Employee Handbook

What this policy covers

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that employees who are genuinely unwell are treated fairly and consistently, while minimising the impact of sickness absence on the Company. 

The policy sets out procedures for reporting sickness absence and for the Company's management of short-term and long-term absence. Any absences that are disability-related will be managed in accordance with relevant legislation and related Codes of Practice. 

This policy also contains information on your entitlements in relation to paid and unpaid time off work for reasons other than sickness.

1. Employee Responsibilities 

1. Breach of absence procedures 

Breach of any of the absence reporting procedures detailed below, including those relating to the notification of absence or provision of a medical certificate, may result in the absence being deemed as unauthorised. Any periods of absence that are unauthorised may be treated as gross misconduct and could lead to the disciplinary procedure being followed. Unauthorised absence will not be subject to pay

1. Medical report

It may be necessary for the Company to obtain a medical report during the course of your employment in order to gather further information about your medical condition, its probable effect on your future attendance at work, your ability to do your job and whether there are any reasonable adjustments to be made, if appropriate. 

Although you have the statutory right to withhold your consent to the Company to approach your GP or consultant for a medical report, if you do choose to withhold your consent to our application, the Company may need to assess your state of health and its impact on your continued employment, based only on the information which is available. It is therefore in your interests to allow the Company to obtain a medical report so that the Company can use the medical information to help inform its decision regarding next steps. 

You may also be required to undergo a medical examination by a doctor nominated by the Company. The Company will be entitled to receive any report produced in connection with any such examination, and the Company may discuss the contents of the report with the doctor in question. 

If you refuse to undergo a medical examination without good reason, the Company may need to assess your state of health and its impact on your continued employment, based only on the information which is available. It is therefore in your interests to attend a medical examination so that the Company can use the medical information to help inform its decision regarding next steps.

2. Medical suspension

If the Company becomes concerned about your health and safety at work, or that the health and safety of others is being affected by your physical and/or mental health, you may be suspended on medical grounds pending further investigation to establish that you are fit to work. You will receive full pay during the period of your suspension.

2. Employees entitlements
   1. Medical and dental appointments

Where possible, you are requested to arrange any medical or dental appointments outside working hours.

If this is not possible, you must obtain permission from management before taking any time off and appointments should be arranged where possible at the beginning or end of your working day to minimise any disruption to the Company. Unless otherwise agreed, you will not be paid for any time off as a result of medical or dental appointments, with the exception of antenatal appointments. Time taken off for medical/dental appointments may be made up by time in lieu with the authorisation of the MD/GM. If time is not taken in lieu, then these will be included as absences within Atlas

3. Jury service

You are entitled to time off work for jury service. You should notify management immediately on receipt of the jury summons, giving full details. 

You will not normally be paid for this time off, and you are advised to claim the expenses to which you are entitled from the Court. These will typically include compensation for loss of earnings.

4. Domestic emergencies

From time-to-time certain domestic emergencies occur which are beyond your control. In the event that you require time off for such a domestic emergency you must advise your line manager as soon as possible if the emergency occurs before the start of your normal working day, but in any event, no later than within one hour of your normal start time. Any such absence will be unpaid unless the Company, in its absolute discretion, determine otherwise, or by agreement you make up lost time. Excessive absences of this nature will be recorded and investigated, and the Company reserves the right to require confirmation of any emergency. Abuse of time off for emergencies may lead to the disciplinary procedure being followed.

5. Adverse weather and other exceptional circumstances 

If you are unable to attend work due to adverse weather conditions or other exceptional circumstances, you will not be paid for any periods of non-attendance. You may request to take paid holidays or work additional hours at an alternative time to make up for the time you have been absent. The Company reserves the right to refuse such requests depending on the needs of the business. 

If the Company cannot operate due to these exceptional circumstances, it reserves the right to require you to take holidays during this time or impose a period of lay-off, when appropriate. The Company also reserves the right not to provide you with advance notice of this requirement.

6. Other types of leave

The Company will adhere to statutory requirements in providing time off when you have commitments relating to public office or the Reserve Military Forces. You should discuss such requests for time off with your manager at the earliest opportunity in order to work out the necessary arrangements, allow planning time and work with your manager to minimise any potential disruption to the Company.

7. Disabilities

If you have a disability that impacts on your attendance at work, the Company will give consideration to whether there are any reasonable adjustments that could be made to your job or other aspects of your working arrangements to minimise absenteeism or assist your return to work.

1. Study leave

You may be granted study/exam leave for courses undertaken as a result of authorised training. The  Company will only grant study/exam leave where you are willing to use some of your own personal annual holiday for this purpose on a like for like basis.

Study leave will be granted entirely at the Company's discretion and will be subject to the operational business requirements of the Company.

3. Absence-reporting procedures
   1. Sickness absence reporting

You must personally notify the Company as to your sickness absence by telephoning the office by no later  than 8.30 a.m. on your first day of sickness. You must ensure that your telephone call is answered and that you speak to your manager. If your manager is unavailable, you must speak to a more senior manager. 

It is not acceptable for anyone else to do this on your behalf.

It is not acceptable for you to text, email, contact a colleague, leave a message or have a friend or relative call on your behalf.

You should provide the reason for your absence, an estimate of how long you expect to be off work, a telephone number by which you can be contacted and details of any outstanding or urgent work that requires attention.

8. Medical certification

If your absence lasts for seven calendar days or fewer, you must complete an absence form immediately upon your return to work. 

However, if you are entitled to contractual sick pay (please see your contract of employment for details) you may also be required to provide the appropriate medical certification for absences of fewer than seven days.

If your absence lasts more than seven calendar days, you must forward a fit note/medical certificate, completed by a certified health practitioner in accordance with the regulations (The fit note: guidance for patients and employees - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)), to management in order to cover the absence.

The fit note/medical certificate must be submitted as soon as possible. If you unreasonably delay in providing a medical certificate, your absence will be classed as unauthorised.

If, on a fit note/medical certificate, your doctor recommends any adjustments to your duties, hours or working conditions, the Company will discuss these with you and implement the recommendations, if these are reasonably practicable.

It is essential that you keep the Company updated on the reasons for your continued absence and its estimated duration. You should contact the Company daily during periods of absence unless you are instructed otherwise by your manager. You should also contact the Company before the expiry of your fit note/medical certificate if you continue to be unwell. In addition, a further medical certificate should be submitted immediately on expiry of the previous certificate. Failure to contact the Company or submit a medical certificate at this time may result in the interim absence being classed as unauthorised.

9. Procedure for return to work

You should contact your manager as soon as you become aware of your intended return date. If this date changes, you should update the Company immediately.

10. Return to work meeting

Your manager will interview you on your return to work following any period of absence (even a single day). The reasons for your absence will be discussed and your manager will decide whether the absence should be authorised. The onus is on you to satisfy management that there was a genuine reason for the absence.

4. Long-term absence
   1. Welfare meeting

During a period of long-term absence, you will be asked to attend any scheduled welfare meetings with the Company. The purpose of these meetings is to discuss your current state of health, how long you expect to be absent from work and what steps, if any, the Company can take to facilitate your return to work.

If you are medically incapable of attending your place of work, a representative of the Company may come out to visit you. If the time scheduled for the meeting is not suitable, you should contact the Company immediately so that an alternative time can be agreed. You are also required to respond to any correspondence from the Company and any requests for information about your health.

11. Medical certification 

You should continue to provide medical certificates/fit notes, completed by your medical practitioner, even if you have exhausted your entitlement to sick pay.

12. Failure to co-operate 

The Company will always be sensitive to your physical and mental wellbeing during periods of long-term absence. However, where there is a failure, without good reason, to co-operate with the Company in relation to attending meetings, communicating effectively, attending occupational-health assessments and providing necessary information, this may be treated as misconduct and the Company may take disciplinary action

13. Termination of employment 

The Company is committed to supporting you during your absence and assisting your return to work. However, a prolonged period of absence cannot be sustained indefinitely, and the Company may need to review your continued employment periodically. Before any decision is made in relation to termination of your employment on the grounds of capability, the Company will consult fully with you and may obtain further upto-date medical advice

This policy sets out your entitlement to sick pay and outlines the basic rules and qualifying criteria that apply to sick pay. The payment of sick pay is dependent on your adherence to the Company's Absence Procedures, detailed in the previous section.

1. Employee entitlements 

This policy sets out your entitlement to sick pay and outlines the basic rules and qualifying criteria that apply to sick pay. The payment of sick pay is dependent on your adherence to the Company's Absence Procedures, detailed in the previous section.

1. Statutory sick pay

Regardless of your length of service, if you are absent from work because of sickness or injury, you will normally be entitled to receive Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from the Company at the prevailing rate. The payment of SSP is conditional upon you satisfying the following qualifying conditions:

• Your period of absence consists of at least four consecutive days 
• You earn at least the 'Lower Earnings Limit' for National Insurance Contributions (NIC), which is reviewed on an annual basis

The first three days of sickness absence are classed as waiting days, and SSP will not normally be paid. 

Once you have met the necessary qualifying conditions and provided the required medical evidence that you are unfit for work, SSP will be paid for each subsequent workday that you remain absent due to sickness or injury. You will only be paid for those days on which you would normally work or are scheduled to work. 

SSP is normally payable for a maximum of 28 weeks. 

If your absence is as a result of an injury or illness caused by a third party, any Statutory Sick Pay paid is required to be repaid if any compensation for loss of earnings is recovered from the third party. 

The provisions relating to SSP are extremely complex. If you have any questions about this policy, you should discuss these with your manager.

2. Contractual sick pay

The Company operates a Contractual Sick Pay Scheme. Any payments made under this Scheme shall include SSP payments where they fall due. 

Details of any entitlement are outlined in your contract of employment. If you work part-time, you will receive this entitlement on a pro rata basis. 

The following section sets out the rules which apply to the Contractual Sick Pay Scheme. 

There is no entitlement to Contractual Sick Pay in the following circumstances:

• If you are involved in disciplinary proceedings under the Company's disciplinary rules and procedures
• If your injury or illness is self-induced, or where you act or behave in a manner which prejudices your recovery
• If you are serving a period of notice to terminate your employment, whether that notice is issued by the Company or you
• If you fail to fully comply with the absence notification rules and procedures, as set out within this Employee Handbook

The Company reserves the right to make discretionary Contractual Sick Pay payments to employees who are excluded under the above conditions. 

You should note that this is not an entitlement to additional holiday, or paid time off for any reason other than genuine incapacity through illness or injury. 

The Company reserves the right to request you, at your sole cost and expense, to produce a medical certificate at any stage in relation to your injury or illness. 

The Company may withhold any Contractual Sick Pay otherwise due, in the event that you fail to produce a valid medical certificate in relation to any period of absence due to sickness or injury. 

The rules of the Contractual Sick Pay Scheme do not imply that termination of your employment may not take place before the payment of Contractual Sick Pay has been exhausted. 

It is expected that you claim any statutory sickness benefits to which you may be entitled. You must notify the Company of all such payments, which the Company will deduct from any amounts of Contractual Sick Pay otherwise payable.

2. Procedure

The Company uses Trigger Points as a way of monitoring levels of absence (including sickness). This is considered a fair and consistent way of supporting those with genuine illnesses and ensuring business continuity. 

All absences and sick days should be reported in accordance with the section above. These periods must be recorded by the Line Manager. 

Immediately after any sickness or period of absence a return to work interview must be instigated by the employees Line Manager or HR. This should be regarded as the first step in the absence management process. 

The MD/GM should conduct a monthly review of all absences and sickness within the Company. 

The Trigger Points below detail the stages that additional management intervention should be initiated: These include but are not exhaustive:

• No more than 4 instances of absence adding up to a total of 10 days within a rolling period of 12 months; OR
• Any number of absences that establish a set pattern of absence (e.g., Mondays, Fridays, before or after holidays) will result in an absence review meeting. 
• Where an employee submits GP fit notes that cover a period of 4 weeks or more, they will be asked to attend an absence review meeting to allow the employer to obtain more information on the condition and likely return to work. This may result in the employee being asked to give permission for their GP to be contacted or to attend an occupational health appointment.
• For periods of absence that last 8 weeks or more, the employee will be referred to occupational health to establish further information about the condition and a return to work in the foreseeable future.
• If an employee is absent from work for more than 4 months, the employer will obtain up-to-date medical information with a view to establishing the employee’s fitness to return to work and likelihood of resuming their duties in the foreseeable duties. This may include making reasonable adjustments where required.

The Company reserves the right to enforce disciplinary procedures where it believes an employee is abusing the Company’s absence and sickness policy, or where their employment with the Company is no longer tenable.

The purpose of the policy is to set out the Company's position on drug or alcohol misuse in the workplace, to protect the health and safety of workers and to comply with relevant legislation. Breaches of the policy may be viewed as gross misconduct and may result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal without notice.

1.     Employee Responsibilities 

You must not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol when you report for work or during working time. 

If you are taking medication or herbal remedies that may affect your work performance, or the safety, of yourself or others, you must inform the Company as soon as possible of which medication you are taking and the possible side effects. 

The use of the following by employees is inappropriate at any time during working time or during any breaks, and/or before work whenever their work performance might be affected by such use:

• Substances covered by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (referred to as ‘controlled drugs’); solvents and/or any other similar substances as a means of achieving an altered state of mind or consciousness; and 
• ‘Legal highs’, psychoactive drugs and new psychoactive substances (even where these may not be banned under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971

The misuse by employees of both prescribed and unprescribed medication is inappropriate if their work performance might be affected by such misuse. Illegal dispensing, distributing, possessing, using, selling or offering to buy any drugs at work by any employee is prohibited. This includes controlled drugs, ‘legal highs’ or substances such as solvents where it is known, or could reasonably be known, to be for use as a means of achieving an altered state of mind or consciousness. Any such activity (including reasonable suspicion of it) on Company premises will be reported immediately to the police. 

If you are found to be in breach of the rules in this section through an investigation and following the Company’s disciplinary procedure, you may be dismissed on the grounds of gross misconduct under the Company’s disciplinary procedures. For the avoidance of doubt, using a controlled drug prescribed by a doctor shall not be treated as gross misconduct. However, you must comply with the notification requirements above and the requirements of any relevant risk assessment and failure to do so could result in disciplinary proceedings being brought against you.

2.     Support for employees 

If you have or believe you may have an alcohol or drug problem, you should inform the Company and seek medical advice before it affects your performance or conduct at work. If you come forward and seek help for an alcohol or drug problem, you will be treated sympathetically, and any discussions will remain confidential. 

The Company will treat any absence due to drug and alcohol abuse in the same way as sickness absence on condition that you have obtained professional help and/or are receiving treatment. However, you must not be under the influence of alcohol or drugs at work throughout this time of support. 

The use, possession, storage, transportation, promotion and/or sale of illegal drugs are forbidden in any situation connected to the Company. The Company reserves the right to involve the relevant authorities if it is deemed appropriate. 

You are also expected to comply with any third-party site rules, policies and procedures.

3.    Procedure

The Company will take all reasonable steps to prevent employees, agency workers and contractors carrying out work-related activities, if they are considered to be unfit or unsafe to undertake the work as a result of drug or alcohol consumption. 

The Company reserves the right to remove your Company vehicle or car allowance if it feels that due to drugs/alcohol or pre-scribed medication you are not fit to drive. 

If you are suspected to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs during working hours or on Company premises, the Company reserves the right to send you home. This type of incident may be viewed as a gross misconduct offence and dealt with under the Company's Disciplinary Procedure, which may result in dismissal without notice.

This policy sets out the rules and procedures in relation to taking annual holidays. It applies to all employees and workers.

1.    Employees entitlements and responsibilities 

Details of the holiday year and your annual holiday entitlement can be found in your Contract of Employment.

1. Accrual of holidays

Annual holiday entitlement during your first year of employment accrues at the rate of one-twelfth of the full annual holiday entitlement, on the first day of each month, in advance. 

You will not be permitted to take annual holiday during the first year of employment before it has accrued, unless otherwise agreed. Thereafter, you will be entitled to your full annual holiday entitlement each year and there will be no requirement to accrue holiday rights.

2. Time and length of holiday

You are not normally permitted to take more than two weeks holiday at any one time. Holiday leave above this period may be exceptionally authorised by the MD/GM only.

The Company may require you to reserve a specified amount of annual holiday entitlement to be taken at a time set by the Company (i.e. Christmas), depending on the needs of the business.

3. Carrying over unused holidays

You are not normally permitted to carry over accrued annual holiday from one holiday year to the next, unless exceptionally authorised by the MD/GM. Holidays not taken within the holiday year will be lost. Pay in lieu of untaken annual holiday allowance is not permitted. However, up to 5 days annual leave may be exchanged back to the Company at your basic salary rate. 

If you have been unable to take any planned holiday due to sickness and it is not possible to reschedule the holiday in the current holiday year, you may be permitted to carry over part of your unused annual holiday from one holiday year to the next.

4. Holiday during long-term absences

You will continue to accrue your full statutory holiday entitlement during sickness absence. 

You are permitted to take annual holiday during periods of sickness, and this must be requested via the normal procedure. 

If you have been unable to take any planned holiday due to long-term sickness and it is not possible to reschedule the holiday in the current holiday year, you may be permitted to carry over part of your unused annual holiday from one holiday year to the next.

5. Termination of employment 

The Company may require you to take all or part of any outstanding holiday entitlement during a period of notice to terminate employment or garden leave. The Company reserves the right not to provide you with advance notice of this requirement. 

Upon the termination of your employment, for whatever reason, you will be entitled to be paid for holiday accrued but not taken in the current holiday year, at the date of termination of employment. 

If upon the termination of your employment you have taken more annual holiday than you have accrued in the current holiday year, an appropriate deduction will be made from your final payment. 

If you are dismissed for gross misconduct or if you fail to give the required notice on resignation, you are not entitled to be recompensed for any unused holidays in excess of the statutory minimum entitlement.

6.  Unauthorised holidays

If you are absent from work on a date on which a holiday request has been refused, the Company will investigate the reason for your absence. If the Company considers that you do not have a reasonable explanation for your non-attendance, the disciplinary procedure may be followed which could result in disciplinary action being taken, up to and including dismissal without notice

7. Sickness and holidays

If you are taken ill or sustain an injury during a period of authorised holiday, you may be permitted to take the holiday at a later time. You must follow normal absence reporting and medical certification procedures. 

If you are absent from work due to sickness immediately prior to a period of authorised holiday and your incapacity extends into the authorised holiday period, you may be permitted to delay the period of holiday until a later time. You should submit a written request to postpone the planned holiday, together with a medical certificate completed by a medical practitioner. 

If you receive more than the statutory minimum annual holiday entitlement and you are absent without authorisation on the day before or the day after a public holiday, the Company will investigate the reason for your absence and may follow the disciplinary procedure.

1. Holidays during maternity, adoption and shared parental leave

You will continue to accrue your full contractual holiday entitlement during maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave.

If you are unable to take annual holiday due to maternity, paternity, adoption or shared parental leave, you will be permitted to carry over your unused annual holiday from one holiday year to the next. 

You should discuss holiday arrangements around your leave with your manager.

8. Procedure for requesting holidays

You are not normally permitted to take more than two weeks holiday at any one time. Holiday leave above this period may be exceptionally authorised by the MD/GM only.

The Company may require you to reserve a specified amount of annual holiday entitlement to be taken at a time set by the Company (i.e. Christmas), depending on the needs of the business.

Please refer to policy QCD 3005

The acceptance of gifts and offers of hospitality can give rise to suspicion of inappropriate conduct, particularly if offered by individuals or businesses that carry out, or are hoping to carry out, business for the Company. 

This policy establishes the fundamental principles of the giving, accepting and refusing of gifts and hospitality.

1.  Hospitality

You must not accept offers of hospitality, including attending sporting and social functions, unless these are properly authorised and recorded by the appropriate manager. 

Acceptance of hospitality at relevant conferences, courses or events may be appropriate where it is clear that the hospitality is corporate rather than personal and where the Company has given its consent in advance. 

All associated benefits, such as accommodation, travel, entertainment, and presents must be refused.

When hospitality is declined, those making the offer should be politely informed of the Company's policy and procedures for accepting such offers.

2.  Gifts

As a general rule, you should not accept gifts from suppliers, clients, customers, contractors or any other person you deal with in your capacity as an employee of the Company. 

If the value of the item is negligible, or if the item is presented as a seasonal gift, you should comply with the procedure set out below.

1. Receipt of gifts

If the gift might constitute a bribe or other inducement, you are required to give the gift to your line manager, who will return it to the donor with a suitable covering letter.

In other instances, where appropriate, the Company will require you to return the gift to the donor with a polite note explaining the Company policy.

In exceptional cases, for example, if the Company decides that the gift was made as a token of the donor's gratitude for a service carried out the Company may allow you to retain the gift.

Promotional gifts that are of trivial value (for example, promotional pens) are exempt from this policy and need not be disclosed. 

On seasonal occasions you may receive a number of gifts, for example, chocolates, bottles of wine, and so on. These gifts should be given to your line manager, who will ensure that they are distributed appropriately across the Company.

2. Giving gifts

Although it is not Company policy to offer gifts, the Company recognises that, on occasion, this may be appropriate, for example, in recognition of exceptional service.

If you wish to propose that the Company presents a gift, you should obtain the agreement of your manager.

If you send gifts that have not been approved by your manager, you will not be reimbursed for the cost of the gift. In addition, such action may be treated as a disciplinary offence, which will be dealt with under the 

Company Disciplinary Procedure.

Guidance on charitable donations and sponsorship is detailed in separate Company policy.

This policy sets out the Company's guidelines on access to and the use of the Company's computers and on electronic communications. It sets out the action which will be taken when breaches of the guidelines occur. You are only permitted to use the Company's computer systems in accordance with the Company's Data Protection Policy and the following guidelines.

1.   Employee responsibilities 

The Company's computer systems and software and their contents belong to the Company and they are intended for business purposes only. You are not permitted to use the Company's systems for personal use, unless authorised by your manager. 

You are not permitted to download or install anything from external sources unless you have express authorisation from your manager or the ICT & Business Systems Manager. No device or equipment should be attached to the Company's systems without prior approval of your manager. 

The Company has the right to monitor and access all aspects of its systems, including data that is stored on the Company's computer systems as notified to you in the Company’s Privacy Notice and in compliance with the data protection laws

1. System security

You must only log on to the Company's computer systems using your own password which must be kept secret. You should select a password that is not easily broken (e.g., not your surname). You must also change your Password regularly. The Company email has been set up to automatically prompt you to change your password every 6 months.

You are not permitted to use another employee's password to log on to the computer system, whether or not you have that employee's permission. If you log on to the computer using another employee's password, you may be liable to disciplinary action up to and including summary dismissal for gross misconduct. If you disclose your password to another employee, you may also be liable to disciplinary action. 

To safeguard the Company's computer systems from viruses, you should take care when opening documents or communications from unknown origins. Attachments may be blocked if they are deemed to be potentially harmful to the Company's systems. 

All information, documents, and data created, saved or maintained on the Company's computer system remains at all times the property of the Company.

2. Processing personal data

You may have access to the personal data of other individuals and of our customers and clients that is being processed within the Company's computer systems in the course of your employment. Where this is the case, the Company relies on you to help meet its data protection obligations to employees and to customers and clients.

If you have access to personal data, you are required: 

• to access only data that you have authority to access and only for authorised purposes; 
• not to disclose data except to individuals (whether inside or outside the Company) who have appropriate authorisation; 
• to keep data secure by complying with rules on access to premises, access to computers including password protection, and secure file storage and destruction; 
• not to remove personal data, or devices containing or that can be used to access personal data, from the Company's premises without adopting appropriate security measures (such as encryption or password protection) to secure the data and the device; and 
• not to store personal data on local drives or on personal devices that are used for business purposes. 

Failure to observe these requirements may amount to a disciplinary offence which will be dealt with under the Company's disciplinary procedure. Significant or deliberate breaches of this policy, such as accessing employee, customer or client data without authorisation or a legitimate reason to do so, may constitute gross misconduct and could lead to the disciplinary procedure being followed. This may lead to a disciplinary sanction being imposed, including up to dismissal without notice.

3. Use of E-mail

Where the Company's computer systems contain an e-mail facility, you should use that e-mail system for business purposes only. 

E-mails should be written in accordance with the standards of any other form of written communication and the content and language used in the message must be consistent with best practice. Messages should be concise and directed to relevant individuals on a need-to-know basis. 

You should take care when opening e-mails from unknown external sources. Attachments to e-mails may be blocked if they are deemed to be potentially harmful to the Company's systems.

E-mails can be the subject of legal action (for example, claims of defamation, breach of confidentiality or breach of contract) against both the employee who sent them or the Company. As e-mail messages may be disclosed to any person mentioned in them, you must always ensure that the content of the e-mail is appropriate. 

Abusive, obscene, discriminatory, harassing, derogatory or defamatory e-mails must never be sent to anyone and would be considered a gross misconduct offence. If you do so, the disciplinary procedure may be followed and you may be liable to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal without notice.

4. Internet access

You are required to limit your use of the internet to sites and searches appropriate to your job. The Company may monitor all internet use by employees without notice. You are expressly forbidden from accessing web pages or files downloaded from the internet that could in any way be regarded as illegal, offensive, in bad taste or immoral

This policy outlines your responsibilities in respect of Company mobile and office telephones and the rules relating to mobile phones for personal use at work. 

You may be provided with a mobile phone and any accessories to assist you in performing your duties. It is your responsibility to ensure that proper care is taken of this equipment. 

You are permitted reasonable use of the mobile phone for personal purposes. Where there is an unreasonable level of personal use, you will be notified of this and you will be responsible for paying the excess costs, normally by deduction from your following pay unless you agree an alternative method with your manager. 

On termination of your employment, the mobile phone and any accessories must be returned to the Company no later than the final day of your employment. The Company retains the right to deduct the cost of any mobile phone and/or accessory that is not returned, or is returned in a damaged condition due to your actions, from your final pay. 

No individual will have the automatic right to take their Work Mobile Number with them on leaving. PAC codes are not permitted for users who depart the company, unless specifically agreed by the MD of the business unit in advance of employee termination. Any costs incurred will be at the employee’s expense. 

The Company reserves the right to track location of any company provided mobile device and to remotely wipe any company provided mobile device.

1.  Provision and use of equipment

If the Company provides you with a mobile phone or use of a landline for business purposes, the Company will meet the rental and standard costs in respect of business calls. You must ensure that the mobile phone and accessories are kept in good condition at all times and that your mobile phone is charged and available for use during working hours or out of hours if you are on-call. 

You must observe any site-specific restrictions imposed by other organisations regarding the use of mobile phones, including requests to keep mobile phones turned off.

2.   Inappropriate use

The content of text messages and voicemail must comply with the standards required of any other form of written or verbal communication and be consistent with accepted conventions and practice. 

Jailbreaking or installing unauthorised applications on the mobile device is not permitted. Any evidence that a phone has been jailbroken will void the warranty of the phone, resulting in the employee replacing the unit at a cost to them.

Abuse of the text or voice messaging facility may result in disciplinary action. The sending and/or receiving of any material which is, in the opinion of the Company inappropriate i.e., defamatory; offensive or obscene; untrue or malicious; may constitute gross misconduct and result in summary dismissal. 

If you receive an inappropriate text or voice message, you must notify your line manager immediately. 

The Company monitors the use of its mobile and Company telephones in compliance with the Monitoring Policy. Company mobile or office telephones may not be used for personal calls unless specified otherwise in your Contract of Employment. 

The Company reserves the right to deduct from your pay the cost of any personal use or alternative arrangements may be agreed to repay these costs.

3.   Personal mobile phones

Unless otherwise instructed, personal mobile telephones must be switched off or switched to silent mode at all times during normal working hours. Company data, email, or access to the Company One Drive and servers MUST not be accessed through personal mobile phones.

4.   Loss or damage

Your Company mobile phone is your responsibility. You must take all reasonable precautions to ensure that your mobile phone is not stolen, lost or damaged. Do not leave your mobile phone in a visible place such as in an unattended vehicle. Where possible you must set up a personal identification number (PIN) to prevent any unauthorised person from accessing or using your phone. 

In the event that your Company mobile phone is stolen, lost or damaged you must contact your manager immediately. 

If loss or damage is caused to your Company mobile phone as a result of your negligence, you may be charged for the cost of the repair or for a replacement phone. You may be required to reimburse the Company for the associated costs, or the Company may deduct the sum owed directly from your pay.

5.    Mobile phone and driving

It is a criminal offence to drive (or have another person drive) a motor vehicle while using a 'handheld' mobile telephone. This includes using a 'handheld' mobile telephone when you are stopped at traffic lights or when you are queuing in traffic. 

Mobile phones should only be used when the vehicle has been parked in a safe place.

If you incur a fixed penalty or fine in relation to the use of a mobile phone whilst driving, you will be responsible for the associated costs. You must inform your line manager immediately of any fine or penalty points placed on your licence or if you are disqualified from driving.

6.  Returning the equipment

If you are requested to return your mobile phone to the Company, you must return the phone and accessories immediately. On termination of your employment, the mobile phone must be returned to the Company no later than the final day of your employment. The Company retains the right to deduct the cost of the mobile phone and/or accessory that is not returned or is returned in a damaged condition due to your negligence, from your final pay.

7.   Breach of policy

If this policy is breached the Company reserves the right to withdraw the Company mobile phone and take disciplinary action. Any breach of the policy including, but not limited to, inappropriate use of Company mobile or landlines and using a mobile phone device whilst driving may be treated as gross misconduct, the disciplinary procedure may be followed and may result in a sanction up to and including your dismissal without notice.

This policy sets out the Company's approach to employee monitoring, provides information relating to the types of monitoring used and the Company's obligations in relation to such monitoring and in introducing additional monitoring

1.  The company’s responsibility’s 

You should be aware that the Company may carry out employee monitoring. 

Monitoring may be necessary either to allow the Company to perform its contract with you or for the Company's own legitimate interests. The Company's reasons for monitoring include:

• Security and the prevention and detection of crime; 
• Ensuring appropriate use of the Company's telecommunications and computer systems; 
• Ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements; 

• Monitoring attendance, work and behaviour

   

1. Types of monitoring

The monitoring carried out may include: 

• Monitoring lateness using video cameras 
• Monitoring e-mails and analysing e-mail traffic 
• Monitoring websites visited by employees using Company systems 
• Recording telephone calls and checking call logs 
• Monitoring the use of Company vehicles via vehicle-tracking systems 
• Entry and exit systems, including the use of biometric data such as fingerprints 
• Tracking via mobile devices

The Company may use information gathered through employee monitoring as the basis for disciplinary action against employees. 

If disciplinary action results from information gathered through monitoring, you will be given the opportunity to see or hear the relevant information in advance of the disciplinary meeting. 

The Company will ensure data collected through monitoring is processed in accordance with the Company's Data Protection Policy and data protection legislation and, in particular, it will be kept secure, and access will be limited to authorised individuals.

2. Complaints of bullying and harassment

If you feel that you have been harassed or bullied or are offended by material received from a colleague, you should inform your manager immediately

3. Misuse of computer systems

Examples of misuse include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Accessing on-line chat rooms, blogs, social network sites (unless required for work purposes)
• Use of on-line auction sites 
• Sending, receiving, downloading, displaying or disseminating material that discriminates against, degrades, insults, causes offence to or harasses others
• Accessing pornographic or other inappropriate or unlawful materials
• Engaging in on-line gambling
• Forwarding electronic chain letters or similar material
• Downloading or disseminating copyright materials
• Issuing false or defamatory statements about any person or organisation via the Company's electronic systems
• Unauthorised sharing of confidential information about the Company or any person or organisation connected to the Company,
• Unauthorised disclosure of personal data; and
• Loading or running unauthorised games or software

Any evidence of misuse may result in disciplinary action.

1. Additional monitoring

The Company reserves the right to introduce additional monitoring. Before doing so, the Company will: 

• Identify the purpose for which the monitoring is to be introduced 
• Ensure that the type and extent of monitoring is limited to what is necessary to achieve that purpose 
• Where appropriate, consult with affected employees in advance of introducing the monitoring 
• Weigh up the benefits that the monitoring is expected to achieve against the impact it may have on employees 

The Company will ensure employees are aware of when, why and how monitoring is to take place and the standards they are expected to achieve.

4. Covert monitoring 

If the Company has reason to believe that certain employees are engaged in criminal activity, the Company may use covert monitoring to investigate that suspicion. In such instances, any monitoring will take place under the guidance of the police and will be carried out in accordance with Data Protection legislation.

Please refer to policy QCD 1005

This policy details the main standards of behaviour that you need to adhere to and also details the behaviours that the Company would normally regard as gross misconduct. The standards of behaviour and the details of gross misconduct listed in this policy should not be considered exhaustive.

1. Employee duties and responsibilities 

You are under a duty to comply with the standards of behaviour required by the Company and to behave in a reasonable manner at all times.

1. Attendance and timekeeping

You must:

• Comply with the rules relating to notification of absence set out in the Company's Absence Procedure 
• Arrive at work promptly, ready to start work at your contracted starting time 
• Remain at work until your contracted finishing time 
• Obtain management authorisation if for any reason you wish to arrive later or leave earlier than your agreed normal start and finish times

The Company reserves the right not to pay you in respect of working time lost because of poor timekeeping. Persistent poor timekeeping may result in the disciplinary procedure being followed which could mean disciplinary action being taken against you.

2. Conduct Standards

You must:

• Maintain satisfactory standards of performance at work
• Comply with all reasonable management instructions
• Co-operate fully with your colleagues and with management
• Ensure the maintenance of acceptable standards of politeness
• Take all necessary steps to safeguard the Company's public image and preserve positive relationships with all persons and organisations connected to the Company
• Ensure that you behave in a way that does not constitute unlawful discrimination
• Comply with the Company's Operating Policies and Procedures

Whilst in the office, your personal mobile telephone should be switched off or set on silent or vibrate mode. Personal calls or text messages should be kept to a minimum and be limited to break-times. If constant ringing or use of personal mobile telephones proves to become a nuisance causing interruptions to your work or others, you will be asked to switch your mobile off during office hours.

3. Job role and flexibility 

If appropriate, you will be given a detailed non-contractual job description of the position to which you have been appointed. However, amendments may be made to your job description from time to time to take account of changing business needs and your own development and ability. 

During holiday periods, or as the needs of the business change, it may be necessary for you to take over some duties normally performed by colleagues, or to undertake further duties and responsibilities. This flexibility is essential, as in a business of this size, the type and volume of work are always subject to change, and we need to be able to operate efficiently and gain maximum potential from our employees. This flexibility also allows you the opportunity for personal development.

You will not be expected to carry out duties, which you are unable to perform through either a lack of training or experience. 

You may be required to work additional hours at short notice, in accordance with the needs of the business. 

You may also be required to undertake duties outside your normal job remit and to work at locations other than your normal place of work.

4. Confidentiality 

You must keep confidential, except as required by law, both during your employment and at any time after its termination, all information gained in the course of your employment about the Company and that of all persons and organisations connected to the Company.

1. Conduct while representing the Company

As a general rule, behaviour outside of normal working hours is a personal matter and does not directly concern the Company. However, there are some exceptions to this rule. The Company will become involved when incidents occur: 

• At office parties or other work-related social occasions or gatherings 
• At social occasions or gatherings organised by a third party, where you have been invited in your capacity as an employee 
• At work related conferences 
• While working away on business on behalf of the Company 
• When representing the Company on social media

On these occasions you are expected to behave in an appropriate and responsible manner, keeping in mind that you are representing the Company. You are instructed specifically not to consume any alcohol at such events where you are driving. 

Any employee whose conduct brings the Company into disrepute will be subject to the Company's disciplinary procedure. Such behaviour may be viewed as a gross misconduct offence and may render the employee liable to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal without notice.

5. Outside activities and other employment

You are not permitted to engage in any activity outside your employment with the Company that could reasonably be interpreted as competing with the Company. 

You are required to seek permission from management before taking on any other employment while employed by the Company unless you are on a zero hour’s contract. If you perform any role outside of your employment with the Company without the Company’s authorisation, outside of your employment the disciplinary procedure may be followed and with the Company impacts upon your working hours and your ability to successfully fulfil your contracted role, the disciplinary action may be taken.

6. Personal work

Work of a personal nature should not normally be carried out during working hours. Any such work must be pre-authorised by your line manager. This includes, for example, telephone calls, photocopying, and internet access. 

Where you are considered to be abusing Company time or Company services you may be reprimanded, and costs incurred will be charged to you. You may also be subject to disciplinary action depending on the nature of the personal work being undertaken. 

The Company reserves the right to record or monitor telephones, email and internet access in order to ensure that these services are not being abused.

7. Health and Safety

It is your duty and responsibility to familiarise yourself with, and to comply with, the Company or any third party's health and safety policies and procedures. Breach of these rules may result in disciplinary action, up to and including the termination of your employment without notice for gross misconduct. 

You must report all accidents, however minor, as soon as possible and in line with the Company's health and safety policy. You must ensure that a comprehensive report is entered into the Company's Accident Book. 

Any exposed cut or burn must be covered with a suitable approved dressing. If you are suffering from an infectious or contagious disease or illness, e.g., rubella or hepatitis, you must not report for work without clearance from your own doctor. Any contact with persons suffering from an infectious or contagious disease must be reported before commencing work.

8. Dress and Appearance

The personal appearance of employees makes an important contribution to the Company's reputation and image. For this reason, it is important that your dress and appearance is professional and reflects the environment in which you work. You will be expected to comply with any management instructions concerning dress and appearance. 

Where corporate clothing is issued, it should be worn when and where appropriate. It should at all times be clean and not in a state of disrepair.

9.   Property and equipment

You are not permitted to make use of Company or a third party's telephone, fax, postal or other services for personal purposes. 

You must not remove property or equipment from Company or a third party's premises unless for use on authorised business or with the permission of management. 

Where you damage property belonging to the Company either through misuse or carelessness, the Company reserves the right to make a deduction from your pay in respect of the damaged property. 

On termination of your employment, you must return all Company property, such as keys, laptops, mobile telephones, Company vehicles, fuel or bank cards, documents or any other items belonging to the Company. All items should be returned in a good state of repair, otherwise the Company reserves the right to make a deduction from your pay in respect of the damaged property.

10.   Clear desk policy

To improve the security and confidentiality, you are required to ensure that when your workstation is unoccupied you take all necessary steps to clear your workstation of any sensitive and confidential information. 

This ensures that all sensitive and confidential information, whether it be on paper, a storage device, or a hardware device, is properly locked away or disposed of when a workstation is not in use. This policy will reduce the risk of unauthorized access, data protection breaches, loss of, and damage to information during and outside of normal business hours or when workstations are left unattended. 

Whenever a desk is unoccupied for an extended period of time the following will apply:

• All sensitive and confidential paperwork must be removed from the desk and locked in a drawer or filing cabinet. This includes mass storage devices such as CDs, DVDs, and USB drives; 
• All waste paper which contains sensitive or confidential information must be placed in the designated confidential waste bins. Under no circumstances should this information be placed in regular waste paper bins; 
• Computer workstations must be locked when the desk is unoccupied and completely shut down at the end of the work day; 
• Laptops, tablets, and other hardware devices must be removed from the desk and locked in a drawer or filing cabinet, if this is not possible they must be kept in a secure room, or at the minimum ensure the screen is locked; 
• Keys for accessing drawers or filing cabinets should not be left unattended at a desk. 

Printers and fax machines should be treated with the same care.

11.   Personal searches

The Company may reasonably request to search your clothing, personal baggage, personal storage areas or vehicles. An authorised person must conduct any such search in the presence of an independent witness. Should you refuse such a request, the Company will require the appropriate authorities to conduct the search on behalf of the Company. Failure to co-operate with the Company in this respect may be treated as gross misconduct. 

The Company reserves the right to involve the Police at any stage where the Company believes this is appropriate.

2.   Personal property

You are solely responsible for the safety of your personal possessions on Company premises and should ensure that your personal possessions are kept in a safe place at all times. If you find an item of lost property on the premises, you are required to inform management immediately.

12.   Environment

Only those employees who are specifically authorised by the Company to do so may handle cash or receive payments on behalf of the Company. 

You are responsible for all monetary transactions that you handle. Should the Company suffer any loss through your negligence then the loss shall be deducted from your pay in accordance with the provisions of the Employment Rights Act 1996.

13.   Housekeeping

From the perspective of safety and of appearance, your work areas must be kept clean and tidy at all times. 

The kitchen should be kept clean and tidy at all times. Any used crockery and cutlery should be washed and cleared away or placed in the dishwasher. To avoid accidents and spillage, anyone carrying hot drinks or food should exercise extreme caution and whenever possible use the tray provided in the kitchen.

14.   Parking

To avoid congestion, all vehicles must be parked only in designated parking areas. No liability is accepted for damage to private vehicles, other than damage clearly evidenced to have been caused by a Company vehicle. Where parking costs apply, these must be covered by the driver and reclaimed in accordance with Company regulations.

15.   Visitors

Security for the building and its contents are considered to be the responsibility of all its employees while at their place of work. If you encounter any unescorted or unknown individual in or around the Company's property, you should take steps to determine if they are an authorised visitor. Any visitors to the Company and its property should report to the reception area. If you wish to bring a visitor into Company premises, this must be pre-authorised by your manager. Any expected visitors to the Company should be reported, in advance, to the receptionist and they must sign the Company register. Whilst in the building, visitors should be accompanied by an employee.

16.   Mail

All mail received at the Company address may be opened by a Director of the Company, including that addressed to employees. Private mail, therefore, should not be sent care of our address. No private mail may be posted at the expense of the Company.

17.   Meeting Rooms

Requests to reserve the Meeting Room should be done via Company policy.

18.   Leaving Company premises during working hours

For health and safety reasons, if you have to leave Company premises during your normal working day, you should inform either your manager, or if your manager is not available, then another manager or HR. 

You should communicate:

• If you intend returning to the office. 
• When you intend to return to the office. 

This will enable colleagues or reception to take any messages and advise callers when you are expected to return.

19.   Contact with the media

Any contact or statements to reporters from newspapers, radio, and television will be given only by the Managing Director or an authorised Director of the Company. You must not at any time during the course of your employment or at any time thereafter speak to any member of the media about the Company or any other aspect of its business without the prior written consent of the Managing Director.

20.   Change in Personal Details

Where there is a change in your personal details you should notify the change to the Company in writing. Whilst not exhaustive, examples include changes of name, address, marital status, emergency contact, bank details, etc. It is essential that the Company has up to date information for pay, pensions, emergency and death in service purposes.

21.   Breach of this policy

A breach of the Company's standards of behaviour is likely to result in disciplinary action being taken.

Set out below are details of behaviour that the Company views as gross misconduct, which is likely to result in dismissal without notice. This list is not exhaustive. Such behaviour includes:

• Theft, dishonesty or fraud including the unauthorised possession of money or property belonging to the Company, another employee or a third party
• Deliberate recording of incorrect working hours
• Unauthorised absence
• Smoking on Company or a third party's premises or in a vehicle belonging to the company
• Sleeping during working hours
• Assault, acts of violence or aggression
• Bullying
• Unacceptable use of obscene or abusive language
• Possession or use of or being under the influence of non-medicinal drugs or alcohol on Company Premises or during working hours
• Wilful damage to Company, employee or third-party property
• Serious insubordination
• Serious or gross negligence
• Bringing the Company into disrepute
• Falsification of records or other Company documents, including those relating to obtaining employment
• Unlawful discrimination, including acts of indecency, harassment or sexual harassment
• Refusal to carry out reasonable management instructions
• Gambling, bribery or corruption
• Serious breach of health and safety policies and procedures
• Breach of confidentiality, including the unauthorised disclosure of Company information to the media or any other party
• Taking part in activities which results or may result in adverse publicity for the Company, or which cause the Company to lose faith in your integrity
• Unauthorised accessing or use of computer data
• Unauthorised copying of computer software

This policy is designed to ensure that all disciplinary matters are dealt with promptly, fairly and consistently and to encourage an improvement in individual conduct and/or performance. It outlines the procedures that the Company will follow should there be a need to take disciplinary action and your right to appeal.

1. Entitlements and responsibilities

The Company aims to deal with disciplinary matters promptly and fairly. You have the right to appeal against a decision the Company makes at a disciplinary meeting. In these cases, the Company will make every effort for the appeal to be dealt with by a different manager to the person who dealt with the matter initially. The Company's decision at the appeal stage is final and there is no further right of appeal. You have a responsibility to assist the Company, if required, to investigate the matters raised at disciplinary meetings and comply with the disciplinary procedures.

2.  Disciplinary sanctions

The level of the disciplinary sanction, if any, will be determined by the severity of the offence. The Company will normally select one of the following:

1. Written warning

A Written Warning will usually be applied as the first step of corrective action following unsatisfactory performance or conduct offences. The Company will define the unacceptable acts and explain the conduct or standards required in the future. You will be advised in writing that a failure to improve the standard of conduct or performance may result in further disciplinary action. A time limit of 2 months from date of the disciplinary decision will be placed on the warning.

2. Final written warning

A Final Written Warning is usually applied after a Written Warning has been given and performance or conduct has not improved but may be applied after a more serious first or a second offence. 

If the seriousness of the offence merits, the Company may issue you with a Final Written Warning as a first step without issuing a prior Written Warning. 

You will be advised in writing that a failure to improve the standard of conduct or performance may result in dismissal. A time limit of 3 months from the date of the disciplinary decision will be placed on the warning.

3. Dismissal

Dismissal occurs when your employment is terminated either with or without notice. Dismissal without notice is also referred to as 'summary dismissal' and is restricted to cases of gross misconduct. 

The Company reserves the right, at its complete discretion, to impose a sanction short of dismissal if it is deemed appropriate. This may include demotion, transfer to a different post or another appropriate sanction. Any such decision will be confirmed to you in writing once you have been informed of the outcome.

4. Suspension from work

If the Company believes it is appropriate, it may decide to suspend you from your work pending further investigation. Suspension itself is not a disciplinary sanction. 

If a decision to suspend is made, you will be informed verbally, and this will usually be followed up in writing. While you are suspended, you should not attend work or make contact with anyone connected to the Company unless otherwise instructed by the Company. If you need to contact anyone connected to the Company while you are suspended, you must notify your manager. Any reasonable request will not be refused. Breach of the terms of your suspension may result in additional disciplinary action up to and including dismissal without notice.

The Company will endeavour to keep any suspension as brief as possible. Any period of suspension will be on full pay. However, should you fail to co-operate at any time with the investigatory process, for example by failing to attend any meeting, without good reason then the Company reserves the right to treat this as unauthorised absence.

5. Investigation Meetings

Depending on the circumstances, you may be required to attend Investigation Meetings before a decision is taken on whether or not to invoke the disciplinary procedure. An Investigation Meeting is an informal meeting and so you are not permitted to be accompanied unless you are under the age of 18 (when a parent or guardian will be permitted). 

You must notify and obtain the consent of all those present at the meeting if you intend to record it. 

Depending on the outcome of the investigation, the Company will decide whether or not to proceed with a Disciplinary Meeting. 

If it is decided that there is no case to answer, then you will be informed of this fact either verbally or in writing. You will be expected to return to work at the agreed date and time. This will end the process.

6. Invitation to a Disciplinary Meeting

If you are required to attend a Disciplinary Meeting, the Company will inform you of this in writing. 

In the letter, the Company will set out the issues that are to be considered, how seriously these are being viewed, the potential consequences and details of any intention to call witnesses. The letter will also inform you of the date and time of the meeting to allow you sufficient time to prepare your case. 

As this is a formal meeting, the letter will also detail your right to be accompanied.

1. Your right to be accompanied at a Disciplinary Meeting

You are entitled to be accompanied at a Disciplinary Meeting by a fellow employee or trade union representative. With the exception of those under the age of 18, when a parent or guardian will be permitted, no other person will be permitted to attend. 

Should you wish to be accompanied, you must notify the Company of the name and position of your chosen companion as soon as possible. 

Your companion is permitted to put forward and summarise your case, respond on your behalf to views expressed in the meeting, ask questions and confer with you, but will not be entitled to answer questions directly on your behalf.

7. Action if you cannot attend the meeting on the proposed date

If you feel that you have a legitimate reason as to why you cannot attend the meeting on the proposed date, you must contact the person named on the invitation letter to advise them of this fact immediately. The meeting may then be delayed facilitating your attendance, if this is considered reasonable.

8. Attending the disciplinary meeting

You must attend the meeting at the proposed time. Failure to participate in the process or attend arranged meetings without good reason may result in additional disciplinary action or a decision being made in your absence. 

Prior to the meeting, you should ensure that you are fully prepared to answer questions relating to the incident/circumstances in question. At the meeting you will be given every opportunity to state your case, present any evidence and call relevant witnesses before any decision is made. 

You must notify and obtain the consent of all those present at the meeting if you intend to record it.

9.  Notification of the decision and disciplinary sanction

Following the Disciplinary Meeting, the Company will notify you of its decision and the disciplinary sanction it will apply. This letter will also explain your right to appeal against any decision taken and sanction applied.

10.  Your right of appeal against disciplinary action

If you wish to appeal against a decision, you must submit your request in writing, stating the reasons for the appeal, to the individual identified in the letter confirming the sanction. This should be submitted within five working days of receiving notification.

11.   The Appeal Meeting

You will be informed of the date and time of the Appeal Meeting. If you feel that you have a legitimate reason as to why you cannot attend the meeting on the proposed date, you must contact the person named on the invitation letter to inform them of this fact immediately. The meeting may then be delayed facilitating your attendance, if this is considered reasonable. You will be entitled to be accompanied by a fellow employee. 

You must notify and obtain the consent of all those present at the meeting if you intend to record it. 

At the Appeal Meeting you will be given an opportunity to state your case. Your companion is permitted to put forward and summarise your case, respond on your behalf to views expressed in the meeting, ask questions and confer with you, but will not be entitled to answer questions directly on your behalf. 

The meeting will then be adjourned to allow the Company to consider the facts and the decision will be confirmed in writing. The outcome will be communicated as soon as possible, taking into account the complexity of the issues raised in the appeal. The decision at this stage will be final.

Please refer to policy QCD 3002

This outlines the Company's policy on the authorisation and reimbursement of business expenses incurred during the course of your employment. 

The Company reserves the right to refuse to pay an expense claim if the expenditure is unreasonable or unnecessary, or if the appropriate documentation has not been provided. 

Failure to follow this policy will constitute a disciplinary offence that will be managed in accordance with the Company's Disciplinary Procedure. Details of the Company Expenses Policy are detailed separately.

1.   The Company's responsibilities

The Company will reimburse you in respect of any expenses wholly, necessarily and reasonably incurred in the course of your work.

15.2     Your responsibilities

            You must use the most cost-effective transport methods and routes in conducting business. You should ensure that all expense claims are made promptly, as directed by the Company.

3. What can be claimed?

Set out below are details of the expenses that can be claimed. This list is not exhaustive.

1. Travelling expenses

Travelling expenses will be paid to you when you need to travel on Company business to other locations, and this is generally limited to the cost of travel from the office to the destination and return. The Company will normally reimburse:

• Standard-class rail fares
• Business mileage in accordance with HM Revenue & Customs guidelines or as advised by the Company
• Car-parking costs (but not parking fines or penalties) incurred whilst undertaking your duties for the Company
• Air travel (the prior consent of your manager must have been obtained)
• Taxi fares if no suitable public transport is available

1. Accommodation and allowances

Overnight expenses should only be incurred when an overnight stay is unavoidable and prior permission has been obtained from your manager. 

In certain circumstances, the Company will provide you with an overnight accommodation allowance. This allowance includes a set amount, to be determined in advance, for an evening meal, bed and breakfast. It does not include unreasonable expenses, such as use of the mini bar.

4. Procedure

Claims should be made on the appropriate claim form, and should include original receipts, in order for them to be authorised by your manager. 

Claims for business mileage must be supported by a completed mileage record sheet, giving full details of the journeys involved and the reasons for them.

When your employment ends, for whatever reason, any Company credit card must be returned to the Company no later than on the final day of your employment.

The Company recognises that employees may be interested in reducing working hours, working from home or changing working patterns. 

This policy outlines who is eligible to make a formal flexible working request, the procedure that should be followed and the issues that will be taken into account when deciding whether to agree to the request. 

The Company will make every effort to accommodate requests for flexible working, provided that an employee's duties can still be carried out effectively.

16.1     Eligibility for flexible working

            To be eligible to make a request for flexible working, you must: 

• Have been employed by the Company for at least 26 weeks before the request is made 

• Not have made a formal request to work flexibly during the past 12 months

  1. Procedure

Any employee considering making an application to the Company in terms of this policy has a responsibility to think carefully about their desired working pattern before making an application.

1. Making an application

You are only permitted to make one formal application per year; each year runs from the date when the application was made. 

Applications must be made in writing and submitted to your manager. An application will be considered to have been made on the day that it was received by the Company. 

For an application to be considered by the Company, you must:

• Set out the date of the application, the change to working conditions that you are seeking and when you would like the change to come into effect 
• Explain what effect, if any, you think the proposed change would have on the Company and how any such effect might be dealt with 
• State that this is a statutory request and whether a previous application has been made to the Company and, if so, when it was made

To help the Company consider the request please also provide details of the reasons for your application. 

If you fail to provide all the required information, the Company reserves the right to ask you to re-submit the application. An application may not be considered unless it is completed and submitted in full.

2.    How your application will be considered 

Unless your Manager intends to approve the request straight away, they will arrange to meet with you. The proposed changes will be considered in light of the impact on the Company financially, from a service viewpoint and in terms of the impact upon colleagues, as well as other practical considerations. 

The meeting provides an opportunity to explore the desired work pattern in depth and to discuss how best it might be accommodated. It will also provide an opportunity to consider other alternative working patterns, should there be difficulties in accommodating the desired work pattern outlined in your application. You can be accompanied by a work colleague at this meeting.

If the application for flexible working is granted, it will mean a permanent change to your own terms and conditions of employment. Accordingly, it will be important that, before making an application, you give careful consideration to:

• Any financial implications it might have on you in cases where the desired working pattern will involve a drop in salary 

• Any effects it will have on the Company and how these might be addressed.

  1. The Company’s response

Following the meeting your manager will write to you to either: 

• agree to a new work pattern and confirm the date from which the contract variation shall take effect 

Or 

• provide clear business grounds as to why the application cannot be accepted and setting out your right to appeal.

Business reasons for which the Company may reject your request are:

• The burden of additional costs
• Detrimental effect on its ability to meet customer demand
• Inability to reorganise work among existing employees
• Inability to recruit additional employees
• Detrimental impact on quality 
• Detrimental impact on performance
• Insufficiency of work during the periods that you propose to work
• Planned structural changes within the company

There may also be occasions on which the Company will need further time to consider an application or to put in place other arrangements before notifying you of the final decision. Accordingly, all time periods can be extended by agreement.

3.      Appealing if your application is refused 

If you wish to appeal against a decision, you must submit your request in writing to the individual identified in the letter confirming the outcome, no later than the end of the fifth working day after you have been notified in writing of the decision. 

You will be informed of the date and time of the subsequent appeal. If you cannot attend on this day, you must contact the person named on the invitation letter to inform them of this fact. You can be accompanied by a work colleague. 

After the appeal meeting, the Company shall write to you notifying you of the decision reached. This decision will be final, and you will not be permitted to make another formal application until 12 months after the date of your original application.

The law requires that all requests, including any appeals, must be considered and decided on within a period of three months from first receipt.

A grievance is any concern, problem or complaint that you have in relation to your employment.

Where possible, you should try to settle any grievance informally with your manager at the earliest opportunity. Where any grievance is unable to be resolved informally, this policy sets out the Company's Grievance Procedure.

1.  Your responsibilities 

You have a responsibility to raise any grievances promptly and reasonably, assist the Company, if required, in any investigation of the matters raised in your grievance, follow the grievance procedure and attend all meetings arranged under it. 

You may raise grievances either informally or formally. If you raise a grievance informally first, you may still raise the grievance formally subsequently if it is not resolved to your satisfaction. 

The Company aims to deal with all grievances promptly and impartially, and to make all reasonable efforts to achieve a satisfactory outcome. 

You have the right to appeal against a decision the Company makes in respect of a grievance raised by you. In these cases, the Company will make every effort for the grievance to be dealt with by a different manager to the person who dealt with the grievance initially. 

The Company's decision at the appeal stage is final and there is no further right of appeal.

2.    Dealing with grievances informally

If you have any grievance, you should discuss this with your manager in the first instance, who will then attempt to resolve the situation on an informal basis. 

If you feel unable to approach your manager directly, you should approach another manager or a more senior member of the Company, who will discuss with you ways of dealing with the matter. 

If attempts to resolve the matter informally do not work, it may be appropriate for you to raise a formal grievance under the following formal procedure.

1.     Your right to be accompanied at Grievance Meetings

At all formal stages of this procedure, you are entitled to be accompanied by a fellow employee. If you are under 18, your parent or guardian will be allowed to accompany you. 

Should you wish to be accompanied, you must notify the Company of the name and position of your chosen companion as soon as possible.

3.   Formal procedure 

The Company will make all reasonable efforts to deal with formal grievances in a fair and consistent manner. While the Company will make every effort to settle any grievance within the time limits detailed in this procedure, this may not be possible on some occasions. 

You must set out the nature of the grievance, and the full particulars of it, in writing. The written grievance should be submitted to your manager in the first instance, or to the person identified in your contract of employment. If your grievance is against your manager, you should submit it to another manager or a more senior member of the Company.

4.   Attending the Grievance Meeting 

You will be invited to a meeting to discuss the grievance, normally within five working days of the Company receiving your grievance. You must take all reasonable steps to attend this meeting. 

Prior to the meeting, you should ensure that you are fully prepared to present your grievance, share any supporting evidence and answer any questions relating to the incident/circumstances in question.

5.    Notification of the outcome

After the Grievance Meeting, an appropriate period of time may be taken to allow for any further investigation and/or the consideration of all the facts before a decision is reached. The Company will then, normally, inform you in writing of its decision regarding the raised grievance without unreasonable delay. The letter will also explain your right to appeal against any decision taken.

6.  Appeals against grievance outcomes

If you are dissatisfied with a decision made regarding a grievance you have raised, you have the right of appeal. Whenever possible, the appeal will be dealt with by a different manager to the person who dealt with the grievance. 

Your appeal must be made in writing, stating the reasons for the appeal, to the individual identified in the decision letter. This should be submitted no later than the end of the fifth working day after you received written notification.

7.  The Appeal Meeting

The Company will arrange and hold an Appeal Meeting as quickly as possible, normally within five days. You will be entitled to attend the Appeal Meeting and will be given an opportunity to state your case. 

You must take all reasonable steps to attend this meeting. If you feel that you have a legitimate reason as to why you cannot attend the meeting on the proposed date, you must contact the person named on the invitation letter to inform them of this fact immediately. The meeting may then be delayed to facilitate your attendance, if this is considered reasonable. 

You must notify and obtain the consent of all those present at the meeting if you intend to record it.

As part of the Company's overall commitment to equality of opportunity, it is fully committed to promoting a fair and harmonious working environment in which everyone is treated with respect and dignity and in which no individual feels bullied, threatened or intimidated. The aim of this policy is to prevent harassment and bullying in the workplace which includes harassment and bullying by other workers or by third parties you encounter while doing your job. 

Harassment or bullying at work in any form is unacceptable behaviour and will not be permitted or condoned and will be viewed as a gross misconduct offence which may result in dismissal without notice. 

What is harassment and bullying? 

Harassment and bullying detract from a productive working environment and can impact on the health, confidence, morale and performance of those affected by it, including anyone who witnesses or has knowledge of the unwanted or unacceptable behaviour.

1.    Definition of harassment

Harassment is any unwanted physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct based on sex, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership status, gender reassignment, religion or belief, age, race or disability which affects the dignity of anyone at work or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. 

A single incident of unwanted or offensive behaviour can amount to harassment. Some examples are given below, but many forms of behaviour can constitute harassment. 

These examples are:

• Physical conduct, ranging from touching, pushing or grabbing to punching or serious assault
• Verbal or written harassment through jokes, offensive language, defamatory remarks, gossip, threats or letters
• Unwelcome sexual behaviour, including unwanted suggestions, propositions or advances
• The sending or displaying of material that is pornographic or obscene, including e-mails, text messages, video clips, photographs, posters, emblems or any other offensive material
• Inappropriate posts or comments on or via social media commonly known as "cyber bullying"
• Isolation, non-co-operation at work or exclusion from social activities
• Coercion, including pressure for sexual favours
• Inappropriate personal contact, including intrusion by pestering or spying

It should be noted that it is the impact of the behaviour that is relevant and not solely the motive or intent behind it.

2.  Definition of bullying

Bullying is persistent, offensive, abusive, intimidating or insulting behaviour, which, through the abuse of power, makes the recipient feel upset, threatened, humiliated or vulnerable. 

Bullying can be a form of harassment and can undermine an individual's self-confidence and self-esteem and cause them to suffer stress. 

Bullying can take the form of physical, verbal and non-verbal conduct. As with harassment, there are many examples of bullying, which can include:

• Shouting at or humiliating others
• High-handed or oppressive levels of supervision
• Unjustified, offensive and/or insulting remarks about performance
• Excluding employees from meetings, events or communications without good cause
• Physical or emotional threats

Bullying can occur in the workplace and outside of the workplace at events connected to the workplace, such as social functions or business trips. 

3.   Your rights

You have the right to work in an environment which is free from any form of harassment or bullying. The Company recognises your right to complain about harassment or bullying should it occur. All complaints will be dealt with seriously, promptly and confidentially.

Every effort will be made to ensure that, when you make a complaint, you will be protected from further acts of bullying and harassment. If others also give evidence or information in connection with the complaint, they equally will be protected. Perpetrators of these acts will be subject to disciplinary action which may warrant dismissal.

4.  Your responsibilities

You have a responsibility to help ensure a working environment in which the dignity of everyone is respected. You must comply with this policy, and you should ensure that your behaviour to colleagues and anyone connected to the Company, does not cause offence and could not in any way be considered to be harassment or bullying.

You should discourage harassment and bullying by making it clear that you find such behaviour unacceptable. You should also support colleagues who suffer such treatment and are considering making a complaint. You must alert a manager or supervisor immediately to any incident of harassment or bullying to enable the Company to deal with the matter promptly and effectively.

5.  The Company's responsibilities

The Company will ensure that adequate resources are made available to promote respect and dignity in the workplace and to deal effectively with complaints of harassment and bullying. This policy and procedure will be communicated effectively to all employees, and the Company will ensure that all employees are aware of their responsibilities. Appropriate training, where necessary, will be provided.

In order to raise a complaint of harassment or bullying, please refer to the Company QCD 3008 Violence and Aggression Policy.

This policy outlines your statutory rights and responsibilities when you are pregnant, give birth or adopt a child. It also outlines the arrangements and notification requirements before, during and after a period of Maternity or Adoption Leave, your statutory entitlements to pay during your leave, and your right to return to work following Maternity or Adoption Leave. 

This policy also covers associated issues such as holidays.

1. Time off for antenatal care

If you are pregnant, you have the right to take reasonable time off work, with pay, during your working hours to receive antenatal care, regardless of your length of service. This includes relaxation and/or parent craft classes, when this has been recommended on medical grounds by your registered medical practitioner or registered midwife. 

The Company requires you to give reasonable notice when making a request to take time off for scheduled antenatal appointments. Prior to time off being authorised, you will also be required to provide a copy of your appointment card and/or medical certificate confirming your pregnancy, with the exception of your first appointment.

2. Time off for adoption appointments

If you intend to adopt a child, you are entitled to time off to attend adoption appointments. Adoption appointments refer to those which take place after you are notified that a child is to be placed with you for adoption or for a fostering for adoption placement and before the placement occurs. 

The amount of time off (and any entitlement to pay) depends on whether you have elected to be the main adopter or are the partner of the main adopter. No request for time off will be unreasonably refused. 

If you are the main adopter, you are entitled to time off to attend adoption appointments on up to five occasions. The maximum time off which can be taken on each occasion is six and a half hours. Time off will be paid at your normal rate of pay. 

If you are the partner of the main adopter, you are entitled to time off to attend up to two adoption appointments. The maximum time off which can be taken on each occasion is six and a half hours. Time off is unpaid.

1. Different types of leave available

If you are pregnant or you have recently given birth, you are entitled to Maternity Leave.

If you adopt a child, either you or your partner will be entitled to Adoption Leave. Adoption leave can be taken by either partner adopting a child jointly, regardless of your gender. To obtain the benefit of these rights, you must comply with the qualifying conditions that are outlined below. 

Where you meet the eligibility criteria, you are entitled to 52 weeks' Maternity or Adoption Leave, in order to care for a new baby or a newly adopted child who is up to 18 years of age. 

Maternity and Adoption Leave is made up of 26 weeks' Ordinary Leave, followed by 26 weeks' Additional Leave. Additional Maternity Leave (AML) or Additional Adoption Leave (AAL) follows immediately after the end of your Ordinary Leave. There can be no gap between the two types of leave. 

New mothers and adoptive parents have the right to transfer all, or part, of their AML or AAL entitlement to the other parent or to share Parental Leave. Further details can be found in the Paternity Leave policy and the Shared Parental Leave policy (outlined elsewhere in the Employee Handbook).

3. Compulsory Maternity Leave

When you give birth, you are legally compelled to take a minimum of two weeks' Maternity Leave immediately after giving birth. For health and safety reasons, new mothers who work in a factory have a longer minimum period of four weeks.

4. Benefits during Maternity or Adoption Leave

During Maternity or Adoption Leave, you are entitled to receive all your normal contractual benefits, including annual holiday entitlement, with the exception of your normal pay.

5. Statutory Maternity and Adoption Pay (SMP/SAP)

SMP and SAP are payable for up to 39 weeks. 

The first six weeks are payable at the higher rate, which is the equivalent of 90% of your normal earnings. For SMP your normal earnings are calculated based on the eight-week period before the Qualifying Week, i.e., the 15th week before your expected week of childbirth. For SAP your normal earnings are calculated over the eight-week period ending with the week in which you are notified of having been matched with the child for adoption. 

The remaining 33 weeks are payable at a standard rate for the relevant tax year and can change each year. 

If your earnings are below the standard rate set by the Government, you will be paid at the equivalent of 90% of your average earnings in the eight-week period before the Qualifying Week or the date the child is matched. 

If you do not qualify for SMP or SAP, you may be entitled to claim for an allowance of financial support by contacting your local benefits office.

6. Qualifying for SMP and SAP

To qualify for SMP or SAP you must:

• Have average weekly earnings equal to or above the Lower Earnings Limit for National Insurance purposes during the eight-week period up to and including the Qualifying Week or the date you are matched with a child
• Have been continuously employed for at least 26 weeks, ending with the 15th week before your expected week of childbirth (the 'Qualifying Week') or the date you are informed by the approved adoption agency, or the central authority, that you have been matched with a child
• (If you are pregnant) still be pregnant at the 11th week before your expected week of childbirth or have had the child by that time
• Give the Company at least 28 days' notice (or, if that is not possible, as much notice as is reasonably practicable) of the day you would like your SMP or SAP to start
• Provide the Company with the appropriate medical certification of your expected week of childbirth, normally using the medical certificate MAT B1, or provide a written declaration that you have chosen to receive SAP rather than Statutory Paternity Pay
  1. Returning to work after Maternity or Adoption Leave

You do not need to give notice of your return to work if you simply return at the end of your Maternity or Adoption Leave period. 

If you wish to return to work before the full entitlement of your Maternity or Adoption Leave has ended or change your mind about the intended date of return to work, you must give the Company a minimum of eight weeks' notice of the intended date of your return. 

In the event that you fail to give the required eight weeks' notice of an earlier date of return, the Company may postpone your return until the end of the eight weeks' notice you should have given, or until the end of the Maternity or Adoption Leave period, whichever is earlier. 

You are entitled to return to your original job at the end of Ordinary Maternity or Adoption Leave. Where you take Additional Maternity or Adoption Leave, you are also entitled to return to your original job at the end of the Additional Leave. However, if this is not reasonably practicable, you will be offered a similar role on no less favourable terms and conditions. 

You will not lose the right to return to work if you do not follow the correct notification procedures. However, the Company may follow the disciplinary process if you fail to return to work at the end of the Maternity or Adoption Leave period. 

In the event that you are unable to return to work at the end of the Maternity or Adoption Leave due to ill health, the Company's normal sickness absence rules, procedures and payments will apply.

7. Holiday entitlement and Maternity or Adoption Leave

Annual holiday entitlement will continue to accrue during the whole of your Maternity or Adoption Leave. You must discuss and agree with the Company, in advance, when your accrued holiday entitlement can be taken. 

Holiday entitlement cannot be taken simultaneously with Maternity or Adoption Leave. Accrued holiday can only be taken either before the beginning of the Leave or after the end of the Leave. Authorisation must be obtained from the Company in the normal way prior to your accrued holiday being taken.

8.  Contact during Maternity or Adoption Leave

The Company may make reasonable contact with you during your Maternity or Adoption Leave. In addition, you may attend work during your Maternity or Adoption Leave, for a limited period, without affecting your Maternity or Adoption Leave. These days are referred to as Keeping in Touch days (see below).

2. Keeping in Touch (KIT) days

During your Maternity or Adoption Leave, you may work up to 10 days for the Company, during your Leave, without losing your right to your Maternity or Adoption Leave pay. 

Any days worked will be paid at your normal rate of pay, and any SMP or SAP will be taken into account for these purposes. 

Neither you nor the Company is under any obligation to agree to work or provide work for KIT days.

9. Notification procedures for Maternity Leave

If you are pregnant and give birth to a child, you are entitled to take Maternity Leave. To be eligible, you must comply with the rules and procedures set out below:

• no later than the end of the 15th week before the week your child is due, you must give the Company notice of:
  • the fact that you are pregnant and the date on which you intend to start your Maternity Leave
  • the expected week of childbirth, which must be confirmed by providing the medical certificate MAT B1
• within 28 calendar days of you giving notice, the Company will respond in writing, to confirm the date on 
• which your Maternity Leave will end. This will normally be 52 weeks from the start of your Maternity Leave
• the earliest you may start your Maternity Leave is 11 weeks before your expected week of childbirth. 
• However, Maternity Leave will start automatically if you give birth before this date.

Your Maternity Leave will automatically start if you are absent from work for a pregnancy-related illness during the four weeks before your expected week of childbirth.

10. Changing the start of your Maternity Leave           

You may change your mind about when you want to start your Maternity Leave, as long as you notify the Company, in writing, of your new start date. You must give the Company the relevant notice by whichever date is the earlier of the following notice periods:

• 28 days before the date on which you originally intended to start your leave

Or

• 28 days before the new date on which you want to start your leave
  1. Notification procedures for Adoption Leave

If you adopt a child, you are entitled to Adoption Leave. This right applies to both men and women. 

The partner of an individual who adopts, or the other partner of a couple adopting a child jointly, may also be entitled to Paternity Leave and Statutory Paternity Pay. 

If you are part of a couple that adopts a child, you can choose which partner will take Adoption Leave and which will take Paternity Leave. Either partner can choose the type of leave that applies to them.

To qualify for Adoption Leave, you must:

• Be newly matched with a child for adoption by an approved adoption agency (this includes placement of a child with local authority foster parents who are prospective adopters under the fostering for adoption scheme)
• Have notified the agency that you agree that the child should be placed with you and have agreed the date of placement
• Notify the Company of when you want to take Adoption Leave no more than seven calendar days after being notified that you have been matched with a child
• In the case of surrogacy adoption leave, be in receipt of, or in the process of applying for, a parental order.

You should also give the Company the matching certificate from the approved adoption agency as evidence of your entitlement to Adoption Leave. Only one period of Adoption Leave will be available, irrespective of whether you have more than one child placed with you for adoption as part of the same arrangement. 

Within 28 calendar days of you giving notice, the Company will respond in writing to you, confirming the date when your Adoption Leave will end. This will normally be 52 weeks from the start of the Adoption Leave. 

You may choose to start your Adoption Leave either from;

• The date of the child's placement 

Or

• A fixed date, which can be up to 14 calendar days before the expected date of the child's placement
  1. Changing the start of your Adoption Leave

You may change your mind about when you want to start Adoption Leave, as long as you notify the Company, 

in writing, of your new start date. You must give the Company the relevant notice by whichever date is the earlier of the following notice periods;

• 28 days before the date you originally intended to start your leave or

• 28 days before the new date you want to start your leave

  1. Overseas adoption

If you are adopting a child from overseas, you must have received official notification that the adoption has been approved by the central authority and give the Company notice, in writing, at each of the three notification stages. 

The Company will require copies of official notification as evidence of the child arriving in the UK and to support your request to take Adoption Leave. 

The procedures for overseas adoption are determined by the central authority and are thorough. In the first instance, you should discuss your intention to take Adoption Leave within 28 days of the date on which you received the official notification.

This policy outlines your statutory right to Paternity Leave and the qualifying conditions and the procedure that you need to follow when requesting Paternity Leave. It also provides information relating to your contractual rights and your right to return to work following Paternity Leave. 

You may also be eligible to take Shared Parental Leave. Entitlements and procedures that apply to Shared Parental Leave are contained elsewhere in this Handbook.

The following sections provide only a general guide; further guidance and clarification must be sought from Management.

1. Your entitlements and responsibilities
2. Right to accompany a pregnant woman to antenatal appointments

You have the right to take unpaid time off during working hours to accompany a pregnant woman to antenatal appointments where you:

• Are the pregnant woman's husband or civil partner, or
• Live with the woman in an enduring family relationship (whether heterosexual or same-sex relationship) and are not a relative of the woman, or
• Are the expected child's father, or
• Are one of a same-sex couple who is to be treated as the child's other parent under the assisted reproduction provisions, or
• Are the potential applicant for a parental order under surrogacy laws.

This time off is limited to:

• No more than two occasions

• Each lasting no more than six and a half hours

  1. Paternity Leave

You can take Paternity Leave (PL) in relation to the birth or adoption of a child. If you are the partner of an individual who adopts, or you are the other member of a couple who is adopting jointly, you may be entitled to Paternity Leave. 

If you have adopted the child, you can choose who will take the Adoption Leave and who will take the Paternity Leave. Only one period of Maternity or Adoption Leave and one period of Paternity Leave may be taken between the couple even if your partner works for a different company. 

Further details of Adoption Leave entitlement are set out in the Maternity and Adoption Policy (outlined elsewhere in the Employee Handbook).

1. Qualifying conditions for Paternity Leave

In order to qualify for Paternity Leave you must:

• have worked continuously for the Company for 26 weeks leading into the 15th week before the child is due; or by the week in which an approved adoption agency matches you with the child (the notification week)
• be the biological father of the child or the mother's husband or partner (male or female) or have, or expect to have, responsibility for the child's upbringing
• Confirm the requested leave is intended for the purpose of caring for the child, or to support the child's mother or adoptive parent in caring for the child.

Eligible employees are entitled to take up to two weeks' paid PL. PL must be taken in units of either one whole week or two consecutive whole weeks. Leave may start on any day of the week, on or following the child's birth, but must be completed: 

• within 56 calendar days of the actual date of birth of the child; or
• if the child is born early, within the period from the actual date of birth up to 56 calendar days after the expected week of birth.

You may change your mind about the starting date for PL, providing you tell the Company at least 28 calendar days in advance of the changed start date (or as soon as is reasonably practicable, if not in a position to do so within the prescribed period).

2. Statutory Paternity Pay

Eligible employees are entitled to be paid either SPP or contractual paternity pay during their PL following the birth or placement of their child in order to care for the child or support its mother or adoptive parent. 

During PL, most employees will be entitled to Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP), which will be the same as the standard rate of Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP). In order to qualify for SPP you must:

• Meet the PL qualifying conditions mentioned above and 
• Have average weekly earnings equal to or above the Lower Earnings Limit for National Insurance purposes over the eight-week period leading up to and including, the 15th week before the child is due or, in adoption cases, the Notification Week

In addition to meeting the conditions detailed above, the Company may request you to provide a self-certificate as evidence that the mother or adoptive parent meets these conditions. The self-certificate must also provide the information required above and include a declaration that you meet the necessary conditions.

3.  Contractual benefits during your Paternity Leave

You are entitled to enjoy your normal terms and conditions of employment, with the exception of pay (depending on your Contract of Employment), whilst on Paternity Leave. You are also entitled to return to the same job following your leave. 

If the Company provides you with an enhanced contractual right to Paternity Leave or Paternity Pay you should clearly understand, that when payment of contractual paternity pay is made this is inclusive of any SPP entitlement i.e., you are not entitled to both. 

Contractual Paternity Pay 

Contractual Paternity Pay will be paid at the 90% of average weekly earnings for up to two consecutive weeks. Employees must have worked continuously for the Company for 26 weeks leading into the 15th week before the child is due; or by the week in which an approved adoption agency matches you with the child (the notification week) 

Contact during Paternity Leave 

The Company may make reasonable contact with you during your Paternity Leave.

4. Requesting Paternity Leave

If you wish to take PL you must notify the Company by the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth or no more than seven days after you are notified of being matched with the child, stating the week the child is due, or the expected placement date; whether you wish to take one week's or two weeks' continuous leave; and the date you want the leave to start. 

The Company will consider all requests for Paternity Leave. However, you must be aware that Paternity Leave can only be authorised to be taken immediately after the birth or the placement of the child or if later at a time to suit the needs of the business.

5. Taking Paternity Leave

You are permitted to take PL in units of either one whole week or two consecutive whole weeks. 

Leave may start on any day of the week on or following the child's birth or the date of adoption placement. Your leave must be completed within 56 calendar days of the actual date of birth of the child, or the date of the adoption placement.

If the child is born early, leave must be taken within the period from the actual date of birth up to 56 calendar days after the expected week of birth.

6. Changing the start of your Paternity Leave

Where you are to take PL in respect of a child's birth or to coincide with the day a child is placed with you, you can give written notice to vary the start date of your leave from that which you originally specified. 

At least 28 days before the Expected Week of Childbirth or the Expected Placement Date, notice should be given where you wish to:

• Vary your leave to start on the day of the child's birth
• Vary your leave to start a specified number of days after the child's birth or after the placement date of the child (minus the specified number of days)

• Vary your leave to start on a specific date (or a different date from that you originally specified).

  1. Returning to work after your Paternity Leave

You are normally entitled to return to work following Paternity Leave to the same position you held before commencing your leave. Your terms of employment will continue to be the same as they would have been had you not been on Paternity Leave. 

If your PL has been combined with a period of Shared Parental Leave totalling more than 26 weeks or a period of Parental Leave of more than four consecutive weeks, and it is not reasonably practicable for you to return to the job you held before commencing leave, the Company will offer you a suitable and appropriate alternative position. 

If you are unable to return to work following a period of Paternity Leave due to sickness or injury, this will be treated as sickness absence and the normal reporting procedures will apply. 

You should be aware if you do not return to work for any other reason, the Company will treat a late return as an unauthorised absence, which may result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal without notice.

7. Breach of this policy

If you take a period of Paternity Leave under this policy for any purpose other than to care for the child, you may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.

The Company recognises that working parents may need to take additional unpaid leave from work to care for their children. This policy outlines the qualifying conditions and the procedure to request Parental Leave. It also sets out how and when the leave can be taken, provides information on your contractual rights and your right to return to work following Parental Leave. 

If you meet the qualifying conditions set out below, you are entitled to take the relevant Statutory Parental Leave for each child. The Company will consider all requests for Parental Leave; however, you must be aware that Parental Leave can only be authorised to be taken at a time to suit the needs of the business.

1.   Qualifying conditions

In order to qualify for Parental Leave, you must have been employed by the Company for a continuous period of one year or more. You must also have responsibility for the child, and you must be one of the following:

• The biological mother or father of the child
• The child's adoptive parent (male or female)
• Have legal responsibility for the child, such as the child's legal guardian

You must confirm that the requested leave is intended for the purpose of spending time with or caring for the child.

2.    Taking Parental Leave

If you meet the qualifying conditions, you are entitled to:

• A maximum of 18 weeks' unpaid Parental Leave for each of your children under the age of 18; the leave must be taken before the child's 18th birthday. 

You should be aware that there is a maximum of four weeks' Parental Leave that can be taken in any one year.

Parental Leave can only be taken in blocks of one complete week or more, except in the case of children with a disability, when you may take Parental Leave one day at a time.

3.   Contractual benefits during Parental Leave

You are entitled to enjoy your normal terms and conditions of employment, with the exception of pay, while on Parental Leave.

Procedure

If you meet the qualifying conditions detailed above, you are required to give the Company a minimum of 21 calendar days' notice, in writing, of your request to take Parental Leave. The request must specify the start and end date of the intended leave and state that the purpose of the leave is to spend time with or to take care of the child. 

You must confirm if you have previously taken Parental Leave, in relation to the same child, during any previous or other employment with another employer.

You are also required to provide evidence of your responsibility to the child and the child’s date of birth or date of adoption placement. This evidence can be a birth certificate; adoption or matching certificate; court order or parental responsibility agreement.

If you intend to take a period of Parental Leave immediately after a period of Paternity Leave, you must give the Company a minimum of 21 days' notice from the beginning of the expected week of childbirth or placement.

4.   The right to postpone Parental Leave

The Company has the right to postpone your Parental Leave for up to six months if the timing of your absence will unduly disrupt the business. However, any Parental Leave requested to take place immediately after the birth of your child, or the date of placement, will not be postponed provided that you have given 21 calendar days' notice of your intention to take Parental Leave at this time.

5.   Returning to work after Parental Leave

You are normally entitled to return to work following Parental Leave to the same position you held before commencing your leave. Your terms of employment will remain unchanged upon your return from a period of Parental Leave.

If your Parental Leave has been combined with a period of Maternity, Adoption, Shared Parental or Paternity Leave of more than four consecutive weeks, and it is not reasonably practicable for you to return to the same position you held before commencing leave; the Company will offer you a suitable and appropriate alternative position.

6.   Breach of this policy

If you take a period of Parental Leave under this policy for any purpose other than to spend time with or otherwise care for your child, you may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.

This policy outlines the statutory right to take Shared Parental Leave (SPL) to care for a child following its birth or placement for adoption. It also outlines notification requirements before a period of SPL and entitlement to pay during SPL. 

SPL gives employees with caring responsibilities for babies or newly adopted children the opportunity to share up to 52 weeks' leave should they wish to do so. Parents taking SPL can take leave in separate blocks, returning to work in between blocks, and both parents can be on leave at the same time. Eligible employees are entitled to submit up to three 'period of leave' notices and are entitled to take SPL on those dates if a continuous period of leave is requested.

1.    Qualifying for Shared Parental Leave

To be entitled to SPL you must:

• Be the mother, father, or main adopter of the child, or the partner of the mother or main adopter (each will be referred to in this policy as a parent)
• Have (or share with the other parent) the main responsibility for the care of the child
• Have at least 26 weeks' continuous service at the 15th week before the expected week of birth or at the week in which the main adopter was notified of having been matched for adoption with the child (known as the 'relevant week')
• Still be in continuous employment until the week before any SPL is taken.

In addition, the other parent must:

• have at least 26 weeks' employment (employed or self-employed) out of the 66 weeks prior to the relevant week
• have average weekly earnings of at least £30 during at least 13 of the 66 weeks prior to the relevant week

If the other parent meets those conditions, but does not qualify for SPL, you may be entitled to the whole SPL period.

You must also follow the statutory notification and information requirements detailed in this policy

2.   Amount and timing of Shared Parental Leave

SPL must be taken in weekly blocks and within a one-year period beginning with the date of the baby's birth or the child's placement for adoption. 

The maximum of 52 weeks' SPL will be reduced by the number of weeks' maternity or adoption leave that has already been taken by the mother or main adopter (or the number of weeks' Statutory Maternity/Adoption Pay, or maternity allowance already taken if the mother or main adopter is not entitled to Statutory Maternity/Adoption Leave). 

After the birth of a child, it is compulsory for the mother to take two weeks' maternity leave (four weeks for new mothers who work in a factory), so in the majority of cases working parents will have the opportunity to split 50 weeks of SPL. 

SPL is in addition to the statutory right to two weeks' paternity leave for fathers and partners. If you wish to take paternity leave you must do so before you take any SPL.

3.   Benefits during Shared Parental Leave

During SPL, you are entitled to receive all your normal contractual benefits, including annual holiday entitlement, with the exception of your normal pay.

4.    Shared Parental Pay

In addition to the requirements regarding entitlement to leave outlined above, if you wish to claim Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) you must have average weekly earnings equal to or above the Lower Earnings Limit over the eight-week period ending with the relevant week. 

A maximum of 39 weeks' ShPP is payable, and this will be reduced by the number of weeks' Statutory Maternity/Adoption Pay or maternity allowance already taken by the mother or main adopter. ShPP is a standard weekly rate (or 90% of your normal weekly earnings if this is lower) which is set by government each tax year. 

You must follow the statutory notification and information requirements detailed below.

5.   Holiday entitlement and Shared Parental Leave

Annual holiday entitlement will continue to accrue during the whole of your SPL. You must discuss and agree with the Company, in advance, when your accrued holiday entitlement can be taken. 

Holiday entitlement cannot be taken simultaneously with SPL. Accrued holiday can only be taken either before the beginning of the leave, after the end of the leave or in between blocks of leave. Authorisation must be obtained from the Company in the normal way prior to your accrued holiday being taken.

6.   Contact during Shared Parental Leave

The Company may make reasonable contact with you during your SPL. In addition, you may work for up to 20 days without bringing the SPL to an end but work during SPL will not have the effect of extending your SPL period. These days are referred to as Shared Parental Leave in Touch (SPLIT) days. If you do work, you will be paid your normal rate of pay inclusive of any ShPP entitlement. You are under no obligation to work during SPL, and the Company is under no obligation to offer work. 

The 20 SPLIT days available during SPL are in addition to the 10 "Keeping in touch" days available during Maternity and Adoption Leave.

Procedure 

Employees and managers should where possible have an informal discussion prior to employees giving formal notification of intention to take SPL so that statutory entitlements to other types of leave and pay can be discussed, and to ensure that plans for any discontinuous periods of leave can be considered as early as possible.

1.   Notice of entitlement and intention to take SPL and ShPP

You must notify the Company in writing at least eight weeks before the start date of the first period of SPL. The written notice must contain the following information:

• Your name and the other parent's name
• The start and end dates of the mother's or main adopter's maternity/adoption leave (or the start and end dates of the statutory maternity/adoption pay or maternity allowance period if the mother/main adopter is not entitled to statutory leave)
• The expected date of birth/placement and the actual date of birth/placement if the written notice is given after the birth/placement
• The amount of SPL and ShPP available and an indication of how much each parent intends to take (this may be varied by a subsequent written notice signed by both parents)
• An indication of the start and end dates of the periods of SPL and ShPP that you intend to take. This indication is not binding and can be amended at a later date
• A signed declaration that you meet the conditions for entitlement to SPL, that the information provided is accurate and that you will notify the Company immediately if you cease to meet the conditions for entitlement
• A signed declaration from the other parent containing:
• Their name, address and National Insurance number
• Confirmation that they meet the employment and earnings conditions
• Confirmation that, at the time of the birth, they will share the main responsibility for the care of the child 
• Their consent to the amount of leave the employee intends to take

• Confirmation that they will immediately inform you if they cease to satisfy the employment and earnings conditions

  1. Notice of curtailment of Statutory Maternity/Adoption Leave and payments

At the same time that a notice of entitlement and intention to take SPL is submitted, the mother/main adopter must give the Company a leave and pay curtailment notice giving 8 weeks' notice of the date on which Maternity/Adoption Leave and Pay is to end (or the date on which Maternity/Adoption Pay is to end if they are not entitled to Maternity/Adoption Leave). If the mother is only entitled to maternity allowance (and not Maternity Leave) her notice of curtailment must be submitted to Jobcentre Plus. Her maternity allowance cannot be reinstated, so she is in effect giving consent for her partner to take the whole of any ShPP entitlement.

A notice of curtailment is usually binding, but may be revoked in the following circumstances:

• if it becomes apparent that neither parent is entitled to SPL or ShPP; or
• if the curtailment notice was given before the birth and is revoked up to six weeks following the birth (in this case another curtailment notice can be submitted); or

• if the other parent dies.

   

2.    Notice to take a specific period of SPL and ShPP

The first period of SPL may be identified in the initial notice of entitlement and intention to take SPL. You are entitled to submit a maximum of three formal periods of leave notices. 

Each period of leave notice must be given at least eight weeks before the start of a period of leave, stating the dates of the leave and the dates on which ShPP will be claimed, if applicable.

If the first period of leave notice is given prior to the birth of a child, the notice may express the start date in relation to the date of birth, for example 'starting two weeks after the baby is born for a period of four weeks'.

3. Confirmation of SPL & ShPP

If a continuous period of leave is requested in each period of leave notice, you will be entitled to take that period of leave, and this will be confirmed in writing. 

If more than one period of leave is requested in a period of leave notice, the Company will seek to accommodate the request, but this cannot be guaranteed. Your manager will discuss the request with you to determine if it can be accommodated. If it cannot be accommodated, there may be an alternative pattern of leave which can be agreed, or the request may be refused. The Company's decision will be confirmed in writing.

If no agreement is reached within 14 calendar days of the period of leave notice being submitted, you can:

• Take the discontinuous periods of leave requested in one continuous block, beginning on the original start date; or
• Withdraw the request within 15 calendar days of the request being submitted. If the request is withdrawn in these circumstances, it will not count as one of your three requests: or

• Take the continuous block starting on a new date, as long as the new date is later than the original start date, and you notify the Company of the new date within 19 calendar days

  1. Varying a period of leave

If you wish to vary your period of SPL, you are entitled to submit a request to:

• Vary the start date as long as the variation is requested at least eight weeks before the original start date and the new start date; or
• Vary or cancel the amount of leave requested at least eight weeks before the original start date; or
• Request that a single period of leave becomes a discontinuous period of leave, or vice versa

A variation will count as one of your three periods of leave notices unless:

• It is made as a result of the child being born earlier or later than the expected week of childbirth
• The Company has requested the variation
• The Company has agreed to accept more than three period of leave notices

The usual eight week notice requirement may be modified if your child is born early and the new start date for the period of leave is the same length of time following the birth as in the original notice. In this case notice to vary the start date should be given as soon as reasonably practicable after the birth of the child.

7. Evidence requirements

The Company may request a copy of the child's birth certificate and the name and address of the other parent's employer. In the case of adoption, the Company may request the name and address of the other parent's employer, along with evidence confirming the following:

• The name and address of the adoption agency
• The date that the main adopter was notified of having been matched for adoption with the child
• The date on which the adoption agency expects to place the child

Any such request will be made by the Company within 14 days of receiving your notice of entitlement and intention to take SPL and ShPP. You must respond to the request for evidence within 14 days (or within 14 days of the birth of the child if our request was made before the child was born).

If a birth certificate has not yet been issued, you must sign a declaration stating that fact along with the date and location of the child's birth. If the other parent has no employer, this must also be declared

8. Returning from Shared Parental Leave

If you wish to return early from SPL, or extend the period of your SPL, you must notify the Company at least 8 weeks before both the original end date and the new end date. 

If you return to work immediately after a period of SPL which (together with any Statutory Maternity/Adoption Leave you may have taken to care for the same child) was 26 weeks or less, you will return to work in the same job that you left. 

If you return to work from a period of SPL which (together with any Maternity/ Adoption Leave you may have taken to care for the same child) was more than 26 weeks, you will normally be entitled to return to the job in which you were employed before your absence. If that is not reasonably practicable, you will be offered a similar role on no less favourable terms and conditions. 

You will not lose the right to return to work if you do not follow the correct notification procedures. However, the Company may take appropriate disciplinary action if you fail to return to work at the end of the SPL period. 

In the event that you are unable to return to work at the end of the SPL due to ill health, the Company's normal sickness absence rules, procedures and payments will apply.

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that employees who are genuinely in need of unpaid time off, in order to deal with an emergency are treated fairly and consistently while minimising the impact on the business. 

You are entitled to take a reasonable amount of unpaid time off during working hours to deal with particular situations affecting your dependants. The amount of time off will depend on the nature of the incident and your individual circumstances. 

This policy explains what is meant by dependant and in which circumstances unpaid time off can be granted and sets out the notification procedures.

1.   Your entitlements and responsibilities
   1. Definition of ‘dependant’

A dependant is:

• A spouse
• A civil partner/partner*
• A child
• A parent
• A sibling

*Partner includes someone the employee is cohabiting with but is not the employee's spouse or civil partner

1. What counts as time off

Reasonable time off will be granted in the following circumstances:

• To provide assistance when a dependant falls ill, gives birth or is injured or assaulted
• To make arrangements for the care of a sick or injured dependant or to make arrangements to deal with an unexpected disruption to their care provision
• In consequence of the death of a dependant
• To deal with an unexpected incident involving your child during school hours or those of another educational establishment

The right is only to deal with emergencies and to put care arrangements in place - for example, arranging to employ a temporary carer or arranging for the dependant to stay with relatives. You would not be entitled to time off under this policy for the ongoing care of the dependant.

Procedure 

You must inform the Company as soon as practicable of your unavailability for work, the reason for it and how long you expect to be away from work. 

You do not have to do this in writing, but you will need to give the Company sufficient information for it to be determined that your time off falls under the Time Off for Dependants provision. 

You may be required to provide evidence to the Company of your need to take time off under this provision. 

If you fail to inform the Company as soon as is reasonably practicable that you need time off, or if you abuse the rights under this provision, you may be subject to disciplinary proceedings, up to and including dismissal without notice.

1.   Parental bereavement leave

Parents who suffer the devastating loss of a child will be entitled to up to four weeks’ parental bereavement leave if they meet the following conditions:

• The child was under the age of 18 or still born in or after the 24th week of pregnancy; and
• Either they had the responsibility for the upbringing of the child; or they are the biological parent of the child or are married to or are the partner of the child’s mother or father.

This may be taken as either two consecutive weeks or two separate blocks of one week and must be taken within 56 weeks of the child’s death. 

Throughout the parental bereavement leave, all terms and conditions of employment are maintained with the sole exception of pay. 

In order to take parental bereavement leave, the employee should give the Company notice of:

• The date of death;
• The date the parental bereavement leave will start; and
• How long the leave will be.

Where the employee wishes to take the leave within eight weeks of the child’s death, this notice should be given before the leave starts or where this is not reasonably practicable, as soon as is reasonably practicable. If the employee wishes to subsequently cancel a week’s parental bereavement leave, they should give notice to the Company before the start of that working week. 

If an employee wishes to take the leave after eight weeks of the child’s death but before the 56th week, this notice should be given at least one week before the start of the leave. Such leave can also be cancelled by giving at least one week’s notice before the start of that week. 

In order to qualify for Contractual Parental Bereavement Pay (CPBP) from the Company, an employee needs to have the following:

• At least 26 weeks continuous service at the end of the week before the child’s death
• Average earnings above the National Insurance lower earnings limit during the eight weeks before the week of the child’s death.

Where these conditions are met, there will be an entitlement to a maximum of four weeks average paid leave. 

Miscarriage leave, If an employee has a miscarriage in the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, the Company recognises many people will consider this a bereavement. 

In these circumstances, the employee will be entitled to 5 days of unpaid leave. 

Up to 2 weeks sickness absence related to a miscarriage will be recorded as 'pregnancy related sickness'. This absence will be kept separate to other types of sickness and will not count these absences towards any review or trigger points set out in the organisation's absence policy.

The Company will treat you as sympathetically and supportively as possible given your personal circumstances. When your bereavement is in relation to the death of an immediate family member, this should be discussed with your line manager to agree appropriate time off. In most circumstances, a maximum period of two weeks will be allocated for bereavement leave at any one time. However, you are encouraged to speak to your own line manager regarding your own personal situation. 

Time off for attending a funeral, which is not for an immediate family member, will be granted at the discretion of the Company subject to operational requirements. This leave may be unpaid or subject to deduction from annual holiday entitlement. 

Bereavement leave is paid leave that allows an employee time off to deal with their personal grief and related practical arrangements, primarily, but not limited to, when a family member dies. It is acknowledged that bereavement impacts all individuals differently.

If a dependant dies, two weeks average paid leave will be granted in the event of the death of a dependant.

A dependant is:

• A spouse
• A civil partner/partner*
• A child**
  • You must also have responsibility for the child, and you must be one of the following:
  • The biological mother or father of the child
  • The child's adoptive parent (male or female)
  • Have legal responsibility for the child, such as the child's legal guardian
• A parent

*Partner includes someone the employee is cohabiting with but is not the employee's spouse or civil partner.

** Child 18 years or over. For a child under 18 years, Parental Bereavement Leave applies.

If a non-dependant dies

In these circumstances, 1 to 5 days unpaid leave may be granted on the death of someone who is not a child or dependant. These circumstances would include (but are not limited to) situations where the employee is responsible for funeral arrangements or has to travel abroad to attend the funeral. These absences will be recorded in Citation.

Giving notice for bereavement leave

An employee should notify their line manager of their need to take leave as soon as possible or, at the latest, on the first day of absence. An employee's next of kin or family member can notify the employee's line manager on their behalf. 

In exceptional circumstances, applications for leave will be considered after the first day of absence. Line managers have the right to exercise discretion in exceptional circumstances as outlined above. Leave days do not have to be taken consecutively.

Additional time off/ Annual leave

In the event of a bereavement, an employee will be able to take annual leave at short notice to supplement their bereavement leave. Requests should be directed to the employee's line manager.

An employee who experiences a family bereavement while on annual leave can convert their annual leave into bereavement leave and take their annual leave at a future date.

Unpaid leave

Unpaid leave on compassionate grounds up to a maximum of 5 days may be granted by the MD/GM in exceptional circumstances. An employee must consult with their MD/LM before starting unpaid leave.

1. What this policy covers

The Company constantly strives to safeguard and act in the interest of the public and its employees. It is important to the Company that any fraud, misconduct or wrongdoing, by employees or other agents, is reported and properly addressed. 

This policy applies to all employees and all other agents of the Company, who are encouraged to raise concerns in a responsible manner. The Company prefers that a concern is raised and dealt with properly, rather than kept quiet.

2.    Your responsibilities

You are encouraged to bring to the attention of the Company any practice or action of the Company, its employees or other agents that you reasonably believe is against the public interest, in that the practice or action is:

• A criminal offence
• A failure to comply with any legal obligation
• A miscarriage of justice
• A danger to the health and safety of any individual
• An attempt to conceal information on any of the above

Any individual raising legitimate concerns will not be subject to any detriment, either during or after employment. The Company will also endeavour to ensure that the individual is protected from any intimidation or harassment by any other parties. 

This policy should not be used for complaints relating to your own personal circumstances, such as the way you have been treated at work, which should be raised under the Company's Grievance Procedure.

3.    Procedure

In the first instance, you should raise any concerns you have with your manager. If you believe your manager to be involved, or if, for any reason, you do not wish to approach your manager, then you should raise it with a more senior person in the Company. 

Any matter raised under this policy will be investigated promptly and confidentially. The outcome of the investigation, as well as any necessary remedial action to be taken, will be confirmed to you. If no action is to be taken, the reason for this will be explained to you. 

Allegations regarding potential breaches of this policy will be treated in confidence and investigated thoroughly. If you raise any concerns under this policy, the Company is committed to ensuring that you are protected from victimisation, harassment or less favourable treatment. Any such incidents will be dealt with under the Company's Disciplinary Procedures.

4.     Escalating your concern

If you are dissatisfied with this response, you should raise your concerns in writing directly with a more senior person in the Company. 

If, after escalating your concerns, you believe that the appropriate remedial action has not been taken, you should then report the matter to the proper authority. These authorities include:

• HM Revenue & Customs
• The Financial Conduct Authority
• The Health and Safety Executive
• The Environment Agency or Scottish Environmental Protection Agency
• The Information Commissioner

This list is not intended to be exhaustive, and you must take care to ensure you contact the proper authority in relation to the particular concerns you have. 

If you raise a false allegation and you are found to be culpable, or in any way involved in the wrongdoing, or if you raise a concern maliciously or in a manner not prescribed in this policy, then you may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal without notice for gross misconduct. 

You should not disclose to a non-relevant third party any details of any concern raised in accordance with this policy, and you must not, in any circumstances, publicise your concerns in any way.

This policy sets out the Company's position on employees' use of social networking sites and blogs, whether conducted on Company media and in work time or your own private media in your own time.

1.    Your responsibilities

Social networking sites and blogs offer a useful means of keeping in touch with friends and colleagues, and they can be used to exchange views and thoughts on shared interests, both personal and work-related. 

The Company does not object to you setting up personal accounts on social networking sites or blogs on the internet, in your own time and using your own computer systems. However, you must not do so on Company media or in work time. 

You must not link your personal social networking accounts or blogs to the Company's website. Any such links require the Company's prior consent. 

You must not disclose Company secrets, breach copyright, defame the Company or its clients, suppliers, customers or employees, or disclose personal data or information about any individual employee, colleague or worker on your blog or on your social networking site. 

Social networking site posts or blogs should not be insulting or abusive to employees, suppliers, the Company, its contacts, clients or customers.

2.    Compliance with related policies

Social media should never be used in a way that breaches any of the Company's other policies. If an internet post would breach any of our policies in another forum, it will also breach them in an online forum. 

For example, you are prohibited from using social media to:

• breach our Computers and Electronic Communications Systems Policy;
• breach our obligations with respect to the rules of relevant regulatory bodies;
• breach any obligations contained in those policies relating to confidentiality;
• breach our Disciplinary Policy or procedures;
• harass or bully other staff in any way OR breach our Anti-harassment and Bullying Policy;
• unlawfully discriminate against other staff or third parties OR breach our Equal Opportunities Policy;
• breach our Data Protection Policy (for example, never disclose personal information about a colleague online); or
• breach any other laws or regulatory requirements.

Staff should never provide references for other individuals on social or professional networking sites, as such references, positive and negative, can be attributed to the organisation and create legal liability for both the author of the reference and the Company.

3.    References to the Company

If reference is made to your employment or to the Company, you should state to the reader that the views that you express are your views only and that they do not reflect the views of the Company. You should include a notice such as the following: 

‘The views expressed on this website/blog are mine alone and do not reflect the views of my employer' 

You should always be conscious of your duty as an employee to act in good faith and in the best interests of the Company under UK law. The Company will not tolerate criticisms posted in messages in the public domain or on blogs about the Company or any other person connected to the Company. 

You must not bring the Company into disrepute through the content of your website entries or your blogs.

Any misuse of social networking sites or blogs as mentioned above may be regarded as a disciplinary offence and may result in dismissal without notice. 

You should be aware that any information contained in social networking sites may be used in evidence, if relevant, to any disciplinary proceedings.

1.    Business use of Social Media

When using a Company social media account, you must still seek approval for such communication from your manager, who may require you to have training before you are permitted to participate in social media on behalf of the Company. 

Similarly, if you are invited to comment about the Company for publication anywhere, including in any social media outlet, you should inform your manager and you must not respond without prior written approval. 

If you disclose your affiliation with the Company on your business profile or in any social media postings, you must state that your views do not represent those of your employer, unless you are authorised to speak on our behalf. You should also ensure that your profile and any content you post are consistent with the professional image you present to clients and colleagues.

4.     Third parties

You must not disclose any information that is confidential or proprietary to the Company or to any third party that has disclosed information to the Company. 

This policy should be read in conjunction with the Company policy on Computers and Electronic Communications and Monitoring.

5.     Confidential Information and Intellectual Property

You must not post comments about sensitive business-related topics, such as the Company's performance, or do anything to jeopardise trade secrets, confidential information and intellectual property. You must not include the Company's branding, logos or other trademarks in any social media posting or in your profile on any social media platform. 

You are not permitted to add business contacts made during the course of your employment to personal social networking accounts. 

Details of business contacts made during the course of your employment are regarded as Company confidential information and are the property of the Company. This includes information contained in databases such as address lists contained in Outlook, or business and contacts lists created and held on any electronic media. 

On termination of employment, you must provide the Company with a copy of all such information, surrender or delete all such information from your personal social networking accounts, and destroy any further copies of such information that you may have.

6.     Procedure

Breaches of this policy will be dealt with under the Company's Disciplinary Procedure. You should be aware that the Company regards breach of any part of this policy as gross misconduct that may result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal without notice. 

If you become aware of information relating to the Company posted on the internet, you should bring this to the attention of your manager.

The Company recognises that all employees play a crucial role in ensuring the success of the business and is therefore committed to providing training and development to improve the skills and competence of all of its employees.

The Company will provide you with appropriate training to develop the knowledge and skills necessary for you to perform your duties effectively. Wherever possible, the Company will ensure you have every opportunity for career development. This policy covers the different types of training and development you might expect and how the Company may recover the costs of training from you in particular cases.

1.     Your entitlements

The types of training that the Company provides falls into four broad categories: induction, occupational, internal and external.

2.     Induction training

As a new employee, you will be given a comprehensive introduction to the workplace, your colleagues, catering facilities, duties, health and safety and other procedures. 

Your manager or supervisor will assess your training requirements and arrange for that training to be provided. As far as possible, the Company will meet your training needs by a combination of occupational, internal and external training.

During your Probation Period, you will receive a review at around the 4-month mark to assess whether you are on track to complete the necessary training and skills required.

3.     Occupational training

Throughout your employment with the Company, there may be a need to acquire new skills, and these can be gained through occupational training delivered by colleagues.

4.      Internal training

Occasionally, the Company may arrange for external training providers to deliver training courses in the workplace. This form of training might be triggered by the introduction of new equipment or working methods and will be arranged when the Company feels the training cannot adequately be provided in-house.

5.     External training

External training may be provided in a variety of forms, ranging from short courses of a few hours' duration through to lengthy courses leading to the award of qualifications. 

Where necessary, the Company will arrange for you to undertake external training if this cannot be provided internally.

6.    Paying back your training costs

When you undertake external training courses with significant cost implications, you will be required, prior to commencing the course, to sign an agreement to repay all or a proportion of the costs of the course if you leave the Company's employment within a certain time period.

This outlines the Company's expectations and your responsibilities when driving either a vehicle provided by the Company or your own vehicle for business purposes.

It also highlights the actions that you must take to ensure you drive safely and the procedures you must follow in the event of an accident. In addition, it sets out the circumstances in which the Company can recover related costs if you are responsible for an accident or damage to a vehicle provided by the Company.

1.     Your responsibilities

It is your responsibility to ensure that you are familiar with the procedures and that you understand your responsibilities when using a vehicle for business purposes to ensure the vehicle is roadworthy and does not pose a risk to other users. You are also responsible for ensuring your health and safety and that of your passengers and/or other road users. 

Further guidance is detailed in the Company Driver Handbook and Policy.

2.     Vehicle tracking

Company vehicles are fitted with a tracking device, which may be used to verify locations, mileage, driving time and speeds. The device is active always with the default set to business miles. The vehicle is fitted with a privacy button to be used for private mileage, therefore will not record personal travel. Any data obtained from the system may be used as evidence at a disciplinary hearing should the Company consider the information relevant. Where required by law, tracking data will also be made available to the relevant authorities, e.g., the Police, HM Revenue & Customs, etc.

3.    Driving whilst carrying out your duties

To be permitted to drive as part of your duties, you must hold a full and valid driving licence that permits you to drive in the UK. 

Prior to driving for business purposes, you are responsible for ensuring that your vehicle is roadworthy. You may also be responsible for completing any checklist relating to the vehicle as instructed by management. Under no circumstances should you drive a vehicle that is not roadworthy, does not have a valid MOT or is illegal to drive. 

You are required to drive in a safe, lawful and efficient manner, paying due regard to all traffic and weather conditions. You must use the most direct route when carrying out your duties and you should advise management of any problems or delays that could affect the scheduling for that day. 

You must normally be at least 25 years old to be permitted to drive a vehicle belonging to the Company unless otherwise authorised by management.

4.    Mobile phones and driving

It is a criminal offence to drive (or have another person drive) a motor vehicle while using a 'handheld' mobile telephone. This includes using a 'handheld' mobile telephone when you are stopped at traffic lights or when you are queuing in traffic. 

Mobile phones should only be used when the vehicle has been parked in a safe place. 

You should divert your phone to voicemail so that messages can be left while you are driving and picked up when it is safe to do so.

5.    Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs

You must not drive on business while you are under the influence of alcohol, illegal drugs or prescribed drugs if the prescribed drug has any potential effect on your fitness to drive.

6.    Company vehicles

Any entitlement to drive a vehicle provided by the Company and any provision in respect of payment of private mileage will be set out in your Contract of Employment. 

You are not authorised to permit anyone else to drive a vehicle provided by the Company without prior approval from the Managing Director. 

If you are absent from work for any reason, the Company reserves the right to require you to make your Company vehicle available for business use by other employees. 

The safety and security of the vehicle, passengers or loads are your responsibility, and you must always lock and alarm the vehicle when you leave it unattended. 

You must wash and clean your Company vehicle, both inside and outside, as often as is necessary to maintain a smart professional image. Failure to comply may result in the Company arranging for the vehicle to be valeted and deducting the associated costs from your pay. 

The Company will normally meet the costs of maintaining and repairing Company vehicles if those costs arise in the course of normal use of the vehicle. 

If damage to a vehicle provided by the Company is incurred as a result of your negligence or breach of this policy, you will be liable for the total cost of repairing the vehicle, for paying any insurance excess and/or any increase in premiums following a claim as a result of damage to a vehicle provided by the Company. Payments will be deducted from your pay unless an alternative method of payment is agreed with management.

7.    Using your own vehicle when carrying out your duties

If you use your own vehicle when carrying out your duties, it is your responsibility to ensure that your vehicle is roadworthy and properly taxed and that your vehicle insurance cover extends to business usage. 

The Company rules relating to Vehicles and Driving also apply if you drive your own vehicle at any time for the purpose of undertaking your duties You must read, understand and follow these rules.

8.    Taking your driving licence details

If you drive a vehicle provided by the Company or drive your own vehicle on business, you must provide the latest Shared Driving Licence Information to the Company every six months. 

To do this, log on to www.viewdrivingrecord.service.gov.uk and enter your details as required. You must then create a licence check code to share your driving record with the Company and supply this to the Company within 21 days. 

You must also notify your manager whenever there is any change to the details on your driving licence, such as the addition of penalty points.

9.    Accidents and damage

If you are involved in an accident in a vehicle provided by the Company, you are responsible for obtaining the full contact and insurance details of any third party and any witnesses to the incident. 

You must immediately report to management all damage to the Company's vehicle. The Company may require you to provide a full written report of the circumstances in which the vehicle was damaged.

10. Driving offences

If you are charged with, or convicted of, a driving offence, or if your driving licence is endorsed, you must report this fact to your manager at the earliest opportunity and, in any event, within 24 hours. 

Driving-related fines are your responsibility, whether or not they were incurred in the course of undertaking your duties for the Company, and you must pay these as soon as is reasonably practicable. If you fail to pay a driving-related fine, and the Company pays it on your behalf, the Company will deduct the cost of paying this fine from your pay. 

If you are disqualified from driving, and you are required to drive for all or a significant proportion of your job, the Company reserves the right to terminate your employment.

11. Breach of this policy  

In the event that you breach this policy or the procedures to be followed, this may result in the disciplinary procedure being followed which, in turn, may result in disciplinary action being taken against you, up to and including dismissal without notice.

Please refer to policy QCD 3005

Please refer to policy QCD 1005

Please refer to policy QCD 1007

Please refer to policy QCD 3002

Please refer to policy QCD 2001

Please refer to policy QCD 3004

Please refer to policy QCD 3003

Please refer to policy QCD 3006