misconduct and Poor Performance<br />
It is the Company’s intention that all employees are treated both fairly and consistently and that<br />
employees are given sufficient opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to both the<br />
Company and the work they do. Whenever help or guidance is needed by an employee in order<br />
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for them to be able to carry out their duties, every effort will be made to help them. However, if an<br />
employee commits an act of misconduct or proves unable to meet the performance requirements<br />
of their position, the following procedures will, as much as is reasonably practicable, apply for all<br />
employees with more than 24 months’ service:<br />
• Performance management procedure<br />
• Disciplinary procedure for misconduct<br />
In instances of poor performance or misconduct involving an employee with less than 24 months’<br />
service, no formal warnings will be given prior to dismissal in line with the procedure which is<br />
documented below.<br />
Procedures for managing both long-term absence and persistent short-term absence are given in<br />
the sickness absence section of this handbook.<br />
Performance Management Procedure<br />
There may be occasions when you fail to meet the standards of performance, which are expected<br />
of you. In such instances it is in the interests of all concerned to resolve and deal with problems<br />
effectively. This procedure is designed to promote good working relationships and assist and<br />
encourage you to achieve and maintain good standards of work performance.<br />
Step 1<br />
When your Manager first becomes aware that your work performance is unsatisfactory they will<br />
have an informal meeting with you.<br />
At that meeting (and all performance management meetings), your Manager will ensure you<br />
understand that you will be given:<br />
• Every opportunity and assistance to correct the situation<br />
• Clear information regarding where/how your performance is not satisfactory<br />
• Clear information regarding how the Company expects you to improve<br />
• Clear information regarding what support the Company will provide<br />
• A clear understanding of when the next review of your performance will take place and<br />
how frequent subsequent reviews might be<br />
The contents of your discussion will be noted on file and you will be provided with written<br />
confirmation of what has been discussed.<br />
As it is an informal meeting you do not have the right to ask someone to accompany you and you<br />
are encouraged to have an open discussion with your Manager so that all relevant issues can be<br />
discussed. Your Manager will not be accompanied either.<br />
If, over the given review period, your work performance continues to fall below the standards<br />
required and you fail to achieve a fully acceptable level of performance, then your Manager will<br />
initiate the next stage of this procedure which is formal.<br />
Step 2<br />
You will be asked in writing to attend a formal performance management meeting. You will be<br />
told that the outcome of that meeting may result in a written warning for poor performance. If a<br />
written warning is issued, this warning will be confirmed in writing clarifying the following:<br />
• Where/how your performance is not satisfactory<br />
• How the Company expects you to improve<br />
• What support the Company will provide<br />
You will also be advised of the potential consequences of a failure to improve your performance.<br />
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If, over the given review period, your work performance continues to fall below the standards<br />
required and you fail to achieve a fully acceptable level of performance, then your Manager will<br />
initiate the next stage of this procedure.<br />
Step 3<br />
If your performance has still not improved to the required standard you will be written to and<br />
formally asked to attend a meeting. You will be told that the outcome of that meeting may result<br />
in a final written warning for poor performance. This will be issued in writing giving the same level of<br />
detail as was provided to you at step 2 of the process.<br />
A final written warning is the final warning prior to dismissal. If performance does not improve<br />
during the required period, then step 4 will be invoked.<br />
Step 4<br />
If, following a final written warning being issued, your performance continues to fall below the<br />
required standard, you will be asked to attend a final formal meeting. You will be told in writing<br />
when you are invited to this meeting that the outcome of that meeting may result in your dismissal.<br />
In all instances the Company reserves the right to start the performance process at an appropriate<br />
level. This may mean commencing the process at step 2 or step 3 due to the seriousness of the<br />
underperformance, the adverse effect of the underperformance on the business or the level of<br />
responsibility of the person concerned.<br />
Formal Performance Meetings<br />
At formal meetings your performance will be discussed and where appropriate, actual examples of<br />
where/how your performance is not satisfactory will be given to you. Your Manager will hear your<br />
comments and if necessary, will then instigate an investigation to gather any required information<br />
prior to a decision being made by the Company whether to issue a warning or dismiss you. Where<br />
appropriate and practical this investigation will be carried out by another Manager.<br />
Witnesses<br />
As part of the investigation process it may be necessary to interview witnesses. In appropriate<br />
circumstances, such as where you believe that the statements made by the witness are inaccurate<br />
or incomplete, it may be appropriate for a witness to be asked to confirm the details of their<br />
statement or provide further information in response to your queries. You will be asked to raise any<br />
queries you have regarding the witness’s statements in advance of the meeting when you are<br />
provided with the content of statements.<br />
Content of a Formal Warning<br />
Should you be issued with a formal warning this will be confirmed to you in writing. In that letter you<br />
will be given clear information regarding where/how your performance is not satisfactory, how the<br />
Company expects you to improve and what support the Company will provide. Information will<br />
also be provided as to what the consequences may be, should your performance not improve.<br />
You will also be given a clear understanding of when the next review/s of your performance will<br />
take place.<br />
Performance Management Appeal<br />
You have the right to appeal at every formal stage of this performance management procedure.<br />
The reasons for the appeal should be submitted in writing within 5 working days. An appeal hearing<br />
date will be arranged as soon as possible and usually within 10 working days of the date of appeal.<br />
As in all formal meetings, you have the right to be accompanied if you attend an appeal hearing.<br />
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Right to be Accompanied<br />
You have the right to be accompanied by a colleague or an accredited trade union<br />
representative or a union official who has been approved by the union to act as a companion for<br />
you during formal performance management and appeal hearings. This companion should act as<br />
a witness to proceedings for you. Your companion will have the right to address those present and<br />
may respond on your behalf to any views put forward during the hearing. However, your<br />
companion cannot answer questions on your behalf, but they will be able to confer with you<br />
throughout the hearing. If your chosen companion is not available, you can ask the Company to<br />
postpone the interview by up to 5 working days. A postponement will be agreed providing it is<br />
considered to be reasonable. No postponement beyond 5 working days will be allowed.<br />
Duration of Warnings<br />
Step 2 – Written warning – current for 6 months<br />
Step 3 – Final written warning – current for 12 months<br />
Performance Dismissals<br />
Any employee dismissed for poor performance (with the exception of a dismissal for gross<br />
incompetence) will be dismissed with notice. If appropriate, the Company may pay such notice in<br />
lieu, or require the employee to stay off work for the duration of the notice period, or require the<br />
employee to take any holiday that has been accrued.<br />
Alternatives to Warnings or Dismissal<br />
As an alternative or in conjunction with a formal warning or dismissal, the Company reserves the<br />
right to take any or all of the following where this is deemed appropriate given the performance<br />
shortfalls:<br />
• A change of duties to avoid a repeat of the performance issues experienced; and/or<br />
• A demotion to duties which will endeavour to avoid a repeat of the performance issues<br />
experience; and/or<br />
• A reduction in salary/benefits commensurate with a revised role, duties or an entirely new<br />
position.<br />
Disciplinary Procedure for Misconduct<br />
Should an act of misconduct be thought to have been committed the following procedure will<br />
apply:<br />
Steps of the Procedure and Duration of Warnings<br />
Step 1 – Written warning – current for 6 months<br />
Step 2 – Final written warning – current for 12 months<br />
Step 3 – Dismissal<br />
In all instances the Company reserves the right to start disciplinary proceedings at an appropriate<br />
level based for example on the seriousness of the act of misconduct, the adverse effect of the act<br />
on the business, length of service or the level of responsibility of the person concerned. Examples of<br />
different types of misconduct and how seriously they will be viewed are given at the end of this<br />
procedure.<br />
Investigations<br />
No action will be taken before a proper investigation has been undertaken by the Company.<br />
What constitutes a proper investigation will depend on the specific circumstances and may involve<br />
a meeting with you, or may simply involve the collation of evidence; this will be a matter for the<br />
Company’s judgement.<br />
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Suspension<br />
In certain circumstances you may be suspended while a case is being investigated. The suspension<br />
is not disciplinary action but is intended to facilitate the fair and proper investigation of an<br />
allegation. During a period of suspension, providing you are otherwise available for work, you will<br />
receive your basic pay.<br />
If you are suspended your contract of employment will be deemed to continue together with all<br />
your rights under your contract including payment of wages, but during the period of suspension<br />
you will not be entitled to access the Company’s or any of our Client’s premises except at the prior<br />
written request or with the prior written consent of the Company and subject to such conditions as<br />
the Company may impose. The decision to suspend you will be notified to you by HR and<br />
confirmed in writing.<br />
Request to Attend a Formal Disciplinary Hearing<br />
Should an act of misconduct thought to have been committed; you will be asked in writing to<br />
attend a formal disciplinary hearing with an appropriate senior representative of the Company.<br />
You will be told that the outcome of that meeting may result in a warning (the level of warning<br />
likely will be specified e.g. written/final written) or otherwise dismissal on the grounds of misconduct.<br />
You will be given copies of all relevant documents, including the Company’s disciplinary<br />
procedure, to ensure you are able to properly prepare for your meeting. Around 1 - 3 day’s notice<br />
will usually be given of a disciplinary meeting depending on both the seriousness of the incident<br />
and the business situation.<br />
Right to be Accompanied<br />
You have the right to be accompanied by a colleague or an accredited trade union<br />
representative or a union official who has been approved by the union to act as a companion for<br />
you during formal disciplinary and appeal hearings.<br />
Disciplinary Hearings<br />
In advance of a formal disciplinary hearing you will be presented with all the management<br />
evidence including copies of all relevant documentation and the Company’s disciplinary policy.<br />
At the hearing you will have an opportunity to fully state your case and to ask any questions you<br />
may have regarding the content of the material that has been provided as evidence. If necessary<br />
a further investigation will take place, which may include asking further questions of any witnesses<br />
after the disciplinary meeting or during an adjournment if more evidence comes to light that you<br />
wish to respond to, prior to the Manager making a decision. In any case, the meeting will be<br />
adjourned for an appropriate length of time so that all facts of the case can be considered before<br />
a decision is made.<br />
As soon as is possible and reasonable, the meeting will be reconvened and the Manager will<br />
explain the decision that he/she has reached. This decision will later be confirmed to you in writing.<br />
In appropriate circumstances, the meeting may not be reconvened; in these situations, the<br />
decision will be notified to you in writing.<br />
Escalation of the Procedure<br />
Should a formal warning for misconduct be on file, any subsequent act of misconduct, if found, is<br />
likely to result in an escalation of the procedure. This means that different acts of unrelated<br />
misconduct could result in the procedure being escalated. This will not of course be the case if the<br />
previous warning has expired.<br />
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Gross Misconduct<br />
There are certain actions by employees that may constitute misconduct serious enough to justify<br />
dismissal without notice or pay in lieu of notice. The Company reserves the right in each situation to<br />
decide what constitutes gross misconduct. Examples of what might be seen to be gross<br />
misconduct are given at the end of this procedure however, these are intended as a guide only<br />
and the list is not complete or exhaustive.<br />
Right to Appeal<br />
You have a right of appeal at any stage of the disciplinary procedures. Any such appeal should<br />
be put in writing, within 5 working days of receipt of the letter confirming the outcome of the<br />
disciplinary action.<br />
Sickness Absence in the Course of the Disciplinary Procedure<br />
If you are required to attend a disciplinary interview in respect of alleged misconduct or gross<br />
misconduct and you are absent for reasons of sickness at the time when the meeting is due to be<br />
held, the meeting will be postponed to a date within the next 5 working days. If you are still absent<br />
for sickness reasons at the time when the postponed meeting is due to be held, indefinite<br />
postponement should be avoided. If it is clear that you will be fit to return to work within the next 5<br />
working days, the meeting should be postponed to the date of your return.<br />
However, if your return date is not clear, a hearing will be arranged within the next 5 working days<br />
which you may choose to attend, if you are well enough, or otherwise you may submit a written<br />
representation and, if you so wish, appoint a representative in possession of the full facts to attend<br />
on your behalf. This should be a colleague or accredited trade union representative or a union<br />
official who has been approved by the union to act as a companion for you.<br />
If you do not attend the meeting or submit written representation, the Company will endeavour to<br />
be reasonable and will consider rescheduling the meeting. However, it may, dependent on the<br />
circumstances, be appropriate to hold the hearing in your absence and make a decision on the<br />
basis of the information available. Your right to appeal is not affected.<br />
Examples of Misconduct<br />
The following are likely to result, if a first instance of misconduct, in a written warning:<br />
• Lateness/poor timekeeping<br />
• Repeated failure to provide appropriate sickness absence documentation<br />
•
Examples of Gross Misconduct<br />
The following are likely to result in summary dismissal on the grounds of gross misconduct:<br />
• Deliberately damaging or destroying Company property or failing to return Company<br />
property when requested to do so<br />
• Failure to disclose information relating to a conflict of interest<br />
• Contravention of the Company’s rules regarding cash handling procedure<br />
• Unauthorised possession of cash or property belonging to the Company, other employees,<br />
or clients of the Company<br />
• Being unfit for work as a result of alcohol or illegal drugs or substances<br />
• Criminal offences against the Company or against another employee<br />
• Conviction of a criminal charge – if it affects an employee’s suitability to do their job, their<br />
relationship with their employer, colleagues or customers<br />
• Use of violent, threatening or insulting behaviour or use of obscene language<br />
• Fighting or assaulting any other person during the course of employment<br />
• Disorderly behaviour likely to cause damage, injury or waste of resources<br />
• Deliberate and serious contravention of Health and Safety procedures<br />
• Possession, sale, transfer or use of any illegal drugs or other prohibited materials on<br />
Company property and/or during any Company activities<br />
• Deliberate harassment, victimisation or deliberate discrimination against any other<br />
employee, supplier or client<br />
• Any act of fraud, e.g. working whilst claiming Company sick pay, making false statements<br />
on the application for employment form, falsification of legal or Company documentation,<br />
including falsification of holiday or petty cash forms<br />
• Offering, promising, giving, requesting, agreeing to receive or accepting any bribe whether<br />
this is a financial payment or other reward or advantage to encourage an individual or<br />
organisation to perform their functions or activities improperly or as a reward for having<br />
already performed their functions or activities improperly<br />
• Falsification of accounting systems, time recording or administration of systems<br />
• Unauthorised absence of 5 working days or more<br />
• Conduct outside of work which brings the Company’s name into disrepute<br />
• Deliberate (or serious) breach of confidentiality, data protection, email or misuse of<br />
Company equipment policies including unauthorised entry to computer records<br />
• Loss of a licence, such as a driving licence where it is an essential part of the job<br />
• Action or behaviour which is directly against the best interests of the Company<br />
• A significant breach of the implied trust and confidence that must exist between the<br />
Company and employee<br />
• Deliberate (or serious) negligence which causes unacceptable loss, damage or injury<br />
• Serious act of insubordination<br />
Alternatives to a Warning or Dismissal<br />
As an alternative to a warning or dismissal for misconduct, the Company reserves the right to take<br />
any or all of the following actions:<br />
• A change of duties within the job role; and/or<br />
• A demotion to another role; and/or<br />
• A reduction in salary/benefits commensurate with a revised role, duties or an entirely new<br />
position.<br />
Mediation<br />
There may be circumstances where the Company envisages that it could be beneficial and<br />
financially viable to propose using mediation to help resolve any underlying conflicts. Mediation is<br />
not suitable in all circumstances and will not be used as a means of managing an employee where<br />
the disciplinary process is the appropriate method of doing so; however, where both parties are in<br />
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agreement that mediation could add value and are willing to participate, mediation may be<br />
considered.<br />
Grievance Procedure<br />
It is the Company’s policy to ensure that if you have any work related problems, they can be<br />
discussed openly with your Manager or a Team Mentor. The Company believes that it is in the<br />
interest of all involved to try and resolve matters quickly and informally wherever possible and will<br />
encourage open and honest discussions between those affected to help resolve any concerns you<br />
may have.<br />
If the problem remains unresolved or is of a more serious nature that cannot be addressed<br />
informally, such as sexual harassment for example, there is a formal 3 step procedure for grievances<br />
or complaints:<br />
1. The written statement<br />
2. The meeting<br />
3. The appeal<br />
Step 1<br />
In accordance with the grievance procedures you should set out the details of your<br />
grievance/complaint in writing and give it to your Manager or a Director. Once received, you may<br />
be asked if you wish to resolve it informally in the first instance before step 2 of this process is<br />
initiated.<br />
Step 2<br />
You will be invited in writing to attend a meeting to discuss your grievance. The meeting will be<br />
arranged as soon as reasonably practicable and normally within 5 working days of receiving your<br />
written statement.<br />
At the meeting you have the right to be accompanied by a colleague or an accredited trade<br />
union representative or a union official who has been approved by the union to act as a<br />
companion for you. Your companion will have the right to address those present but they will not<br />
be able to answer questions on your behalf or to otherwise represent you.<br />
Should your chosen companion not be available on the date or time designated by the Company<br />
a further date and time will be arranged. No delay for the hearing to take place will normally be<br />
permitted in excess of 5 working days.<br />
At the meeting the Investigating Manager will give your grievance full consideration and then will<br />
notify you in writing of their decision.<br />
Step 3<br />
If you are unhappy with the decision you have the right to appeal. You should set out the grounds<br />
of your appeal in writing within 5 working days of receiving the written decision from step 2 of this<br />
procedure.<br />
You will then be invited in writing to attend a meeting to discuss the appeal. After the meeting you<br />
will be advised in writing of the Company’s decision, this decision will be final.<br />
Mediation<br />
There may be circumstances where the Company envisages that it could be beneficial and<br />
financially viable to propose using mediation to help resolve any underlying conflicts. Mediation is<br />
not suitable in all circumstances and will not be used as a means of managing an employee where<br />
the disciplinary process is the appropriate method of doing so; however, where both parties are in<br />
agreement that mediation could add value and are willing to participate, mediation may be<br />
considered.<br />
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Section 2<br />
This section covers contractual terms which form part of your contract of employment.<br />
1<br />
Terms and Conditions of Employment<br />
• Attendance and Time Keeping<br />
• Working Time Regulations<br />
• Driving on Company Business<br />
• My Space Timesheet, Expenses and Mileage System<br />
• Holidays<br />
• Sickness Absence<br />
• Wok Related Stress<br />
• Healthcare Appointments<br />
Attendance and Time Keeping<br />
Your attention is drawn to the importance that the Company places on it’s employees attending<br />
work regularly and punctually. All employees are reminded that they should be ready to start work<br />
promptly at their designated commencement time. Persistent absenteeism and/or lateness may<br />
be dealt with under the Company’s Disciplinary Procedure.<br />
Working Time Regulations<br />
In line with the Working Time Regulations, no employee will be obliged to work more than 48 hours<br />
per week, as averaged over a 17-week period. Any employee who wishes to work more than 48<br />
hours per week on a regular basis must ensure they sign an opt-out to the Working Time Regulations<br />
before carrying out the additional hours. Such an opt-out form is contained within your contract of<br />
employment. This should be signed and returned to Finance and HR Manager.<br />
Driving on Company Business<br />
If you drive on Company business, you should provide the Company with the following up to date<br />
documents:<br />
• Your driving licence,<br />
• evidence of your driving record. This is available online via the DVLA’s Share Driving<br />
Licence Service, https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence,<br />
• insurance certificate (this document must clearly demonstrate that you are insured for<br />
business use),<br />
• an MOT certificate for vehicles of more than 3 years old.<br />
Upon expiry, updated documents should be provided to the Company.<br />
Any employee who drives on Company business without a valid driving licence or insurance will be<br />
considered to have committed an act of gross misconduct. You should notify the Company<br />
immediately if you are facing prosecution for a motoring offence or are given any points on your<br />
licence.<br />
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The Company is under no obligation to provide alternative transport or meet any costs incurred in<br />
providing alternative transport for any driver who loses their licence and is banned from driving.<br />
If during your employment you should start to take any medication which may result in drowsiness<br />
or begin to suffer from any serious physical or medical condition that may affect your ability to drive<br />
this must also be immediately reported to your Line Manager, who will then liaise with you to inform<br />
DVLA if appropriate.<br />
Driving Guidelines<br />
At no time and under no circumstances will the Company condone speeding, driving whilst<br />
overtired, illegal parking leading to a fine or clamping, eating, drinking, or using a hand-held<br />
mobile phone whilst driving.<br />
It is essential that you ensure you have an up to date MOT (if applicable) and that your vehicle is<br />
taxed; you should not drive on Company business if you do have an up to date and valid<br />
documentation for your vehicle. In addition please check your tyres regularly for pressure and<br />
tread, particularly if you have a busy travelling week ahead of you.<br />
Every consideration should be given to driving in a way that is safe both to you and all other road<br />
users. Even if you are running late for meetings, please do not be tempted to speed, please call<br />
ahead and let them know that you will be late (although not whilst driving!).<br />
Mobile Telephones<br />
Hands free mobiles should only be used whilst driving to make and receive essential calls only.<br />
Hand held mobile phones must never be used whilst driving; it is a criminal offence (this includes<br />
using a phone at the side of the road while your engine is still switched on).<br />
If you do not have a hands free system in your vehicle, you should wait until your vehicle is<br />
stationary and properly parked with the engine turned off before accessing voicemails or text<br />
messages. It is your responsibility to ensure that you check your phone regularly for messages and<br />
missed calls to ensure that contact with the office and/or clients is maintained when it is safe and<br />
appropriate to do so.<br />
A detailed Driving Policy is available on the HR Policies and Company Procedures drive :<br />
2. Company Health and Safety Policy and Procedures<br />
My Space: Timesheet, Expenses and Mileage System<br />
My Space is a bespoke system for submitting your timesheets and expenses/mileage claims. You<br />
will be given training on the system as part of your initial workplace induction. You will also be<br />
provided with a comprehensive guide to support your familiarisation with the My Space system, the<br />
guide also gives details of how to request new projects to be added to the system<br />
My Space guides are available on the HR Policies and Company Procedures drive :<br />
4. Timesheets and Expenses<br />
Timesheets<br />
Timesheets are an important management tool. They help us to evaluate the services we provide<br />
to our clients and the efficiency in which we work.<br />
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Timesheets must be submitted on a weekly basis. The My Space system will not accept<br />
expenses/mileage submissions if your timesheets for the period are not on the system.<br />
Expenses and Mileage Claims<br />
You are responsible for making expense claims and to select available expense options in such a<br />
way as to minimise costs to the Company and/or it’s clients.<br />
Business expenses will only be reimbursed where they are incurred wholly, necessarily and<br />
exclusively in the course of carrying out your duties as instructed by the Company. Failure to abide<br />
by the laid down expenses policy will result in reimbursement being declined.<br />
Expense Claims Procedure<br />
Business expense claims must comply with the rules set out in this policy in accordance with the<br />
following process:<br />
• The first step in the claims process is to submit your expenses and mileage claims on to My<br />
Space. This must be no later than the 10 th of the month following the end of the calendar<br />
month in which expenses are incurred.<br />
• Claims must be supported by original receipts, and petrol receipts if mileage is claimed.<br />
Your receipts should arrive in the office along with a hardcopy of your My Space expenses<br />
and mileage claim listing as soon as possible after submission of your claim.<br />
• Receipts must show the supplier’s VAT number if VAT has been charged. They must also be<br />
full itemised receipts, ie debit/credit card receipts provide confirmation of a payment only<br />
and are therefore not accepted as they cannot be verified as relating to a business<br />
purchase. If full itemised receipts are not submitted to support your claim, the Company<br />
reserves the right to decline reimbursement.<br />
• Expenses will not be reimbursed if submitted more than 3 months after the date they were<br />
incurred or otherwise no later than the last day of employment.<br />
• Expense claims will be reimbursed, usually within 5 working days following the 10 th of the<br />
month.<br />
• Failure to submit expenses on time and / or submission of inaccurate / incomplete claims will<br />
be subject to delay in reimbursement.<br />
Use of Own Vehicle<br />
Travel<br />
• Business mileage will be reimbursed at the agreed rate which can be found on My Space.<br />
• Any car parking charges incurred through Company business will be reimbursed against<br />
supporting receipts.<br />
• Fines such as (but not limited to) parking or motoring fines are the responsibility of the<br />
individual and will not be reimbursed by the Company for any reason whatsoever.<br />
• It is your responsibility to ensure that your insurance policy includes business use and an<br />
indemnity to the employer clause. Refer to Driving on Company Business above for further<br />
information on use of your own vehicle.<br />
• You must select the most cost effective mode of transport. If train travel or air travel is<br />
required they should be booked in the most cost effective way available, eg. booked in<br />
advance, off-peak etc. Taxi’s should only be used in exceptional circumstances where<br />
there is no other mode of transport to reach your destination.<br />
• If it is for long distance travel you should contact Office Manager so that she can make the<br />
necessary arrangements for you.<br />
•<br />
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Hotels<br />
Meals<br />
• The Company has accounts with Travel Lodge, Premier Inn and Laterooms to assist with<br />
administration. You should send your request to Office Manager along with approval from<br />
your Line Manager so that she may make the necessary booking for you.<br />
• If it is more convenient to make the arrangements yourself and you are able to secure<br />
accommodation within the standard rate of £45-£65 per night, then you may reclaim this<br />
through the expense claim system. If you are unable to secure accommodation within this<br />
standard rate, you should not book and reclaim through the expenses system. Your request<br />
should be sent to Office Manager. All claims for hotel accommodation, however booked<br />
must be accompanied by approval from your Line Manager.<br />
• Reasonable food allowance expenses when travelling OR on extended trips away from<br />
home are reimbursed. Including for Company business meetings. The limit covered by the<br />
company is:<br />
• Subsistence day travel: up to £6.00 / day<br />
• Hotel stays: up to £15.00 / overnight stay<br />
Holidays<br />
All claims must be supported by detailed VAT receipts.<br />
Holidays may be taken at any time or times subject to adequate notice being given in line with the<br />
holiday request procedures and provided that such times are reasonably in line with the<br />
operational requirements of the business. The company reserves the right to refuse or postpone<br />
periods of leave if the holiday request procedures have not been followed and/or the Company is<br />
unable to accommodate the period of leave requested.<br />
Staff are encouraged to take their holiday in proportion to the calendar year and you should be<br />
aware that except with the express permission of a Director, holidays cannot be carried over from<br />
one year to the next. Therefore, unless exceptional circumstances have prevented holiday from<br />
being taken in the correct holiday year, such as long term ill health or maternity leave, holiday that<br />
remains untaken at the end of a holiday year will be deemed to have been waived.<br />
The office is closed on the last working day before Christmas Day and reopens on the first working<br />
day after New Year’s Day each year. Three days’ holiday will be deducted from your annual<br />
holiday allowance to cover this period.<br />
If holiday is taken without appropriate authorisation, the Company reserves the right to treat any<br />
time off as unpaid leave or unauthorised absence, and this may lead to disciplinary action. Should<br />
more than 5 days be taken without authorisation, this will be considered to be an act of gross<br />
misconduct.<br />
Holiday Accrual<br />
The holiday year runs from 1 January and 31 December. Holidays are accrued based on the<br />
employee’s holiday entitlement for every completed month of employment per annum or pro rata<br />
for part time employees.<br />
All employees begin to accrue holiday entitlement from the commencement of employment;<br />
Holiday will not usually be approved unless the employee has accrued sufficient entitlement for the<br />
holiday year, at the discretion of a Director.<br />
<strong>Employee</strong>s are encouraged to book their holiday in proportion to the accrued holiday year,<br />
subject to business needs and management approval.<br />
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Bank Holidays<br />
In addition to your annual leave, full time employees are entitled to a maximum of 8 bank holidays<br />
per year. Part-time employees are entitled to holidays and bank holidays on a pro rata basis.<br />
Payments or Deductions if Employment Ends<br />
If your employment with the Company ends you will be paid in lieu of any unused holiday<br />
entitlement (unless you are required to take all or part of your unused holiday entitlement during<br />
your notice period).<br />
For these purposes, the calculation for payment of holidays is 1/260 of your annual basic pay<br />
multiplied by the number of days’ accrued entitlement. Pro rata for part time employees.<br />
Unpaid Leave<br />
In exceptional circumstances, short periods of unpaid leave may be taken, but only with the<br />
permission of your Line Manager. This will only be granted when an employee has taken their full<br />
entitlement to paid leave.<br />
Sickness during Holiday Leave<br />
In the event that you fall ill whilst on annual leave which prevents you from fulfilling your holiday<br />
plans (or immediately prior to a period of pre-booked annual leave and the sickness period<br />
extends into the annual leave), providing you have informed your Line Manager, in line with the<br />
sickness absence reporting procedures below, and the period of sickness is appropriately certified<br />
(i.e. self-certification, a Statement of Fitness for work certificate), the sickness period may be<br />
classed as sick leave and you may be able to reclaim the annual leave in some circumstances and<br />
agree with your Line Manager to take it at a later date.<br />
Accrued holidays during long term sick leave is calculated pro rata for the period of absence,<br />
based on 20 days annual leave, this is in line with the Working Time Regulations. Holidays accrued<br />
during a period of long term sick leave must be taken within the holiday year you return to work or<br />
they will be deemed waived, unless expressly agreed otherwise by your Line Manager prior to the<br />
end of your return to work holiday year.<br />
Sickness Absence<br />
Notification of Absence<br />
<strong>Employee</strong>s who are unable to attend work due to ill health must contact the Company’s Kings Hill<br />
Head Office by 9.30am on their first day of absence. It is the responsibility of all employees to<br />
contact the Company’s Head Office to advise on sickness as their first point of contact.<br />
Notification should not take place on voicemail, answer phone or email and it is essential you<br />
inform head office.<br />
Whenever possible, you should make the phone call yourself notifying the Company of your<br />
absence, providing the following information:<br />
• Why you are absent<br />
• How long you think you are likely to be absent<br />
• Any other relevant details e.g. if you have any urgent client work or deadlines to meet<br />
Regular contact must be maintained throughout any period of sickness absence. The Company<br />
reserves the right to arrange face-to-face interviews with any employee who is absent from work<br />
due to sickness.<br />
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Self-Certification/Medical Certificates<br />
The Company will pay for absence due to ill health in line with the Statutory Sickness Payment<br />
scheme. In order to qualify, all employees are required to self-certificate for absences of 7 calendar<br />
days or less.<br />
For absences of 8 calendar days or more, a Statement of Fitness for Work certificate from your GP<br />
or your hospital should be obtained and given or sent to the Company.<br />
In all cases, payment of Statutory Sickness Pay and any Company Sickness Pay will be dependent<br />
upon your full compliance with the sickness absence reporting procedures and requirements as set<br />
down in this policy.<br />
Any absence which is not covered by a medical certificate or self-certification may be treated as<br />
unauthorised absence.<br />
Fit note<br />
Your GP will provide you with a Statement of Fitness for Work certificate which will advise you and<br />
the Company whether it is possible for you to return to work or, if you are not fit for work at the<br />
current time.<br />
Where any certificate is for a period of more than 3 months the Company reserves the right to ask<br />
for further information from your doctor and request that you obtain further medical advice to<br />
ascertain if there have been any changes during that initial 3-month period.<br />
Not Fit for Work<br />
If your GP confirms in the Statement of Fitness for Work certificate that you are ‘not fit for work’ at a<br />
particular point in time the Company may contact you to arrange a face to face meeting to<br />
understand the reason/s for your absence in more detail, and how best to support you. You are<br />
expected to maintain regular contact throughout any period of sickness absence and keep the<br />
Company informed about any changes to your health and anticipated return to work date.<br />
Fit for Work<br />
If your GP advises that despite a medical condition, injury or illness you are well enough to carry out<br />
certain aspects of your role then you are regarded as fit to return to work which will be indicated<br />
on the Statement of Fitness for Work certificate. Where this is the case the Statement of Fitness for<br />
Work certificate may also give general information about the impact of your illness or injury on your<br />
role at work and detail any support that the Company could provide in order to help you return to<br />
work.<br />
Please note that the Statement of Fitness for Work certificate is not a legally binding document and<br />
that the GP or other medical practitioner may not be aware of internal risk assessments or the finer<br />
details of your particular role and the context in which you carry it out. As such, although support<br />
will be given wherever possible, the Company does reserve the right to override the<br />
recommendations made in the Statement of Fitness for Work certificate where this is necessary for<br />
safe and effective operation of the business.<br />
Where the Company is unable to make a decision on the information provided, such as where the<br />
information included in the Statement of Fitness for Work certificate is incomplete or unclear, you<br />
may be asked for your permission to allow the Company to approach your GP for further<br />
clarification.<br />
Returning to Work<br />
On receipt of a Statement of Fitness for Work certificate indicating that you may be fit for work, the<br />
Company will arrange a return to work interview with your Line Manager. This interview must take<br />
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place before your return to work. The purpose of this interview is to risk assess how your return to<br />
work may best be accommodated, in light of the advice and recommendations offered.<br />
Specifically, consideration is likely to be given to:<br />
• A phased return to work<br />
ο This would involve a gradual increase in the intensity of work duties or working hours.<br />
Please be aware that if you return to work on a phased approach or reduced hours<br />
of work, your salary may be reduced on a pro rata basis.<br />
• Altered hours<br />
ο This could involve working fewer hours or involve a change to the timing of your<br />
working hours, for instance if a more flexible working pattern is required to allow for<br />
increased rest breaks or to allow for time off to attend necessary treatment that<br />
must take place during working hours. Reduced hours will result in a reduction in<br />
pay.<br />
• Amended duties<br />
ο This may involve light duties, different duties or a short term change of role with<br />
decreased responsibility. The changes that can be accommodated will be<br />
reviewed, taking into account the GP’s recommendations, as well as the business<br />
needs at that time. Pay may be adjusted as appropriate to reflect the work / level of<br />
duties carried out.<br />
• Workplace adaptations<br />
ο In some cases adjustments to the workplace may be appropriate. This will be<br />
considered on an individual basis, depending on the nature of the adaptations and<br />
their cost and practicality. Workplace adaptations could include, for example,<br />
arranging for a parking space near to the entrance or moving a workstation to<br />
prevent the need to climb stairs.<br />
The Company reserves the right to make the final decision regarding the practicalities of<br />
implementing any recommendations or suggestions on a fit note taking into account the business<br />
needs, knowledge of the role and practicalities.<br />
It is recognised that some of the adjustments above may involve taking either a pay reduction due<br />
to reduced hours or reduced duties and as such no decision will be taken without your agreement.<br />
Please note that any action or decisions made by the Company in response to a fit note are in<br />
addition, not in replacement of the normal absence management process, and the Company will<br />
continue to manage your absence according to the absence policy.<br />
A risk assessment may also be carried out if necessary to give detailed consideration to the risks<br />
that you may be exposed to, and how they can best be managed.<br />
Statutory Sick Pay<br />
Providing the self-certification / Statement of Fitness for Work certificate procedures have been<br />
adhered to, SSP is payable for a maximum of 28 weeks. However, there are a small number of<br />
people who will not qualify for SSP payments, for example an employee who is on maternity leave.<br />
If you are concerned that you have been, or might be, excluded from SSP then you should speak<br />
to Finance and HR Manager in the first instance.<br />
SSP is not payable in any of the first 3 days of sickness absence. It is paid at the rate applicable for<br />
the current tax year.<br />
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Company Sick Pay (CSP)<br />
If you are unable to work because of sickness or injury, you may be paid CSP on the following scale<br />
provided the rules for notification and certification are followed, and as long as you will be<br />
returning to work following your recovery. In any event, all payments are at the absolute discretion<br />
of the Directors and there is no contractual entitlement to CSP. Unless agreed otherwise, no CSP is<br />
paid in the first three days of absence.<br />
The following arrangements apply:<br />
Length of service<br />
Maximum entitlement to CSP<br />
in any rolling 12 month period<br />
26 weeks and under No entitlement<br />
More than 26 weeks but Less than 2 years 1 week on full pay<br />
More than 2 years but Less than 5 years 2 weeks on full pay<br />
5 years and over 4 weeks on full pay<br />
The amount of any Statutory Sick Pay to which you are entitled may be deducted from any CSP<br />
payable.<br />
The purpose of CSP is to support committed employees who are suffering genuine ill-health<br />
problems and are genuinely unable to work. These payments are solely at the discretion of the<br />
Directors.<br />
Return to Work Interviews<br />
Prior to your return to work following any period of sickness absence you may be required to attend<br />
a return to work interview with your Line Manager to discuss the details of your absence, risk assess<br />
your return to work and ensure compliance with notification procedures etc. Notes from this<br />
discussion will be held on your personnel file.<br />
Frequent Sickness Absence<br />
If you are frequently absent from work for periods of 7 days or less, the Company reserves the right<br />
to request a medical report from your GP or arrange an independent medical examination by a<br />
Company appointed doctor. The Company also reserves the right to investigate the reasons for<br />
absence. Failure to improve may result in disciplinary action being taken, in line with the Persistent<br />
Short Term Absence Policy given below.<br />
Policy on Dealing with Persistent Short Term Absences<br />
This policy has been introduced in order to ensure that all staff are treated fairly and understand<br />
the Company’s policy on persistent short-term absence. It is essential that staff, whilst needing time<br />
off work when sick or when other personal emergencies occur, must consider the impact of their<br />
absence on colleagues and overall business efficiency if they regularly take time off work.<br />
Should your Line Manager identify (usually as a result of one or more return-to-work interviews) that<br />
an employee’s attendance at work needs to be addressed more formally, then the following<br />
procedure will apply: -<br />
Wherever possible, prior to the employee being asked to attend a formal meeting to discuss their<br />
sickness absence rate, the Manager will collate appropriate information. Such information might<br />
include:<br />
• All details of the employee’s reasons for absence and length of absences for the previous<br />
period (usually 12 months) – self-certification forms and medical certificates and any other<br />
medical/doctor’s information (as relevant).<br />
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• Attendance levels of other members of staff (if relevant).<br />
The employee will be asked to attend a formal meeting to discuss their attendance at work in line<br />
with the disciplinary procedure. At the meeting your Line Manager will discuss with the individual<br />
the reasons for their absences and discuss whether the employee is able to improve their absence<br />
rate to an acceptable level. The level of attendance required will be specified in each instance.<br />
As an outcome of that meeting, a timescale will usually be set for a further review of absence levels<br />
(usually 3 monthly meetings on an on-going basis will be organised or otherwise meetings after<br />
each subsequent period of absence which will be combined with the return to work interview). The<br />
content and outcome of the meeting will be confirmed to the employee in writing. This will<br />
constitute a first written warning on the basis of capability/ill health in line with the procedure set<br />
out in the disciplinary policy.<br />
Should the required improvement not occur over the set period, the employee may be invited to<br />
attend a further formal meeting the outcome of which may be a final written warning on grounds<br />
of capability/ill health in line with the procedure set out in the disciplinary policy.<br />
Meetings<br />
At every formal meeting regarding short-term absence, the employee has the right to be<br />
accompanied by a fellow employee or an accredited trade union representative. At least 24 hours<br />
written notice will be given, in order that the employee can prepare for the meeting.<br />
Doctors Report<br />
If appropriate a doctor’s report may be requested prior to any or all of these meetings.<br />
Right of Appeal<br />
After a warning has been given, the employee has the right of appeal to an appropriate member<br />
of Senior Management. After any dismissal on grounds of capability an employee has the right of<br />
appeal to a Director. Any appeal should be put in writing and submitted within 5 working days of<br />
the warning/dismissal being confirmed in writing.<br />
Long-term sickness<br />
This policy applies when an employee:<br />
• is at work but not able to fulfil all the duties of their job for 3 or more months in a 12 month<br />
period or;<br />
• is absent from work as a result of sickness or injury for 4 consecutive weeks or;<br />
• is absent from work as a result of sickness or injury for a total of 6 weeks in any 12-month<br />
period.<br />
A. Medical Examination Report<br />
The Company may request a GP report or may arrange for an independent medical examination<br />
by a Company appointed doctor. This examination will seek for example, to establish the<br />
employee’s future capability to perform his/her role and the likelihood of requiring more time off<br />
sick/continuing light duties.<br />
B. Consideration of temporary light duties or medical suspension<br />
To facilitate an early return to work or to full health, every consideration will be given as to whether<br />
light duties are available and suitable on a temporary basis. If nothing is available or suitable, the<br />
Company may require an employee to stay off work until they are fully fit to return to their duties. If<br />
lighter duties are undertaken, this may incur an adjustment to salary as appropriate.<br />
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C. Consideration of Suitable Alternative Work<br />
After a significant period of absence or period of light duties, as an alternative to dismissing an<br />
employee on grounds of ill health/capability, every effort will be made to consider whether:<br />
There is any suitable (permanent) alternative work – this may incur an adjustment to salary as<br />
appropriate to the alternative position.<br />
Any changes can be made to work equipment or the work environment to enable the employee<br />
to continue working.<br />
The tasks involved in the job can be changed in order to accommodate the employee.<br />
Dismissal on Grounds of Ill Health<br />
Further to the findings of a medical report and/or having given due consideration to whether there<br />
is suitable alternative work, the Company reserves the right to dismiss an employee on grounds of ill<br />
health.<br />
Other examples of dismissal on the grounds of ill health the Company will consider in making their<br />
decisions is the overall effect that prolonged / frequent ill health has on the Company’s activities,<br />
eg where continued interruption requires permanent recruitment to service a project of client<br />
account effectively. This may result in dismissal on the grounds of ill health if the Company is unable<br />
to cover the role within its existing resources.<br />
Work Related Stress<br />
Should any employee ever consider their job is providing them with undue stress, they must speak<br />
with their Manager and discuss ways of addressing the situation. The Company wishes to help<br />
employees suffering from stress, but cannot help unless the employee makes someone aware of<br />
the problem.<br />
Healthcare Appointments<br />
Reasonable leave of absence will be granted for optician, dental and doctors’ appointments<br />
where it is necessary for these to be held in working hours. The Company reserves the right to<br />
request you to schedule appointments outside of work time, or take leave of absence from your<br />
entitlement, or take unpaid time off, or make up hours not worked, where appropriate and<br />
reasonable.<br />
2<br />
Protecting our Assets<br />
• Company Property and Security<br />
Company Property and Security<br />
Security of the business is of paramount importance to this Company. We therefore have in place<br />
standards of behaviour and practice designed to minimise any such risks. Any employees in breach<br />
of this policy will be subject to disciplinary action. In the case of serious financial loss to the<br />
Company, a serious breach in the trust and confidence that needs to exist between employer and<br />
employee, or actions which have brought the name of the Company into serious disrepute and/or<br />
have harmed its public reputation, the likely sanction would be dismissal on the grounds of gross<br />
misconduct.<br />
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Office Equipment<br />
<strong>Employee</strong>s are required to take due care of Company equipment. The Company reserves the right<br />
to deduct monies from salary payments to cover the cost of lost, damaged or misused equipment<br />
if they were lost, damaged or misused due to an employee’s negligence.<br />
The Company reserves the right to require you to immediately return any Company property<br />
(including documents) that are in your possession or control at any time, on demand, and with<br />
immediate effect.<br />
Company Goods and Services<br />
The following will be considered to be misuse or misappropriation of Company goods or services:<br />
Keys<br />
• Taking Company goods home or removing them from business premises without permission;<br />
• Use of Company goods and/or services for personal use. This includes use both during and<br />
outside normal working hours without permission;<br />
• Offering Company goods or services free of charge or at reduced rates to other individuals<br />
and/or businesses/organisations without prior permission from a Director. This would include<br />
for the purposes of relationship building with potential clients, giving someone a ‘favour’,<br />
offering discounts outside the boundaries of standard procedure and practice.<br />
Entry fobs / keys for Company premises, cupboards and drawers, etc remain at all times the<br />
property of the Company. The Company can therefore at any time request the return of entry fobs<br />
/ keys without having to provide either an explanation or justify its actions.<br />
A failure to keep entry fobs / keys secure will be seen to be a breach of this security procedure.<br />
Computer Equipment<br />
All computer systems and their peripherals are the property of the Company and may not be<br />
defaced or modified by users. Similarly, all electronic communications systems (i.e. telephones,<br />
voicemail, electronic mail, and internet access systems) and all messages, files or other data<br />
created uploaded, downloaded, sent, received or stored are the Company’s property.<br />
Information Technology Assets<br />
Email is a wonderful means of transmitting viruses and the internet is an easy place to access them.<br />
All staff should be aware of the potential dangers and should remain vigilant to possible attacks<br />
and methods of infection. The ethos which should be employed at all times is to assume that any<br />
unusual email, download or site may be fraudulent and always approach with caution.<br />
Please ensure that you abide by the good practise rules to help us protect our assets and make<br />
sure that if you have any concerns at all you contact a member of the IT department.<br />
• Ensure your junk email/deleted mailboxes are regularly emptied and that your main mailbox<br />
holds only relevant emails and is not allowed to become cluttered in order to optimise mail<br />
storage.<br />
• Users may not install or remove any programs from the systems.<br />
• Users should never affix any details of their user name or password to the system.<br />
• Except in an emergency, users may not unplug anything from the system.<br />
• Users may not plug any devices into the system unless authorised to do so.<br />
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• Users should not leave their laptop/PC logged in if they leave the office or if they are away<br />
from their desk for an extended period. It is permissible to lock the system for short durations.<br />
All users should log off at the end of the day.<br />
• Users may not disassemble any part of the system at any time.<br />
• Users must inform the IT department immediately if they suspect a virus infection on their<br />
machine If the virus appears virulent, the user is advised to shut down the machine<br />
immediately and await assistance before switching back on.<br />
• All machines must be shut down properly before switching off. It is not appropriate to switch<br />
off the machine by removing power.<br />
• File sharing tools and Internet chat programs are expressly forbidden except where<br />
specifically sanctioned for company business.<br />
• No attempt may be made to use external proxy services for Internet connectivity.<br />
• Each user is responsible for ensuring that their laptop/PC is secure. In the event that illicit<br />
activity is detected on a laptop/PC(or from a login account), the registered user will be<br />
deemed responsible for that activity.<br />
3<br />
Security and Information Technology Governance<br />
• Internet, Email and other IT Systems<br />
• Social Media<br />
• Acceptable Personal Usage<br />
• Monitoring<br />
• Rules for Usage of Internet and Email Systems<br />
• Prohibited Activities<br />
• Telephones<br />
Internet, Email and other IT Systems<br />
This policy has been drafted to ensure that the Company’s staff are clear about their responsibilities<br />
in respect of their use of the Company’s IT and email systems and internet, including social media.<br />
This policy sets out the Company’s expected standards in relation to business use of the internet<br />
and emails, as well as personal (use at work out of working hours) and private use (use in your own<br />
time which may impact on the Company).<br />
This policy is applicable to all individuals working in or for the Company, including employees,<br />
consultants, contractors, partners, trainees, homeworkers, casual and agency staff and volunteers.<br />
Social Media<br />
For the purposes of this policy, social media includes websites and web applications which allow<br />
social networking, blogging (and micro-blogging), content communities, wikis and forums e.g.<br />
LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook etc. The terminology used to refer to this type of activity is<br />
constantly changing and evolving, and therefore a common sense approach will be used and the<br />
terminology used in this policy should in no way be seen as final or exhaustive.<br />
We accept that the use of social media can be a valuable tool to keep in touch and as such we<br />
encourage this activity, providing that a responsible, common sense approach is taken.<br />
Inappropriate use which has a direct impact on the Company, its reputation, brand or an<br />
individual’s work will be treated seriously and formally investigated.<br />
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Acceptable Personal Usage<br />
The Company is happy to accommodate an acceptable amount of personal internet and email<br />
use during lunchtimes and outside normal working hours. Please note that this policy applies to use<br />
of the internet and email systems on any computer, mobile phone, tablet or other electronic<br />
device.<br />
The Company reserves the right to amend the personal usage allowance or withdraw it at any time<br />
without prior warning.<br />
Monitoring<br />
• In order to protect the business, the Company reserves the right to monitor use of the<br />
internet and email systems and access computer files, telephone calls, emails and manual<br />
files. Such monitoring will take place without prior notification to the individual(s)<br />
concerned.<br />
• In instances where this policy has been breached, or is suspected to have been breached,<br />
the Company reserves the right to request the individual to immediately remove any<br />
inappropriate comments or images, or any comments or images which may be construed<br />
as inappropriate. Failure to remove the material in question immediately, may be treated<br />
as gross misconduct, which could result in summary dismissal.<br />
• The Company will investigate the alleged inappropriate material, which may include<br />
communication with the relevant web site. Following completion of the investigation the<br />
Company may hold a disciplinary hearing to decide if it is appropriate to issue a formal<br />
warning, which in cases of serious misconduct may result in dismissal.<br />
• In appropriate cases, formal court action may be pursued to remove the offending material<br />
from the public domain, if necessary. Furthermore, the Company reserves the right to<br />
pursue individuals for damages relating to libel or defamation claims.<br />
• The Company also reserves the right to deduct appropriate payments from your next salary<br />
payment, for both the cost of calls (internet/emails/telephone etc.) and also for the<br />
estimated amount of Company time you have wasted.<br />
• If you are unsure or have any concerns regarding this policy, please speak to your Line<br />
Manager.<br />
Rules for usage of internet and email systems<br />
The Company may be held liable for any statements or contractual arrangements made or<br />
entered into as a result of an individual’s use of the internet, social media or email. The Company<br />
can even be held vicariously liable for any illegal or unlawful activities carried out by an individual<br />
during their personal or private use of the internet, which may be linked back to the Company. To<br />
protect both you and the Company, individuals may not:<br />
• Contravene the Company’s data protection policy by unauthorised or unlawful processing,<br />
loss, damage or destruction of personal data;<br />
• Copy, distribute or possess any intellectual property e.g. copyrighted material, designs,<br />
inventions and so on without appropriate authorisation;<br />
• Access, download, display on screen or transmit any material with content which may<br />
constitute a criminal offence;<br />
• Make any defamatory or derogatory statements;<br />
• Make offensive or disruptive remarks, or transmit offensive material e.g. sexually explicit<br />
material;<br />
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You should remember that whether you are using the internet and emails for business, personal and<br />
private use, your actions captured via images, posts, or comments will reflect upon the Company.<br />
Therefore, care should be taken to ensure that any information, or images posted and accessible<br />
by the general public, are not derogatory, inappropriate or damaging to the business or brand, or<br />
any person or organisation associated with the Company.<br />
Staff should be aware that use of the internet and email messages and systems should not be<br />
considered private. All staff should assume that their internet activities, and email messages may be<br />
read or heard by someone other than the intended recipient, even when a message is deleted, it<br />
still may be backed-up elsewhere or it may be possible to recreate the message. Therefore, please<br />
think very carefully before communicating confidential or sensitive information through the internet<br />
or email systems.<br />
You may, if specifically authorised, remotely access the Company’s files and emails by logging on<br />
to the system using your password. All passwords must be kept confidential and may not be<br />
divulged to anyone outside of the Company. Remote access may be withdrawn at any time.<br />
Once you have either given notice, or the Company has served notice to terminate employment,<br />
or in instances of long term absence (in excess of two weeks) from work, remote access will<br />
automatically be withdrawn.<br />
Staff are reminded that when using the internet and emails, including in their personal or private<br />
time they should ensure that their activities do not inadvertently undermine their contractual<br />
obligations and the relationship that they have with the Company, irrespective of whether they are<br />
directly breaching this policy. For example, making inappropriate comments about a colleague or<br />
the Company on a personal Facebook page. Such behaviour will be taken seriously and may<br />
result in disciplinary action, which may include dismissal in appropriate circumstances.<br />
Prohibited Activities<br />
The following activities are expressly prohibited during business, personal or private use (please note<br />
this list is not exhaustive):<br />
• Communicate or distribute inappropriate, offensive, libellous, discriminatory or defamatory<br />
material, including material about any individual or organisation, including the Company;<br />
• Claim to represent the views of the Company unless authorised to do so;<br />
• Transmit confidential or sensitive information over the internet, social media sites or via e-<br />
mail (other than by approved, secure systems for external e-mail);<br />
• Post derogatory comments about the Company, working for the Company or decisions<br />
made by the Company;<br />
• Post expressions of personal anger or abuse against another member of staff;<br />
• Publish untrue statements about another person which could damage their reputation or<br />
working relationships;<br />
• Knowingly accessing or attempting to access inappropriate Internet sites, downloading,<br />
storing or circulating material which is illegal or inappropriate to the workplace e.g. any<br />
material which is pornographic, racist, or involves illegal activity;<br />
• Send inappropriate messages/create posts which breach the standards and values set by<br />
the Company or which are abusive, threatening or provocative;<br />
• Download, possess, distribute or copy works (e.g. document, photograph, music or video)<br />
without the consent of the copyright owner;<br />
• Disclose personal data or information about any individual or colleague which could be in<br />
breach of the Data Protection Act 2008;<br />
• Gain or attempt to gain, access to those parts of the Company’s network for which<br />
• authorisation has not been granted, or to do so with the intention of damaging or<br />
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• disrupting the system, altering its normal performance or causing it to malfunction;<br />
• Falsify email addresses or otherwise generate messages in a manner which would make<br />
them appear to have come from someone else;<br />
• Breach the Company’s password security arrangements;<br />
• Post videos or pictures of others without their permission;<br />
• Use Company logos or trademarks without the express prior permission of the Company.<br />
Monitoring<br />
• In order to protect the business, the Company reserves the right to monitor use of the<br />
internet and email systems and access computer files, telephone calls, emails and manual<br />
files. Such monitoring will take place without prior notification to the individual(s)<br />
concerned.<br />
• In instances where this policy has been breached, or is suspected to have been breached,<br />
the Company reserves the right to request the individual to immediately remove any<br />
inappropriate comments or images, or any comments or images which may be construed<br />
as inappropriate. Failure to remove the material in question immediately, may be treated<br />
as gross misconduct, which could result in summary dismissal.<br />
• The Company will investigate the alleged inappropriate material, which may include<br />
communication with the relevant web site. Following completion of the investigation the<br />
Company may hold a disciplinary hearing to decide if it is appropriate to issue a formal<br />
warning, which in cases of serious misconduct may result in dismissal.<br />
• In appropriate cases, formal court action may be pursued to remove the offending material<br />
from the public domain, if necessary. Furthermore, the Company reserves the right to<br />
pursue individuals for damages relating to libel or defamation claims.<br />
• The Company also reserves the right to deduct appropriate payments from your next salary<br />
payment, for both the cost of calls (internet/emails/telephone etc.) and also for the<br />
estimated amount of Company time you have wasted.<br />
• If you are unsure or have any concerns regarding this policy, please speak to your Line<br />
Manager.<br />
Telephones<br />
The Company accepts sensible use of Company mobiles/telephones for personal matters. We ask<br />
members of staff to respect this facility. The Company reserves the right to deduct excessive<br />
telephone costs incurred from salary payments.<br />
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4<br />
Bribery and Disclosure<br />
• Anti-Bribery<br />
• Data Protection<br />
• ‘Whistle Blowing’ Procedure<br />
• Public Interest Disclosure<br />
Anti-Bribery<br />
The Company is committed to conducting business ethically and with integrity to ensure that<br />
business can be conducted in a free and fair market. Every individual and organisation that acts<br />
on the Company’s behalf or represents the Company is responsible for ensuring that this principle is<br />
upheld and the policy is implemented so that the Company conducts all business in an honest and<br />
professional manner in line with The Bribery Act 2010.<br />
Bribery<br />
The Company has a zero tolerance policy towards any form of bribery, whether this bribery takes<br />
the form of a direct or indirect financial payment or other reward or advantage to encourage an<br />
individual or organisation to perform their functions or activities improperly or as a reward for having<br />
already performed their functions or activities improperly.<br />
Any individual or organisation acting on behalf of the Company is strictly prohibited from offering,<br />
promising, giving, requesting, agreeing to receive or accepting any bribes or backhanders. Any<br />
breach of this policy by an employee will be treated as gross misconduct and may result in their<br />
summary dismissal. Any breach of this policy by a third party or sub-contractor acting for the<br />
Company will result in an immediate termination of their contractual arrangements.<br />
<strong>Employee</strong>s and other individuals or organisations acting for the Company should be aware that<br />
bribery is a criminal offence which may result in imprisonment and an unlimited fine for both the<br />
individual and Company.<br />
Entertainment, Hospitality, Gifts, Promotional Expenditure<br />
The Company permits the use of entertainment, hospitality, gifts or promotional expenditure where<br />
it is used to thank or build relationships with its clients, suppliers, customers or other organisations<br />
providing that it is arranged in good faith and not organised with the intention of influencing the<br />
impartiality of the individual or organisation.<br />
It is absolutely essential that the use of entertainment, hospitality, gifts or promotional expenditure is<br />
reasonable and proportionate. To ensure that expenditure is reasonable and proportionate, all<br />
individuals conducting Company business or representing the Company are subject to a cap of<br />
£50 per recipient. Any expenditure over this threshold must be requested in writing to a Director of<br />
the Company detailing the purpose and nature of the expenditure, the recipient and the<br />
objective. The Company will approve any proposals which demonstrate a clear business objective<br />
and are appropriate for the business relationship.<br />
The honest and appropriate intentions of the Company should be made absolutely clear in all<br />
entertainment and hospitality situations. Should any individual be challenged on the purpose of<br />
their hospitality, this should be raised immediately with their Line Manager so that the Company<br />
can take the appropriate formal action to ensure clarity in this regard.<br />
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In order to ensure transparency when conducting business hospitality, entertainment or giving or<br />
receiving gifts, it is essential that accurate, detailed and up to date records are kept. The<br />
Company reserves the right to make adverse inferences from a lack of accurate, detailed or up to<br />
date records which cannot be adequately explained and furthermore, these inferences may result<br />
in disciplinary action being taken (should it be appropriate) after a full investigation has taken<br />
place.<br />
Inducements<br />
As a general rule the Company finds it acceptable for its staff to receive small gifts from grateful<br />
clients, suppliers etc. However, the Company does not condone under any circumstances any<br />
inducements leading to corruption, bribery or behaviour detrimental to the business or its<br />
reputation.<br />
Any individual who is given a gift from an existing or potential client, customer, supplier etc. must<br />
inform their Line Manager to ensure that an assessment can be made as to the intentions behind<br />
the giving of the gift.<br />
If the gift has been given with the statement that it is a gesture of goodwill and appreciation and is<br />
not of substantial value, the individual may be permitted, at the Company’s discretion to keep the<br />
gift or to share it with colleagues. However, if it is felt that the gift may constitute a bribe or there<br />
may be a conflict of interest the individual will be asked to return the gift to the sender advising<br />
them of the Company’s policy relating to gifts and request that this is respected.<br />
If the purpose of the gift is unclear, or there is a suspicion that it has been given with the intention of<br />
influencing the Company’s decision in some way and/or there is a conflict of interest and/or it<br />
appears to be of excessive value, the individual will be asked to return the gift to the sender<br />
advising them of the Company’s policy relating to gifts and request that this is respected.<br />
This also applies to gifts and/or services offered indirectly. If an individual is unsure in any way as to<br />
what constitutes a gift, please raise this immediately with their Line Manager.<br />
For clarity, accepting any form of gift (including a meal/entertainment) :<br />
• from a supplier or client following completion of a project may be acceptable<br />
• from a supplier who it could be construed is wishing to be considered for a project is not<br />
acceptable<br />
• from a client who it could be construed is wishing you/the Company to perform duties<br />
outside of the agreed scope, is not acceptable<br />
Any employee found to have accepted gifts without the appropriate authorisation will be liable to<br />
disciplinary action. Deliberate taking of bribes will be treated as an act of gross misconduct.<br />
Any third party or sub-contractor acting for the Company found to have accepted gifts without<br />
the appropriate authorisation may have their contractual arrangements terminated.<br />
Notification of Concerns<br />
If you become aware of any conduct which you believe may be in breach of this policy and/or<br />
the associated policies and procedures, you should raise your concerns immediately with your<br />
manager. Whilst you should report any concerns, in particular the following should be reported:<br />
• Any suspected or actual attempts to bribe or provide backhanders;<br />
• Any requests for unusual payments and/or cash payments;<br />
• Unusual or unsubstantiated expenses;<br />
• Failure to follow normal financial practices, such as a lack of appropriate invoices;<br />
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• Business relationships with close family members, personal friends etc;<br />
• Business activities in countries or with individuals who have a history of corruption.<br />
In line with our Public Interest Disclosure procedure, if you report your concerns in good faith you will<br />
be supported and will not be subjected to any detriment as a result of raising your concerns. Failure<br />
to raise your concerns will be considered a breach of trust and dealt with under the disciplinary<br />
procedure. Should any employee raise concerns which are subsequently found to be in any way<br />
malicious this will be dealt with under the Company’s disciplinary process and may be treated as<br />
an act of gross misconduct.<br />
Data Protection<br />
Information is kept about employees for legal purposes (such as for payroll), for administration<br />
purposes and for the purposes of day-to-day people-management. The Company does not<br />
intentionally keep records such as old addresses. Only authorised individuals and those responsible<br />
for payroll have access to individual records.<br />
<strong>Employee</strong>s should therefore be aware that the Company will hold on file, for example:<br />
• Interview notes and references received<br />
• Contracts<br />
• Performance review forms and associated documents<br />
• Disciplinary records and all file notes relating to the management of the employee<br />
• Medical certificates, self-certificates, fit notes and medical questionnaires<br />
• Other information covering periods of absence, training records and any other material as is<br />
considered appropriate by the Data Controller<br />
The Data Protection Act 1998 allows employees to have access to some of the information stored<br />
about them. <strong>Employee</strong>s can ask for access to their own personal details held on computer or held<br />
manually.<br />
’Whistle Blowing’ Procedure<br />
Reporting Procedure<br />
If you believe that any breach of the Company’s rules or other malpractice may have taken place,<br />
or is likely to occur in the future, you are encouraged to report your suspicions to your Manager so<br />
that the matter may be investigated and appropriate action taken. If you feel unable to report the<br />
matter, you should speak to another appropriate senior member.<br />
1. You can report your suspicions verbally or in writing and you should try to provide as much<br />
information as possible.<br />
2. A Director will arrange to have a meeting with you to discuss your suspicions in detail. This is<br />
to enable how best to proceed. A colleague of your choice may accompany you if you so<br />
wish.<br />
3. If the matter requires further investigation such an investigation will be carried out and you<br />
will be informed of the outcome of the investigations and what, if any, action has been<br />
taken.<br />
4. At all times during and after the investigation, your identity will be kept confidential, unless<br />
you agree otherwise in order to further any investigation<br />
Implementation of the Policy<br />
Staff have a duty to report known breaches of the Company’s rules or illegal practices.<br />
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If you have any concerns about the content within this policy, please do not hesitate to discuss this<br />
with your Line Manager in the first instance.<br />
Public Interest Disclosure<br />
The Company at all times conducts its business with the highest standards of integrity and honesty<br />
and expects all its staff to maintain the same standards in everything they do. <strong>Employee</strong>s are<br />
therefore encouraged to report any wrongdoing by the Company or its staff that falls short of these<br />
business principles.<br />
The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 protects staff who report wrongdoing within the workplace<br />
and the purpose of this policy is to ensure that our staff are able to tell us about any wrongdoing at<br />
work which they believe has occurred or is likely to occur. We recognise that staff may not always<br />
feel comfortable about discussing their concerns internally, especially if they believe that the<br />
Company itself is responsible for the wrongdoing. Our aim is to ensure that staff are confident that<br />
they can raise any matters with the Company that concerns them in the knowledge that it will be<br />
taken seriously, treated as confidential and that no action will be taken against them.<br />
The Company is committed under the procedure to investigate all reported matters and to keep<br />
the person who made the disclosure informed of the progress and results of the investigation and<br />
any action taken (subject to the Company’s obligations of confidentiality).<br />
The procedure below has been established to assist you to report your suspicions without fear of<br />
reprisals of any sort. You are therefore encouraged to use this procedure if you have any concerns<br />
at all about wrongdoing at work. In addition to any breach of Company’s rules, the following are<br />
examples of what is meant by ‘wrongdoing’ for the purposes of the procedure:<br />
• A criminal offence has been committed, it is being committed or is likely to be committed;<br />
• A person has failed, is failing or likely to fail to comply with any legal obligation to which he<br />
or she is subject;<br />
• A miscarriage of justice has occurred, is occurring or is likely to occur;<br />
• The health or safety of any individual has been, is being or is likely to be endangered;<br />
• The environment has been, is being or is likely to be damaged;<br />
• Information tending to show any matter falling within any one of the above to be<br />
concealed.<br />
5<br />
Leaving the Company<br />
• Notice/Termination of Employment<br />
• Redundancy<br />
• Retirement<br />
This section covers issues relating to you leaving the Company. As a reminder, this section is<br />
contractual.<br />
Notice/Termination of Employment<br />
Notice to be given is as detailed in your contract of employment. The Company reserves the right<br />
to only pay for holidays accrued in line with the statutory holiday entitlement.<br />
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The Company reserves the right to pay in lieu of notice, or pay employees at normal salary intervals<br />
but require them not to attend work during their contractual notice period, and may or may not<br />
provide them with work during this time. By mutual agreement the Company, or the employee<br />
concerned, may waive their right to all or part of the notice period. The Company reserves the right<br />
to require you to take all or part of your unused accrued holiday entitlement during the notice<br />
period.<br />
Any employee who leaves without giving notice will only be entitled to payment of wages up to<br />
the time of leaving and will be deemed to have breached their contract of employment.<br />
The Company reserves the right, if there are no means of direct contact with the employee<br />
concerned, to post written notice of termination to an employee’s last known address by recorded<br />
delivery service.<br />
On leaving the Company, or at any time during the notice period if so requested, employees must<br />
surrender to the Company all Company property which is in their possession including, for example,<br />
documents, client records, files, keys/entry fobs, manuals, computer software and any copies,<br />
stationery etc.<br />
Redundancy<br />
When unavoidable business circumstances require redundancies to be made, the Company will<br />
apply the following procedure to ensure that all employees are treated fairly and consistently:<br />
1. Where a particular job is no longer required and where only one person currently does that<br />
job, the individual involved will be told that their job will no longer exist and that their<br />
selection for redundancy has been solely on these grounds.<br />
2. Where there are a number of individuals performing the same or a similar role and the<br />
number of employees in that role needs to be reduced by one or more, selection for<br />
redundancy will be made according to specific selection criteria. However, the Company<br />
reserves the right to vary the selection criteria in appropriate circumstances to take into<br />
account essential skill sets or attributes that the Company may need to rely upon for the<br />
future success of the business.<br />
The Company may also consider voluntary redundancy as an alternative, or a precursor to,<br />
compulsory redundancy.<br />
Any employee affected by redundancy would have the right to apply for any vacant roles that<br />
may exist within the business, as an alternative to redundancy.<br />
Any redundancy payments will be made in line with statutory requirements.<br />
Retirement<br />
The Company does not operate a compulsory retirement age for its employees.<br />
The Company is committed to equal opportunities for all its employees and recognises the<br />
contributions of a diverse workforce, including the skills and experience of older employees. It<br />
believes that employees should, wherever possible, be permitted to continue working for as long as<br />
they wish to do so. The Company operates a flexible retirement policy and employees may<br />
voluntarily retire at a time of their choosing.<br />
If an employee has decided that they wish to retire, they should inform their Line Manager or the HR<br />
Manager in writing as far in advance as possible and, in any event, in accordance with their notice<br />
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period as set out in their contract of employment. This will assist the Company with its succession<br />
planning.<br />
The Company will write to the employee acknowledging the employee’s notice to retire and will<br />
arrange a meeting with the employee to discuss arrangements for retirement, including the<br />
intended retirement date, succession and handover plans, pension details and phased retirement,<br />
if applicable.<br />
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