Normans Staff-Handbook-Template v2

Staff
Handbook

Printed on: 26 May 2022

1. Introduction

Welcome to Normans
Staff Handbook

Our aim in producing this document was to create a one-stop information point
where you would be able to access all the information you are likely to need in
relation to your employment with us. The Handbook and corresponding policy
documents form part of your contract of employment with Normans Of Billingham
Limited.
The document gives an overview of the terms and conditions of your employment,
and outlines what you can expect from us as your employer. In return we ask you for
a high degree of commitment, dedication and loyalty to help us achieve the aims and
objectives of the Company.
I hope you find this a useful guide during your employment with us. However, if you
are unable to find the answer to your question here, please feel free to contact your
line manager who will certainly be able to find an answer for you.

Signed:_________________________________
Managing Director

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2. Contents:

1. Introduction................................................................................................................................... 1

2. Contents:....................................................................................................................................... 3

3. Starting with Normans ................................................................................................................. 5
a. About the Company ................................................................................................................... 5
b. Your induction ............................................................................................................................ 5
c. Statement of Employment Terms and Conditions ..................................................................... 5
d. Probation Periods....................................................................................................................... 6
e. Your Attendance at Work .......................................................................................................... 6
i) Notification of Absence .......................................................................................................... 7
ii) Sickness Payments ............................................................................................................... 7
f. Hours of Work ............................................................................................................................ 8
g. Flexible Working......................................................................................................................... 8

h. Hybrid Working…………………………………………………………………………………………….8
i. Conflict of Interest .................................................................................................................... 12
j. Standards of Performance and Behaviour at Work ................................................................. 13

i) Appearance.......................................................................................................................... 13
ii) Company Premises ............................................................................................................. 13
iii) Personal Property ................................................................................................................ 13
iv) Company Property…………………….………………………………………………………..…14
v) Telephones & Correspondence ........................................................................................... 14
vi) Smoking and Other Substances at Work ............................................................................ 14
vii) Confidentiality ...................................................................................................................... 14
viii) Computer, email and Internet use ....................................................................................... 15
ix) Receipt of Gifts ................................................................................................................ 15
x) Bribery and other Corrupt Behaviour ................................................................................... 16
k. GDPR………………………………………………………………………………………………….16
l. Changes in Personal Information for Employment Purposes .................................................. 16

4. Valuing Diversity and Dignity at Work ..................................................................................... 17
a. Valuing Diversity ...................................................................................................................... 17
i) Statement............................................................................................................................. 17
ii) Key Actions .......................................................................................................................... 17
b. Dignity at Work......................................................................................................................... 18
i) Statement............................................................................................................................. 18
ii) What and How of Harassment............................................................................................. 18
iii) What should I do if subject to Harassment? ........................................................................ 19

5. Pay, Benefits & Pensions .......................................................................................................... 19
a. Salary Arrangements ............................................................................................................... 19
b. Overtime................................................................................................................................... 20
c. Income Tax .............................................................................................................................. 20
d. Business Travel........................................................................................................................ 20
e. Sickness Pay Provision............................................................................................................ 20
i) Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)..................................................................................................... 20

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f. Eye Test……………………………...………………………………………………………………..21
g. Pension Scheme ...................................................................................................................... 21
6. Leave Arrangements .................................................................................................................. 22
a. Annual Leave ........................................................................................................................... 22
b. Maternity Leave and Pay Policy............................................................................................... 22
c. Paternity Leave and Pay .......................................................................................................... 24
d. Parental Leave ......................................................................................................................... 26
e. Time Off For Dependants......................................................................................................... 26
7. Health and Safety ....................................................................................................................... 26
a. Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 26
b. Procedure in the event of an accident ..................................................................................... 27
c. First Aid .................................................................................................................................... 27
d. Fire Safety ................................................................................................................................ 27
e. Personal Safety........................................................................................................................ 28
8. Training and Development ........................................................................................................ 29
a. Training and Development Policy** ......................................................................................... 29
b. Personal Development Planning**........................................................................................... 29

i) Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 29
ii) PDP - The Process .............................................................................................................. 29
9. Leaving Normans ....................................................................................................................... 30
a. Notice Periods .......................................................................................................................... 30
b. Working Notice......................................................................................................................... 30
c. Other Conditions on Leaving ................................................................................................... 30
d. Retirement................................................................................................................................ 31
10. Appendix 1 Absence, Disciplinary and Grievance Policies............................................... 32
11. Appendix 2 - Contacts ........................................................................................................... 50
12. Appendix 3 - Confirmation of Receipt of Handbook Form…………………………………..51
13. Appendix 4 - Normans Company property Agreement………………………………………52
14. Appendix 5 - Use of Personal Mobile Phones……………………………………………….53

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3. Starting with Normans **The Normans Mission
Statement is:
a. About the Company
“Through teamwork &
Normans was founded in 1983 by Norman Couldry with
the main aim of supplying affordable office products to efficiency we will strive
companies in Billingham and the surrounding areas.
to help businesses
We have grown steadily since then, and currently our
main products / services are: meet all their office

• Office Products & Machines requirements. We
• Packaging Materials
• Janitorial & Catering Products have become renown
• MPS
for being a
We have a workforce of around 35 staff based in our
company buildings in Billingham & Scarborough. professional, cost

You can get more information on our website at effective service option
www.normansbusiness.co.uk
our customers can rely

on time after time to

provide the business

solutions they require

to a standard they

expect from Normans

Business Solutions”

b. Your induction

Normans believes its employees are its greatest asset and recognises its
responsibility to ensure they are afforded appropriate development throughout their
employment. This development begins at the induction stage when a new employee
joins.

Our aim is to support and develop employees in their role so that they feel confident
to undertake the responsibilities placed upon them and ultimately are able to
contribute to the success of the organisation.

Induction will be spread over your first few months in the post, and is generally
planned on a first day, first week and first month basis. The content and duration of
the induction will be dependent on the scope and complexity of your job, and your
line manager will outline this in detail to you on your first day with us. Copies of your
induction checklist and evaluation sheets will be made available to you by your
manager on your first day with us.

c. Statement of Employment Terms and Conditions

As an employee of Normans you will have received a document setting out specific
terms and conditions of service as they relate to your post (if you have not received

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this, you will do so within 8 weeks of your commencement date). This includes
details of:

• the names of the employer and the employee;
• the date when the employment (and the period of continuous employment)

began;
• remuneration and the intervals at which it is to be paid;
• hours of work;
• holiday entitlement;
• entitlement to sick leave, including any entitlement to sick pay;
• pensions and pension schemes;
• the entitlement of employer and employee to notice of termination;
• job title (or a brief job description);
• where it is not permanent, the period for which the employment is expected to

continue or, if it is for a fixed term, the date when it is to end.
• either the place of work or, if required to work in more than one location, an

indication of this and of the employer's address; and
• details of the existence of any relevant collective agreements which directly

affect the terms and conditions of your employment

Further detailed policies and procedures which may not be mentioned as part of this
document, but which still form part of your conditions of employment with us can be
accessed through your line manager. This handbook also summarises the main
terms of your employment.

Normans reserves the right to change its terms & conditions and employment
policies from time to time. You will be notified at the earliest opportunity of these
changes by way of general notice to all employees affected by the change. Where a
contractual change in your terms and conditions of employment results in a change
to your written statement of particulars of employment, we will give you a written
statement of the change at the earliest opportunity.

d. Probation Periods

All new staff are subject to a probationary period of 6 months. An initial informal
review will take place after 3 months with your line manager, with a formal review
after 6 months and 6 monthly thereafter. Your appointment will be confirmed on
satisfactory completion of the 6 month period. During this probationary period you
will be given appropriate support and development opportunity to help you reach the
required standards. Extension of the probationary period may be granted to enable
the required standards to be achieved, but failure to do so could result in termination
of your employment.

e. Your Attendance at Work

Normans values good attendance at work, a discretionary bonus may be paid for full
attendance each year. Normans is committed to improving the general wellbeing of

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its employees to achieve this. Although we aim to secure regular attendance, we do
not expect employees to attend when they are unwell.

i) Notification of Absence

Your line manager should be notified as early as possible if absence from work is
anticipated for hospitalisation and other medical treatment.

If you are unable to attend work due to sickness or injury, your line manager must be
notified by telephone before your normal start time or as soon thereafter as possible
on the first day of absence, no later than 10.00am if possible, indicating a date of
return. Notification by text message will not be accepted as formal notification
of absence. Notification should be made by you personally unless impossible due
to the nature of the illness where you should arrange for someone else to call on
your behalf. During prolonged periods of absence, your manager should be kept
informed of progress and an expected date of return. You will find contact details in
Appendix 2 of this handbook.

Any employee who has been absent due to sickness and is found not to have been
genuinely ill will be subject to disciplinary action, which could include dismissal.

Doctors, hospital and dental appointments should, where possible be made outside
of normal working hours. If this is not possible, you need to give as much notice as
possible and at least 2 days. You should arrange with your line manager to work the
hours back, take holidays or use unpaid leave. If any appointment takes longer than
25% of your working day then ½ day holiday must be taken.

ii) Sickness Payments

Payment of Occupational Sick Pay will be made on a sliding scale depending on
length of service and sickness period. For more details please see the Handbook
section on Pay and Benefits. From your first day of absence (up to and including 3
days) you will be required to complete a self-certification form available from your
line manager or Caroline Cox on your return, after 3 days a SC2 should be
completed; if greater than 7 days (including bank holidays) you will require a Doctors
certificate from your G.P. Such documents should be forwarded to:

Caroline Cox
Human Resources
Normans of Billingham
Unit 5 Royce Avenue,
Billingham,
Cleveland
TS23 4BX

If you fall ill during holidays (Statutory or Entitled) YOU ARE STILL required to
submit a SC2 form on your return.

Basic pay may be affected if a valid certificate does not cover periods of sickness.

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Absence exceeding current entitlement may be reviewed and you may be invited to
discuss your standard of attendance with your immediate superior.

Refer to No.10 – Appendix 1 for Absence policy

f. Hours of Work

Your normal hours and working pattern will be specified in your Statement of Terms
and Conditions of Employment. It is essential that staff is ready to commence
work in their department at the time the company opens to the public or at the time
stated in the employment contract.

The full-time contracted hours for all posts within the organisation are 37.5 hours per
week excluding daily meal breaks (unless stated differently in your employment
contract). A daily unpaid lunch break of a minimum of 30 minutes must be taken if
you work more than six hours daily.

Normans reserves the right to vary your hours and pattern of working, following
consultation and agreement with you. Due notice of such variations will be given and
staff are expected to make themselves available at these times. Flexibility is a pre-
requisite.

Persistent poor timekeeping means that colleagues are put under pressure to cover
your duties. This is not acceptable and will therefore be treated as a potential
disciplinary offence under our disciplinary procedures.

g. Flexible Working

Normans has a policy of trying to assist staff to balance their work and home life, and
is therefore willing to consider requests from staff to vary their working hours or work
pattern. Such requests will be considered taking into account the impact on the
organisation, work colleagues and any other relevant factors.

Any member of staff with at least 26 weeks service with the company may make a
formal written request for flexible working arrangements. Should you wish to
progress this you should speak to your line manager. Please note that only one such
request may be made in any 12 month period and that flexible working is not an
automatic or statutory entitlement.

h. Hybrid Working
The organisation promotes flexible working for staff in all jobs and all grades and,
where appropriate, will agree to an employee working partly from home (hybrid
working), provided that such an arrangement is suitable for both parties and is likely
to facilitate effective and efficient working.

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Individual requests for homeworking will, however, need to be reviewed on their own
merits and agreement to a specific request will depend on an objective assessment
of whether the employee's work can be done from home without any detriment to the
organisation's productivity or customer relations. As every job is different and every
employee is different, the organisation cannot guarantee that it will agree to every
employee's request to work from home.

Employees who are considering putting in a request to work from home should
consider whether or not their skills and attributes include:

• self-discipline;

• the ability to work without direct supervision;

• good organisational skills;

• the ability to manage time effectively; and

• an ability to cope with the potentially conflicting demands of work and family.

The employee should ensure that they have room at home to set-up an area that is
dedicated to work, with adequate equipment and space to work safely and without
distractions.

This policy aims to describe the working arrangements that will apply when it is
agreed that an employee will work from home.

Pay

Employees who work from home will be paid a fixed monthly salary for a defined
number of hours of work, with provision for overtime only by agreement.

Hours of work

Homeworkers are not subject to fixed hours of work and are free to perform the
agreed number of hours at times that suit them. There are, however, core hours
during which homeworkers must be available either to respond to telephone
calls/email or to meet with the organisation. These core hours will depend on your
job role and may need to fluctuate to cover leave and sickness.

During working hours, the employee is expected to dedicated their full attention to
work activities, and as such must ensure that the home is free from any distractions
on an ongoing basis.

The organisation will expect a homeworker to clock in and out remotely on a daily
basis and also contact their supervisor at least once a week, depending on the
number of days being worked at home.

Homeworkers must ensure that they take adequate rest breaks as required by the
Working Time Regulations 1998. They must:

• take a break during each working day of at least 20 minutes, during which
they must stop work and clock out for this period

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• ensure that they have a daily rest break of at least 11 continuous hours, ie the
time period between stopping work one day and beginning work the next day
must not be less than 11 hours; and

• have at least one complete day each week when no work is done. (weekend)

Visits to the organisation's premises

Homeworkers are required, on request, to attend the workplace for purposes such as
training, performance assessment and team briefings. Dates and times of such visits
will be agreed in advance.

Visits to the employee's home

The organisation reserves the right to visit the employee at home at agreed times for
work-related purposes, including health and safety matters. It is a condition of
any homeworking agreement that the employee agrees to accept visits from
management in their home. Such visits will be for the purposes of:

• delivering and collecting work;

• providing a channel for reporting;

• performance monitoring and feedback;

• general discussions about work-related matters;

• ensuring health, safety and security; and/or

• any other work-related purposes that the organisation considers appropriate.

Equipment and materials

It is the organisation's policy that all equipment, including computer equipment, and
materials necessary for the employee to work from home will be provided to
the homeworker by the organisation and maintained (and replaced when necessary)
by the organisation.

It is the homeworker's duty to ensure that proper care is taken of equipment and
materials provided by the organisation.

Specifically, the organisation will provide to the employee:

• a desk and chair

• a laptop or computer;

On termination of the employee's employment for any reason, the organisation will
have the right to visit the employee's home at an agreed time and retrieve all
equipment, furniture, materials and documents belonging to the organisation.

Telephone and internet accounts

It is important that the home has sufficient internet access to support the
organisations systems and to ensure a stable connection at all times e.g. sufficient
broadband speed.

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The employee will be expected to download the company telephone app to enable
them to take and make calls through the company lines.

If the cost of the employee’s internet changes due to working from home the
organisation will pay a monthly contribution towards internet costs. Evidence of this
will need to be provided.

Stationery and postage

All stationery and stamps will be provided by the company. The employee will
request these from there supervisor and goods will be either delivered or collected
by them.

Security

The homeworker must carry out work for the organisation in a room used only for
that purpose and must not allow members of their family or third parties who are not
employed by the organisation to access or use the organisation's equipment.

An employee who works from home must also agree not to smoke in the room where
the work is carried out.

Employees who work from home are responsible for keeping all documents and
information associated with the organisation's business secure at all times.
Specifically, homeworkers are under a duty to:

• keep all documentation belonging to the organisation under lock and key at all
times except when in use; and

• set up and use a unique password for the computer and any other digital
devices.

Further, the computer and other equipment provided by the organisation for
the homeworker must be used only for work-related purposes and must not be used
by any other member of the family or third party at any time or for any purpose.

Health and safety issues

The organisation is obliged under health and safety legislation to ensure the health
and safety of homeworkers in the same way as office-based staff. The organisation
is therefore required to ensure that:

• all equipment and systems of work in the employee's home are safe;

• an analysis of the employee's workstation is conducted;

• information and training on the safe use of equipment, including display
screen equipment, is provided to the homeworker; and

• risk assessments are carried out in respect of the work the employee is
carrying out.

All employees who work from home have a duty to ensure, insofar as is reasonably
practicable, that they work in a safe manner and that they follow all health and safety
instructions issued by the organisation from time to time.

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Insurance

The homeworker is responsible for checking that all home and contents
insurance policies provide adequate cover for the fact that they work from home.

If there is any uplift to these home insurance policies specifically on account of the
work for the organisation, the organisation will meet the appropriate extra premium
upon delivery by the homeworker of the appropriate receipts and documentation.

Mortgage or rental agreements

The homeworker is responsible for checking applicable mortgage or rental
agreements to ensure that they are permitted to work from home, and for obtaining
any requisite permissions to work from home.

Requests to work from home

Any employee who wishes to work from home should apply under the organisation's
flexible working procedure.

The organisation will arrange a meeting with the employee to discuss the feasibility
of the employee's request to work from home. It is the organisation's policy to view
any requests for homeworking in a positive light and the organisation will, whenever
it is possible and practicable, agree to the employee's request.

If a request is authorised, please be aware that you will be monitored on
performance and KPI’s are still expected to be met. Regular performance reviews
will take place. For the first month this will be weekly, second month fortnightly then
again at the end of the third month and thereafter. You will be invited to a review
meeting 4 weeks after your agreed start date.

i. Conflict of Interest

You should not, directly or indirectly, engage in, or have any interest, financial or
otherwise, in any other business enterprise which interferes or is likely to interfere
with your independent exercise of judgement in Norman’s best interest.

Generally a conflict of interests exists when an employee is involved in an activity:

• Which provides products or services directly to, or purchase products or
services from Normans.

• Which subjects the employee to unreasonable time demands that prevent the
employee form devoting proper attention to his or her responsibilities to
Normans.

• Which is so operated that the employee’s involvement with the outside
business activity will reflect adversely on Normans.

Should you be in doubt as to whether an activity involves a conflict, you should
discuss the situation with your manager.

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j. Standards of Performance and Behaviour at “…bringing alcohol or
Work any unlawful drugs to
the workplace, and / or
i) Appearance imbibing them there is
strictly prohibited…”

Normans does not seek to inhibit individual choice in
relation to your appearance. However, you are
expected to dress appropriately at all times in relation
to your role, and to ensure that your personal hygiene and grooming are properly
attended to prior to presenting yourself at work.

If we have supplied you with a uniform or other apparel, then you must wear this at
all times when required to do so; it is your responsibility to ensure that this is clean
and presentable. PPE provided by the company must be worn at all times.

If your work brings you into contact with the general public then you must remove all
visible piercings with the exception of a single set of earrings (or one single earring),
sales staff are asked to make sure all visible tattoos are covered when meeting with
customers and you must ensure your dress and grooming standards reflect the
values of your employer.

If you have any queries about what is appropriate, these should be directed to your
line manager.

ii) Company Premises

You must sign in to the building using the fingerprint recognition device when
entering the workplace. This is part of the health and safety requirements for the
company in case of fire and is also used to assess time keeping should we deem it
necessary.

You must not bring any unauthorised person on to Normans property without prior
agreement from your line manager, unless you are authorised to do so as part of
your job. In these circumstances you are responsible for ensuring that your visitors
are appropriately monitored during their stay, and that they do not access areas or
company property inappropriately.

You must not remove Normans property from the organisation’s premises unless
prior authority from your line manager has been given.

iii) Personal Property

Any personal property such as jewellery, cash, credit cards, clothes, cars,
motorbikes or bicycles etc. left on Normans premises is done so entirely at your own
risk. You are strongly advised not to leave any valuables unattended, either on our
premises, our vehicles or in your own vehicle. Normans does not accept liability for
loss or damage to any personal property whatsoever.

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iv) Company Property

If you are in a position where you have or use company property, car, van, laptop,
tablet, mobile phone, PDA or any other property it is your sole responsibly to ensure
this property remains in good working order and is for your own use only. If any
damage is caused by repeated carelessness or negligence then you will be expected
to pay up to 100% for these damages. You will be asked to sign a Normans
Company Property agreement to confirm you accept these terms.

v) Telephones & Correspondence

Company telephone / mobile phone or postal facilities must not be used for private
purposes without prior permission from your line manager. If, for any reason,
personal use is made of these items then arrangements must be made to pay the
cost price of all services used. Abuse of these facilities will be considered a potential
disciplinary matter.

vi) Smoking and Other Substances at Work

Legislation now exist which makes it illegal to smoke in enclosed public spaces.
Smoking (including e-cigarettes) is therefore strictly prohibited on all Normans
premises (including entrances and exits) and vehicles.

Outside areas have been identified for those who wish to smoke during their break-
time. Should you wish to avail yourself of these facilities, please speak to your line
manager.

Bringing alcohol or any unlawful drugs to the workplace, and / or imbibing them there
is strictly prohibited both during work time or during a period prior to work where the
effects carry over to the workplace. Any such instances will be dealt with under the
disciplinary procedure and may lead to your summary dismissal.

vii) Confidentiality

It is a condition of your employment that you have a duty of confidentiality with
regards to Normans.

During the course of your employment you may find yourself in possession of
sensitive information, the disclosure of which could be construed as a breach of
confidentiality. It is a condition of your employment that you have a duty of
confidentiality to the Company, and you must not discuss any Company sensitive or
confidential matter whatsoever with any outside person or organisation including the
media.

Any such breach of confidentiality would be deemed as gross misconduct except as
otherwise provided or as permitted by any current legislation (e.g. the UK Public
Interest Disclosure Act 1998) and could lead to your dismissal.

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viii)Computer, email and Internet use

If you have access to the Company’s computers “…In every
circumstance where a
including email and access to the internet as part of gift is offered, the
advice of your line
your job, you must not abuse this by using these manager must be
facilities for purposes unrelated to Company business.

Limited personal use of the internet is permitted during sought …”

your formal breaks as long as you have gain

permission prior to use. All internet use is monitored

and accessing pornographic or other unsuitable

material, including auction or certain social networking

sites is strictly prohibited and would be considered a serious disciplinary offence

which may result in dismissal.

Only software packages properly authorised and installed by the Company may be
used on Company equipment, you must therefore not load any unauthorised
software onto Company computers.

If you have a Company email address, this is provided for responsible use on
Company business and should not be used in any other way whatsoever.

You must not make reference to the Company or its services, or represent
yourself on behalf of the Company on social media without formal permission from

the Company to do so.

All staff must make themselves familiar with the Company’s Internet & Email Policy
available from your line manager.

ix) Receipt of Gifts

Your working relationships may bring you into contact with outside organisations
where it is normal business practice or social convention to offer hospitality, and
sometimes gifts. Offers of this kind to you or your family can place you in a difficult
position. Therefore no employee or any member of his or her immediate family
should accept from a supplier, customer or other person doing business with
Normans, payments of money under any circumstances, or special considerations,
such as discounts or gifts of materials, equipment, services, facilities or anything else
of value unless:

• They are in each instance of a very minor nature usually associated with
accepted business practice.

• They do not improperly interfere with your independence of judgement or
action in the performance of your employment.

In every circumstance where a gift is offered, the advice of your line manager must
be sought.

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x) Bribery and other Corrupt Behaviour

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.

If you bribe (or attempt 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 you will be subject to formal investigation under the Company’s
disciplinary procedures, and disciplinary action up to and including dismissal may be
applied.

k. GDPR

Normans will comply with all statutory requirements of GDPR registering all personal
data held on its computer and/or related electronic equipment and by taking all
reasonable steps to ensure the accuracy and confidentiality of such information.

GDPR individuals’ rights concerning information about them held on computer.
Anyone processing personal data must comply with the eight principles of good
practice. Data must be:

• fairly and lawfully processed
• processed for limited purposes
• adequate, relevant and not excessive
• accurate
• not kept longer than necessary
• processed in accordance with the data subject’s rights
• secure
• not transferred to countries without adequate protection

Employees can request access to the information held on them by the Company. All
requests by employees to gain access to their personnel records should be made in
writing. There is no charge for this service.

l. Changes in Personal Information for Employment Purposes

It is important that our records are correct, as inaccurate or out of date information
may affect your salary or cause difficulties in situations where contact is required for

emergencies. You must notify your Line Manager immediately of all changes in the
following personal information:

• Name
• Home address

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• Telephone number
• Bank account details
• Examinations passed/qualifications gained
• Emergency contact
• Driving licence penalties (if you are required to drive on Company business)
• Criminal charge, caution or conviction
• Conflict, or potential conflict of interest

Personal data on employees is held in accordance with the provisions of the
Company’s Data Protection Policy which will be made available for inspection by you
if required.

4. Valuing Diversity and Dignity at Work

a. Valuing Diversity

i) Statement

Normans is committed to valuing diversity and seeks to provide all staff with the
opportunity for employment, career and personal development on the basis of ability,
qualifications and suitability for the work as well as their potential to be developed
into the job.

We believe that people from different backgrounds can bring fresh ideas, thinking
and approaches which make the way work is undertaken more effective and
efficient.

The Company will not tolerate direct or indirect discrimination against any person on
grounds of age, disability, gender / gender reassignment, marriage / civil partnership,
pregnancy / maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation whether in
the field of recruitment, terms and conditions of employment, career progression,
training, transfer or dismissal.

It is also the responsibility of all staff in their daily actions, decisions and behaviour to
endeavour to promote these concepts, to comply with all relevant legislation and to
ensure that they do not discriminate against colleagues, customers, suppliers or any
other person associated with the Company.

ii) Key Actions “…Normans is

In adopting these principles Normans: committed to valuing

1. Will not tolerate acts that breach this policy and all diversity …”
such breaches or alleged breaches will be taken
seriously, be fully investigated and may be subject
to disciplinary action where appropriate.

2. Fully recognises its legal obligations under all

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relevant legislation and codes of practice.
3. Will allow staff to pursue any matter through the internal procedures which they

believe has exposed them to inequitable treatment within the scope of this
policy. If you need to access these procedures they can be obtained from your
line manager e.g. Grievance Procedure, Dignity at Work Procedure etc.
4. Will ensure that all managers understand and maintain their responsibilities and
those of their team under this policy.
5. Will offer opportunities for flexible working patterns, wherever operationally
feasible, to help employees to combine a career with their domestic
responsibilities.
6. Will provide equal opportunity to all who apply for vacancies through open
competition.
7. Will select candidates only on the basis of their ability to carry out the job, using
a clear and open process.
8. Will provide all employees with the training and development that they need to
carry out their job effectively.
9. Will provide all reasonable assistance to employees who are or who become
disabled, making reasonable adjustments wherever possible to provide
continued employment. We will ensure an appropriate risk assessment is
carried out and that appropriate specialist advice is obtained when necessary.
10. Will distribute and publicise this policy statement throughout the Company

b. Dignity at Work

i) Statement

The Company believes that the working environment should at all times be
supportive of the dignity and respect of individuals. If a complaint of harassment is
brought to the attention of management, it will be investigated promptly and
appropriate action will be taken.

ii) What and How of Harassment

Harassment can be defined as conduct, which is unwanted and offensive and affects
the dignity of an individual or group of individuals.

Sexual harassment is defined as “unwanted conduct of a sexual nature, or other
conduct based on sex, affecting the dignity of women and men at work”. This can
include unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct.

People can be subject to harassment on a wide variety of grounds including:

• race, ethnic origin, nationality or skin colour
• sex or sexual orientation
• religious or political convictions
• willingness to challenge harassment, leading to victimisation

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• disabilities, sensory impairments or learning difficulties
• status as ex-offenders
• age
• real or suspected infection with a blood borne virus (eg AIDS/HIV)
• membership of a trade union or activities associated with membership

Forms may include:

• physical contact ranging from touching to serious assault
• verbal and written harassment through jokes, offensive language, gossip and

slander, sectarian songs, letters and so on
• visual display of posters, graffiti, obscene gestures, flags and emblems
• isolation or non-cooperation at work, exclusion from social activities
• coercion ranging from pressure for sexual favours to pressure to participate in

political/religious groups
• intrusion by pestering, spying, following someone
• bullying

iii) What should I do if subject to Harassment?

If you feel you are being harassed you are strongly encouraged to seek early
advice/support from your line manager. If your feel your line manager is harassing
you, then you should contact his / her immediate line manager.

You should also keep a written record detailing the incidents of harassment and any
requests made to the harasser to stop. This written record should be made as soon
as possible after the events giving rise to concern and should include dates, times,
places and the circumstances of what happened.

The Company has a grievance policy for dealing with these issues which you have
received with this handbook.

5. Pay, Benefits & Pensions

a. Salary Arrangements

Your salary will be paid monthly in arrears on the 28th of each month by direct credit
transfer to your designated bank account.

Your basic pay was outlined in your letter of appointment / statement of terms and
conditions. Any subsequent amendments to your basic pay will be notified to you in
writing by the Company.

Part-time employees will be paid on a pro rata basis based on the hours they work.
In all other aspects, their salaries will be paid in accordance with the pay
arrangements for full-time employees of the Company.

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If any queries arise with regard to pay, or if it looks as if a mistake has been made,
speak to your line manager immediately so that they can take appropriate action.
Unless agreed otherwise, any pay errors, whether of over or underpayment, will be
rectified in the next salary payment.

Appropriate deductions will be made from pay including income tax and National
Insurance contributions (NICs), which are subject to each employee's earning level,
family status and the number of hours worked.

b. Overtime

Overtime is defined as all hours worked in excess of your full time contracted hours,
which has the prior explicit approval of your manager.

Overtime is payable to posts which have been specifically designated as qualifying
for overtime payment

For periods worked between Monday and Saturday inclusively, overtime is payable
at time and a half after 40 hours are worked. For periods worked on Sundays or
designated bank holidays double time is payable.

c. Income Tax

If there are any changes in your personal circumstances which will affect your tax
status, you should notify the Inland Revenue, who will automatically inform the
Company of any changes to your tax code. Addresses of local offices and enquiry
centres can be found here:
http://www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/menus/officesmenu.htm

d. Business Travel

You will be reimbursed for any expenditure necessarily incurred in order to do your
job when working away from your normal place of work. Public Transport and
accommodation costs will be reimbursed at actual cost – appropriate receipts must
accompany all claims. Mileage rates when travelling by your own private transport
are 0.45p pence per mile for the first 10000 and 0.25p per mile thereafter.

e. Sickness Pay Provision

i) Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)

Most employees have a right to statutory sick pay (SSP) as long as they earn more
than the lower earnings level. SSP is not however payable for the first three
qualifying days of absence. (A qualifying day is a day on which you are normally
expected to work under your contract of employment). Annual holiday entitlement is

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not to be used to cover sick days unless express permission has been given by the
MD, this will only be granted in exceptional circumstances.

There is a limit of 28 weeks' SSP in any one period of sickness or linked periods.
(Periods of sickness are said to be linked if the second period starts within eight
weeks of the end of the first period.)
SSP is paid in the same way as ordinary pay and is liable to tax and National
Insurance contributions.

The amount of sick pay you receive will depend on the length of your service with
Normans:

Period of continuous Period on full pay
service on first day of - SSP
absence
Probation Period Nil
Nil
3 months up to 1 year 1 week
2 weeks
Year 2 3 weeks
4 weeks
Year 3 5 weeks

Year 4

Year 5

+ 5 Years

When assessing an employee's eligibility for sick pay, the amount of time they have
had off over the previous **48 months will be taken into account.

Normans reserves the right to refuse to pay sick pay if it has reasonable cause to
think that an employee is not genuinely sick, if it has cause to believe that an
employee is abusing the sick pay scheme, if an employee has failed to comply with
the notification requirements, or has not supplied the appropriate certification. If the
sick pay scheme has been abused, disciplinary action may follow.

Payments of sick pay may be terminated, suspended or reduced if an employee fails
to notify the Company of relevant facts, or if their absence or continued absence is
due to their taking an unwarranted risk (in or out of work), conducting themselves in
a way that prejudices their recovery, abusing alcohol or drugs or other substances,
or recklessly endangering the health and safety at work of themselves and others.

f. Eye Test

If you use DSE as part of your daily jobs you are by law entitled to claim back your
payment for the eye test. However, in additional to this the company will also pay
towards your prescription. This is open to all staff members, not just those using
DSE. The below conditions apply:

i) Not available during probation period
ii) 1-5 years service maximum £100 claim

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iii) 5 years plus service maximum £200 claim
iv) One payment in any 12 month period

g. Pension Scheme

**You will be automatically enrolled in the Company Pension scheme, details of
which you should have received when you started (if you have not yet received this
please speak to your line manager). You may elect to opt out of the scheme if you so
wish. Please note that no member of the Company can advise you on whether you
should join or not. If you are unsure, you should seek independent financial advice.

6. Leave Arrangements

a. Annual Leave

**Employees of Normans whether part-time or full-time are entitled to a minimum 5.6
weeks' paid annual leave. A week's leave allows you to be away from work for a
week – that is the same amount of time as your working week. If you do a five-day
week, you are entitled to 28 days leave per year, if you do a four-day week the
entitlement is 22.4 days leave etc. Your manager will let you know your annual leave
entitlement for the current leave year.

**Holidays must be agreed with your manager as early as possible. The Company
will where possible try to accommodate individual preferences for holiday dates but
the needs of the business may have to take precedence, particularly where short or
inadequate notice is given.

• The holiday year runs from 1st January to 31st December.
• Leave for employees joining after the start of the leave year accrues at the

rate of one twelfth of the annual entitlement for each complete calendar month
of service
• Leave for employees who terminate their employment during the leave year is
calculated on the same basis. If, however, the annual leave entitlement has
been exceeded, a deduction calculated on the same basis will be deducted
from the final salary payment.
• Holiday pay in lieu of accrued leave will be paid only on termination of
employment and will normally be subject to a maximum of 10 working days.

The 8 statutory Bank Holidays form part of employees 28 day annual leave
entitlement.
An extra days holiday will be accrued for every 5 years of continuous service with the
company, up to a maximum of 5 extra days.

b. Maternity Leave and Pay Policy

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**Pregnant employees will be entitled to take 26 weeks’ Ordinary Maternity Leave
and 26 weeks Additional Maternity Leave, irrespective of their length of service or
the number of hours worked each week.

You may not return to work during the two weeks immediately following the birth of
your child.

You are free to chose when you would like your maternity leave to start, however,
the earliest you can chose to start your maternity leave is during the 11th week
before the expected week of your child’s birth.

In certain circumstances, your maternity leave may start automatically earlier than
the date you chose as the start date for your maternity leave. This applies where
you are absent from work wholly or partly because of pregnancy at any time during
the four weeks before the expected week of childbirth or if you give birth early.

If you have at least 26 weeks’ service by the end of the 15th week before your child is
expected to be born, you may be entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), provided
your average weekly earnings are at or above the Lower Earnings Limit for National
Insurance.

SMP is payable for 39 weeks. For the first six weeks, SMP will be paid at 90% of
your average weekly earnings. For the remaining 33 weeks, SMP will be paid at the
standard rate which is prescribed by regulations and is adjusted from time to time.
The Company will inform you of the applicable rate. If your average weekly earnings
fall below the standard rate, SMP will be paid at 90% of your average weekly
earnings throughout.

SMP will be paid subject to deductions for tax and National Insurance contributions
in the normal way.

In order to be eligible for maternity leave and SMP, you are required to notify your
line manager in writing by or during the 15th week before the expected week of your
child’s birth. You must inform your Line Manager of the following:

• you are pregnant
• the week in which your child is due
• the date you intended to start your maternity leave
• the date from which you will be claiming SMP

You should enclose a MAT B1 certificate with your written notification signed by your
registered doctor or registered midwife to confirm the expected week of childbirth.

You may change the date you start your maternity leave providing you give at least
28 days’ notice in writing of either the new start date or the original start date
(whichever is earliest).

Within 28 days of receiving your notice, the Company shall notify you in writing of the
date when your maternity leave will end.

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Prior to your departure on maternity leave, your “…If any pregnant
line manager will meet with you to discuss your
rights and entitlements during maternity leave, the employees, or employees
possibility of flexible working on your return to work
and the level of contact you would like with the who have recently become
Company during your maternity leave. You should
feel free to raise at this meeting any queries or mothers or who are
concerns you have.
breastfeeding are employed
Your line manager may also offer you up to 10
days work during your maternity leave. It is up to in positions which have
you if you wish to work these days. The rate of pay
for the work will be agreed in advance with you. been identified as posing a
Your right to maternity leave and SMP will not be
affected. risk to their health and

safety or that of their baby

they will be notified

immediately and

arrangements will be made

to eliminate the risks…”

During Ordinary Maternity Leave, you will continue to receive your contractual
benefits and your normal terms and conditions will continue to apply, except for
those terms relating to wages and salary. You will continue to accrue holiday [but
holiday must be taken in the year it is earned].

During Additional Maternity Leave, the rights and obligations under your contract of
employment are reduced, but you must still give notice in accordance with your
contract of employment if you want to leave. In addition, you will continue to be
bound by your obligations of confidentially and loyalty. Only statutory holiday will
accrue.

If any pregnant employees, or employees who have recently become mothers or
who are breastfeeding are employed in positions which have been identified as
posing a risk to their health and safety or that of their baby they will be notified
immediately and arrangements will be made to eliminate the risks.

If you have concerns about your own health and safety at any time you should
consult your Line Manager immediately.

You do not have to notify the Company separately of your return date. It will be
assumed that you will come back to work on the date the Company has notified you
is the end of your maternity leave period. However, if you wish to return to work
before the end of your full maternity leave entitlement, you should give your line
manager at least 8 weeks notice in writing of your intended return date.

If you return to work immediately after a period of Ordinary Maternity Leave you will
return to work in the same job you left before you started your maternity leave.

If you return to work from a period of Additional Maternity Leave, you will return to
the same job you were employed to do. If this is not reasonably practicable, you will
be offered a similar job on equally favourable terms and conditions.

If you decide not to return to work after maternity leave, you should confirm this in
writing and give the notice required by your contract of employment.

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On your return from maternity leave, your line manager will arrange a meeting with
you to discuss any changes which have taken place during your absence. This will
be an opportunity to discuss any issues relating to breastfeeding. You should also
feel free to raise at this meeting any queries or concerns you have.

Parallel arrangements are available for the adoption of a child.

c. Paternity Leave and Pay

Statutory Paternity Leave is a maximum of two weeks’ leave, following the birth of a
child, taken in order to support the mother or care for the new child. It can be taken
as a single week or two consecutive weeks. It cannot be taken as odd days or as two
separate weeks.

Statutory Paternity Leave must be taken within 56 days of the birth. If the baby is
born earlier than expected, it must be taken within 56 days from the date the baby
was due.

To qualify you must have worked for the Company for at least 26 weeks by the end
of the 15th week before the expected birth week.

Statutory Paternity Pay is paid at a fixed rate per week (determined in legislation) or
90% of average earnings if that is less. It is paid less tax and National Insurance
contributions in the normal way.

During Statutory Paternity Leave, you are entitled to all of your normal contractual
terms and conditions as if you were not absent, apart from basic wages and salary.
You have the right to return to exactly the same job, on the same terms and
conditions after Statutory Paternity Leave.

Paternity leave and pay are also available for the adoption of a child.

You may also qualify for Additional Paternity Leave and Pay if either:

• you are the father of a child, partner or civil partner
• you and your partner receive notification that you are matched with a child for

adoption
• your wife, partner or civil partner is adopting a child from overseas and the

child enters Great Britain
• the child's mother is entitled to statutory maternity leave, maternity pay or

allowance or statutory adoption leave or pay.

Additional paternity leave is for a maximum of 26 weeks. Leave can be taken any
time from 20 weeks after the child is born, but it must have finished by the child's first
birthday. In the case of adoption it can start anytime between 20 weeks and 52
weeks after the child starts living with you.

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To qualify for additional paternity leave and pay we must receive notice in writing at
least eight weeks before the start of the leave. This must include:

• the expected date of the baby's birth or date of notified of being matched for
adoption

• the actual date of baby's birth, or placement of adoption
• the start date of the Additional Paternity leave and pay
• relationship to the mother, and that the leave being requested is to care for

the child

For Additional Paternity leave and pay to be taken the child's mother (or adopter)
must have started working again and any relevant payment must have stopped, with
at least two weeks of the 39 week payment period remaining. You must intend to
care for the child during your Additional Statutory Paternity Pay period. Additional
Statutory Paternity Pay is only payable during the period of the 39 week Maternity
Allowance, Statutory Maternity or Statutory Adoption Pay period. It cannot continue
beyond the end of these periods.

d. Parental Leave

An employee who has or expects to have responsibility for a child is entitled to take
Parental Leave to care for that child. This includes the child’s registered father or
anyone else who has or expects to have formal parental responsibility for the child.
To be eligible to take Parental Leave, an employee must have been employed by the
Company for at least one year.

Parental Leave consists of 18 weeks’ unpaid leave taken at any time up to the child’s
fifth birthday (or fifth anniversary of their adoption) or up to the child’s 18th birthday if
the child is disabled. Up to four weeks’ Parental Leave can be taken in respect of
each child, each year, in blocks of one week or more. Employees cannot take the
leave in blocks of less than one week, unless the child is disabled. You must give
your line manager at least 21 days notice of your intention to take Parental Leave.

e. Time Off For Dependants

You are legally entitled to take a reasonable amount of time off to deal with certain
prescribed emergencies involving certain dependants. This leave is called Time Off
for Dependants. Time Off for Dependants can be taken, for example, if a dependant
falls ill or is injured, if care arrangements break down, or to arrange or attend a
dependant's funeral. A dependant is your child (including adopted child), husband,
wife or parent. It also includes someone who lives in your household, and someone
who reasonably relies on you, such as an elderly relative. Any time taken off must be
necessary and reasonable in the particular circumstances. Time Off for Dependants
is not paid.

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7. Health and Safety

a. Introduction

Normans recognises and accepts its responsibility as an employer to maintain, so
far as is reasonably practicable, the safety and health of its employees, and of other
persons who may affected by its’ activities.

It is your duty as an employee not to put at risk either yourself or others by your acts
or omissions. You should also ensure that you are familiar with the Company health
and safety arrangements. Should you feel concern over any health and safety
aspects of your work, this should be brought to the attention of your line manager
immediately.

b. Procedure in the event of an accident

An Accident Book is available from your line manager and it is the responsibility of
each individual employee to report and record any accident involving personal injury.
Any accident or near miss occurrence (i.e. no one was injured but the incident had
the potential to injure or kill) at work should be reported immediately to your line
manager.

All employees who are absent from work following an accident must complete a self-
certification form, which clearly states the nature and cause of the injury.

For any employee who suffers an injury at work which results in them being away
from work, or unable to do their normal work, for three days or more (including
weekends, rest days or holidays) it is important that your manager is informed as the
Health and Safety Executive also need to be informed by the Company. Form 2508
(available from www.riddor.gov.uk/f2508.dot) should be completed in conjunction
with your line manager. Employees are not expected to complete these forms
themselves.

c. First Aid

The Company believes that best practice is to ensure staff have access to a trained
First Aider or Appointed Person (someone who can take charge in the event of an
accident). Details of these trained staff will be displayed on your local notice board or
from your line manager and you should familiarise yourself with names and contact
details.

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d. Fire Safety

Employees should follow these steps to help prevent fires:

• Before you use any electrical appliances carry out a quick check to make sure
that the cables, plugs etc are not damaged.

• Do not use any electrical equipment that shows signs of damage, even if you
think it is only minor. Report any faults you find to your line manager and find
an alternative appliance.

• Ensure that you place your rubbish in the proper waste bins. Do not overfill
the bins, and ensure that your waste bin is accessible to the cleaners at the
end of each day.

Action to take when the fire alarm goes off:

• Immediately stop what you are doing and walk (do not run) to the nearest
available safe fire exit. If your nearest exit/route is obstructed, choose another
route. Make sure that you are aware of the fire exits and routes in your area.

• Follow the instructions of your designated Fire Warden.
• Direction signs should indicate the route to your fire exit. These comprise a

white arrow on a green background sometimes accompanied by the words
'FIRE EXIT' and also a pictogram of a running man. The arrows indicate the
direction of the nearest fire exit.
• Do not use a lift to leave the building - always use designated stairs.
• Make your way to the appropriate assembly point.
• Once you are at the assembly point you should report to the Fire Warden, so
that they can account for the people in their designated area.
• Do not leave the designated assembly point, or attempt to re-enter the
building, until you have been instructed to do so by the Fire Warden.

Action to take if you discover a fire:

• RAISE THE ALARM! This can be achieved by breaking the glass on the call
points or by shouting the instruction “Fire – call the fire brigade”.

• Raise the alarm even if your building is fitted with an automatic fire alarm
system, which has not yet activated - you must not wait for it to do so of its
own accord. The alarm must be raised for every occurrence of a fire, no
matter how small it appears to be. This will ensure that people in the building
have adequate notice to evacuate should it begin to spread quickly. In
addition, modern furnishings may allow the fire to develop unnoticed, so time
is of the essence if everyone is to get out safely.

• Call the fire brigade at the earliest available, and safe, opportunity and do not
attempt to tackle the fire unless you have been appropriately trained and can
safely do so e.g. a small fire in a waste paper basket. Unless you have been
trained you could be putting yourself or somebody else at risk.

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Fire Safety Awareness Training should be completed by all staff members. On
completion you will receive a certificate to print. Please hand in a copy of this to your
line manger so it can be held on record in your personnel file.

e. Personal Safety

**Generally, you should try to avoid working alone whenever this is possible.
However, if you have to work alone, then you need to develop an awareness of the
risks and how to minimise them.

Prior to making an appointment with someone you do not know, obtain as much
information as possible about the person you are meeting and arrange to meet the
person in Company premises. Always ring back the telephone number you have
been given to confirm that it is legitimate. If a mobile number is given you should
always ask for an alternative fixed line number.

If visiting, let your colleagues know where you are going, with whom and what time
you are expecting to return. If you think that you are going to run over your original
timescales, let your colleagues know.

If you are at all concerned that you are being placed in a dangerous situation through
your employment, you must discuss this with your line manager.

8. Training and Development

a. Training and Development Policy**

The Company aims to provide training opportunities which will provide:

• An induction programme which all staff will be required to undertake and will
assist staff settling into their new role/job.

• A progressive training and development scheme to enable staff to develop,
relevant skills and acquire knowledge to underpin their current role and career
aspirations.

b. Personal Development Planning** (Appraisal)

i) Introduction

The Company has a Personal Development Planning Scheme. The aims and
purposes of the Scheme are:

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• To help managers and staff to make effective arrangements to identify and
meet learning needs

• To develop the skills, knowledge, values and behaviour that staff need to do
their current jobs well

ii) PDP - The Process

There are 3 stages in the process:

• Preparation – where you and your manager prepare separately for the
interview using the appropriate documentation.

• The Personal Development Plan Discussion – where a personal
development plan is agreed by you and your manager.

• Monitor & Review – the method and timescale for monitoring should be
agreed at the discussion stage and implemented throughout the year.

The Personal Development Planning documentation is available from your line
manager.

9. Leaving Normans

a. Notice Periods

Unless your employment is terminated by agreement, or specified otherwise in your
principal statement of terms and conditions, you or the Company are required to give
a period of notice in writing as follows:

• one week's notice after one month's employment
• two weeks after two years
• three weeks after three years and so on up to 12 weeks maximum after 12

years or more.

These periods of notice will apply if you are dismissed on grounds of inefficiency or if
your dismissal is the result of disciplinary proceedings in circumstances where
summary dismissal is not justified. Your employment may be terminated without
notice where dismissal follows disciplinary proceedings.

b. Working Notice

In all cases the Company reserves the right to enforce your full notice period. Your
full remaining annual leave entitlement should be taken during your notice period in
agreement with your line manager. Exceptionally, if this is not possible, your
manager may agree to make a payment in lieu of this. If you leave any day other
than the last working day of that month, that month will not count for annual leave
purposes.

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If you resign and are in possession of Company property (including computer files),
you should make your manager aware of these, and arrange how they will be
handed back to the Company. You remain bound by the confidentiality arrangements
outlined in your contract of employment during this period.

In exceptional circumstances, if deemed appropriate and as an alternative to working
your notice, the Company reserves the right either to transfer you to other suitable
duties during your notice period or to require you to accept payment in lieu of any
entitlement to notice.

c. Other Conditions on Leaving

On leaving, the Company will deduct from any money due to you such sums as you
may owe to the Company. These may include, but are not restricted to, any loans,
relocation assistance, court orders and payment made for holidays taken in excess
of entitlement.

If you leave without giving notice and without the Company’s agreement, you are in
breach of your contract and you may forfeit some or all of any salary due to you.

Before leaving, you must hand over to your manager all articles belonging to
Normans, including your ID badge and any documents, equipment and computer
software used at home. Documents and software include (but are not limited to)
correspondence, diaries, address books, databases, files, reports, plans, records or
any other medium for storing information. You should not retain any copies, drafts,
reproductions, extracts or summaries of documents and software.

After you have left the Company, you must not:

• Solicit or seek to entice away any Company staff
• Use or divulge to any person or organisation any confidential information

relating to the business of Normans.

Should your employment be terminated following disciplinary action it is likely you
will receive payment in lieu of notice. However, as there are numerous reasons as
to why someone is dismissed, payment in lieu of notice will be reviewed on an
individual basis taking into consideration the reasons behind the dismissal.

Should you be dismissed for reasons of gross misconduct, your employment will be
terminated immediately without the benefit of notice or payment in lieu of notice.

d. Retirement

In line with current legislation Normans does not have an age where it expects
employees to retire. It is however our policy to have regular workplace /appraisal
discussions with all our staff where they can discuss performance and any
development needs they may have, as well as their future aims and aspirations. Staff

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and their managers can also use this opportunity to discuss retirement planning
should the employee wish to do so.
You should ensure that you inform your line manager at least 6 months before you
plan to retire to ensure all appropriate arrangements are made (e.g. sourcing a
replacement, mobilising your Company pension etc.).

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10. Appendix 1 Absence, Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures

ABSENCE POLICY

How absence due to sick leave affects Normans Business
Solutions:

 Lowers morale – Staff will often have to cover for absent colleagues which
increases their workload, causing morale to fall.

 Leads to Mistakes – When we have to cover for other people it can lead to
mistakes which can jeopardise relations within the office as well as
customers.

 Lower Productivity – If employees are regularly calling in sick it can delay
projects and mean there is no consistency within teams. Staff who rarely
have sick days can suffer from low motivation if their colleagues are regularly
absent.

 Takes a slice of profit – In 2018 there was 253 days lost throughout the
business due to absence, that means for 81.42% of the year we had at least
one person absent from work. To put that into value, the average cost of this
was £14539.91, this figure not only affects the company’s overall profit but
also eats directly into the company bonus scheme.

Why we need an Absence Policy

The purpose of this policy is to lay out exactly what is expected from you as an
employee, what you can expect from us, our employer and what procedure will be
followed if you suffer sickness or injury from work or lateness.

Your attendance is important to the business and is monitored. This policy will
identify points at which the Company will take action if sickness or lateness reaches
an unacceptable level.

The outcome is to ensure a healthy, productive workforce, not to punish you for
being unwell. However, the company cannot ignore the effects sickness has on
services and other employees.

Reporting Sick Absence

As stated in the Company Handbook if you are unable to attend work due to
sickness or injury your line manager must be notified by telephone before your
normal start time or as soon as possible on the first day of absence, no later than
10.00am. Failure to do so will result in the company contacting you for details of
your absence and may also result in disciplinary action. Notification by text message
will not be accepted as formal notification of absence. Do not leave messages with

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other colleagues, if your direct line manager is not available then you must speak
with another Manager. Notification should be made by you personally unless this is
impossible due to the nature of your illness. You are expected to give a brief
explanation of your absence and estimated length of time you expect to be off. If
you do not have a valid Fit for Work note then your line manager requires a daily
phone call to update. You are required to produce a self-certification note for under
seven days or a fit for work note thereafter.

If any of the above are not adhered to it may result in your company sick pay being
affected. The sick benefit you receive will depend of your length of service. You will
find full details of this on page 17 of this Company Handbook.

If your absence reaches excessive levels the Company may require medical
information about your condition from your GP and/or a specialist practitioner of the
company’s choosing.

Any employee who has been absent and is found not to have been genuinely ill will
be subject to disciplinary action which could lead to dismissal.

The following managers can be notified of sickness if your own line manager is
unavailable:

Rhiannon Harrison-Simpson – Office Supervisor

Lynne Long – Sales Manager

Jenny Allison – Systems & Marketing Manager

Benn Lynch – Warehouse & Logistics Manager

Marie Sunley – Accounts Manager

Tara Spooner – Purchasing & Operations Manager

Matthew Couldry – Managing Director.

Managing Sickness Absence

All sickness absence will be monitored closely and trigger points set to pin point any
issues.

Stage 1 is the standard return to work interview that every member of staff will
receive after any period of absence due to sick. Following stages will be
implemented if trigger points are breached.

Stage 1 - Return to work interviews

When you return to work from sick absence your line manager will interview you on
the first day of your return, or as soon as possible thereafter. They will check that
you are fit for work, update you on any important matters you may have missed and
may also discuss your absence record if applicable.

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Return to work interviews help to ensure that employees are aware that their
absence has been noticed and their attendance is valued. It also allows managers
to discover any underlying problems that are causing the absence and try and solve
them before absence reaches unacceptable levels.

Stage 2 – Review Meeting

3 periods of sick in a rolling 6 month period will trigger a review meeting. This will be
to discuss the periods of absence to see if there are any underlying problems, we
can help you with. This meeting is to help and support you as an employee.
Depending on the outcome to this meeting either no further action will be taken, or
further monitoring and personnel triggers may be set for the following 6 months.

Stage 3 – 2nd Review Meeting

If further triggers are breached this will implement a further meeting to discuss why
there has been no improvement. The outcome to this meeting may trigger
disciplinary action.

Stage 4 – Disciplinary Action

If no attempt has been made to reduce sickness and there is no valid reason for it
then a disciplinary hearing will be implemented. This could result in written warning
or even dismissal.

Appointments

As stated in this Company Handbook doctors, hospital and dental appointments
should, where possible be made outside normal working hours. If this is not possible
you should arrange with your line manager to work the time back, take holidays or
use unpaid leave. If any appointment takes longer than 25% of your working day
then ½ day holiday must be taken. If all your holiday entitlement is used then this
will be unpaid leave.

Appointment card/letter should be made available if requested. Management will
endeavour to honour any appointments but do have the right to refuse time off if
found necessary.

Lateness

Arriving to work on time is vital for the day to day productivity of our business. If you
believe you are not going to meet your start time you must ring your line manager as
soon as possible to advise. This must be done in the same way as reporting
sickness. Obviously, this isn’t always possible if you stuck in traffic etc. but you must
report to your manager as soon as you arrive to make them aware why you are late.

If you find you are unable to meet your start time on a regular basis due to personnel
circumstances this must be discussed with your Line Manager so alternative
arrangements/flexibility can be arranged.

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What represents lateness? Example: Your start time is 9am, walking through the
front door at 9am does not qualify for being at work on time. If you start at 9am, you
must be at your desk, computer on ready to start work.

All lateness is logged on an attendance record and kept in your personnel file. If you
are late for work on 3 or more occasions in a single month this may result in
disciplinary action.

DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE

Policy Statement

The aim of the Disciplinary Procedure (and the associated Disciplinary rules) is to
set out the standards of conduct expected of all staff and to provide a framework
which Managers can work with to maintain satisfactory standards of conduct and
to encourage improvement where necessary.
This procedure does not form part of the contract of employment. Normans of
Billingham may amend it at any time following consultation.

General Principles

The procedure applies to all staff regardless of position or length of service. It
does not apply to agency workers.
Members of staff may be represented at each stage of the process.
Dismissal for a first act of misconduct would not normally apply, unless it
amounts to gross misconduct or a member of staff is within the probationary
period.
If a staff member has difficulty at any stage of the procedure because of a
disability, they should discuss the situation with their Manager as soon as
possible.

Confidentiality

The aim is to deal with disciplinary matters sensitively and with due respect for
the privacy of any individuals involved. All staff must treat any information
communicated to them in connection with any investigation or disciplinary hearing
as confidential and failure to do so may be treat as misconduct.
Electronic recordings of any meetings or hearings conducted under this
procedure cannot be made and all evidence and statements should be recorded
via appropriate documents.
Witnesses whose evidence is given for disciplinary proceedings will be open and
transparent, unless there is a need to keep a witness's identity confidential.

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Counselling

Counselling may often be a more satisfactory way of resolving problems than
disciplinary action and the right guidance at the right time can often prevent the
need for formal action. It is therefore not part of the formal disciplinary procedure
but an informal discussion carried out with member of staff and their Manager
and would take place if there had been minor lapses in performance, behaviour
or a minor breach of the rules/policy.
All counselling’s will be documented on appropriate documents and held on the
member of staffs file for a period of six month unless a pattern/trend becomes
apparent.

Suspension

In cases where a member of staffs continued presence at work could hinder an
investigation, or the allegation is that of Gross Misconduct, there may be a need
to suspend from work. The suspension will be for no longer than is necessary to
investigate the allegations and the arrangements will be confirmed in writing.
While suspended, all staff should not visit their place of work or contact any
clients, customers, suppliers, or other members of staff, unless they have been
authorised to do so, with the exception of their Representative.
Suspension of this kind is not a disciplinary penalty and does not imply that any
decision has been made about the allegations. All staff will continue to receive
average pay, where appropriate, and benefits during the period of suspension.

Investigation

The purpose of an investigation is to establish a fair and balanced view of the
facts relating to any allegations before deciding whether to proceed with a
disciplinary hearing. The amount of investigation required will depend on the
nature of the allegations, in normal circumstances an investigation should take no
longer than fourteen days. It may involve interviewing and taking statements from
members of staff and any possible witnesses, and/or reviewing relevant
documents.
Investigation interviews are solely for the purpose of fact finding and no decision
on disciplinary action will be taken until after a disciplinary hearing has been held.
All staff must co-operate fully and promptly in any investigations.

Right to be Accompanied

All staff may be represented at each stage of the process outlined within this
policy. The Representative may be either a union Representative or a fellow

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member of staff. The Representative will make themselves available as soon as
possible to enable matters to proceed. The Manager should be informed who the
chosen Representative is in good time before the hearing. Subject to discretion, a
member of staff may bring a Representative who is not a member of staff or
union Representative (for example, a member of your family or a translator)
where this will help overcome a disability or any language barriers.

Criminal Charges

Where conduct is the subject of a criminal investigation, charge or conviction, the
facts will be investigated before deciding whether to take formal disciplinary
action.
A criminal investigation, charge or conviction relating to conduct outside work
may be treated as a disciplinary matter if considered that it is relevant to
employment.

Disciplinary Hearing

If the member of staff or representative cannot attend the hearing, the member of
staff should inform the Manager immediately and an alternative date and time will
be arranged.
Every effort to attend the hearing must be made. Failure to attend without good
reason may be treated as misconduct in itself. If a member of staff fails to attend
without good reason, or is persistently unable to do so, or they do not reply to
correspondence relating to the disciplinary hearing, a decision may be taken
based on the available evidence.
The hearing will be chaired by a Manager. A fellow Manager and/or a member of
HR will also be in attendance. At the disciplinary hearing, the allegations, and any
evidence that has been gathered will be put to the member of staff.
The member of staff will be able to respond and present any other information.
The Representative may make representations and ask questions but should not
answer questions on behalf of the member of staff. Adjournments for either party
to confer privately may be called at any time during the hearing.
Relevant witnesses may be asked to appear at the hearing, provided sufficient
advance notice to arrange their attendance is given. The opportunity to respond
to any information given however, cross examination of witnesses will not
normally be permitted unless, in exceptional circumstances, it is decided that a
fair hearing could not be held otherwise.
The disciplinary hearing may be adjourned at any time if any further
investigations are required, for example re-interviewing witnesses in the light of
any new points raised at the hearing. A reasonable opportunity to consider any
new information obtained before the hearing is reconvened will be given.

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Staff will be informed in writing of the decision and the reason for it, usually within
five working days of the disciplinary hearing. Where possible, the decision will
also be explained in person.

Disciplinary Stages

The usual stages for warnings are set out below. No warning should be imposed
without a hearing. Normans of Billingham aim to treat all there staff fairly and
consistently, and a warning imposed on another member of staff for similar
misconduct will usually be taken into account but should not be treated as a
precedent. Each case will be assessed on its own merits.
If it is necessary to invoke the disciplinary procedure, a stacked approach
throughout these disciplinary stages will be taken.

Stage 1 - Verbal Warning - If counselling has failed to generate an improvement
in the member of staffs conduct or performance still does not meet acceptable
standards or if the issue is too serious to consider counselling to be appropriate,
then a verbal warning will be issued. A copy of the verbal warning will remain on
the member of staff’s personal file for six to twelve months depending on the
severity of the incident.

Stage 2 - Written Warning - If a member of staff’s conduct or performance does
not improve, or if there is a further breach of rules whilst a verbal warning is live,
a first written warning may be issued. A copy of the written warning will remain on
the member of staff’s personal file for six to twelve months depending on the
severity of the incident.

Stage 3 - Final Warning- If a member of staff’s conduct or performance does not
improve, or there is a further breach of the rules, a final warning will be given. A
copy of the final written warning will remain on the member of staff’s personal file
for s twelve months.

Serious Misconduct - Cases of serious misconduct may result in a final written
warning being issued for a first offence. A copy of the warning will remain on the
members of staff’s personal file for 12 months.

Stage 4 - Dismissal - If the member of staff is in receipt of a final written warning
and their conduct or performance has not improved, or they continue to breach
rules, or if the individual circumstances of the case justify it, they will be
dismissed and the relevant period of notice will be given to terminate the contract,
irrespective of the reasons governing the previous warnings.

Summary Dismissal (Gross Misconduct) - If a member of staff commits an act
of Gross Misconduct, the normal penalty will be summary dismissal, i.e. dismissal
without notice or pay in lieu of notice. In a case of Gross Misconduct, if a member
of staff is already in receipt of a disciplinary warning and there is need to take

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further action, the procedure will be invoked, irrespective of the reasons
governing the previous warnings.

Alternatives to Dismissal

In some cases, and with discretion, alternatives to dismissal may be considered.
These may be authorised by a suitably trained Manager and will usually be
accompanied by a Final Written Warning and/or other sanctions, such as transfer
or change of job role. Such decisions would be made on an offer and acceptance
basis depending upon the circumstances.

Other types of Dismissal

There may be other instances where Normans of Billingham terminate a member
of staffs’ employment, i.e. redundancy and restructuring exercises, re-rostering,
immigration irregularities (i.e. the member of staff has no right to work in the UK).
In such circumstances this will be done in consultation with all staff.

Examples of Disciplinary Offences

This is not an exhaustive list and is intended to act as a guide only in order to
achieve consistency. The individual circumstances of each allegation should be
considered and the appropriate action taken.

Misconduct

• Acting in a way prejudicial to Company's interests in dealings with its
customers, suppliers or other outside contacts.

• Failure to meet the Company's standards on matters over which members
of staff have control, i.e. timekeeping, dress standards, absence.

• Inappropriate behaviour or comments towards other staff, contractors,
suppliers or customers in work or at a social or training event.

• Misuse of Company equipment and facilities.
• Breaches of Company Policies, Procedures and rules.
• Posting or distributing unauthorised literature at work or on Company's

premises.
• Smoking in areas (which include Drivers cabs) other than the permitted

smoking shelters.
• Absence and Capability issues not covered in the respective policies, i.e.

AWOL

Serious Misconduct

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• Conduct which brings the Company's good name; into disrepute.
• Disregard to health and safety procedures.
• Presence at work in an unfit state to undertake their duties.
• Pursuing own private business during company time and/or on company

property.
• Breaching company policy and procedures in the reporting and disposal of

waste.
• Offences regarding swiping in and out of work.
• Deliberately refusing to comply with a reasonable management request.
• Unauthorised access to company records.
• Serious driving offences: pulling off on a red light; leaving the

handbrake/park brake off; going off-route; excessive speeding; or driving
with forks lifted. If such an act resulted in a serious injury/fatality, this could
then be Gross Misconduct.
• Use of internet blogging, i.e. Facebook, where comments cause offense to
others.

Gross Misconduct

• A serious breach of trust or confidence resulting in a breakdown in working
relationship.

• Acts committed outside of work, including taking part in illegal activities,
conviction for a serious criminal offence, where the Offence or act has an
adverse bearing on the member of staff's suitability for the job or makes
the member of staff unacceptable to other members of staff and or
customers.

• Breach of Company's Ethics Policy, i.e. accepting gifts, money or other
consideration.

• Under the influence, taking, buying, selling or unlawful possession of non-
prescription drugs on company premises or at social or training events.

• Under the influence, consuming alcoholic drinks on company premises
whilst carrying out duties.

• Deliberate or serious breaches of H&S regulations that could endanger self
or others or bring the Company name into disrepute.

• Failure to disclose information to the Company, relating to serious or
dangerous malpractice, including H&S and security.

• Falsification of Company records.
• Fighting, physical assault, threatening behaviour, or serious provocation of

any person on Company premises or at social or training events.
• Fraud or attempted fraud.
• Making an unauthorised or false claim in breach of the Sick Pay Policy.

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• Sending inappropriate or unwanted text or phone messages from
Company or personal equipment to other staff, contractors, suppliers or
customers.

• Serious harassment, discrimination or bullying of other members of staff,
either generally or on the grounds relating to their sex, marital status, race,
colour, nationality, ethnic origin, disability, religion, beliefs, age or sexual
orientation on company premises or at a social or training event.

• Serious or wilful neglect or damage to Company property.
• Theft or attempted theft, either from the Company or its members of staff,

customers or suppliers.
• Theft by consumption of stock, damages, waste or unauthorised sampling.
• Unauthorised disclosure of confidential/company information, including

breaches of GDPR
• Using a hand held mobile phone or other similar electronic device whilst

driving a Company, vehicle or otherwise driving a car on Company
business.
• Flagrant driving offences carrying unauthorised passengers, under the
influence of drug or alcohol, or passenger carried on forks, wilful collision
of MHE or wilful damage to stock.
•

Appeal

Stage 1
If a member of staff feels that disciplinary action taken against them is wrong or
unjust, they should appeal in writing stating the grounds of appeal addressed to
The Managing Director within seven days of the date on which they were
informed of the decision in writing. Further investigation may be required if any
new matters are raised in an appeal. The hearing will be adjourned. If any new
information comes to light a summary including where appropriate copies of
additional relevant documents and witness statements will be provided. The
member of staff will have a reasonable opportunity to consider this information
before the reconvened appeal hearing. Written notice of the date time and place
of the appeal hearing will be given, this will usually be within five days after
receipt of written notice. The appeal hearing may be a complete re-hearing of the
matter, or it may be a review of the fairness of the original decision in the light of
the procedure that was followed and any new information that may have come to
light, any appeal will be dealt with impartially.
The appeal hearing will be conducted by a suitable Manager who has not been
previously involved in the case, the outcome of the appeal hearing may be to
uphold the original decision or substitute a different decision. The member of staff
will be informed in writing of the final decision as soon as possible usually within
five days of the appeal hearing. Where possible, the decision will also be
explained to the member of staff in person. The appeal decision is final. There

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will be no further right of appeal other than for cases of Dismissal or Gross
Misconduct

Stage 2
For the purposes of dealing with Dismissal or Gross Misconduct cases only
Gross Misconduct cases will be heard by a Manager who has not previously
been involved in the case. The process and timescale will be as Stage 1. The
second Stage appeal decision is final. There will be no further right of appeal.

Probationary Period

If it is alleged that a new member of staff is not going to achieve the required
standard to do their job within the first four weeks, they may be dismissed without
notice. The member of staff will be invited to a hearing as outlined above.
If it is alleged a new member of staff is not going to achieve the required standard
to do their job after the first four weeks they may be dismissed with one weeks’
notice. In this circumstance we may pay the notice period in lieu. The member of
staff will be invited to a hearing as outlined above.
The member of staff can appeal against the decision to dismiss. An appeal letter
must be presented to Matthew Couldry detailing the reasons for the appeal within
five days of receiving written confirmation of the decision.
The probationary period may be extended beyond 13 weeks in cases where
Normans of Billingham needs more time to assess the member of staff.

Bonus

If any member of staff is to be on a live warning, they are automatically not
eligible for company bonus. This is at the discretion of the company Directors.

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GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

Policy Statement

The aim of this policy is to ensure that all members of staff have access to a
procedure to help deal with individual and collective grievances relating to their
employment, fairly and without unreasonable delay. Normans of Billingham aim to
investigate any formal grievances that are raised, hold a meeting to discuss it with
the staff member, give the outcome in writing, and give a right of appeal if the staff
member is not satisfied.
This list is not exhaustive but issues that may cause grievances include:

o Terms and conditions of employment;

o Health and safety

o Work relations

o Bullying and harassment

o New working practices

o Working environment

o Organisational change

o Discrimination

This procedure does not form part of the contract of employment.

Normans of Billingham may amend it at any time following consultation and
agreement with staff.

General Principles

This procedure applies to all staff regardless of length of service and position. It does
not apply to agency workers.
All members of staff may be represented at every stage of the process.
If a member of staff has difficulty at any stage of the procedure because of a
disability, they should discuss the situation with their Manager as soon as possible.
This grievance procedure should not be used to complain about the outcome of
dismissal or -disciplinary action. Dissatisfaction with any disciplinary action should be
dealt with by submitting an appeal as detailed in the disciplinary policy.
This procedure applies to individual and collective grievances only.

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Written grievances will be placed on the member of staff's personnel file along with a
record of any decisions taken and any notes or other documents compiled during the
grievance process. These will be processed in accordance with our Data Protection
Policy.

Raising Grievances Informally

Most grievances can be resolved quickly and informally through discussion with a
Manager. If the member of staff feels unable to speak to their Manager, for example,
because the complaint concerns him or her, then they should speak informally to a
more senior Manager. If this does not resolve the issue, the member of staff should
follow the formal procedure below.

Formal Written Grievances

If the grievance cannot be resolved informally the member of staff should put it in
writing and submit it to their manager, indicating that it is a formal grievance. If the
grievance concerns their manager, they may submit it instead to an alternative
manager.
Ideally the written grievance should contain a description of the nature of the
complaint, including any relevant facts, dates, and names of individuals involved. If it
is not possible to give a detailed description in writing then the member of staff must
be able to articulate the grounds of the grievance during the meeting. In some
situations there may need to ask for further information to be provided. Example
letter within this hand book. Grievance Letter 1.

Who Will Be Involved

Who is Submitting the Grievance?

Who Is Submitting The Grievance Hearing Appeal Hearing
Grievance?
Managing Director
Warehouse Staff Warehouse Manager Managing Director
Driving Staff Warehouse Manager Any other Company Director
Managing Director
Warehouse Supervisor Sales Manager
Office Staff Office Supervisor Managing Director
Sales Manager Any other Company Director
External Account Managers Any other Company Director
Office Supervisor Managing Director Any other Company Director
Managing Director
Warehouse Manager Managing Director
Purchasing & Operations Manager

If a grievance is submitted against a member of staff it will be heard by the
immediate superior of the member of staff that the grievance is submitted against.
If a grievance is about a member of staff’s immediate manager then an alternative
manager will be appointed to investigate and hear any grievance

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Investigations

The amount of any investigation required will depend on the nature of the allegations
and will vary from case to case. It may involve interviewing and taking statements
from the member of staff submitting the grievance and any witnesses, and/or
reviewing relevant documents.
All staff must co-operate fully and promptly in any investigation.
An investigation may be initiated before holding a grievance meeting where
considered appropriate. In other cases a grievance meeting may be held before
deciding what investigation to carry out. In such cases a further grievance meeting
will be held with the member of staff before a decision is reached.

Right to be Accompanied

A Representative may accompany the member of staff to any grievance meeting or
appeal meeting under this procedure. The Representative may be either a union
Representative or a fellow member of staff. The Representative will make
themselves available as soon as possible to enable matters to proceed. Members of
staff must inform the Manager who your chosen Representative is in good time
before the meeting.
At the meeting, the Representative may make representations and ask questions,
but should not answer questions on your behalf. Members of staff may confer
privately with their Representative at any time during the meeting.
Representatives will be allowed reasonable time off from duties to act as a
Representative.

Grievance Meetings

A grievance meeting will be arranged normally within 5 days of receiving a written
grievance.
The member of staff and their Representative (if any) should make every effort to
attend grievance meetings. If the member of staff or their Representative cannot
attend at the time specified, they should inform the manager immediately and an
alternative time will be agreed.
The purpose of a grievance meeting is to enable the member of staff to explain their
grievance and how they think it should be resolved, and to assist in reaching a
decision based on the available evidence and the representations made.
After an initial grievance meeting further investigation may be carried out and further
grievance meetings held as considered appropriate. Such meetings will be arranged
without unreasonable delay and usually within 5 days unless mutually agreed
otherwise.
A written outcome will be provided, usually within 5 days of the final grievance
meeting, to inform the member of staff of the outcome of the grievance and any
further action to be taken to resolve the grievance. The colleague will also have right
of appeal. Where appropriate a meeting will be held to give his information in person.

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Appeals

If the grievance has not been resolved to the member of staff's satisfaction they may
appeal in writing to the appropriate Manager/Director, stating full grounds of appeal,
within 7 days of the date on which the decision was sent or given to them. Example
letter within this handbook. Grievance Letter 2.
An appeal meeting will be held, normally within 5 days of receipt of the written
appeal. This will be dealt with impartially by a Manager/Director who has not
previously been involved in the case (although they may ask anyone previously
involved to be present).
Confirmation of the final decision will be giving in writing, usually within 5 days of the
appeal hearing. This is the end of the procedure and there is no further right of
appeal.
If it is not possible to comply with any of the time limits set out above then the
member of staff will be informed about the delay and the reasons for it.

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Grievance Letter 1

To:
From:
Dept:
Date:
Immediate Superior:
Dear
I wish to take a formal grievance out against:

in line with the Company Grievance Procedure. The details of my grievance are
shown below :

Yours sincerely,
(Manager should respond to this formal written grievance within 2 working
days unless an extended period for response is mutually agreed)

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Grievance Letter 2

To Manager/Director
From
Dept
Date
Immediate Superior

Dear
On (within 10 days of the response to the initial formal grievance) my grievance
against was heard by
I am not satisfied with the outcome of this meeting and would like to appeal to
yourself for a further hearing of my grievance, in line with the Company Grievance
Procedure.
I enclose a copy of the original letter regarding this matter and other correspondence
and information related to it.
Yours sincerely

(Manager should respond to this formal written grievance within 7 days unless
an extended period for response is mutually agreed)

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11. Appendix 2 - Contacts

Name Position Contact Number Emergency Contact
Number
Matthew Couldry Managing Director 01642 564190
Tara Spooner 01642 564190 07738 424274
Purchasing & 07753 292559
Marie Sunley 01642 564190
Caroline Cox Operations Manager 01642 564190 Na
Rhiannon Harrison- 01642 564190 Na
Simpson Accounts Manager Na
Benn Lynch 01642 564190
Lynne Long HR 01642 564190 07802 814634
01642 564190 07845 785861
Jenny Allison Office Supervisor

Warehouse supervisor

Sales Manager

IT & Marketing
Manager

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