CONTENTS
Equality / 3
Flexible Working Hours / 5
Pension Benefits
Training and Development / 8
Absence & Leave
Work/Life Balance
Attendance
Timekeeping
Transport Disruption
Reporting Absence
Special Leave
Sickness Absence and Sickness Leave
Parental Leave
Maternity
Paternity
Adoptive Parents / 10
10
10
11
11
11
12
13
16
16
19
20
Disciplinary Procedure
Flowchart / 21
24
Capability Procedure
Flowchart / 25
28
Grievance / 29
Bullying and Harassment
Flowchart / 31
33
Working at Home (UNDER REVIEW)
IT / 35
Expenses / 39
Health & Safety
Annex A – Health & Safety at Work Policy Statement
Annex B – Emergency Plan Fire Instructions
Annex C – First Aid
Annex D – Lone Working
Annex E – FAQs
Annex F – 14 Steps to Safe and Comfortable Computer Use / 42
48
50
52
53
54
55
EQUALITY
The Society recognises and values the diversity of employees and the operations engineering population. We actively promote the richness that this diversity engenders and take the commitment to equality seriously basing our relationship sin the engineering community on mutual respect and appreciation of individual differences.
Discrimination or harassment on any grounds, but particularly on the grounds of race, colour, ethnic origin, sex, disability, age, gender, marital status, religious or sexual orientation or background will not be tolerated and may, subject to investigation into the circumstances, be a disciplinary matter. If you feel that you have been the subject of unequal treatment in some way, please see the Employee Policies Manual for details of the bullying and harassment and the grievance procedures.
The Trustee Board and the Chief Executive have the responsibility to ensure that this policy receives the support of all Society employees and volunteers serving the Society through effective communication.
The Society is committed to:
- Promoting equality of opportunity for all.
- Eradicating discriminatory actions and practices.
- Valuing the diversity of its staff and the operations engineering community.
- Ensuring, as far as practicable, that employees and volunteers have a secure working environment within the Society, free from discrimination or personal harassment, we will respond promptly and effectively if it should occur.
- Encouraging its members to embrace the policy and working with them to affect this.
- Regular monitoring, review and updating (where necessary) of this equality policy and its implementation.
- Expecting suppliers and members to adopt a similar approach.
We will implement our commitment to equality by:
Raising Awareness
- Ensuring that all staff and volunteers are aware of the policy and understand what it means for how they conduct themselves
Employment
- Monitor applications received in recruitment to with a view ensure that there is no bias in the shortlisting and appointment of candidates
- Ensure that all those involved in the appointment and management of staff have been trained on equality issues to ensure that appointments and promotions are based on merit and ability and that staff are treated equally
- Ensure that criteria and requirements developed for access to training and promotion opportunities are objective, relevant and do not unjustifiably disadvantage particular groups
- Ensure that our employment policies support diversity and do not disadvantage particular groups
Members/Registrants
- Putting procedures in place to promote equality for all candidates for membership and registration
- Ensuring that application forms for membership or registration are clear in language terms and that there is provision for applicants to state any special requirements so that these can be considered
- Ensuring that our approach to and processes for providing guidance to members and applications for membership/registration is equal for all groups
- Ensuring that information that we produce as a society on our website, publications, intranet for members and the public is clear and promotes diversity – nick – is this right/sufficient
- Ensuring that staff providing guidance to Members/registrants, are aware of equality issues and seek to avoid disadvantaging particular groups.
FLEXIBLE WORKING HOURS
The Policy
The Society operates a flexi-time working hours scheme which enables employees to begin work and finish work at different times, within the parameters outlined below and, in limited circumstances, to take extra hours worked as flexi-time.
Whilst this is designed to help everyone achieve a reasonable work life balance, employees are expected to meet the needs of the organisation at all times, and to maintain adequate cover during office hours. Sometimes this may mean that it is not possible to allow individuals to choose their start and finish time and teams will need to work together, to balance cover needs with individual needs and requests, to ensure that all offices are resourced during the Society’s normal office hours.
How the Scheme works
Hours of Work
All employees are expected to work 35 hours per week (or as stated in the contract for part-time staff) between Monday and Friday.
The office is open between 7:30 am and 6.00 pm (or later by prior arrangement).
All staff must be at work between the hours of 10:00 am and 3:00 pm this period is known as “core time”. Staff can choose to start their working day at any time between 07:30 and 10:00 am and to finish at any time between 3:00 and 6:00 pm, subject to satisfactory office cover arrangements and agreement within their team.
Lunch breaks are normally for one hour, unpaid, between 12:00 and 2:00 pm, however, a break of at least 30 minutes per day should be taken (normally between the hours of 12:00 and 2:00 pm unless by Line Manager/Head of Department’s agreement).
Travelling time to SOE offices or to any other destination as part of the job, e.g. to seminars, conferences, meetings, does not count towards the total working hours for flexi-time purposes.
Taking Extra Hours worked as Flexi-time
Any hours worked above 35 per week (or contracted hours for part-time staff) must be agreed in advance by Line Manager/Head of Department and should only be worked if there is a business need, eg, to finish a specified project, attend an evening event sort out an office move etc. Hours worked per week should not normally exceed 48 in total when averaged over a period, to comply with the working time directive.
Senior staff is not expected to accrue and take as flexi-time, any extra hours worked except by special agreement with the Chief Executive.
For all other staff, in any calendar month a maximum of one day (seven hours) of approved extra hours may be “banked”, totalled on the last day of the month and then taken during the following calendar month as flexi time. Any hours accrued in excess of seven should be taken as time in lieu (TOIL) by agreement with your Line Manager/Head of Department. If business needs preclude this accrued flexi time from being taken during the following month, then by agreement with your Line Manager/Head of Department, the hours can be carried forward for a further month. However, in all circumstances, the hours must be taken within two months following the end of the month during which they were accrued, otherwise they will be lost.
The taking of flexi-time is subject to prior agreement by your Line Manager/Head of Department in the same way as any other time off. It is not possible to be paid in lieu of taking flexi-time owed.
Flexi-time should normally be taken in blocks of half a day or a whole day, unless different arrangements are agreed, by exception, by your Line Manager/Head of Department. Once agreed, planned flexi-time to be taken should be recorded on the Society’s electronic calendar.
Working beyond 5.00 pm
If a member of staff is working later than 5. 00 pm and is going to be the only employee left in the building, they must make arrangements to be in telephone/text contact with either their Line Manager/Head of Department or the second to last person to leave the building. This is so that their safe departure from the building can be confirmed. If the individual failed to confirm their departure from the building within the agreed timeframe, then the nominated contact concerned would be required to check and raise the alarm, if necessary. (see Lone Working Policy under Health & Safety).
Recording Hours
Line Manager/Head of Departments will be responsible for organising the cover arrangements to ensure that offices are resourced appropriately. They will also record any “approved banked” extra hours on the weekly staff attendance report (a copy of which is attached) so that up to seven hours per month may be taken as flexi time. This will enable a record to be kept of any flexi-time accrued and this can then be checked against the electronic calendar when flexi-time is taken. Any hours accrued that are not recorded by the Line Manager/Head of Department on the weekly attendance sheet will not count towards “banked” hours.
All flexi-time taken must be noted in the electronic calendar. If an individual is sick, on a flexi-day/part day, their absence will be treated as sickness.
Appointments
With the exception of ante-natal appointments, individuals should make use of the flexible start and finish times and any flexi-time accrued, to go to medical or other appointments that need to be attended during normal working hours, with the prior approval of your Line Manager/Head of Department.
Reviewing the Scheme
The Scheme will be regularly monitored to check that it is working appropriately. The Society reserves the right to withdraw the flexible working scheme, or amend it, if necessary.
Flexible Working – Key Points – in brief!
- Full time staff should work 35 hours a week, Monday-Friday, part-time as per contract, and any extra hours that are necessary must be authorised in advance.
- “Core hours” for all to be in work are 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.
- Start time can be from 7:30 am finish time up to 6:00 pm.
- Up to one day a month can be banked and used the next month as flexi-time in blocks of half or a full day.
- All approved extra hours must be recorded by the Line Manager/Head of Department and flexi-time must be noted in the electronic calendar.
- Any flexi-time accrued by the last day in the month is ideally to be taken during the following month, and will be lost if not taken within 2 months.
- Flexible start/finish times and flexi time to be used to attend medical/dental appointments.
- Lone late workers must notify a nominated contact when they leave the building.
PENSION BENEFITS
The Society operates a group Personal Pension Plan (PPP). An Independent Financial Adviser (IFA) appointed by the Society is available to give pension advice to all staff, once they have completed their probation period. Meetings with the IFA are arranged by the Head of Finance.
For staff recruited on or before 30 June 2001 the Society will pay a monthly sum of one twelfth of an amount equivalent to 7.5% of your annual salary into the group (or own approved) PPP until termination of employment.
If you were recruited after 30 June 2001, the Society will pay a monthly sum of one twelfth of an amount equivalent to 4.5% of your gross annual salary into the group (or own approved) PPP with effect from the month following completion of your probation period until termination of employment with the Society. A further monthly amount of up to one twelfth of 3% of your gross annual salary will be paid by the Society provided that you match this with a monthly personal contribution of at least one twelfth of 3% of your gross annual salary. This personal contribution will be deducted from your net monthly salary.
On termination of employment, the options open to you with regard to your plan will depend on individual circumstances. You are strongly advised to seek the advice of an IFA prior to termination. Further details are available from the Head of Finance
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
The Society is committed to ensuring that it equips staff with the skills and knowledge that they need to carry out their roles effectively and to help them develop their skills and achieve their full potential within the Society.
Induction
When new employees join the Society, they will receive an induction that is designed to familiarise them with the Society and the requirements of their role. As part of the induction their Line Manager/Head of Department will introduce the new employee to the Staff Handbook and explain the Society’s purpose, organisational structure and Policies and Procedures eg Health & Safety.
Over the first 2-3 weeks in employment, the employee will spend some time in each department to learn about its work and the functions of the people undertaking it. This is in addition to any “on the job training” and familiarisation with the new role that the employee’s line manager will be responsible for organising.
An administration and induction checklist will be completed for all new employees. Part 2 of this document lists the areas that the induction will cover and should be completed by the employee and the line manager to confirm that the initial induction has taken place. During the probation period regular meetings will take place between the employee and their line manager in order to identify any training needs.
Appraisals
There are two appraisal interviews conducted each year, the main one takes place in December and an interim appraisal is carried out in May/June. Key objectives will be set for each individual at the main appraisal interview and any training needs will be discussed and agreed. Key objectives achieved and training progress will be evaluated at the interim appraisal.
Training and Development
Training and development to enhance staff skills and knowledge and provide personal development is based on identified training needs. The Society encourages staff to develop and improve their skills and adapt to new practices and technologies. Development and training needs to be identified as part of the annual appraisal.
For some types of training and development that are financially supported by the Society, a training agreement needs to be signed. Please see “Studying for Professional Qualifications” for further information.