TUPE Booklet 2023

Your guide to transferring to Caterlink

Welcome to Caterlink

Hello and welcome!

We recognise this may be an unsettling time for you and you may have lots of questions. Don't worry, we’ve brought in lots of people from other companies in to Caterlink in previous years.

We want the transition to be easy for you as we know change can sometimes be hard but we assure you will have a very warm welcome.

Who we are

Caterlink is privately owned and we operate in primary schools, secondary schools and colleges throughout the UK. Our list of schools is extensive and we are continually told by our clients that we get it right. Being independent means we can offer our clients all the resources of a larger company, while also giving them a responsive, personal service.

So what’s so special about Caterlink?

Our management and teams are friendly and above all accessible We listen to all our customers and actively encourage them to tell us what they think of our service

We are passionate about good food as demonstrated by our ‘farm to fork journey’.

We care about our people as they are our greatest asset, and that includes you!

We believe people work for people and want everyone to feel included and that they belong. Our aim is to give everyone the opportunity to develop and be the very best they can be We have lots of opportunities if you’re looking to progress in your career or if you just want to learn some new skills.

We hope you enjoy your time with Caterlink and we look forward to working with you.

Our Farm to Fork Journey

We recognise that as custodians of our Fresh Food Policy we need to ensure our menu offer is fresh and encourages healthy eating. We are proud to have been awarded accolades from various organisations that recognise Caterlink’s commitment to providing healthy and fresh food.

Our menus are verified by a qualified nutritionists to ensure they exceed the latest Government guidelines

Our Executive Chef and Directors work in partnership with local suppliers to ensure produce is of the highest quality.

We recognise and support the “5 a day” campaign.

Fruit and vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals that help us to keep healthy and boost our immune system

At Caterlink we support our local suppliers to provide us with produce that is grown locally and therefore reaches our kitchens as fresh as possible.

All our meat produce is sourced from suppliers that ensure produce is fully traceable from field to fork

We actively visit producers to satisfy ourselves that animals are well looked after. In addition, suppliers are audited by an independent body.

All of our fish is sourced from sustainable sources in line with guidelines set by the Marine Stewardship Council.

Transferring to Caterlink

We want you to feel part of the team straightaway, and we’ll do everything we can to answer your questions and help you understand the transfer of your employment.

What happens before the transfer to Caterlink?

First of all, your current employer will speak to you to tell you about the change in contract. After that, we’ll arrange a team meeting to introduce ourselves and explain the transfer process and for you to get to know us better and vice versa.

Once we have that information, we will confirm everything in writing to you by email before the transfer date.

After that initial briefing, you’ll have a meeting with us so that we can find out about your current role, your training needs, your employment contract and benefits and a bit about you. We’ll also ask you to provide us with some information online which is extremely important so that we receive your bank details in time to ensure you are paid on time and are able to set you up correctly as an employee.

When you join, you will have an induction, some will face to face and some will through the Knowledge Centre, our online learning portal and we’ll make sure you are fully equipped for your role and have all the information and support you need.

Q&A's

Here are some Q&A's we are asked most often. We may not have thought of everything, so don’t hesitate to get in touch with our HR team on 01189 356 710 or via email at hrsupport@caterlinkltd.co.uk. They’ll be happy to help.

What does TUPE mean?

TUPE stands for Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) It’s a piece of employment law that is in place to legally protect employees’ rights if any part of a business or contract is transferred to a new company It means that, when you transfer to us, you’ll continue with the same terms of employment as you do now

Do I have to transfer to Caterlink?

We’d very much like you to join us, but you don’t have to transfer Your existing employer may offer you another job if they don’t, and you still decide not to transfer, you are effectively resigning, so there would be no redundancy pay

What will I be paid?

Your overall hourly rate and any other payments you get that are detailed in your contract of employment will stay the same.

We pay salaries on the last working day of the month directly into your bank or building society account. If you have different arrangements at the moment, we’ll need to discuss that with you.

Do I have to apply for my job?

No. You don't need to apply for your job, you only need to confirm in writing if you are not joining us. When you transfer to us, you’ll have the same terms of employment as you do now.

Will my job change?

It’s likely that we’ll want to improve the service we provide but, if that has any significant effect on your job, we will talk with you about it first.

Do you offer training?

Absolutely We provide excellent training to help you get the most out of your work and make a career with us There’s training in food hygiene, customer care, supervisory skills, food development and much more You will have access to our learning portal, the knowledge centre, where all your training will be Both mandatory and any optional courses you want to take We will also talk to you about further development, so if you are interested, do let us know and we can chat with you further

I’ve been employed for X years. Will you recognise this?

Yes Your length of service will transfer to Caterlink and we’ll treat you as if you had always been employed by us

Will my working hours change?

Not necessarily If we do need to make any changes to cover the service, we’ll talk it through with you first

Will I get a new contract of employment?

No Your terms and conditions of employment stay the same, unless we’ve talked about it and agreed any changes You will, however, get written notification from us by email that your employer has changed

Q&A's

Can I opt for redundancy?

No, but if a redundancy situation does arise because of changes to our service, we’ll explain the process fully to anyone who may be affected

Will I be on a trial period when I transfer?

No. You’ll immediately be a full member of the team as you currently are.

How will i receive my payslips?

All our payslips are online for you to view and download You will be sent log in details with how to access the 'Employee Self-Service' system

Is there anything that does not transfer with me?

Any current pension arrangements don’t transfer, but if you have a pension or a benefit as part of your contract of employment, we will provide these through our own scheme. We’ll make sure you have full details. If your employer gave you any discretionary benefits or a benefit not in your contract, they don’t transfer automatically.

Will our uniform change?

Possibly, but we need to agree this with the client If there is going to be a change, we’ll try to involve some of your team in making the choice

What if I have a HR question?

You can contact the HR team on 01189 356 710 or email hrsupport@caterlinkltd.co.uk. We always here to help.

What if my pay isnt correct?

If your query is regarding your pay then please ensure you contact your line manager first to discuss your pay query

Who do I contact for training queries?

If you query is related to training on the Knowledge Centre then please send your query to training@caterlinkltdcouk

What if I lose my log in details for my payslips?

You can send a request for your details to be reset to payslips@wshsupportcom and our central admin team will assist you with accessing your account

Who do I contact about apprenticeships?

If your query is regarding our Apprenticeships then please send your query to caterlink@hittrainingcouk

What happens next?

We’ll spend some time getting to know each other over the next few weeks We’ll get your employment details from your current company and we will ask you to bring in your proof of right to work documents for due diligence and we will also look at applying for a new enhanced DBS disclosure for you. So do bring the relevant documents into work if we request these from you to assist with this

Working with us

We think you’re going to be very happily surprised! You’ll find we never forget that it is our people who matter. We want to grow and we want you to grow too. We strongly believe that people work for people and we want you to enjoy working for Caterlink.

In the first term

During this time, you’ll begin to understand how we work and the standards we expect You’ll start to see opportunities for adding value to the services we offer and we'd love to hear your suggestions and ideas Sometimes it helps to see some of the other schools or colleges to get a clearer picture of how we work We might suggest you visit another site or even work there for a while Don’t worry, though, we’ll always discuss that with you first It’s a great opportunity to meet other people working for Caterlink

Your future with us

Once you’ve settled in and feel part of the team, we’ll continue to help you carry out your role and create a career with us. You’ll have regular feedback and a chance to talk through any problems. We’ll also help you pinpoint any training and development you need and put together a plan to help you reach your full potential

Training

As part of the transfer, we will ask to complete some training, this will include:

Allergens

Anti Bribery

Equality and Diversity

Food Safety

GDPR

Health and Safety

Safeguarding

Working with us

Apprenticeships

We offer all employees the opportunity to start an apprenticeship with us Apprenticeships are available to all employees aged from 16 to 70, and are set at the level of entry to suit your interest

We work with HIT and can provide the following courses:

Level 2 Production Chef

Level 2 Hospitality Team Member

Level 3 Senior Production Chef

Level 3 Team Leader

Level 3 Hospitality Supervisor Senior Leadership Programmes

The benefit of an apprenticeship programme is that they are ‘hands on’ At Caterlink we believe that success is made up equally by “what we do” and “how we do it” If you are interested, please let us know

Refer and earn

We recognise that word of mouth is a great way to find a great people therefore recommend a friend or relative to Caterlink and receive up to £100 in e-vouchers!

£100 is payable for Managers that you recommend and £50 is payable for Catering Assistants and Chefs that you recommend. Do contact hrsupport@caterlinlkltd.co.uk for a link to the referral form. T&Cs do apply.

Employee Assistance programme

Our Employee Assistance Programme is always available to you It is a free service designed to provide you with professional, impartial support and counselling on managing money, family life and work and other life events We will provide you with your log in details when you join us

HAPI Benefits

Make the most of discounts available for all Caterlink employees across supermarkets, cinemas, restaurants, holidays and much more!

A member of your household can sign up to receive our HAPI benefits too and you can make double the savings

Our employees have saved nearly £600 at Tesco, £500 at Sainsbury’s and nearly £200 at Argos so far this year!

When you join us, you will provided with your log in details.

The Aviva DigiCare+ Workplace smartphone app is a great benefit which can support the health of you and your family.

You can use it for:

Health Checks - An annual check through a selfadministered finger prick blood test Digital GP - A private doctor service providing access to clinical advice and guidance.

Nutrition Advice - Advice and guidance on optimal eating plans and how to change your relationship with food.

Mental Health Consultations – Experienced therapists provide digital appointments for a wide range of mental health conditions.

Bereavement Support – Bereavement counselling provided by a mental health practitioner

When you join us, you will be sent an email directly from AVIVA Digicare+ with details on how to access this benefit

AVIVA Digicare +