Time Records and Pay
A working week is from Monday to Sunday and you are paid for that week the following Friday. You must ensure you are aware of any procedures for recording hours and take responsibility for making your employer aware of any hours worked. Any deductions from your wage will be due to subs, uniform not returned, tax or National Insurance deductions. We do not control the amount of tax you are deducted.
Holidays
Our holiday year runs from 1st April to 31st March. You are entitled to a minimum of 28 days (including Bank Holidays) based on accrued hours for each holiday year. The hourly rate will be used to calculate over a reference period of 12 weeks. Holiday process may vary depending on your contract holder so please check with us for details. You should give at least one weeks notice for any holiday dates and ensure you submit your request in writing to your local branch. All holidays must be taken in the holiday year in which they are accrued and cannot be carried over or money paid in lieu for hours untaken (due to Working Time Regulations). When you cease working with us you should request your P45 from your relevant contract holder. Following termination of your assignment you must request any outstanding holiday within 4 weeks of your leaving date, if applicable. Payments for annual leave will be calculated on the basis of rates paid for hours worked during the relevant calculation period as defined by Section 224 of the Employment Right Act 1996. From time to time we may require you to reserve holiday pay for periods of shut down, such as Christmas and New Year. Details of this will vary from client to client and we will inform you.
Conduct and Attendance
Please only accept a job that you believe is suitable for you. If you accept a role we expect you to attend work for every shift and arrive on time. If you cannot attend work for any reason it is essential that you notify us a minimum of two hours before your shift start time. Due to our Attendance Policy repeated instances of lateness or absence will not be tolerated and may lead to disciplinary action or termination of your contract. We expect you to conduct yourself in a professional manner whilst on site, taking due care and attention to relevant health and safety regulations and to treat all employees in a courteous manner. Should you not adhere to these requirements we reserve the right to remove you from our database and we will not be able to offer you any further work.
Grievances
If you have a grievance regarding any issues relating to your role payment, service, or place of work this should be submitted in writing to us. We will investigate the query and respond in due course. If you are unsatisfied with the outcome you should then contact Head Office.
Clothing and Equipment
Wherever protective clothing is essential for a role, it will be provided by us. While this equipment remains property of ours it is your responsibility to maintain it, keep it clean and retain conditions whilst in your possession. Failure to return any clothing / boots / equipment etc immediately on completion of your contract will result in a charge payable by you.
Notice of Termination
If notice is given two weeks notice must be supplied by the temporary worker in writing to your local branch. Our clients reserve the right to end any assignment with immediate effect. In the event of misconduct, we may invoke its disciplinary procedure and this could, in certain circumstances, result in termination of the employee’s contract with immediate effect.
Stronger Together
We are committed to the protection of our workers You should never be forced to work when you don’t want to, have to pay someone to find you work or be forced to live in accommodation If you are at risk you can report it to Gangmasters Licensing Authority on 0800 432 0804 or Modern Slavery Helpline on 0800 0121 700.
Confidentiality
By working for us you will be issued with company documentation. We expect you to treat all documents we supply as confidential.
It is considered a disciplinary matter should any temporary worker disclose payment details or discuss any confidential matters they have been involved in. The company asks all temporary workers to abide by the confidentiality clause contained in their contract of employment. Temporary workers must also understand their role in the Data Protection Act.
Agency Workers Regulations
The Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) were published came into force on the 1st October 2011. The aim of the legislation is for agency workers to be provided with equal treatment in the work place with regards to basic working conditions. Upon completion of a 12 week qualifying period in the same job with the same hirer, agency workers will be entitled the same basic working and employment conditions, had they been recruited directly by the hirer Under the regulations there are also Day 1 Rights will apply from the first day of the assignment, no earlier than October 2011. These rights include access to collective facilities and information about relevant permanent job vacancies. It is possible the hirer may decline to offer certain facilities provided they can show justification for doing so. The qualification period is 12 consecutive weeks, any gap of 6 weeks or longer will mean your qualifying period will start again. We will ask for details of your recent work history, to establish whether, or if you already do, qualify for equal treatment. You will need to disclose any period of time you have worked for the hirer. Failure to do so may mean you delay the opportunity to receive equal treatment.
Drug and Alcohol Policy
The Company has a responsibility to provide a safe and healthy working environment for all its clients. The Company recognises that this can be put at risk by those who misuse alcohol or drugs to such an extent that it affects their Health and Safety, the Health and Safety of others, their performance, their conduct or relationships at work. We adopt a zero tolerance approach towards the misuse of alcohol and substances. Anyone suspected or proven to be in breach of this policy will have their contract ended with immediate effect.
Testing Consent
The Company operates drug and alcohol testing procedures. This is done at random and can also be instigated upon suspicion based on specific personal observations that the employee concerned may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Failure to give consent or refuse a test will be considered a breach of this policy and may lead to disciplinary action. Any person testing positive shall have the right to challenge the results and obtain an independent analysis of the sample. Any person testing positive, who accepts the results, may be referred for treatment and advice in accordance with the rest of this policy alternatively the company may instigate disciplinary procedures. Each case will be assessed on an individual basis according to the circumstances.
Health And Safety – Manual Handling Information
The purpose of this section is to give you an understanding of safe lifting techniques within a working environment.
Facts
- The majority of back injuries are strains to muscles and soft tissue damage, heavy lifting and a poor lifting technique can result in damage to the spine over a period of time.
- Manual handling activities cause over 35% of all three day injuries in the workplace.
Before lifting, Plan your lift using the guidelines below:
- Find out as much information about the load as possible, e.g. weight, movement in load
- The location the load is to be placed
- Appropriate handling aids available – e.g. trolleys, lifting equipment
- Do you need assistance in order to lift the load safely
- Are there any obstructions on your route
- Once the load has been lifted, can you see clearly
Lifting Technique
- Try and use the following approved lifting technique: Position of the Feet
- Ensure your feet are apart in order to give a stable base
- Consider clothing; try to avoid any tight clothing which may restrict your movements
- Consider your footwear; flat shoes are advised. Heels are not ideal
Posture
- If you are lifting from a low level, ALWAYS bend your knees
- Be sure to keep the back and spine as straight as possible
- Keep arms straight and tucked into the side
- Keep your shoulders level and facing the same direction as the hips
Grip
- Use your palms of your hands to grip underneath the object rather than using the fingers
- If there is a risk of cutting yourself, you must wear any protective equipment provided e.g. protective gloves
- Make sure your grip is secure before lifting the object
Keep close to the load
- Try to keep the load as close to your body as possible
- Lift smoothly keeping control at all times
- Move feet, avoid twisting the trunk of the body when turning side to side