Your statement of main terms of employment and the policies and procedures contained in this handbook set out what is required of you in the course of your employment with us. It is not possible to compile an exhaustive list of rules and procedures that you must follow and therefore what follows is a non-exhaustive list of guidelines that must be adhered to in the course of your employment: –
- you are expected to wholeheartedly devote yourself to the exercise of your duties at all times during working hours
- you are expected to act in our best interests at all times
- you are expected to undertake reasonable duties that fall outside the scope of your normal day to day duties as and when required to assist with the smooth operation of our business
- you are expected to have a good attendance and timekeeping record
- you are expected to undertake your duties with all reasonable care and skill
- you must take care to comply with the terms of our Data Protection Policy in the exercise of your duties
- you must maintain a professional appearance and maintain a good standard of cleanliness and personal hygiene at all times while representing us
- you must maintain a courteous and respectful manner to other employees, as well as to clients, children, visitors, suppliers and other persons you come into contact with during the exercise of your duties on our behalf
- you must not, without our prior consent, undertake any alternative employment or self-employment. In the event that you undertake any other paid work:
- you must notify your line manager of the hours worked so that we can ensure we meet our obligations under the Working Time Regulations and
- Any such employment or self-employment must not be in competition with us.
- you must abide by our rules and good common sense in relation to the health and safety of yourself and others
- you must take care not to damage property belonging to us or any of the other employees or our clients or suppliers.
- You must comply with the company’s policies and procedures
Misconduct (falling short of gross misconduct)
Set out below are examples of behaviour which we treat as misconduct falling short of gross misconduct. Such behaviour will normally render you liable to sanction under the Disciplinary Procedure up to and including a final written warning. You should note that this is not an exhaustive list, and management reserves the right to decide how any other misconduct shall be categorised. Examples include:
- Lateness
- Failure to comply with the absence notification and certification procedure
- Careless work or poor effort at work
- Work performance below an acceptable level
- Failure to maintain a safe and tidy working environment
- Extended tea or meal breaks
- Failure to maintain a satisfactory standard of personal appearance or hygiene
- Dangerous physical horseplay
- Neglect causing damage to property or equipment of the employer, a client, or another employee
- Unsatisfactory attitude or behaviour towards others
- Use of foul language
- Wilful or excessive wastage of materials
- Excessive time away from the job
- Breaches of our data protection policy not treated as grossly negligent or deliberate
- Breaches of health and safety rules not treated as gross misconduct
Gross Misconduct
Set out below are examples of behaviour which we treat as gross misconduct. Such behaviour will normally render you liable to dismissal without notice. You should note that this list is not exhaustive. Examples include:
- Serious breach of health and safety rules
- Fighting or physical violence
- Threatening or aggressive behaviour
- Gross negligence
- Failure to report damage caused to persons or property
- Unauthorised absence
- Time off for sickness when not genuinely ill
- Abandoning duties during working hours
- Smoking in an unauthorised area including a work vehicle
- Failure to follow a reasonable work instruction
- Serious misuse of our email, phone and internet facilities
- Grossly offensive or obscene behaviour
- Acts of unlawful discrimination or victimisation, bullying and/or harassment
- Breach of rules contained in the alcohol and drugs policy
- Reporting for work under the influence of alcohol or drugs or consumption of alcohol or taking drugs during working hours
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Falsification of records
- Making a false / malicious complaint
- Undertaking private work during working hours
- Working in competition with us
- Carrying out any paid or voluntary work without consent while on sick leave
- Serious breach of security rules, including data security rules
- Actions which could reasonably be deemed to bring our business into disrepute
- Grossly negligent or deliberate breach of our data protection policy
- Theft or misappropriation of property belonging to us, another employee, our client or supplier
- Wilful or grossly negligent damage to property
- Clocking / swiping / signing-in offences
- Accepting, requesting or offering a bribe
- Unauthorised recording of a conversation or meeting
- Breach of the implied term of mutual trust and confidence in the employment relationship
- Conviction of a criminal offence (except for minor road traffic offences) that impacts on your suitability to do your job or your relationship with us, your work colleagues or our clients, suppliers or business partners.