Prevention of Harassment and Bullying Policy
1. The Company recognise the need to create a working environment where all staff are treated with respect by their colleagues as well as by all guests, clients and suppliers. We therefore wish to create a working environment in which no person feels threatened or intimidated.
2. The Company will not tolerate any form of harassment or bullying or not tolerate any form of retaliation, violence or victimisation against any member of staff and in particular where they have brought a complaint of harassment or bullying under this policy. Staff who harass or bully any other member of staff will be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the Company’s disciplinary policy. Any such actions may amount to gross misconduct leading to termination of employment without notice.
3. It is the responsibility of all staff and managers to ensure that this policy is fully implemented and duly trained in the undertaking of the policy and its enforcement. Managers are expected to ensure that the policy is fully understood by the staff, that it is properly implemented, and that suitable disciplinary action is taken in the event of any breach of the policy.
4. Harassment may arise in many forms, some of which are not always obvious to the individual members of staff. It will usually take the form of some unwanted behaviour by one member of staff to another. The essence of harassment is that the behaviour of the individual or individuals is unwelcome, unwanted and not reciprocated in any way. Harassment can include verbal, nonverbal or physical conduct.
5. Bullying is a persistent course of behaviour by an individual or a group of individuals that creates a situation where people are undermined due to this threatening or intimidating behaviour. There is no single definition of what amounts to bullying.
6. Employees who become aware of a problem of this nature should ensure that they make their manager aware of the position. If an employee is subject to unwelcome conduct or remarks they should make the person aware that they find the conduct unacceptable or offensive and inform their line manager or another suitable person.
7. We recognise that complaints of harassment or bullying can be of a sensitive or worrying nature. Staff may feel unable to speak directly to their line manager. If this is the case employees may wish to speak to someone in a more senior position or to any other person. Alternatively, employees may wish to put their concerns in writing and send them to the appropriate person.
8. All staff members should treat their colleagues with respect and comply with this policy.
9. Wherever possible and appropriate, we will aim to try and resolve difficulties and concerns within the workplace through an initial informal approach. This informal approach will usually involve a meeting, individual or joint, involving the relevant parties to discuss the issues and to attempt to resolve the difficulties.
10. Where this informal approach fails, or a staff member feels that the issue is of such a serious nature that an informal approach is inappropriate, the matter will be dealt with through a formal complaint procedure in line with the grievance and appeal procedure. A formal complaint will be thoroughly investigated. Staff are reminded that they should keep full details of the alleged concerns and be specific when raising a complaint in relation to the incident or incidents, including dates, times and parties involved where possible. All meetings necessary to investigate the facts will be undertaken.
Sexual Harassment Policy
1. Our company is committed to providing a workplace environment that is free from sexual harassment for everyone, including employees, agency workers, contractors, volunteers, and other individuals associated with our organisation. Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. We recognise that sexual harassment is a serious matter and will not be tolerated.
2. Any complaint of sexual harassment will be promptly investigated and addressed in accordance with our disciplinary procedure.
3. Sexual harassment is a violation of the Equality Act 2010 and is strictly prohibited. We have a zerotolerance policy for such behaviour. As an employer, we are legally obligated to take proactive steps to prevent sexual harassment. We encourage all staff members to report any incidents of sexual harassment so that appropriate action can be taken.
4. This policy covers conduct in several contexts, including at the workplace; during work-related events held beyond regular hours or locations (such as business lunches, travel, or social events); outside of work when involving colleagues or associated individuals (including on social media); or any actions outside of work that might affect your fitness for your role.
5. We strongly encourage all employees (including witnesses) to report any concerns about sexual harassment to their line manager who are committed to addressing all complaints promptly and confidentially.
6. Relevant assessment of risks relating to harassment, sexual harassment and victimisation will be conducted to review risk and control management. We will also ensure that ongoing briefing regarding Sexual Harassment will be provided to all staff on recognising and preventing sexual harassment, understanding acceptable behaviour, and how to report incidents. Management will receive additional training on handling these complaints and enforcing this policy.
7. We define sexual harassment as any unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature that violates a person’s dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment.
8. A colleague, an organisation representative, or a third party may engage in sexual harassment. It could happen in person, verbal or over online channels like social media. Even if they are not the intended target of the action, someone can nevertheless experience sexual harassment. Sexual harassment examples include, but are not limited to:
• Sexual comments or jokes (including “banter”).
• Displaying sexually explicit images, posters, or photos.
• Suggestive looks, staring, or leering.
• Sexual advances or propositions.
• Promises made in exchange for sexual favours.
• Sexual gestures.
• Intrusive questions about someone's private life or discussing one's own sexual life.
• Sexual content in online communications, including social media.
• Spreading sexual rumours.
• Sending sexually explicit messages (e.g., email, text, or social media).
• Unwelcome physical contact, such as touching, hugging, massaging, or kissing.
9. Victimisation refers to treating someone unfairly because they have taken, are suspected of taking, or intend to take action protected by discrimination and harassment laws. This protection includes making a claim, helping others in a claim, or alleging a breach of the Equality Act 2010.
10. Examples of victimisation:
• Being denied a promotion because of a previous harassment complaint.
• Dismissal for accompanying a colleague to a harassment-related meeting.
• Exclusion from work meetings after providing testimony in a harassment case.
11. Employees who have a complaint of sexual harassment, where possible, should discuss this with their line manager or a manager who they feel comfortable with.
12. If a complaint cannot be resolved informally, or in cases where the complaint is severe. A formal complaint should be raised in writing in confidence to a manager of your choice, with the full details of the incident.
13. Upon receipt of the complaint, it may be appropriate to separate you from the alleged employee. In this instance it will be the alleged employee who is moved to a different location, role or suspension. This decision will be made by the manager investigating the incident.
14. A formal meeting will be arranged as soon as possible, normally within 5 working days from our receipt of the complaint. Employees will have the opportunity to be accompanied at any formal meeting by a fellow employee or a Trade Union representative or official should they so wish. No other person will be allowed to attend such meetings on their behalf. Employees have a duty to make all reasonable attempts to attend any meeting arranged. Consideration will be given to adjourning any such meeting to allow for any further investigations that may be necessary.
15. Employees who are dissatisfied with the outcome of their grievance have the right to appeal. Any appeal should be submitted in writing within five working days of receipt of the letter confirming the outcome of the grievance meeting. For further information about the rights of appeal, please refer to the appeals procedure.
16. If the complaint is proven, the disciplinary procedure will be invoked against the harasser, where the outcome could be up to and including dismissal.
17. All proceedings will be dealt with confidentially and sensitively. Any breaches of confidentiality may result in disciplinary action.
18. We are committed to taking to steps to prevent any third-party harassment.
19. If you experience harassment, immediately raise this to your line manager or a manager of your choice. Who will take the appropriate action with the third party.
20. Where an employee of the Company has a complaint of alleged sexual harassment from a third party, this will be addressed in line with this policy.
21. If it should become clear that the policy has not been invoked by the employee as outlined above, for example, for malicious reasons or to pursue a personal grudge against another employee or the Company, this will be dealt with in accordance with the disciplinary procedure and may in serious cases lead to the termination of employment.
Personal Records, Confidentiality and Data Protection
1. All employees must notify the Company of their permanent home address, telephone number, next of kin, bank branch and account number.
2. It is important that changes in personal circumstances are notified immediately to management or the HR team. These include changes to the following:
• Name
• Address / telephone number
• Persons to be notified in case of emergency
• Bank details for salary payments
• Tax code
3. All employees are also reminded that the nature of their work means that they will become party to information that is of a sensitive and confidential nature. In particular, employees are reminded that they should not discuss any aspect of any employee or client’s affairs or matters outside work and must not become involved in gossip involving employees or clients whilst in work as such conversations can be overheard and could result in a serious breach of privacy and confidentiality which could affect the relationship with the employee and client.
4. Some employee records are kept electronically. In accordance with the provisions of Data Protection legislation, employees may request a printout of the information held electronically. The information held by the company about employees will be made available to the employee on a subject access request to the Data Manager (data@auchrannie.co.uk). A description of the
purposes for which the company keeps this information, and to whom it may be disclosed is outlined in the Privacy Notice.
5. The Company is under an obligation to comply with the Data Protection legislation. Please refer to the company’s GDPR policy statement.
Whistleblowing’ and Public Interest Disclosure Policy
1. We strive at all times to conduct our activities with the highest standards of integrity and honesty. It is therefore expected that all employees maintain the highest standards in these areas in all of their work decisions and performance. Employees are therefore encouraged to report any wrongdoing or actions by employees that fall short of these business principles.
2. Certain disclosures are prescribed by law as “qualifying disclosures”. A “qualifying disclosure” means a disclosure of information that the employee genuinely and reasonably believes that one or more of the following matters is either happening, is likely to happen the future or has taken place:
• a criminal offence has been committed, is being committed or is likely to be committed
• a person has failed, is failing or is likely to fail to comply with any legal obligation to which he or she is subject
• a miscarriage of justice has occurred, is occurring or is likely to occur
• the health and safety of any individual has been, is being or is likely to be endangered
• the environment has been, is being or is likely to be damaged
• information tending to show any matter falling within any one of the preceding paragraphs has been, is being or is likely to be deliberately concealed.
3. There is no need for an employee to prove that the breach or failure that they are alleging has occurred or is likely to occur. A reasonable suspicion will suffice, i.e. where the employee reasonably believes that the information disclosed is substantially true.
4. We recognise that employees may not always feel comfortable about discussing their concerns internally, especially if they believe that the Company itself is responsible for the wrongdoing. The aim of this policy is to ensure that employees are confident that they can raise any matter that concerns them in the knowledge that it will be taken seriously, treated as confidential and that no action will be taken against them.
5. Employees are encouraged to discuss with their manager in the first instance. Any disclosure will be treated as completely confidential.
6. If you feel that it would not be appropriate to raise the issue with your manager, then you should contact the HR team or the leadership team who will confirm who you should put your concerns in writing to.
7. If you feel that it would not be appropriate to raise the issue with the company, our Employee Assistance Programme, provides a confidential service giving employees the opportunity to report any work-related concerns to an independent third party
8. All issues, concerns, reports and disclosures made in writing to the Company under this policy will be logged and retained on file by the Company for a minimum of 12 months, and thereafter as long as is reasonably necessary, in order to adhere to our obligations as a Company and take corrective actions to prevent a similar issue from arising again in future.
9. We will arrange a meeting with you as soon as possible to discuss your concerns after you have raised them with us. You will have the opportunity to be accompanied at the meeting by a fellow employee or a Trade Union representative or official should you so wish. We will aim to give you an indication of how we propose to deal with the matter as soon as possible, if it is appropriate to do so and the likely timescale. We will endeavour to respond to any issues raised within a reasonable timeframe.
10. Employees have a duty to make all reasonable attempts to attend any meeting arranged. Failure to attend without good reason may be treated as misconduct in itself. If you fail to attend without good reason, or are persistently unable to do so, we may have to take a decision based on the available evidence in your absence.
11. You have the right to call any witnesses to the meeting who are relevant. You should let the manager responsible for the hearing know the name of your chosen witnesses in advance of the hearing in good time.
12. In order to protect both the employee and the Company, initial enquires will be made to decide whether an investigation is appropriate and, if so, what form it should take. Concerns or allegations which fall within the scope of specific procedures, e.g., Equality, Diversity & Dignity at Work, Grievance etc, will normally be referred for consideration under those procedures. If your concern relates to your own treatment as an employee, you should raise it under the existing grievance or harassment procedures
13. If the matter requires further investigation, such an investigation will be carried out. This may of course involve meetings with the employee and others which we encourage in order to assist any investigations. You should treat any information about any necessary investigations as strictly confidential. We will aim to keep you informed of the progress of the investigation and its likely timescale, however sometimes the need for confidentiality may prevent us giving you specific details of the investigation or any action taken as a result.
14. The Company reserves the right to outsource the procedure to a suitably qualified third party. In such an event, the Company gives full authority for the appointed third party to manage the process and arrive at a decision or overturn any decision made previously should the evidence support the decision.
15. We reserve the right to report, as appropriate, any concern to the police or any appropriate industry, regulatory or professional body.
16. If the employee is unhappy about the speed or conduct of the investigation or the way in which the matter has been resolved, this should be declared in writing and the matter will be referred to another appropriate senior member of staff. When the complaint has been investigated, the employee will be informed of the result and what, if any, action has been taken.
17. We undertake to ensure that no employee who makes a bona fide report under this policy will be subjected to any detriment, bullying or harassment from another employee. In the event that an employee believes they are being subjected to a detriment by any person within our employment as a result of their decision to invoke the policy, the employee must inform an appropriate person immediately and appropriate action will be taken.
18. The disclosure is not protected unless the employee reasonably believes that the disclosure is made in the public interest.
19. If it should become clear that the policy has not been invoked by the employee as outlined above, for example, for malicious reasons or to pursue a personal grudge against another employee or the Company, this will be dealt with in accordance with the disciplinary procedure and may in serious cases lead to the termination of employment.
Anti-Bribery Statement
1. Bribery is a serious criminal offence, and corrupt acts expose the Company and its employees to the risk of prosecution, fines and imprisonment, as well as endangering the Company’s reputation. We are committed to the prohibition of such conduct. This is not just a cultural and moral commitment on the part of the organisation; it is a legal requirement.
2. The Company has a strict anti-bribery and corruption policy in line with the Bribery Act (2010). A bribe is defined as: giving someone a financial or other advantage to encourage that person to perform their functions or activities improperly or to reward that person for having already done so.
3. If an employee bribes (or attempts to bribe) another person, intending either to obtain or retain business for the Company, or to obtain or retain an advantage in the conduct of the Company's business this will be considered gross misconduct. Similarly accepting or allowing another person to accept a bribe will be considered gross misconduct. In these circumstances the employee will be subject to formal investigation under the Company’s disciplinary procedures, and disciplinary action up to and including dismissal may be applied.
Company Property Policy
1. Employees are not permitted to remove items or equipment of any kind from the Company premises without prior written permission.
2. We retain the right at our absolute discretion to require employees to pay for any Company property or equipment that is damaged, lost or stolen through their own negligence.
3. The Company’s time, materials or equipment must not be used for any unauthorised work.
4. The Company must be notified immediately of any incident in which damage or injury is caused to Company property, to fellow employees, clients and/or their personal effects.
5. The Company reserve the right to search employees and their personal belongings whilst on Company premises including staff accommodation. Any employee has the right to be accompanied by a colleague of their choice during such a search.
6. The Company accepts no liability for any loss or damage to an employee’s personal property whilst on the Company premises.
7. On termination employees must return all Company property; documentation and PPE to the Company by the last working day or any such date as agreed. Failure to do so may result in the Company seeking action to recover the costs of the goods.
Flexible Working Policy
1. As a responsible employer, it is our intention to support employees to maintain an effective balance of their work and home or other commitments.
2. Employees have the statutory right to request flexible working from first day of employment. Employees may make two requests within a 12-month period.
3. Flexible working is not an automatic right but a legal entitlement for employees to approach the Company in writing to request a change in their working arrangements. The new arrangements, if agreed, can include:
• A simple change in the number of days worked.
• A change in the number of hours worked.
• Changes to starting and finishing times.
• A combination of part time and home working.
4. Employees should be aware that, unless otherwise agreed, any changes will be permanent. The Company is however prepared to consider applications that incorporate a trial period. Employees should also be aware that any flexible working application that is agreed, and which involves a reduction in hours or alteration in duties and responsibilities, will mean a corresponding variation in pay and benefits.
5. The Company is prepared to initially discuss any matters in relation to flexible working on an informal basis. However, the formal process to agree flexible working initially requires a letter from the employee to their manager, outlining the flexible working request.
6. The employee’s line manager will acknowledge receipt of the request and state the application is being considered.
7. The Company will assess all such applications on their individual merits, but employees should be aware that there will be occasions when an application has to be rejected for relevant business reasons. In those circumstances, we will seek to find a mutually suitable alternative although that may not always be possible.
8. The manager will arrange to meet with the employee to discuss the request as soon as possible. Prior to the meeting, the proposed changes will be considered in light of the impact on the Company. The meeting provides an opportunity to explore the work pattern requested 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 requested work pattern outlined in your application. Employees may be accompanied by a work colleague at this meeting.
9. Following the meeting the line manager will write to the employee to either; agree to a new work pattern and confirm the date from which the change will be effective from or to outline the business reasons as to why the application has been rejected and to confirm their right to appeal.
10. If the employee wishes to appeal against a decision, they must submit their request in writing within five days of receiving the outcome of the meeting. The Company appeals procedure will be followed. The outcome of any such appeal will however be final.
Lay Off, Short Time Working and Redundancy Policy
1. In the event of a shortage of work for any reason, we reserve the right to introduce short time working or to lay off employees in order to safeguard the future viability of the organisation. Prior to any decision to implement short time working or layoffs being made; we will investigate all other methods of achieving any necessary cost savings.
2. In all such circumstances, statutory guarantee payments will be paid where appropriate. At the present time, we do not offer any enhancements to employees, including the part or full payment of normal pay, on occasions when short time working, or layoffs are implemented.
3. Throughout any period of short time or layoff, we will communicate fully and regularly with all employees, in particular those employees who may be directly affected by any reduction of working hours arising from the shortage of work. The work that remains will be spread evenly between employees across the particular work group that may be affected by the shortage of work.
4. If a potential redundancy situation exists, and in order to affect the necessary reduction in employment costs, we will initially seek to find alternatives to redundancy, including a freeze on recruitment as well as the potential re-training or redeployment of employees.
5. Where appropriate, applications for voluntary redundancy will be sought. In any voluntary redundancy programme, we do however reserve the right to accept or reject any application.
6. In the event that compulsory redundancies become unavoidable, and there is a need to choose which employees are to be retained, selection for redundancy will be based upon an assessment of a range of criteria. The range of criteria is flexible and may include:
• Relative capabilities
• Performance
• Service length
• Reliability
• Conduct
• Attendance record
• Disciplinary record
• Suitability for the work that remains
7. Due weight will be given to each of the above criteria and individual scores will be applied for each employee. The scores applied to an employee will be discussed with the employee concerned.
8. Before any final decisions are made in relation to the selection of employees to be declared redundant, a period of consultation will be undertaken. The purpose of the consultation is to inform employees that they are at risk of redundancy and to actively discuss and seek reasonable alternatives to any such proposal and/or to establish whether job losses or cost reductions could be achieved in other ways.
9. All employees affected will be asked to attend a meeting on an individual basis when full details of the reason for selection will be explained. If the redundancy is deemed necessary after the period of consultation, those employees affected will be asked to attend a meeting at which any alternative work available will be brought to their attention. The Company does however adopt a flexible approach to the consultation process and will ensure that all employees are given the fullest opportunity to discuss the issues that prevail in a meaningful manner.
10. If employment is eventually terminated by reason of redundancy, all entitlements to notice and redundancy payments will be made to employees. The Company will pay statutory redundancy payments only and there are therefore no enhancements to these payments. We reserve the right to pay employees in lieu of working their notice or to place them on garden leave in any redundancy situation.
11. At all times, we will comply with the statutory obligations on employers in situations of short time working, lay off or redundancy. If employees have any questions in relation to their entitlement at any point during a situation of this type, they should first contact their line manager for assistance.
Leaving the business
1. Details of your notice period is set out in your Contract of Employment.
2. No notice is required from either party in the first 4 weeks of employment.
3. After four weeks’ service and during your probation period; the notice period is one week.
4. Following successful completion of probation the following contractual notice periods apply:-
a. For all unpromoted positions in the following departments your contractual notice period is 2 weeks-
• Housekeeping Assistants,
• Food and Beverage Assistants
• Kitchen Porters
b. The following positions have a 4 week contractual notice period
• Receptionists/ Reservations team members
• ASPA therapists, Senior Therapists and ASPA Manager
• Recreations team members/ supervisors and Managers.
• Restaurant Supervisors, Floor Managers, Assistant Manager and Managers
• Porters and Night porters
• Housekeeping Supervisors, Head Housekeepers and Assistant/ Deputy Housekeeping Managers
• Reception Supervisors and Managers
• Administrative roles including Finance and HR
c. For all Senior HODs/Managers a 12 week notice is required as outlined in relevant contracts.
d. Team members on Sponsored work visas are required to give 12 weeks notice from day 1.
5. In the event, that due to long service, statutory notice requirements are longer than contractual notice period the team member and company will provide the statutory notice in the event of termination up to a maximum of 12 weeks.
6. On termination of employment, you are required to follow the Auchrannie leaving procedure.
7. As per the License to Occupy agreement and where applicable you are entitled to stay in your Staff Accommodation for up to 48 hours after your last working shift and should arrange your departure with the Staff Accommodation Manager.
8. The Company currently has no fixed retirement age and employees are free to retire whenever they choose. We acknowledge that retirement is a matter of choice for individuals and consider that age diversity is beneficial to the Company.
9. If you wish to have an informal discussion about retirement at any time, please speak with your line manager. If you indicate that you are thinking of retiring, you are free to change your mind at any time until you have given notice to terminate your employment.
10. If you do decide to retire, we would appreciate as much notice as possible, although you should give the company at least the notice you are obliged to give under your contract of employment.
11. Flexible retirement will be considered given the Company’s requirements at the time of the application.
12. Employment references will be provided on request from the HR department Auchrannie will provide a standard employment reference only.
13. Final salary will be paid considering any adjustments in respect of over payment, monies owed, or outstanding holiday pay. The P45 will be prepared and emails to you on completion of your final payroll.
Training Payback Agreements
1. The Company is committed to supporting training and development of our team members. To be fair to the company, if you leave the company less than 12 months after receiving your training you may be required to repay a proportion of the costs of the training within the timescale detailed on the letter from the end date of the training.
2. The Company normally writes off the money spent on training you over a twelve month period If it’s over £1000 this is likely to be over a 2 year period. As well as the cost of the training, training time, accommodation and expenses will be used as part of this calculation.
3. Employees who undertake training with cost implications may be required, prior to commencement of the training, to sign an undertaking to repay a proportion of the costs of the training if they leave the Company’s employment within the timescale detailed on the letter from the end date of the training.
4. The requirement to repay the Company will be reduced by 1/12th of the total course costs for each complete month that the employee remains employed by the Company after the end of the training (when a 12 month repayment scheme is in place). If you leave after 6 months, for example, you will only need to pay back half of the training costs.
Internet and Electronic Mail Usage
1. The purpose of these rules is to ensure the proper use of our email and internet system by our employees, contractors, and other “users” who are provided with access to the system. Email and internet access is a tool for business communications, and users have the responsibility to use this resource in an efficient, effective, ethical and lawful manner. The use of email and internet system for private purposes should be kept to a minimum.
2. Users will only be provided with such access to email and the internet system as is necessary to carry out their specified roles or purpose. Users who contravene this policy may be removed from the email system and be subject to disciplinary action, which, in serious cases, may include dismissal.
3. Email communications should follow the same standards expected in other types of written business communications. All messages should be constructed professionally in terms of spelling, and grammar. Caution should be taken to ensure that messages are addressed to the appropriate recipient.
4. All email accounts maintained on the email systems are our sole property. We reserve the right to monitor any user’s email and internet access record where there is reasonable suspicion of any activities that are in breach of this policy.
5. This also applies where we have the need to protect our system security, to fulfil our own legal obligations, to detect employee wrongdoing, to comply with legal process, or protect the rights of our property. Appropriate procedures on our part shall include reviews by our managers to ensure that employee privacy is not infringed without good cause in such circumstances. Users should be aware that, despite the deletion of messages, access to deleted messages is still possible.
6. The following uses of the email and internet systems are strictly prohibited:
• The exchange of proprietary information, trade secrets or any other privileged information, including information relating to any potential or actual litigation, confidential or sensitive information.
• The downloading or viewing of any pornographic material or any other type of offensive material. This could also constitute a criminal offence.
• The downloading of any games, desktop themes or any other unauthorised software onto any computer. Any software loaded onto any system must be approved prior to its installation.
• The creation and exchange of personal or non-work-related communications, chain letters and other unsolicited email.
• The creation and exchange of information in violation of any copyright laws or the intellectual property rights of third parties, including registration to any servers without proper authorisation. Subscription to such a service can result in an overload of received messages, directly impacting upon the performance of the email system.
• The sending or receiving of work related email messages from any non-employee’s user account, except under properly approved arrangements.
• Compromising the privacy of a password by giving it to others or exposing it to public view.
• The use of the email system for any illegal or wrongful purposes. This includes the distribution of material which may be or is prohibited under an Act of Parliament or any other law, including material containing critical or defamatory statements about employees, clients, other companies, organisations or individuals.
• The distribution of any material which depreciates the performance of the email system and servers. This includes sending non-business-related attachments, files, and junk mail.
• Entering into any contractual obligations or pre-contractual obligations or representations, without prior authorisation.
Social Media Policy
1. As a Company we understand the importance of the use of IT and social media both for Company and individual use. However, these systems must be used and monitored responsibly by all employees, always. The purpose of this policy is to ensure that social media is used in a correct and responsible manner, with the best interests of the Company in mind.
2. Any breach of this policy can lead to disciplinary action being taken, up to and including termination of your employment.
3. For the purpose of this policy, social media relates to all communications made through the internet including, but not limited to, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, YouTube, blogs and Wikis. Any internet communications must be used in the best interests of the Company.
4. The Company may promote its activities through social media and internet communications, for example for marketing, promotional and recruitment purposes. Any employee doing this on behalf of the Company must do so in a professional manner. The following rules for using social media on behalf of the Company and for personal use apply:
• Ensure that any communication has a purpose and a benefit to the Company.
• As with emails, all communications should follow the same standard as would be expected in all written communication with the Company.
• Only authorised employees must post information on behalf of the Company.
• Direct any social media enquiry for comments about the Company for publication anywhere to their line manager
• Follow any additional guidelines given by the Company from time to time.
• Do not use social media in a way that breaches any of the Company’s other policies
• Employees must not other than in relation to the Company’s own social media activities or other than where expressly permitted by the Company on business networking websites, publicly identify themselves as working for the Company, make reference to the Company or provide information from which others can ascertain the name of the Company (and in any event they must not hold themselves out as associated with the Company on any social media website after termination of employment, which means any references to the Company, and their job role in the Company, must be removed immediately on employment termination).
• Employees must not other than in relation to the Company’s own social media activities or other than where expressly permitted by the Company on business networking websites, write about their work for the Company - and, in postings that could be linked to the Company, they must also ensure that any personal views and opinions expressed (including political views and opinions) are clearly and prominently stated to be theirs alone and are not made on behalf of, and do not represent the views and opinions of, their employer.
• Employees must not create a social media account that could be mistaken for a Company social media account.
• Employees must not create a social media account or profile that impersonates one or more of the Company’s employees, clients, customers, contractors or suppliers or any other third party.
• Employees must not use the Company’s logos, trademarks or other corporate artwork on a personal social media account.
• Employees must not conduct themselves in a way that is potentially detrimental to the Company or directly or indirectly brings the Company or its products, services, clients, customers, contractors or suppliers into disrepute or which could otherwise directly or indirectly cause damage to the Company’s business interests or reputation, for example by posting comments, images or video clips that are inappropriate, objectionable or controversial or links to inappropriate, objectionable or controversial website content or sharing inappropriate, objectionable or controversial content posted by others - if an employee is uncertain about the appropriateness of any proposed post, they should refrain from posting it until they have discussed it with their line manager
• Employees must not other than in relation to the Company’s own social media activities or other than where expressly permitted by the Company on business networking websites, use their work email address when registering on such sites or provide any link to the Company’s website - for the avoidance of doubt, a personal email address must be used.
• Employees must not allow their interaction on these websites or blogs to damage working relationships with or between employees and clients, customers, contractors or suppliers of the Company, for example by criticising or arguing with such persons or using abusive or threatening language towards them.
• Employees must not include personal information or data about the Company’s employees, clients, customers, contractors or suppliers without their express consent (an employee may still be liable even if employees, clients, customers, contractors or suppliers are not expressly named in the websites or blogs as long as the Company reasonably believes they are identifiable) - this could constitute a breach of the Data Protection Act 2018 which is a criminal offence.
• Employees must not make any derogatory, offensive, discriminatory, disrespectful, untrue, negative, misleading, critical, disparaging, objectionable or defamatory comments or statements about the Company or its products, services, employees, clients, customers, contractors or suppliers (an employee may still be liable even if the Company or its employees, clients, customers, contractors or suppliers are not expressly named in the websites or blogs as long as the Company reasonably believes they are identifiable) - if an employee is uncertain about the appropriateness of any proposed post, they should refrain from posting it until they have discussed it with their line manager.
• Employees must not air grievances about the Company or any of its activities on social media.
• Employees must not make any comments about the Company’s employees that could constitute unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation or cyber-bullying contrary to the Equality Act 2010 or post any images or video clips that are discriminatory, or which may constitute unlawful harassment or cyber-bullying - employees can be personally liable for their actions under the legislation.
• Employees must not provide references for other individuals on social media websites, as such references could be attributed to the Company and create legal liability for both the author of the reference and the Company.
• Employees must not disclose any trade secrets or confidential, proprietary or sensitive information belonging to the Company or its employees, clients, customers, contractors or suppliers or any information which could be used by one or more of the Company’s competitors, for example information about the Company’s work, its products and services, technical developments, current or future trading performance, deals that it is doing or future business plans, staff morale and anything else that is not already in the public domain.
• Employees must not breach copyright or any other proprietary interest belonging to the Company, for example, using someone else’s images or written content without permission or failing to give acknowledgement where permission has been given to reproduce particular work - if employees wish to post images, photographs, personal details or videos of their work colleagues or of the Company’s clients, customers, contractors or suppliers on their online profile, they should first obtain the other party’s express permission to do so.
5. In addition, such social media accounts which are operated for business purposes (and their contents) belong to the Company and therefore these accounts used by an employee during employment may not be used after termination of employment. The Company may also ask the employee to supply their usernames and passwords either on termination of employment or at any other time and in either case the employee must supply them on request.
6. All terms contained within this policy are to remain relevant to employees, post-employment. If employees make any reference to the Company, derogatory or otherwise that causes any detriment to the Company or its clients, we will look to recover any potential damages and/or losses incurred.
7. Employees must remove any offending social media content immediately if they are asked to do so by the Company because it is considered to constitute a breach of this policy.
8. Work and business contacts made during the course of employment through social media websites (such as the names and contact details of existing or prospective customers, clients and suppliers) and which are added to personal social and business networking accounts (in particular to LinkedIn), or which are stored on the Company’s computer system, amount to confidential information belonging to the Company and accordingly must be surrendered when requested and on termination of employment.
9. On termination of employment or once notice to terminate employment has been given, employees must, on request, disclose to the Company a full list of all work and business contacts that they hold on all devices or on all social and business networking accounts. The Company may then require the departing employee to delete any or all such work and business connections from their devices (including from personal devices) or from their social or business networking account, not keep copies of the same and not reconnect with those connections for a period of six months from termination of employment. The Company may also require written confirmation from the employee that these provisions have been complied with.
10. Employees must also surrender all login and password details for accounts run on the Company's behalf or where an account has been used to promote and/or market the Company's business activities on the termination of employment or whenever so requested by the Company.
11. Employees should remember that social media websites are a public forum, even if they have set their account privacy settings at a restricted access or “friends only” level, and therefore they should not assume that their postings on any website will remain private.
12. Employees must also be security conscious when using social media websites and should take appropriate steps to protect themselves from identity theft, for example by placing their privacy settings at a high level and restricting the amount of personal information they give out, e.g. date and place of birth, schools attended and family names. This type of information may form the basis of security questions and/or passwords on other websites, such as online banking.
13. Should employees notice any inaccurate or disparaging information about the Company online or which breaches this policy or otherwise brings the Company into disrepute, they should report this to their line manager in the first instance.
14. Employees are not permitted to use private email, text messaging, messaging apps or any other instant messaging or chat programs or services to discuss work-related matters or for any other business purposes – employees must always use the Company’s official correspondence channels for work-related business and must never use such private correspondence channels.
15. This policy is to be treated in conjunction with the other Company’s policies, including code of conduct, equality, diversity and inclusion, bullying and harassment and disciplinary policies. If an employee is unsure as to what could be deemed inappropriate in terms of social media use, they should contact their manager for further information.
16. The Company reserves the right to monitor employees’ use of social media on the internet, both during routine audits or random spot checks of the computer system and in specific cases where a problem relating to excessive or unauthorised use is suspected. The Company will only monitor use of social media on the internet where there is a lawful basis for doing so. The business purposes for such monitoring are to:
• establish the existence of facts
• ascertain compliance with regulatory or self-regulatory requirements, practices or procedures
• assess standards of employee performance and conduct and promote productivity and efficiency
• investigate or detect any unauthorised use of the Company’s systems
• ensure the security of the systems and networks and their effective operation
• ensure the smooth running of the business by checking whether there are any relevant business communications that need to be dealt with
• ensure that the Company’s rules, policies and procedures are being complied with
• record transactions
• promote client and customer satisfaction
• ensure that the systems are not being used for any unlawful purpose or activities that may damage the Company’s business or reputation
• make sure there is no unauthorised use of the Company’s time
• perform effective internal administration
• ensure that inappropriate, restricted or blocked websites are not being accessed and that offensive or illegal material is not being viewed, sent, downloaded or circulated
• ensure that all employees are treated with respect and dignity at work, by discovering and eliminating any material that is capable of amounting to unlawful harassment
• protect the privacy of personal data, trade secrets and sensitive or confidential Company information and ensure there is no breach of confidentiality or data protection provisions.
17. Members of the IT department and Senior Managers in the business are authorised to monitor social media on the internet during routine audits or random spot checks and they may also be instructed to do so by managers where a problem is suspected. Access to the results of monitoring is restricted to the IT department and to those managers who are authorised to access them in accordance with the purposes outlined above. Disclosure of the results of monitoring to other third parties will only be made in accordance with the purposes outlined above and will be limited to:
• the police and other law enforcement agencies, where the results could assist in the prevention or detection of a crime or the identification and prosecution of an offender
• prosecution agencies, such as the Crown Prosecution Service
• relevant legal representatives
• managers involved with Company disciplinary and performance management processes.
18. The Resort Director (or another Senior Manager acting in their absence) is the only person who is permitted to authorise disclosure of information to external third parties such as law enforcement agencies.
19. Social media monitoring may involve obtaining an itemised log of all social media websites and individual web pages visited, as well as the date and time of access. Where the particular circumstances warrant it, it may also involve accessing the actual content posted or circulated on social media web pages.
20. The Company is committed to being transparent about how and why employees are monitored and will always consider whether the monitoring measures are proportionate.
21. The Company reserves the right to restrict, deny or remove internet access, or access to particular social media websites, to or from any employee.
22. Failure to comply with any of the requirements of this policy, including failing to remove any social media content that in itself breaches this policy or failing to observe the social media rules set out above, is a disciplinary offence and may result in disciplinary action being taken under the Company’s disciplinary procedure. Depending on the seriousness of the offence, it may amount to gross misconduct and could result in the employee’s summary dismissal. Any employee suspected of committing a breach of this policy will be required to co-operate with the investigation, which may involve handing over relevant login and password details.
23. In addition, employees could face legal proceedings if comments they post about the Company or named individuals are found to have harmed their reputation.
24. Due to the constantly developing state of internet communications and technology, this policy is subject to change, and as such should be reviewed regularly by all employees.
Telephone Policy
1. The Company recognises that occasionally employees will need to make personal telephone calls from their work telephone, as, for example, some businesses are only open during the working day. The Company does not allow employees to make non-essential calls during work time.
2. Personal mobile phones must not disturb colleagues or distract employees from their work. Employee should not use mobile phones when operating machinery or performing tasks that may result in an injury or cause harm. The Company suggests that the phone should be either switched off or kept out of sight with the volume reduced to a discreet level.
3. Aside from essential use to be acceptable at manager’s discretion, such as liaising with childcare, employees must not use their personal mobile phones at work outside of break times. In particular, the use for social media sites, games and online shopping is strictly prohibited during working time.
4. Where employees are provided with a mobile telephone by the Company, this is intended to be used for business telephone calls. Employees are permitted to make essential personal calls, so long as these do not cost more than £5 per month. If the private telephone calls amount to more than this, the Company will require the employee to reimburse the cost of these calls.
5. Employees should take care of the telephone and ensure it is secure at all times. In the event that the telephone is stolen, they should notify their line manager immediately to report the theft. In the absence of their line manager, they should take all reasonable steps to report the matter to a manager or IT department so that steps can be taken to disconnect the telephone.
6. The mobile telephone should be immediately returned to the Company if the employee is requested to do so by their line manager or on the termination of the employee’s employment.
7. Any breach of the telephone policy may result in the Company’s disciplinary procedure being invoked.
Subsistence Policy
1. The Company recognises that, from time to time, it is necessary for employees to travel and make overnight stays in order to fulfil their duties.
2. Employees should not normally commit to any expenses without first obtaining the agreement of their line manager. Any unauthorised expenditure is entirely at an employee’s personal risk. However, the Company does recognise that employees should legitimately be reimbursed for expenses incurred on the Company’s behalf.
3. Travel should normally be by the cheapest mode possible. Travel tickets should be booked, where possible, in advance to achieve maximum discounts. On occasions it may be cheaper and less stressful to travel the evening before and take overnight accommodation.
4. In the event of a car journey being the cheapest or more convenient option, car journeys will be paid at HMRC advisory rates.
5. Accommodation should, wherever possible, be booked using the Company’s preferred hotel accommodation. Please contact your line manager to discuss your planned hotel stay.
6. Should an employee be required to stay away from home overnight, daily allowances for meals will apply, please discuss these with the management before departing for your business travel.
7. To claim expenses, details must be given on the Company’s expense claim form and submitted monthly.
8. For all items that are being claimed, relevant receipts must be attached. Any expenses that do not have the required receipt attached will not be paid.
9. All claims should be made within three months of the expenditure occurring and within the Company’s financial year.
Tips and Gratuities
1. This policy ensures transparency, fairness, and compliance with current legislation regarding the distribution of tips. The Company remains committed an equitable system that benefits the whole team and recognises all team members contributions to excellent service.
2. The Company operates a fair and transparent Tronc Scheme to manage the distribution of tips received by employees.
3. The Company does not add a service charge to customer bills; all tips are given at the customer’s discretion.
4. All tips and gratuities given by customers whether in cash or via card are collected and pooled together. These tips are then distributed equally among eligible employees, based hour worked within a set time period agreed upon internally and managed by an appointed Troncmaster.
5. The designated Troncmaster is responsible for overseeing fair distribution in accordance with HMRC guidance.
6. Tronc payments are processed via payroll and are subject to income tax in accordance with HMRC rules (but not National Insurance).
7. The Company covers all administration costs associated with operating the Tronc Scheme. No deductions are made from tips for processing or handling
8. All team members are auto-enrolled as a member of the Tronc Scheme prior to their first pay. They will receive an enrolment email from Troncmaster with full details and terms of the scheme as well as an option to opt out of the scheme if they choose to do so.
1. The written statement of main terms and conditions of employment outline the Company holiday year. This is the twelve-month period during which employees accrue their holidays and runs from 1st January to 31st December.
2. Holiday entitlement is confirmed within the statement of main terms and conditions of employment. Including details of enhanced holidays based on length of service and holidays for part time team members.
3. All holiday dates must be agreed with employee’s manager in advance of the holiday days requested. Employees must give as much notice as possible of the holiday days and in any event at least twice the notice as the number of days/weeks requested. No more than two weeks can be taken at any one time during the holiday year without written permission.
4. Holiday dates will be agreed after taking into account the needs of the business and its clients and ensuring that the minimum staffing levels needed to provide the best services to our clients are maintained.
5. The Company must approve all holiday requests in advance; therefore, employees must not book a holiday until the request for the time off has been authorised. The Company will not be liable for any costs incurred due to holiday days not being approved.
6. Any holidays taken without prior permission will lead to disciplinary action being taken. The disciplinary procedure could be invoked, and the employee could be dismissed where an employee requests a holiday, which is refused, and then the employee subsequently takes that holiday without permission.
7. The Company reserves the right to direct team members to take holidays inline with business requirements. In this event sufficient notice will be provided, no less than twice the notice as the number of days/weeks requested to be taken will be given.
8. Employees will be notified on an annual basis of any need to reserve any days of their entitlement for holiday shutdown periods.
9. Where an employee is sick while on authorised holiday, they will be considered to be on holiday leave and not on sick leave, unless specifically supported by Doctor's certificate (for the period of illness) and it is agreed by the Company.
10. On termination of employment, employees are entitled to receive payment for all unused accrued holidays for the current holiday year only. The Company reserves the right to require employees to take any unused annual leave within their notice period.
11. Any payments of holiday pay made to employees in excess of the amount accrued on termination of employment, will be deducted in full from the final monies due on termination. Where the amount of the overpayment exceeds any final payment, employees must reimburse the Company immediately.
1. Employees are responsible for attending punctually for work in accordance with the hours defined in their contract of employment.
2. Employees may not leave work prior to their normal finishing time without permission. In the event of any employee requiring time away from work during normal working hours, they must discuss the request with their manager and, on receiving permission, contact their manager before leaving and on returning to work.
3. Lateness for work may result in pay being reduced accordingly.
4. Persistent lateness may lead to disciplinary action being taken.
5. If employees are absent from work for any reason, they (or in extenuating circumstances someone else on their behalf) must notify the company as outlined in the contract of employment. Any unauthorised absence must be properly explained. In the case of absence of uncertain duration, employees should keep the Company informed of the reason for continued absence and the progress towards a return to work.
6. If an employee’s incapacity through illness or injury continues for more than seven consecutive calendar days, the employee must provide the Company with a doctor’s medical certificate as soon as it is available.
7. Immediately upon return to work after a period of sickness or injury absence of less than seven days, employees are required to complete and submit a Company self-certification form.
8. Failure to comply with the requirements in the paragraphs above may result in Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) being withheld, and, where appropriate, Company sick pay.
9. In the event of persistent absenteeism, the employee may be asked to give permission to the Company to contact the employee’s doctor or to undergo an independent medical examination at the Company’s expense. This is to enable the Company to obtain up to date authoritative information on the employee’s health problems.
10. Unauthorised absence may lead to disciplinary action being taken. In such circumstances, medical certificates may be requested for all subsequent periods of absence.
11. Where an employee is sick while on authorised holiday, they will be considered to be on holiday leave and not on sick leave, unless specifically supported by Doctor's certificate (for the period of illness) and it is agreed by a director.
12. Employees will be paid SSP in accordance with the current Government provisions that are applicable. Entitlement to SSP may be affected if employees do not comply with the Company rules for reporting and certificating absence from work due to sickness.
13. It is a requirement of your employment to promptly notify your manager if you sustain an injury or fall ill during working hours.
14. Employees are required to complete and submit an Accident Form, with assistance from their manager if needed. Once the form is completed, employees should review it carefully, as signing the form confirms that they believe it to be a true and accurate record of the events. This form may be used in civil claims processes.
15. The report will be used to support any claims made against the Company through its insurance. While an employee is recovering from a work-related injury, the Company may continue to provide their regular sick pay, as specified in their employment contract.
16. An absence would be classed as unauthorised when an employee decides not to attend work and/or decides to leave their workplace without authorisation. This will be regarded as Absent Without Leave (AWOL). Unauthorised absences are treated seriously and may result in disciplinary action
being taken. Following appropriate investigation, this type of absence could result in the loss of basic and/or sick pay as well as disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.
17. Employees who leave work during their working day without prior consent or agreement from their manager or company will be deemed as being absent from work. As one of our primary responsibilities is to protect people and property this may be considered as gross misconduct and if proven, may result in your dismissal you also may not be paid from the time they leave for the remainder of their shift.
Special Leave Policy
The Company recognises throughout employment, there are periods when time away from the office is unavoidable for various reasons. This policy sets out the Company provisions during these times.
1. The death of an immediate member of an employee’s family is recognised as a time where grieving is necessary Any additional time that may be required in order to make the necessary arrangements or to support family members may be approved.
2. In the event of the death of a direct relative including a parent, sibling, spouse, or child employees are entitled to up to 5 days of paid bereavement leave
3. For the death of other relatives such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, or in-laws employees are entitled to up to 2 days of paid bereavement leave.
4. All bereavement leave must be approved by your line manager
5. Additional paid/unpaid leave may be considered on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Company.
6. All medical appointments should, wherever possible, be made outside work time. However, the Company recognises that this is not always possible and encourages timely medical and dentist appointments when necessary.
7. Medical appointments will normally be unpaid. Any payments that are made will be at the discretion of the Company. Alternatively, the employee can make up the time lost by agreement with their line manager.
8. If you are summoned to attend jury service, you must submit the jury service notice to your manager as soon as possible. Time off, without pay, is granted for jury service. You should claim the loss of earnings entitlement through the Court, following their procedure. If you are not required to attend Court on any particular day and it is your normal working day; you should attend work as normal. You will be paid as normal for this day. If your manager feels that such service would seriously affect the Company; they may petition the Court for a postponement of jury service.
9. Any additional payments made during the jury service period will be at the discretion of the Company; all agreements will be considered on an individual basis by the Company.
Maternity and Adoption Leave and Pay Policy
1. All pregnant employees are entitled to a total of 52 weeks’ maternity leave, irrespective of their length of service, made up of:
• Ordinary Maternity Leave - first 26 weeks
• Additional Maternity Leave - last 26 weeks
• You do not have to take 52 weeks, but you must take 2 weeks’ leave after your baby is born (or 4 weeks if you work in a factory).
2. The earliest you can start your leave is 11 weeks before the expected week of childbirth. Leave will also start:
• the day after the birth if the baby is born early
• automatically if you’re off work for a pregnancy-related illness in the 4 weeks before the week (Sunday to Saturday) that your baby is due
3. Employees are encouraged to notify the company in writing of their pregnancy or adoption at the earliest opportunity. The employee must also provide a MAT B1 form, which is a certificate from a doctor or midwife confirming the expected week of childbirth. The MATB1 form is usually issued after 26 weeks of pregnancy, which must be submitted to the company for SMP purposes.
4. Employees must have been continuously employed by the company for at least 26 weeks to be eligible for adoption leave. If there are any questions in relation to the employee’s qualification or entitlement to maternity or adoption leave, they should ask their manager who will assist them in obtaining the necessary information.
5. A job risk assessment will be undertaken for all pregnant employees as soon as possible after we are notified, to specifically address their safety at work and that of their unborn child. The risk assessment will be ongoing, and employees should notify their manager if they have any concerns about the impact of the job on their health and safety.
6. Once employees confirm their intention to take a period of maternity or adoption leave, they will receive written details and confirmation of our understanding of their leave request, together with all Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) and Maternity Allowance (MA) or Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP) entitlements. We comply fully with all current statutory provisions in this regard. Employees who have any questions in relation to benefits, entitlements and future payments should contact their manager in the first instance.
7. Employees have the right to take reasonable periods of time off for the purposes of antenatal care/attending adoption appointments. All requests for such leave should be made in advance of the appointments for which we may request written confirmation. Payment will be made at the normal rate of pay for all reasonable periods of time off requested and taken and at the discretion of the Company for all subsequent periods.
8. Where employees encounter difficulties in continuing with their current role because of pregnancy issues or as a result of a risk assessment evaluation, we will discuss options for alternative work during the remainder of the pregnancy.
9. Employees must take all accrued annual leave prior to the commencement of maternity and adoption leave.
10. Employees who take maternity or adoption leave remain as an employee throughout the period of leave. Shortly before an employee's leave begins, the Company will discuss arrangements for them to keep in touch during their leave, should they wish to do so.
11. We encourage employees to take advantage of the 10 “Keeping in Touch” days that are available to them. We endeavour to use these days for the purpose of keeping employees abreast of new developments, or any appraisals, training opportunities within the company and easing the return to their role. Employees are however under no obligation to participate in or agree to attend work for “Keeping in Touch” days. Normal pay for the hours worked; inclusive of any statutory payment entitlement, will be made in the usual way.
12. Regardless of the above provisions, we will endeavour to ensure that employees who are on maternity or adoption leave are kept fully informed of developments within our organisation. Employees will be contacted personally by telephone, through welfare visits (where employees have no objection to this) and/or by e-mail where employees have such a facility and have confirmed that we may contact them through this means. We will also utilise these means to ensure that employees are aware of any vacancies within the company. Employees on maternity leave who are interested in any vacancy should apply in the normal way.
13. We currently apply the statutory provisions that are in place in relation to the duration of maternity or adoption leave and no supplementary provisions are currently in place.
14. Employees may have discussed an early return to work and where this has been done, it will be recorded. Employees who did not do so may still contact the company and agree to an earlier return date than that which was originally detailed. In these circumstances, employees are requested to
give the company eight weeks’ notice wherever possible of such an intention. The company may, at its discretion, allow an earlier return to work.
15. Employees have the right to continue to accrue holiday entitlement during maternity and adoption leave. Employees must take all accrued annual leave during maternity and adoption leave within the holiday year upon their return to work.
16. Employees will normally be able to return to work after their maternity or adoption leave into their normal job and on the same terms and conditions. If there are any circumstances that mean this is not reasonably practicable, these will be discussed with the employee as far in advance as possible of the return to work to determine any alternative work that may be available. As indicated above, employees should provide the company with the appropriate prior notification of their intention to return to work to assist with the smooth transition back into working.
17. All requests for part-time work or other flexible working arrangements will be considered in line with the operational requirements of the Company's business. If an employee would like this option to be considered, the employee should write to their Line Manager setting out her proposals as soon as possible in advance of their return date, so that there is adequate time for full consideration of the request. The procedure for dealing with such requests is set out in the Company policy on flexible working.
18. Payments and allowances during pregnancy and maternity/adoption leave are made in full compliance with the current statutory provisions in force. At the present time, the company does not currently provide any additional payments to supplement these statutory payments.
19. Statutory maternity pay is payable for up to 39 weeks during maternity leave. An employee is entitled to SMP if:
• They have been continuously employed by the Company for at least 26 weeks at the end of the qualifying week and they are still employed during that week
• The average weekly earnings in the eight weeks up to and including the qualifying week are not less than the lower earnings limit for national insurance contributions
• The employee is still pregnant 11 weeks before the start of the expected week of childbirth (EWC) (or has already given birth)
• The employee provides a MAT B1 form stating the EWC.
• The employee gives the Company proper notification of her pregnancy in accordance with the rules set out above.
20. If your baby is born before the maternity pay period is due to start, the pay period will begin from the day following the date of birth.
21. If your baby is born before you have given us a maternity certificate, you must, if reasonably practicable, provide us with medical evidence of the date the baby was born within 28 days’.
22. If your baby was born early and the maternity pay period has started, SMP will be paid in the normal way until the liability ends as if the baby had been born in the EWC.
23. If the baby is born after the EWC, the maternity pay period is not affected.
24. In the unfortunate event that a baby is stillborn before the 25th week of the pregnancy, i.e. earlier than the 16th week before the EWC, SMP is not payable.
25. If a baby is stillborn after the start of the 16th week before the EWC, SMP will be paid as it would for a live birth.
26. Parents are entitled to share the care of their child during the first year after their birth or adoption. An employee can opt out of maternity/adoption leave at any time after the 2-week compulsory period and opt into shared parental leave, subject to the relevant qualifying conditions. Full details can be obtained from your manager should you wish to apply.
1. Following the birth of a child, the right to paternity leave and pay gives fathers and other qualifying people the right to take paid leave to care for their child or support the mother.
2. In order to qualify for paternity leave, you must satisfy the following conditions:
• Have or expect to have responsibility for the child’s upbringing.
• Be the biological father of the child or the mother’s husband or partner.
• Be married to or the partner of the child’s mother, but not the child’s father; if he has, or expects to have the main responsibility (apart from any responsibility of the mother) for the upbringing of the child.
• Have worked continuously for us 26 weeks ending with the week immediately preceding the 15th week before the expected week of the child’s birth.
3. If the employee satisfies the criteria above, they will be able to take two-week paternity leave entitlement. The two weeks can be separate one-week blocks, two consecutive weeks or may opt to take one week only.
4. Employees will be able to take paternity leave at any time during the 52 weeks after birth.
5. Paternity Leave can start on any day of the week on or following the child’s birth but must be completed within the 52 weeks of the birth of the child.
6. Only one period of leave is available to employees irrespective of whether more than one child is born as the result of the same pregnancy.
7. If an employee earns above the Lower Earnings Limit for National Insurance purposes, they will be entitled to Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP). The rate of SPP is the same as the standard rate of Statutory Maternity Pay.
8. Employees must provide the statutory information by the end of the qualifying week, 15th week before expected week of childbirth followed by at least 28 days’ notice of their intention to take paternity leave, unless not reasonably practicable. The employee must give details regarding:
• The week the baby is due,
• When they wish to take their paternity leave,
• When they want the leave to start.
9. Employees may change their mind about the date they wish this leave to start but the employee must inform their manager at least 28 days in advance; unless not reasonably practicable.
10. Employees must give their manager a completed form SC3 as evidence of their entitlement to SPP. Employees are entitled to the benefit of their normal terms and conditions of employment, except for terms relating to wages or salary or other cash payments, throughout their paternity leave.
11. Employees are entitled to return to the same job following paternity leave. The Company does not currently pay any enhancements above the level of statutory payments in this area.
12. Prospective fathers or other qualifying people will be entitled to unpaid time off work to attend two antenatal appointments. Each appointment can last for up to six and a half hours. In the first instance employees should speak to their line manager.
13. Shared Parental Leave is available for those employees that are eligible. Parents are entitled to share the care of their child during the first year after their birth or adoption. Full details can be obtained from your manager should you wish to apply.
Parental Leave Policy
1. Parental leave offers qualifying parents the right to take time off work to look after a child or to make arrangements for its welfare. It is aimed at helping employees strike a better balance between work
and family commitments. We fully support the principles behind the provisions and comply fully with all of the provisions under the current legislation. At the present time, we do not offer any additional enhancements to the statutory provisions.
2. If employees consider that they are entitled to parental leave and wish to take time off, they should apply in writing to their manager, stating the period of leave that is requested and the details of the child in relation to whom the request is made.
3. The statutory entitlements in this area may be subject to change from time to time so if the employee has any questions surrounding their current entitlement, they should ask their manager who will assist in obtaining the information. On receipt of the employee’s request, we will inform them of any additional information or documentation that we may require.
4. We will attempt to grant all requests for parental leave. However, unless the employee’s parental leave is to start upon the birth of their child, the leave may be postponed. If we do postpone parental leave, we will notify the employee of this in writing within seven days of receiving the request and will confirm the dates on which the employee may take leave.
5. Parental leave is unpaid and during the period of leave the employee will not receive salary or any other cash payments normally paid to them when they are at work. In addition, the employee’s entitlement to all contractual benefits, including contributions to the pension scheme will also not apply. However, we would confirm that, for all other purposes, their Contract of Employment remains in place and that the employee, and the Company will continue to be bound by all of their contractual obligations.
Parental Bereavement Leave
1. The Company recognises that the death of a child, or a stillbirth, can be one of the most distressing experiences of someone’s life. This policy explains the rights to time off for parents and other qualifying primary carers, in relation to pay, and other support offered following the death of a child under the age of 18 years or stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy.
2. To qualify for parental bereavement, leave, you must satisfy the following conditions:
• Have had responsibility for the child.
• Be the biological parent, adopter or a primary carer for the child that have assumed responsibility for looking after the child in the absence of parents.
3. If the employee satisfies the criteria above, they will be entitled to take either one week or two consecutive weeks parental bereavement leave. Employees may choose to take their leave at any time within the period of 56 weeks beginning with the date of the child’s death.
4. Parental bereavement leave can start on any day of the week on or following the child’s death but must be completed within 56 weeks of the actual date of death of the child.
5. If an employee earns above the Lower Earnings Limit for National Insurance purposes and have been with their current employer for a period of 26 weeks prior to the death of the child, they will be entitled to Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay (SPBP). The rate of SPBP is in line with other statutory payments and is subject to change.
6. Employees must inform their line manager of their intention to take parental bereavement. The employee must give the following details:
• The date of child’s death,
• The date on which the employee chooses the absence to begin, and
• Whether the employee intends that period of absence to be one- or two-weeks’ parental bereavement leave. The 2 weeks can be together or separate weeks of leave.
7. Within the first 56 days of the death of the child, employees must notify the employer before they are due to start work on the first day of absence from work due to a bereavement of a child that you have responsibility for and where this is not possible then as much notice as reasonably practicable during this time.
8. After 56 days of the death of the child, employee is required to give at least 1 week notice of their intention to take parental bereavement leave.
9. Employees may change their mind about the date they wish this leave to start, in the first 56 days from the death of the child, employees are required to give at least 1 day notice of their intention to cancel parental bereavement or as much notice as reasonably possible during this time. After 56 days employees must inform their manager at least 1 week in advance of their intent to cancel their leave.
10. Employees may be required to provide evidence to their managers of their entitlement to SPBP. Employees are entitled to their normal terms and conditions of employment, except for terms relating to wages or salary or other cash payments, throughout their parental bereavement leave.
11. Employees are entitled to return to the same job following parental bereavement leave. The Company does not currently pay any enhancements above the level of statutory payments in this area.
12. For the purpose of this policy carers are defined as; adopters, foster parents and guardians, or close relatives or family friends who have taken responsibility for the child’s care in the absence of parents prior to the death of the child.
13. Paternity Leave (Bereavement) Act amends the Employment Rights Act 1996 provides bereaved fathers and partners with the right to paternity leave from day one of their employment.
14. This policy ensures that bereaved fathers and partners can take time off to care for their child and grieve following the death of the child’s mother, regardless of their length of service with the employer.
15. Bereaved fathers and partners are eligible for paternity leave from the first day of employment if:
• The child’s mother has died during or after childbirth.
• Both the mother and the child have died (applies to biological, adopted, and surrogate children).
16. This entitlement applies to employees regardless of their service length with the company.
17. Bereaved partners are entitled to up to 2 weeks of paternity leave, which can be taken:
• As a single block of 2 weeks.
• In two separate 1-week blocks.
18. Leave must be taken within 52 weeks of the mother’s death.
• Employees who have already taken Shared Parental Leave can still take bereavement paternity leave.
• Bereavement leave entitlement is in addition to other statutory leave entitlements.
• Bereaved partners can participate in Keeping in Touch (KIT) days during their paternity leave without ending their leave.
• KIT days can be used for attending meetings, training, or other work-related activities as agreed with their employer.
19. Employees must:
• Notify the employer as soon as reasonably possible of their intention to take paternity leave following a bereavement.
• Submit any required supporting documents, such as a death certificate, if requested by the employer.
Neonatal Care Leave
1. Eligible employees will be able to take leave if their baby requires seven (or more) days of continuous neonatal care starting within the first 28 days following their birth. Entitlement to begin taking a
period of neonatal care leave only begins once the child has spent seven consecutive days in neonatal care.
2. Eligible employees are entitled to one week's leave for every week their child spends in neonatal care, capped at a maximum of twelve weeks. The leave may be taken while the child is receiving the care or after.
3. The leave must be taken before the end of 68 weeks beginning with the date of the child’s birth.
4. Where an employee takes neonatal care leave during a period where the child is receiving neonatal care (or in the seven days immediately following discharge) then the employee is able to take neonatal care leave in non-consecutive weeks. This is known as ‘tier 1’ leave.
5. Where an employee takes accrued neonatal care leave at any point after seven days has elapsed since the child’s discharge from neonatal care then the employee must take any accrued leave in consecutive weeks. This is known as ‘tier 2’ leave.
6. Where more than one child is in receipt of neonatal care, each child is generally to be treated separately as regards entitlement to take neonatal care leave. However, if more than one child is receiving neonatal care at the same time, entitlement only accrues once. So, for example, if twins spend the same three weeks in neonatal care then the eligible employee will accrue three weeks of neonatal leave during this period, not six.
7. If you wish to take a period of neonatal care leave you must give notice of your intention to take neonatal care leave in writing to the business
8. We reserve the right to waive or reduce the notice requirements set out above if we consider it reasonable to do so.
9. Neonatal care leave can be taken in addition to maternity, paternity, adoption, and shared parental leave. Employees who qualify for multiple types of leave may take them consecutively, ensuring they receive the maximum support available. Neonatal care leave does not reduce the length of any other statutory leave entitlement.
10. An employee is not entitled to take leave in the tier 2 period where, at the time of giving notice, the employee knows that the leave will be interrupted by another statutory leave period.
11. Employees may be eligible for Statutory Neonatal Care Pay (SNCP) during any period of neonatal care leave. Provided all requirements are met.
12. SNCP will be paid at the government-set rate for up to 12 weeks. The amount of SNCP is set annually by the government.
Carer’s Leave Policy
1. This policy applies to all employees only, it does not apply to agency workers.
2. To qualify for the right to take carer’s leave, the employee must want to be absent from work for the purpose of providing or arranging care for a dependant with a long-term care need.
3. A person is a dependant if they are one of the following:
• the employee spouse or civil partner
• employee child
• employee parent
• someone who lives in the same household as the employee, otherwise than by reason of being a boarder, employee, lodger, or tenant, or
• someone who reasonably relies on the employee to provide or arrange care.
4. The employee dependant has a long-term care need if they:
• have an illness or injury (whether physical or mental) that requires, or is likely to require, care for more than three months,
• have a disability for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010, or
• require care for a reason connected with their old age.
5. Employees are entitled to take up to one week of unpaid carer’s leave in any rolling twelve-month period. The carer’s leave can be taken in individual days or half-days, up to a maximum block of one week. Carer’s leave does not need to be taken on consecutive days, and it can be taken on any working day (or days) of the week.
6. If the employee provides or arranges care for more than one dependant with a long-term care need, they are only entitled to take up to one week of carer’s leave in any rolling twelve-month period.
7. Employees must give notice of their intention to take carer’s leave to the Company, specifying:
• that they are entitled to take carer’s leave
• the days on which they intend to take carer’s leave, and if this leave relates to a half-day.
8. The notice can relate to all or just part of the carer’s leave to which the employee is entitled in any rolling twelve-month period.
9. Employees must give this notice of their intention to take carer’s leave to the Company by whichever is the earlier of:
• twice as many days in advance of the earliest date specified in their notice as the number of days or half-days to which the notice relates, or
• three days in advance of the earliest date specified in their notice.
10. The carer’s leave will then be on the date, or dates, specified in the notice, unless the Company elects to postpone it.
11. A carer’s leave form can be obtained from HR and once completed it should be returned to the employee line manager. This form will ensure the employee has fulfilled their obligation to provide notice of their intention to take carer’s leave to the Company. It will enable the employee to selfcertify their eligibility.
12. The Company may postpone the intended carer’s leave where it reasonably considers that the operation of its business would be unduly disrupted if the employee took carer’s leave during the period identified in their notice.
13. To postpone carer’s leave, the Company must alternatively agree to permit the employee to take a period of carer’s leave which:
• is of the same duration as the period originally identified in the employee notice, and
• which begins on a date determined by the Company after consulting with the employee.
• which is no later than one month after the earliest date of the employee’s original request for carer’s leave.
14. The Company must give the employee a notice in writing stating the reason for the postponement and set out the agreed dates that the employee can take the carer’s leave. This notice must be given to the employee as soon as is reasonably practicable but not later than the earlier of:
• seven days after the notice was given to the Company, or
• before the earliest date requested in the employee notice.
15. Carer’s leave is unpaid. During carer’s leave, the contract of employment continues in force and employees are entitled to receive all their contractual benefits, except for salary. In particular, any benefits-in-kind will continue, contractual annual leave entitlement will continue to accrue and pension contributions will continue to be made.
16. During carer’s leave, employees are bound by any obligations arising under their contract of employment.
17. Employees are entitled to return to the same job. Employees seniority, pension and similar rights will be the same as they would have been if the employee had not been absent. Terms and conditions will not be less favourable than those which would have applied if the employee had not been absent.
18. If an employee is entitled to carer’s leave under the terms of this policy; they also have the statutory right to take a reasonable amount of unpaid time off to deal with a family emergency. Any time off taken as carer’s leave is in addition to time off available under that statutory right.
Emergency Time Off for Dependants Policy
1. The Company operates a policy to allow employees to take reasonable time off work to deal with an emergency situation concerning a dependant.
2. A dependant can be any of the following:
• Employees spouse, child, or parent.
• Someone who lives with the employee (but who is not their employee, lodger, or boarder).
• Anyone who relies on the employee, when he or she is ill or injured, either to assist them or to make arrangements for their care.
3. Employees may take a reasonable amount of unpaid time off work in the following circumstances:
• To help when a dependant gives birth, is ill, injured or assaulted.
• To make arrangements for the care of a sick or injured dependant.
• To deal with the death of a dependant.
• To cope when care arrangements for a dependant are unexpectedly disrupted.
• To deal with an unexpected incident involving a dependent child at school.
4. Employees may only take time off work if they tell their manager as soon as possible why they need time off and how long they expect to be away from work. When the employee returns to work, they should fill in a leave request form retrospectively.
5. Employees may take a reasonable amount of time off work. What is reasonable will depend on the circumstances of each incident. Employees should, as far as possible, agree with their manager how long they will be away from work.
6. Employees should note, unless stated otherwise at the time of their request, any time off taken under this policy will be unpaid.
Section 3- Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures
1. This disciplinary procedure has been designed to provide employees with every opportunity to explain the circumstances surrounding any perceived breach of our rules. It is essentially intended to encourage employees to conform to reasonable standards of conduct and performance and to act within the rules contained in this handbook. Consequently, where the facts of a case warrant disciplinary action being taken against an employee, it is our intention that any disciplinary action taken is seen by the employee involved as a means to achieve an improvement in that area rather than as a punishment. Disciplinary action will be taken only when the facts of the situation warrant it.
2. The disciplinary rules and procedures are not contractual, and the Company reserves the right to dispense in part or whole with the procedure during the first two years of employment.
3. Employees within their probationary period should be aware that they may be dismissed without any previous warnings being issued.
4. The Company reserves the right to outsource the procedure to a suitably qualified third party. In such an event, the Company gives full authority for the appointed third party to manage the process and arrive at a decision or overturn any decision made previously should the evidence support the decision.
5. Prior to any disciplinary action being taken, an investigation will be conducted into the circumstances of the alleged offence or problem. We reserve the right to suspend employees from work with pay to enable investigations into a particular problem to take place. Employees will be informed in writing of the reasons for any suspension and when it has been lifted.
6. If an allegation of misconduct is made against you, we may suspend you while we investigate. We will continue to pay you while you are on suspension. If you are signed off work sick while on suspension, we will pay you sick pay in line with your contract and not pay that would otherwise be payable during suspension.
7. Once the facts of each case have been established, if disciplinary action is being contemplated, employees will be informed of this by letter, setting out the complaint and inviting them to a disciplinary hearing to discuss the matter. The possible outcomes of any such meeting will be confirmed in this letter. Employees have the right to be accompanied at any such meeting by a workplace colleague or a Trade Union representative or official only. No other person will be allowed to attend such meetings on your behalf.
8. If disciplinary action is deemed necessary, dependent upon the seriousness of the offence, it will take one of the following forms:
• 1.- A first written warning, which will be recorded within the employee’s personnel file and retained on file for a period of 12 months. The details and reasons for the warning will be confirmed to the employee in writing advising the employee that any similar problems within the 12-month period will lead to further disciplinary action being taken.
• 2. - A final written warning, which will be recorded within the employee’s personnel file and retained on file for a period of 12 months. The details and reasons for the warning will be confirmed to the employee in writing, advising the employee that any further disciplinary action within the 12-month period will lead to dismissal.
• 3. - Dismissal with notice, or in cases of gross misconduct, without a period of notice. The details and reasons for the dismissal will be confirmed to the employee in writing
9. The Company reserves the right, at its complete discretion, to impose a sanction short of dismissal if it deems it appropriate. This may include demotion, transfer to a different position or another appropriate sanction. Any such outcome will be confirmed to you verbally and thereafter in writing.
10. If disciplinary action is deemed necessary, employees will receive written confirmation to include:
• The nature of the complaint against them
• The nature of the disciplinary sanction by reference to the stage of the procedure that has been implemented
• Any change in behaviour or improvement required (other than in the case of dismissal)
• The time period over which any warning will remain live
• The consequences if an employee fails to reach the required standard within the required timescales, or if further problems arise.
• A right to appeal to be conducted in line with the Appeals Procedure. All appeals should be submitted in writing within five working days of receipt of the warning or dismissal letter
11. Persistent breaches of the same or similar rules will therefore lead to progressively more serious disciplinary action being taken including potentially dismissal from employment.
12. Each stage of this procedure will be administered by the manager deemed appropriate within the organisation.
13. Although the Company will endeavour to hold a face-to-face meeting with you in ordinary circumstances, we reserve the right at our absolute discretion to hold the meeting remotely in exceptional circumstances, for example, in the case of adverse weather conditions or a pandemic virus.
Gross Misconduct Policy
1. The following are examples of gross misconduct and as such may render employees liable to summary dismissal (i.e. dismissal without notice). This list is not exhaustive.
• Absent without leave (AWOL)
• Fighting, physical assault, dangerous horseplay or bullying towards employees or customers
• Failure to carry out a reasonable instruction during working hours
• Gross insubordination or the use of aggressive behaviour or excessive bad language on Company premises, or towards customers/colleagues, or on any occasion whilst performing job duties.
• Wilful damage or negligence that leads to damage to property belonging to the Company, its customers or suppliers or other employees
• Theft or fraud or any other offence committed against the Company or customers, which could be a breach of the law of the land
• Serious incapability to work due to drunkenness or illegal drug abuse
• Gross immorality or sexual harassment
• Breach of safety rules and/or actions that seriously endanger the health or safety of another person whilst at work or in staff accommodation.
• Divulging to any persons any confidential information relating to the Company’s business processes or customers
• Wilful or reckless overcharging and undercharging of customers.
• Deliberate falsification of records.
• Serious breach of payment procedures or purchase rule.
• Unauthorised access to or use of Company correspondence, computer data or manual files
• Unlawful discrimination or harassment against fellow employees or customers
• Gross breach of the Company Internet and Electronic Mail Policy
• Gross breach of the Anti -Bribery Policy
• Being under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs during working hours, on company premises, or while representing the company
• Possession of illegal drugs on company premises including staff accommodation.
Performance and Capability Procedure
1. This procedure is designed to help all employees to attain and maintain the necessary standards for optimum job performance and to resolve any problems with work performance at the earliest possible stage.
2. Some examples of situations where the capability procedure could be invoked include excessive frequency and/or duration of absence or failure to meet required targets or standards of job performance.
3. In the first instance, an informal meeting will be arranged to discuss any concerns that have arisen in relation to performance or capability. If, following the discussion, any shortcomings and areas for
improvement are identified; an action plan will also be discussed along with any appropriate assistance for employees. This may be in the form of, for example, training, guidance, advice, or referral to a Company medical adviser. Timescales for improvement will then be agreed and review dates set.
4. The Company will confirm to the employee in writing the details of the meeting, including the improvement(s) required, the agreed action plan and the timescale for improvement. A copy of any such letter will be placed on the employee’s personnel file.
5. If the required improvement is not achieved within the specified periods or is not sustained, or if the shortcoming is serious enough to enter into the formal stages of the procedure at that point, the employee will be asked to attend a meeting under the formal procedure.
6. At this meeting, the issues and/or lack of sustained improvement will be discussed, and employees will be given every opportunity to respond to all of the points raised. Prior to the meeting the employee will be informed of the possible outcomes. Employees are entitled to be accompanied to such a meeting by a work colleague or Trade Union Official or Representative.
7. The meeting may result in the issue of a first written warning. A formal performance/attendance improvement plan will then be confirmed for a specified period outlining the areas for improvement and the relevant timescales. Where appropriate, further training, guidance or advice will again be given.
8. Employees will be given confirmation in writing of details of the meeting, any warning issued and the performance/attendance improvement plan. The letter will also state that a lack of improvement or a lack of sustained improvement will lead to a formal final written warning. Employees have the right to appeal any decision made at this stage of the procedure.
9. If, the required improvement is not achieved within the specified period, or the improvement is not sustained, the employee will be invited to a further formal meeting. Employees are again entitled to be accompanied at such a meeting by a work colleague or Trade Union Official or Representative.
10. If, after discussions regarding the lack of improvement/sustained improvement, the Company considers that a final written notification/warning should be issued, this will be confirmed to the employee in writing, along with notification that a failure to achieve the required improvement will lead to the termination of their employment.
11. Any written warning will remain on file for 12 months from the date of issue. At all stages, employees have the right to appeal a decision made at any stage of the procedure.
12. If the required improvement is still not achieved or sustained or if work performance is such that it warrants further action, the termination of employment will be considered. Employees will again be invited to a hearing setting out the details of the performance or capability issue. Employees are entitled to be accompanied to this meeting by a work colleague or a Trade Union Official or Representative.
13. The Company will confirm in writing the outcome of the meeting. If the Company decides to terminate the employee’s employment, the effective date of termination, the reason for termination, the process which has been followed, and the assistance which has been offered will be confirmed in writing. If alternative action to dismissal is decided upon, this will also be detailed in writing. There is a right of appeal against any decision taken by the Company.
14. If at any stage in the process, the employee’s performance or attendance reaches the required standard and is sustained, this improvement will be confirmed to you. If the Company deems it appropriate, the employee will be taken off the improvement plan. However, if performance or attendance deteriorates again, further action may be taken.
15. Any employee who wishes to appeal against any decision under the capability procedure should do so in writing within five working days of receiving the verbal notification/warning or termination of employment, stating in detail the grounds for the appeal. A manager not involved in the original performance management process will hear the appeal wherever possible, all appeals will be heard
by a level of management that is higher than the level involved in the original capability meeting. This decision is final and there is no further stage of appeal.
16. Although the Company will endeavour to hold a face-to-face meeting with you in ordinary circumstances, we reserve the right at our absolute discretion to hold the meeting remotely in exceptional circumstances, for example, in the case of adverse weather conditions or a pandemic virus.
Grievance Procedure
1. Employees who have a grievance relating to any aspect of their employment should, wherever possible, discuss it informally with their manager in the first instance.
2. If the grievance is not satisfactorily resolved through informal discussions, employees may submit in writing and in confidence to a manager of their choice, the full details of their grievance. The Company will then confirm who we believe is most appropriate to hear and deliberate upon the grievance.
3. A formal meeting will then be arranged as soon as possible, normally within 10 working days from our receipt of the grievance. Employees will have the opportunity to be accompanied at any formal meeting by a fellow employee or a Trade Union representative or official should they so wish. No other person will be allowed to attend such meetings on their behalf. Employees have a duty to make all reasonable attempts to attend any meeting arranged. Consideration will be given to adjourning any such meeting to allow for any further investigations that may be necessary.
4. Following the grievance meeting, a letter confirming the outcome will be forwarded to the employee as soon as possible, normally within ten working days of the date of the grievance meeting.
5. Employees who are dissatisfied with the outcome of their grievance have the right to appeal. Any appeal should be submitted in writing within five working days of receipt of the letter confirming the outcome of the grievance meeting. For further information about the rights of appeal, please refer to the appeals procedure.
6. The Company reserves the right to outsource the procedure to a suitably qualified third party. In such an event, the Company gives full authority for the appointed third party to manage the process and arrive at a decision or overturn any decision made previously should the evidence support the decision.
7. Although the Company will endeavour to hold a face-to-face meeting with you in ordinary circumstances, we reserve the right at our absolute discretion to hold the meeting remotely in exceptional circumstances, for example, in the case of adverse weather conditions or a pandemic virus.
Appeals Procedure
1. Employees may appeal against any disciplinary action brought against them or the outcome of a grievance All such requests should be made in writing to the person nominated in the decision letter within seven working days of receipt.
2. Where an appeal is made against disciplinary action, including dismissal, the appeal will be conducted where possible by a manager or director not previously involved in the matter who may be of a higher grade than the original manager.
3. Where an appeal is made against a grievance outcome, the appeal will be conducted by a manager who has not previously been involved in the original decision.
4. Although the Company will endeavour to hold a face-to-face meeting with you in ordinary circumstances, we reserve the right at our absolute discretion to hold the meeting remotely in exceptional circumstances, for example, in the case of adverse weather conditions or a pandemic virus.
5. Appeal meetings will be held as quickly as possible but, in any event, will normally be carried out within ten working days of the appeal being received.
6. The Company reserves the right to outsource the appeal meeting to a suitably qualified Company In such an event, the Company gives full authority for the appointed Company to overturn any decision made previously should the evidence support the decision.
7. Once an appeal has been heard, a decision will be made and confirmed in writing as soon as possible
8. Once you have appealed against a decision imposed and received the outcome of the appeal in writing, there will be no further right of appeal.
1. The Company is committed to protecting the health, safety, and welfare of all employees. We recognise that some individuals may experience alcohol, drug, or substance-related problems. This policy is intended to encourage early identification and provide a constructive, preventative approach to support all employees, regardless of role or level.
2. Alcohol, drug, or substance misuse is defined as any use whether intermittent or continuous that adversely affects an employee’s conduct, performance, safety, attendance, or productivity at work. When such issues arise, the employee will be invited to discuss the matter with their line manager in a supportive and confidential environment.
3. Employees experiencing substance-related difficulties are encouraged to seek help from appropriate external agencies. If the issue impacts workplace conduct or performance and support is declined, the Company may take action based on the information available, which could include invoking the disciplinary procedure. If support is accepted but not followed through, or if the issues persist, disciplinary measures may also apply, up to and including dismissal.
4. Managers may offer employees the opportunity to undergo external assessment or treatment through appropriate agencies. While the cost of external support is the responsibility of the employee, reasonable unpaid time off may be granted, subject to prior agreement. Where appropriate, temporary or permanent adjustments to duties or hours may be considered and agreed in writing.
5. All discussions under this policy, including any treatment or support accessed by the employee, will be treated in the strictest confidence.
6. To maintain a safe workplace, the consumption or possession of alcohol, illegal drugs, or unauthorised substances during work hours, on company premises, or while representing the Company, is strictly prohibited. Breaches will be handled under the disciplinary policy. The Company is obligated to report any suspected use or possession of controlled substances to the police.
7. Employees must not attend work under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Limited, moderate alcohol consumption may be permitted at authorised company events; however, this does not apply to anyone required to drive a vehicle or operate machinery, who must remain alcohol-free.
8. Employees must not bring alcohol or non-prescribed drugs onto company premises. The Company reserves the right to conduct searches of employees and their belongings where there is reasonable suspicion or as part of random checks. Employees have the right to be accompanied by a colleague during any search.
9. The Company reserves the right to immediately remove an employee from the workplace without pay for the remainder of the day/shift if intoxication is suspected. Suspension with full pay may be imposed while an investigation is conducted.
10. Employees have a responsibility to report any concerns about suspected drug or alcohol misuse in the workplace. Reports should be made to a manager in confidence and will be handled sensitively.
Sale of Alcohol
1. We are committed to operating our licensed premise responsibly, safely and within the law.
2. We will provide the necessary training in order that you are able to sell and serve alcohol within the conditions of our premises licence and the law.
3. It is of fundamental importance that you comply with these requirements. You must therefore:
• comply with all conditions on our premises’ licence
• only operate within the authorised opening hours for sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages which will be notified to you
• not supply to any member of the public (resident guests excluded) any alcoholic beverage outside the authorised opening hours
• not supply alcoholic beverages directly or indirectly, to persons under the legal minimum age, and refuse to supply anyone you believe to be under age, completing all documentation thereafter
• comply with our policy on age checks for customers who appear to be under the specified age restriction, specifically Challenge 25
• ensure everything sold conforms to the description on the label and to the specific request of the customer; in cases where this is not available, an alternative must be offered
• ensure that any alcoholic beverage supplied in the correct measures
• not adulterate alcoholic beverages, except at the express request of the customer
• ensure that the price charged is the same as that displayed in the premises
• not serve or sell alcoholic beverages to a person who appears to be drunk or under the influence of prohibited drugs
• not leave the bar, till or stock unattended at any time whilst the premises are open to the public
• be courteous and polite at all times when dealing with customers
4. You should be aware that the following are offences under current licensing laws and if you are found guilty of committing such an offence you will be personally liable for any fines imposed for noncompliance:
• allowing disorderly conduct on the premises
• selling, or attempting to sell, alcohol to anyone who is drunk
• permitting children under the age of 16 unaccompanied by an adult (a person over the age of 18) into the licensed area
• selling alcohol to an individual aged under 18
• allowing the consumption of alcohol by a person under the age of 18 (unless where specifically permitted)
5. It is also an offence to serve or use an incorrect measure, or charge more than the indicated price for food or drinks. If you are found guilty of committing such an offence you will be personally liable for any fines imposed due to your actions.
6. Breach of any obligation imposed or failure to follow the above procedures may result in action under the disciplinary procedure and may result in a disciplinary warning or dismissal, depending on the circumstances.
Smoking Policy
1. We recognise our responsibilities under health and safety legislation to ensure that the environment in which all employees work is as free from harm as is reasonably practicable. We include in this regard the need to take appropriate measures to protect non-smokers against any discomfort or health risk caused by tobacco smoke.
2. It is widely recognised and accepted that smoking constitutes a danger to the health of those who smoke, as well as those that do not. Smoking also presents a serious fire risk within the building. We therefore prohibit smoking by employees and visitors at any time inside any part of the premises.
3. The use or smoking of electronic smoking devices such as e-cigarettes is also prohibited for employees and visitors on any part of the premises. As there is a potential risk of fire from the over-
charging of such devices, it is prohibited to charge the devices or any associated equipment in Company vehicles or on the Company premises, including car parks.
4. There are however designated smoking areas which should be used by those employees who wish to smoke. Smoking should be restricted to your official break periods only. Any breach or abuse of these smoking rules will be considered to be misconduct and may lead to disciplinary action being implemented.
5. All visitors who are seen smoking in any non-smoking areas should be politely notified of the no smoking policy and asked to stop smoking.
Dress and Appearance Policy
1. Throughout the employee’s employment, they will be representing the Company. The employee’s appearance and professional conduct are therefore important for both their own advancement and the continuing development of the Company.
2. We encourage everyone to present themselves in dress and appearance in a way which reflects the Company’s professional approach.
3. Whilst at work employees must wear the clothing provided by the Company. Uniform must be kept clean and well-maintained. Uniform must not be visible outside of working hours and must not be worn on not working days.
4. Hair must always be clean and tidy and must be tied back if it is long. Hair must be covered where necessary.
5. You should ensure that your breath is fresh and that you brush your teeth regularly. If you are a smoker, you must wash your hands and use mouth spray after smoking, before returning to work.
6. If you are working in the kitchen you are not allowed to wear any make-up or jewellery. If you are working in the restaurant your make-up and jewellery must be kept to a minimum. Male staff must shave every day before reporting for work or ensure that any beards/moustaches are well groomed.
7. You will be deemed to have rendered yourself unable to work if you fail to comply with these requirements. Failure to take the required corrective action may result in you losing your shift.
8. Any personal protective equipment (PPE) provided by the Company must be worn at all times where it is required. Failure to do so will render employees liable to disciplinary action being taken.
9. If employees are unclear as to what the Company considers to be an appropriate standard of dress, employees should seek guidance from their line manager.
10. Any employee who fails to comply with these rules may be subject to disciplinary action under the disciplinary procedures.
Off Duty Conduct and Behaviour
1. Auchrannie expects all employees to maintain the highest standards of integrity outside their work situation. Certain activities can result in adverse publicity or may cause the Company to lose confidence in an employee’s integrity. This may therefore give the company grounds for disciplinary action.
2. It is unusual in the hospitality industry for team members to be allowed to use company premises and facilities when off duty. At Auchrannie you may use the facilities if you exercise discretion and ensure that guests are not aware that you work within the business.
3. You should be aware of the professional image of the company and your behaviour and dress must always be of an appropriate standard. You should also ensure that you do not distract working members of the team from their duties. Working team members should spend their time chatting to guests rather than friends and colleagues.
4. Credit is not available to any team member.
5. You must change out of uniform and remove your name badge before using Company facilities or services.
6. You should use guest entrances and exits when using the facilities off duty (i.e. not staff entrances) and not go into back of house areas or use staff catering facilities when you are off duty.
➢ Restaurant – Where possible tables should be booked in advance with the relevant Restaurant Manager. You may be asked to present your leisure membership to be eligible to have any discount applied to your food bill.
➢ Bar – Please do not sit at the Bar and chat to the team member on duty, move away into the lounge seating areas. Groups should be a maximum size of 8 and no discount is available on your bar bill
➢ Recreations – swimming pool and leisure access is unrestricted however if the pool, gym or other leisure facilities are exceptionally busy then please come back another day and allow our guests to enjoy the facilities.
o All team members must register their individual staff memberships before using the facilities and should take their own towel with them.
o Eligible team members can apply for an extended or family membership. Full details of this are provided in the application process.
o A bike induction should be booked prior to a team member wanting to make use of the Arran Adventure Bike hire. This should be booked directly with the recreations team,
o Any abuse of leisure memberships may result in disciplinary action or cancellation of membership.
➢ ASPA – Discounts are available in ASPA dependant on availability and will be communicated by the ASPA Manager through Viva Engage. All discounts are offered at the discretion of the ASPA Management team.
Company Vehicles and Driving
1. Before driving a company vehicle all Team Members will be asked to complete our online Company Vehicle Policy relating to the following:
• Drive in a safe, lawful and efficient manner, in all weather and traffic conditions, observing the recommendations of the Highway Code.
• Deliver their loads to the correct destinations and at the required time. Any delays, shortages or damages must be reported to the management at the earliest opportunity.
• Use the most direct routes at all times.
• Advise the Company of any problems or delays that could affect the scheduling for that day.
• Always lock the vehicle when left unattended.
• Not allow passengers in delivery or service vehicles except for authorised employees of the company.
• Not take a vehicle onto the road if they know or suspect that it has a serious defect.
• Record all journeys undertaken on the appropriate documentation and ensure that mileage is recorded in accordance with current company policy.
2. The safety and security of the load is the driver’s responsibility while it is in transit. All loaded goods must be distributed and secure in order to prevent any movement that could cause damage to the goods, or any nuisance or danger to other road users.
3. Driving Licences and Driving Offences
• It is the condition of being permitted to use a Company vehicle that the employee holds a full and valid driving licence which permits them to drive each class of vehicle. This must be presented to HR before driving any company vehicle with a DVLA sharcode
• Where there is any change to the details on the licence, such as the addition of penalty points, employees are required to submit up to date copies of their driving licences to the HR Manager.
• Employees who are charged or convicted of driving offences, or have their driving licence endorsed, must report this fact to management within 24 hours.
• Parking fines are the responsibility of the employees who incur them, whether incurred in the course of the company business and must be paid immediately by the employee. If an employee fails to pay a parking fine, the company reserve the right to deduct the cost of paying this fine from the employee’s salary.
• Use of mobile phones whilst driving is an offence and as such, is strictly prohibited.
• Speed limits must be adhered to both within and outside of the grounds of the property. Drivers are reminded that the speed limit within Auchrannie Estate is 10 mph.
4. Employees are not permitted the use of a Company vehicle for personal purposes, except with the prior permission of the Resort Director. If permission is given, the employee will be expected to pay for any fuel used.
5. Staff using company vehicles without prior permission will be subject to disciplinary action.
6. The Company will normally meet the costs of maintaining and repairing Company vehicles where those costs arise in the course of the normal and correct use of the vehicle. The Company will also ensure that the vehicle is properly maintained in accordance with the manufacturers’ recommendations and the requirements of UK law.
7. Company vehicles should be fueled by the Day Porter, Maintenance or Grounds staff. Petty cash will be issued by Accounts and receipts and mileages must be recorded. If Duty Manager’s issue petty cash, please ensure receipts are attached to petty cash slips.
8. All damage to a vehicle must be reported immediately. A full written report of the circumstances in which the Company vehicle was damaged should be submitted thereafter.
9. Any use by an employee of alcohol or drugs (prescribed or otherwise) while in the charge of a Company vehicle, where that alcohol or drug use has any potential effect on the employee’s fitness to drive, will render the employee subject to summary dismissal on the grounds of gross misconduct.
10. Should an incident occur which results in damage to a company vehicle and the incident was caused by a member of staff, that person may be liable for an insurance excess.
11. Any team member found to have breached any aspect of this policy may be subject to disciplinary action.
Staff Accommodation
1. The Terms and Conditions of Auchrannie staff accommodation form part of your contract of employment and are outlined in your Service Occupancy Licence. Team members who accept the provision of Company accommodation will be required to abide by the conditions laid down in the Licence to Occupy and House Rules.
2. Staff accommodation is shared by several employees who are invariably working different shifts. You must ensure that your activities in the house do not disturb those who are resting. Noise should be kept to a minimum, particularly after 11pm.
3. Team members who are not resident in the house may only enter when invited to do so by a resident of the house and must respect the rules when visiting. You must get permission if you wish a non-resident to stay the night.
4. The company aims to provide our team with clean, well maintained and well equipped accommodation. Please help by completing your cleaning duties and respecting the property and its contents.
5. Any issues with accommodation should be directed to the Staff Accommodation manager or HR Director.
