EMPLOYMENT HANDBOOK

1:	Starting employment

1.1	CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT
IN ACCORDANCE WITH CURRENT EMPLOYMENT LEGISLATION, a written contract of employment is issued to every employee.  This is provided as soon as possible after acceptance of the offer of appointment, and in any event within two months of starting work.  Your contract contains all the contractual terms and conditions of employment. 

The contents of this Employee Handbook are all entirely non-contractual.  

Posts are classified as established or temporary; as full-time or part-time.  Some appointments may be for a fixed term as prescribed in the contract.

All appointments are subject to the receipt of satisfactory references and completion of a probationary period unless specifically waived in the contract.

1.2	PROBATION PERIOD
A probationary procedure applies to an employee who is taking up their first employment with the Church, whether it is a temporary or permanent contract.

The probationary period is a minimum of 3 months.

1.3	INDUCTION
The Church provides an Induction Programme for new employees.

Section 2:	Day-to-Day Arrangements

2

2.1	CHANGES IN PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES
Any changes in name, address, contact numbers, emergency contacts, bank details etc should be advised to the Chairman of the management committee or his/her designated appointee in order for records to be updated and remain current.

2.2	NO-SMOKING POLICY
Smoking is not permitted anywhere in the Church Offices.

2.3	SALARIES AND PAYMENT
Salaries are paid monthly, normally on the fourth Friday of the month.  All salaries are expressed as annual figures and divided into twelve equal parts.  Salary advice slips are issued monthly specifying the gross and net amount of the salary as well as statutory and other sundry deductions. Payment is made direct to a bank account.  

The Chairman will consider requests outside this framework and assist where possible.

Remuneration for part-time employees is calculated on a pro rata basis based on a working week of 35 hours.

2.4	HOURS OF WORK
Normal office hours are Monday to Friday, 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.  Full time employees are expected to take one hour for lunch.  The nature of the organisation precludes a full flexi-time arrangement but some adjustment to start and finish times may be made by mutual agreement between the employee and their Line Manager.

Hours of work may vary according to location and job.  The hours of work applicable to individual staff are clearly stated in the contract of appointment.

2.5	E-MAIL AND INTERNET USE
Whilst access from church computer terminals to the Internet (World Wide Web) is normally unrestricted, employees are expected to use the system responsibly for the purposes of their work.

2.6	OTHER EMPLOYMENT
Employees should not undertake any other commercial or professional activity on their own account or for another employer without obtained prior permission.  Requests should be made to the Chairman of the Management Committee   or his/her designated appointee. Such requests will not be unreasonably withheld provided there is no conflict of interest and not likely to interfere with the performance of a post.

2.7	CONFIDENTIALITY
The Church expects high standards of discretion and confidentiality of all employees at all times.  Failure to comply with these expectations will result in disciplinary action being taken.

2.8	DRESS CODE
Normal dress code is smart or smart casual unless the nature of your work on a particular day requires otherwise.

2.9	HEALTH & SAFETY
The Church accepts its moral duty (which is also a legal requirement under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (and its subsequent revisions) to ensure  the health, safety and welfare at work of all its employees as well as its duty to persons other than employees (e.g. visitors)

2.10	SECURITY
The Church’s premises are covered by insurance for public liability, employer's liability, and theft of or damage to contents that are in the Church’s ownership. (UK only) Employees are responsible for the safe keeping of their belongings and should not leave cash and other valuable items in unattended rooms.

Section 3:	Working Time

3.1	WORKING TIME REGULATIONS
Working Arrangements will comply with relevant Health & Safety legislation, including European Working Time Directive and its associated legislation.

The principal provisions of the UK version of the European Working Time Regulations 1998, effective from the 1 October 1998 – 

•	A limit on average weekly working time to 48 hours (although individuals can choose to work longer).
•	Minimum daily and weekly rest periods
Adult workers are entitled to a rest period of not less than 11 consecutive hours in each 24 period and young workers (15-17years) are entitled to 12 hours consecutive rest in each 24 period.
Adult workers are entitled to receive a 24 hours rest period each week.
•	Rest Breaks during the working day
Adult workers will normally be entitled to a minimum of 20 minute break if their working day is longer than 6 hours.
•	Paid annual leave.

3.2	NORMAL OFFICE HOURS
Normal office opening hours are Monday- Friday 9.00am – 5.00pm.
Hours of work may vary according to location and job.  The hours of work applicable to individual staff are clearly stated in the contract of appointment.

3.3	FULL-TIME WORKING
The full-time working week is 35 hours for employees.

3.4	PART-TIME WORKING
Part-time employees will have pro-rata the same pay and conditions of service as comparable to full-time employees, except for – 
•	Training and development – where part-time employees should have access equal to that of full-time employees and when on training courses outside their contracted daily hours shall be paid on the same basis as full-time employees.

3.5	TIME OFF IN LIEU (TOIL)
Employees may occasionally be required to work outside their normal hours, for example in the evenings or weekends.  Extra payments will not normally be paid for additional hours worked but reasonable compensatory time off in lieu for hours worked in excess of 35 hours per week will be permitted, in consultation in advance with your Line Manager.

Section 4:	Annual and other leave

4.1	ANNUAL LEAVE
Your annual leave entitlement is notified to you in your contract of employment.  The leave year runs from 1st January. The requirement for any balance of leave not taken before 31st December (up to a maximum of 5 days) is that it shall normally be taken before 31st March.  Any exception requires the prior approval of the Chairman of the Management Committee or his/her designated appointee. 

Part-time staff are entitled to pro-rata entitlement, based on the number of hours they work per week.  The most effective way to ensure the correct entitlement is to express leave (annual and public holidays) as hours.
For example if you work 21 hours per week your entitlement will be calculated as follows:

Full leave entitlement x standard f/t hours x contracted hours
                                                        5                standard f/t hours

20  x 35 x 21  
          5     35  =  84 hours

*21 = only variable in the formula

Full time entitlement is annual leave (20 days) plus 8 public days (28).

Employees appointed or leaving during the calendar year qualify for a proportionate amount of leave according to each completed month worked. 

4.2	STATUTORY LEAVE
All full time employees get a paid holiday on each of the 8 statutory, and public holidays as they occur. Part time employees will only be paid if the Bank Holiday falls on one of their normal working days.

4.3	COMPASSIONATE LEAVE
In special circumstances, unpaid leave of absence is subject to the approval of the Chairman of the Management Committee.  

4.4	BEREAVEMENT LEAVE
Employees will be granted up to 4 days bereavement leave if they have considerable additional responsibilities associated with a funeral, for example, organising the funeral arrangements, childcare, sorting out a business, complicated debts etc.

4.5	FUNERAL LEAVE
One day’s paid leave to be given to attend the funeral of a dependant or close relative.  This is defined as brother, sister, parent, parent-in-law, (including parents of the employee’s partner), grandparent, grandchild.

4.6	PUBLIC DUTIES
If you are called for jury service you must inform your Line Manager as soon as possible so that, if necessary, arrangements can be made for temporary cover. Any monies paid directly by the Court must be declared and will be deducted. 

Consideration will be given to absences by employees undertaking civic and/or community commitments such as magistrate, Justice of the Peace, and School Governor. 

4.7	MEDICAL APPPOINTMENTS
Where possible, employees are asked to make appointments with doctors, dentists, opticians, and other medical practitioners outside normal office hours. If this is not possible, the appointment should be arranged so that it causes minimal disruption to the working day.

If you accompanying someone to a medical appointment, you will be required to take annual leave or TOIL as applicable.

4.8  OTHER LEAVE

Rights to leave for MATERNITY, ADOPTION, PARENTAL and FOSTER CARE and DEPENDANT’S CARE are available from the Diocesan HR Officer (01543 306067)

Section 5:	Conduct and Performance

5.1	CODE OF CONDUCT
The reputation of the Church is dependent to a certain extent on the high standards of work, conduct and appearance of the staff.  Your job puts you in a position of trust and responsibility.  You must ensure that your conduct does not limit your effectiveness or damage the reputation of the Church.

5.2	E-MAIL POLICY
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that the Church's e-mail system can operate efficiently and without it being exposed to any potential liability. Therefore, any breach of this policy, depending on its seriousness, may be matter for disciplinary action.

Whilst the Church does accept that on the odd occasion there will be a need for personal use, please note all e-mail messages are records of the Church and the Church reserves the right to do with them as it sees fit.

You should be careful regarding the content of e-mails, which may be forwarded on both outside and inside Church offices. You should be aware that all the Church’s policies apply to e-mail messages, and the Church may find itself vicariously liable for defamatory information for which you are responsible.

Do not create e-mail congestion by sending trivial messages or unnecessarily copying/forwarding of e-mails e.g. humorous stories etc. Any chain mail letter received must be deleted immediately and not sent on to any person.

If you are going to be away for half a day or more, you should use the e-mail facility which alerts people to the fact that you will be absent for a period of time. Using that facility, you should provide contact details for a person or persons who are competent to deal with matters in your absence.

Messages should be addressed only to those people who need to receive that information. Do not use e-mail as an easy way to flood people with unnecessary information. The 'to' distribution button must only be used for people directly affected by the contents of the e-mail.  Use 'cc' for people who simply need to be informed about what is going on.

When sending email to a large group of recipients, please use the “bcc field” for addresses. This prevents the addresses of the whole group being circulated to all recipients.

5.3	INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (COMPUTER SOFTWARE) POLICY

Whilst access from church computer terminals to the Internet (World Wide Web) is normally unrestricted, employees are expected to use the system responsibly for the purposes of their work. The Church needs to ensure as far as possible that the system remains operational and secure. Employees should be vigilant when using the network, particularly when accessing e-mail and the Internet, helping prevent attacks on the integrity of the system by:
•	Not opening e-mails from people and addresses with whom they are unfamiliar;
•	Not opening e-mail attachments unless they are known to have come from a recognized bona fide source;
•	Not downloading and/or opening files from Internet sites unless they are known, 'trusted' sites (i.e. Government agencies etc.);
•	Not accessing or downloading inappropriate data (e.g. racial or pornographic material) that could give serious offence to others and render the employee to disciplinary or legal action. Bear in mind that sites accessed are retained on the system and can be seen by others, in connection with which the Church reserves the right to read the contents of any file on any network/system, hard drive or other computer media owned by the Board;

5.4	BULLYING POLICY
The aim of this procedure is to protect Church employees from bullying and to enable them, if necessary, to make a complaint or assist in an investigation without far of reprisal.  Implementation of this policy is the duty of all staff and all staff are expected to comply.

The Church defines ‘bullying’ as follows; ‘the persistent, demeaning and downgrading of employees through words and actions that gradually erode self-confidence and undermine self-esteem.’ No form of bullying will be condoned at  any Church office.

Examples of bullying

You may not always realise that your behaviour constitutes bullying, but you must recognise what is acceptable to one person may not be acceptable to another. It is the perceptions of the recipient that determine whether any action or statement can be viewed as bullying.  Therefore, we have listed for you some examples of bullying, although the list is not exhaustive.

•	Derogatory remarks;
•	Insensitive jokes or pranks;
•	Insulting or aggressive behaviour;
•	Ignoring or excluding an individual;
•	Public criticism;
•	Substituting responsible tasks with menial or trivial ones;
•	Constantly undervaluing effort.

All bullying complaints brought to the Church's attention will be treated with confidentiality and impartiality. All legitimate allegations will be taken seriously and fully investigated and any person found bullying would be subject to  disciplinary procedure.

Complaint

You should report the complaint to your immediate line manager. The complaint can be formal or informal. You should choose the preferred option to resolve the problem in the first instance.

You should, however, where possible make a written record of:

•	Any incidents of bullying;
•	Name of the individual who is bullying;
•	The nature of the bullying;
•	Dates and times when the bullying occurred;
•	Names of any witnesses to any incidents of bullying.

Once this complaint has been received, a full investigation will be carried out. Care will be taken during an investigation to treat all employees involved with consideration.

The Chairman of the Management Committee will consider whether it is appropriate to attempt to resolve the issue informally.  If so a meeting will be arranged at which the person who is bullying will be told by either the individual who is being bullied or the Chairman that the behaviour is offensive and unwanted and must stop.

A note of the meeting and the alleged bully’s response will be placed on the alleged bully’s personnel file, but will not be referred to again unless the alleged bully is involved in a further allegation of bullying, whether or not the same victim.

Where informal methods fail, or if the Chairman considers the problem is sufficiently grave, the issue will be addressed in a formal disciplinary hearing under the Church's Disciplinary Procedure.

Procedure

•	If you are unsure of how to deal with the situation, please speak to the Diocesan HR Officer, (01543 306067) in strict confidence;
•	You have the right to be accompanied by a colleague at all stages of this procedure if required; 
•	If you bring a complaint you will not suffer victimisation for having brought the complaint; 
•	If you were unhappy about the way your complaint has been handled or you may wish for it to be reconsidered, you should make use of the grievance procedure;
•	If in certain incidents the person who is alleged to be bullying is your immediate line manager, you would then report the complaint direct to the Chairman.
•	No person will suffer any adverse employment consequences as a result of reporting a breach of this policy, unless such a report shall be found to be either false and unfounded or false or vexatious.

5.5	HARASSMENT POLICY
The following procedure informs you of the type of behaviour the Church finds unacceptable and what to do if you find yourself in this situation. Implementation of this policy is the duty of all staff and all staff are expected to comply.

The Church defines ‘harassment’ as follows:

•	improper, offensive and humiliating behaviour, practices or conduct which 
may threaten a persons’ job security or create an intimidating, unwelcoming and/or stressful work environment causing personal offence or injury.

Harassment is unwelcome, unreciprocated and offensive to the recipient. The determining factor is how it is received – not how it was intended by the person initiating the behaviour.

You may not always realise that certain behaviour constitutes harassment but you must recognise what is acceptable to one person, may not be acceptable to another, therefore the Church has listed for you some examples although the list is not exhaustive.

Examples of behaviour which could constitute sexual harassment include:

•	Insensitive jokes and pranks;
•	Comments about appearance;
•	Unnecessary body contact;
•	Offensive letters/memos/e-mails;
•	Questions or inferences about a persons private life and sexual activities;
•	Lewd remarks, glances or staring;
•	Unsolicited/unwanted gifts;

Examples of behaviour which could constitute racial harassment include:

•	Racial comments/abuse;
•	Racist jokes/ridicule on racial grounds;
•	Pranks;
•	Derogatory nicknames;
•	Verbal threats or other threatening behaviour;
•	Offensive letters/memos/e-mails;
•	Offensive publications;
•	Facial expression or offensive gestures;
•	Deliberate exclusion from conversations;

All harassment grievances or complaints brought to the Church's attention will be treated with confidentiality and impartiality. All legitimate allegations will be taken seriously and fully investigated and can be treated as a gross misconduct disciplinary offence which could lead to summary dismissal.
Harassment complaint procedure

If you are the victim of minor harassment you should initially make it clear to the harasser that their behaviour is unacceptable/unwanted.

You should also keep a record of any incidents which occur, including dates, times and locations.

If the incident was witnessed, ask the witness to make a note of what they saw.

If the behaviour persists, report the issue to your line manager without delay.

However, if these steps have no effect, you should adopt the following procedure:

You should report the complaint to your immediate line manager (who in turn would report to the Chairman).  Where possible the written complaint should include:

•	Name of the harasser; 
•	The nature of the harassment;
•	Dates and times when the harassment occurred;
•	Names of witnesses to any incidents of harassment;

Once this complaint has been received, a full investigation will be carried out which may include the temporary suspension of the alleged harasser.

Following a full investigation, any person causing personal harassment will be subject to the Church's disciplinary procedure, which may lead to dismissal.

Please note

If you are unsure of how to deal with a situation, please speak to the Diocesan HR Officer (01543 306067) All conversations will be carried out in strict confidence.

•	An individual has a right to be accompanied by a colleague at all stages of this procedure if required;
•	If you bring a complaint you will not suffer victimisation for having brought the complaint;
•	If you are unhappy about the way your complaint has been handled or you may wish for it to be reconsidered, you should make use of the grievance procedure;
•	Prevention is better than cure – if everyone knows what the expected behaviour standards are, there should not be the need to invoke formal disciplinary proceedings on most occasions;
•	No person will suffer any adverse employment consequences as a result of reporting a breach of this policy, unless such a report shall be found to be either false and unfounded or false or vexatious.

5.6	WHISTLE-BLOWING POLICY
A Whistle-blowing Policy and the accompanying procedure is designed to enable members of staff to raise concerns internally and in a confidential fashion about fraud, malpractice, health and safety, criminal offences, miscarriages of justice, and failure to comply with legal obligations or unethical conduct. The policy also provides if necessary, for such concerns to be raised outside the organisation.

It is intended to demonstrate that the Church:

•	Will not tolerate malpractice;
•	Respects the confidentiality of staff raising concerns and will provide procedures to maintain confidentiality so far as is consistent with progressing the issues effectively;
•	Will provide the opportunity to raise concerns outside of the normal line management structure where this is appropriate;
•	Will invoke the Church's disciplinary policy and procedure in the case of false, malicious, vexatious or frivolous allegations;
•	Will provide a clear and simple procedure for raising concerns; which is accessible to all members of staff.

Procedure

This procedure is separate from the Board's adopted procedures regarding grievances.

•	Employees should not use this procedure to raise grievances about their personal employment situation;
•	This procedure is to enable members of staff to express a legitimate concern regarding suspected malpractice within the Church.
•	Malpractice is not easily defined; however, it includes allegations of fraud, financial irregularities, corruption, bribery, dishonesty, acting contrary to the staff code of ethics, criminal activities, or failing to comply with a legal obligation, a miscarriage of justice, or creating or ignoring a serious risk to health, safety or the environment.

Confidentiality

Employees who wish to raise a concern under this procedure are entitled to have the matter treated confidentially and their name will not be disclosed to the alleged perpetrator of malpractice without their prior approval. It may be appropriate to preserve confidentiality that concerns are raised orally rather than in writing, although members of staff are encouraged to express their concern in writing wherever possible. If there is evidence of criminal activity then the Police will in all cases be informed.

The Investigation

•	A member of staff will be at liberty to express their concern to the Chairman.
•	Any concern raised will be investigated thoroughly and in a timely manner, and appropriate corrective action will be pursued. The member of staff making the allegation will be kept informed of progress and, whenever possible and subject to third party rights, will be informed of the Resolution;
•	A member of staff who is not satisfied that their concern is being properly dealt with will have a right to raise it in confidence with the Chairman

External Procedures

Where all internal procedures have been exhausted, a member of staff shall have a right of access to senior members of the Diocese.

It should be noted that under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, there are circumstances where a member of staff may be entitled to raise a concern directly with an external body where the employee reasonably believes:

•	That exceptionally serious circumstances justify it;
•	That the Board would conceal or destroy the relevant evidence;
•	Where they believe they would be victimised by the Board;
•	Where the Secretary of State has ordered it.

Malicious Accusations

False, malicious, vexatious or frivolous accusations will be dealt with under the Church's Disciplinary Procedure.

Protection from Reprisal or Victimisation

No member of the staff will suffer a detriment or be disciplined for raising a genuine and legitimate concern, providing that they do so in good faith and following the Whistleblower procedures.

5.7	GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
This procedure should be dealt with in accordance with the ACAS Code of Practice.

Policy
The Church recognises that from time to time, employees may wish to discuss grievances relating to their employment. We encourage communication between members of staff and their managers in order to provide a fair and open environment, and to ensure that questions and problems arising during the course of employment can be aired and where possible, resolved quickly and to 
the satisfaction of all concerned. The Church recommends that you use this procedure freely and you will not be subject to any detrimental treatment for exercising this right. Separate procedures apply for Harassment and Whistleblowing Policies, details of which are set out elsewhere in this Handbook.

Procedure

If you have a grievance that does not relate to harassment or whistleblowing you should adopt the following procedure:

•	Where you have a grievance arising from your employment you should initially raise this with you immediate manager through discussion, and then follow it up in writing. Your immediate manager will arrange a meeting with you, consider your grievance, and give you a decision within 5 working days;
•	If your grievance is not resolved to your satisfaction, you should then speak to the Chairman, again through discussion, which should be followed up in writing. The Chairman will arrange a meeting with you, consider your grievance, and then give you a decision within 5 working days;
•	If your grievance is still not resolved to your satisfaction, you should then refer the matter to the Diocesan CEO. She will discuss your grievance with you, and thereafter make or take any decision as may be necessary;

•	Any decision made by the Diocesan CEO in respect of any grievance is final.

Please note: If you wish, you have the right to be accompanied by a colleague at any grievance meeting.

5.8	DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE
This procedure should be dealt with in accordance with the ACAS Code of Practice.

(1)	PURPOSE AND SCOPE

This procedure is designed to help and encourage all employees to achieve and maintain a satisfactory standard of conduct, attendance and job performance.  The aim is to ensure consistent and fair treatment for all.

(2)	PRINCIPLES

(a)	No disciplinary action will be taken against anyone until the case has been investigated properly.

(b)	At every Stage in the procedure the employee will be advised of the nature of the complaint against him or her and will be given the opportunity to state his or her case before any decision is made.

(c)	At all Stages the employee will have the right to be accompanied by an employee representative or work colleague during any disciplinary interview.

(d)	No employee will be dismissed for the first breach of discipline except in the case of gross misconduct when the penalty will be dismissal without notice or payment in lieu of notice.

(e)	An employee will have the right to appeal against any disciplinary penalty imposed.

(f)	The procedure may be implemented at any Stage if the employee’s alleged misconduct warrants such action.

(g)	Suspension with pay may occur during an investigation or where misconduct is alleged.  The Church has complete discretion as to whether or not to suspend an employee.  Suspension is a temporary measure and is not to be regarded as disciplinary action or penalty of any kind.  

(h)	The Church will investigate any conduct matter and any other situation where appropriate.  It will allow the Church to decide whether disciplinary action is required.  An investigation will usually involve an investigatory interview with the employee concerned: this is not a disciplinary hearing and there is no right to be accompanied at it.  Any failure to assist an investigation and be entirely open and honest during it will be treated very seriously and may be treated as misconduct or gross misconduct.  

(3)	THE PROCEDURE

Before any disciplinary action is imposed, you will be invited by letter to attend a disciplinary hearing.  In this letter the nature of the disciplinary matter will be explained in as much detail as possible and any relevant evidence which the hearing will consider will be enclosed with the letter (including copies of 
witness statements and any other relevant documents). The letter will set a time, date and location for the hearing which will be reasonable for all those attending.  

(a)	After a reasonable period following your receipt of the letter the disciplinary hearing will be held.  

(b)	If the matter is connected with capability then details of any shortfall in performance will be outlined in order that you may understand the exact nature of the complaint and be able to respond in an appropriate and relative manner

(c)	If this is a conduct matter, the details of the conduct and any allegations will be put to you in full, in order that you may comment and fully state your case.

(d)	If the matter is connected with absence, timekeeping or some other factual matter of this kind, then the details of this will be produced in order that the matter concerned can be discussed fully.

(e)	The manager holding the hearing may adjourn the hearing and undertake further investigations if required. 

(f)	The outcome of the disciplinary hearing may be stated to you at the end of the hearing or sent to you later in written form, but in any event it will always be set out to you in writing within a reasonable period following the hearing.  This letter will remind you of your right to appeal, which is detailed below. 

(g)	The statutory minimum procedure will be followed in cases of dismissal or imposing some other disciplinary penalty that is not suspension on full pay or a warning (defined overleaf).

(4)	DISCIPLINARY STAGES

Informal Action

Cases of minor misconduct or unsatisfactory performance are usually best dealt with informally.  A quiet word is often all that is required to improve an employee’s conduct or performance.

If informal action does not bring about an improvement, or the misconduct or unsatisfactory performance is considered to be too serious to be classed as 
minor, the Church will provide employees with a clear signal of their dissatisfaction by taking formal action.  A record of the improvement note will be kept for 6 months, but will then be considered spent - subject to achievement and sustainment of satisfactory performance.

Formal Action

Stage 1 - First warning: misconduct

If the conduct does not meet acceptable standards the employee will normally be given a written warning. This will set out the nature of the misconduct and the change in behaviour required. The warning should also inform the employee that a final written warning may be considered if there is no sustained satisfactory improvement or change. A record of the warning should be kept, but it should be disregarded for disciplinary purposes after a specified period (eg, six months).
Stage 2 - Final written warning
If the offence is sufficiently serious, or there is a failure to improve during the currency of a prior warning for the same type of offence, a final written warning may be given to the employee. This will give details of the complaint, the 
improvement required and the timescale. It will also warn that failure to improve may lead to action under Stage 3 (dismissal or some other action short of dismissal), and will refer to the right of appeal. A copy of this written warning will be kept by the Chairman but will be disregarded for disciplinary purposes after 12 months (in exceptional cases the period may be longer) subject to achievement and sustainment of satisfactory conduct or performance.

Stage 3 - Dismissal

If conduct or performance is still unsatisfactory and the employee still fails to reach the prescribed standards within the life of a final written warning, the employee will normally be dismissed.  Only an Officer of the Church can take the decision to dismiss.  The employee will be provided, as soon as reasonably practicable, with written reasons for dismissal, the date on which employment will terminate and the right of appeal.

Statutory discipline and dismissal procedure
If an employee faces dismissal - or certain action short of dismissal such as loss of pay or demotion - the minimum statutory procedure will be followed. This involves:
step one: a written note to the employee setting out the allegation and the basis for it
step two: a meeting to consider and discuss the allegation
step three: a right of appeal including an appeal meeting. 
The employee will be reminded of their right to be accompanied. 
(4)	GROSS MISCONDUCT

Gross misconduct may include (but is not limited to) the following: 

•	A serious or wilful breach of the Church’s rules or of your terms and conditions of employment.  
•	Being absent from work without leave (including deliberately walking out of work without express permission). 
•	Grossly indecent/immoral behaviour.
•	Attending work when drunk or under the influence of illegal drugs.
•	Fighting, physical assault or the threat of physical assault.  
•	Deliberate falsification of any records, including time sheets, overtime sheets and absence/sickness records, in respect of yourself or any other employee.  
•	Undertaking private work on the premises (at any time) or doing anything other than authorised work for the company on company premises in working hours without express permission.  
•	Theft of money or property, whether belonging to the Board, another employee or a third party.  
•	Damage to the Church’s property 
•	Serious negligence and/or conduct that breaches of the Health & Safety rules and/or anything  else that might endanger the lives of, or be likely to cause harm, to employees or any other person (regardless of whether such harm is actually caused).  
•	Gross insubordination and/or refusal to carry out legitimate instructions given by a supervisor/manager.  
This list is not exhaustive and is for illustration only.

If, on completion of an investigation and disciplinary hearing, the Chairman is satisfied that gross misconduct has occurred, the result will normally be summary dismissal without notice or payment in lieu of notice unless there are extraordinary mitigating circumstances present.
(5)	APPEALS

An employee who wishes to appeal against a disciplinary decision should inform the Chairman in writing within five working days.  The Diocesan CEO will hear all appeals and her decision is final.  At the appeal any disciplinary penalty imposed will be reviewed but it cannot be increased.

5.9	CAPABILITY PROCEDURE

•	If a manager considers an employee’s performance is unsatisfactory, the manager will arrange a meeting with the employee, giving appropriate notice. .  
This meeting will cover the aspects of work that are unsatisfactory and need to be improved.  The manager will ensure that the employee is clear about the required standard of work and any specific targets.

•	An employee’s request to be accompanied will be accommodated, subject to it not unreasonably delaying the scheduling of this meeting.  The person accompanying the employee would be able to address the meeting, make opening and closing statements, ask questions and confer with the employee although they are not able to answer questions on behalf of the employee.  
The manager should discuss the reasons for the unsatisfactory performance and offer support, guidance, additional supervision, and/or training.  (In some cases this may include jointly exploring opportunities for the employee to apply for and move to a different job within the organisation where there are major concerns about the employee’s suitability for the current job).

•	The support that is offered by the line manager during the meeting should be clearly stated, including details of by whom and by when it will be given.  The manager will need to offer continuing support and encouragement.  

•	The matters discussed and the planned action should be confirmed in writing to the employee. 

•	The employee will be informed that their performance will be monitored over a reasonable and defined period, the length of which will depend on individual circumstances and the relevant factors, which may include the type and availability of training and the frequency of occurrence of the work causing concern. 

Monitoring Period
•	At the end of the monitoring period the manager will need to decide whether or not the employee’s performance is satisfactory.  If it is satisfactory, the manager will discuss this with the employee and they should be encouraged to maintain the improvement.  The outcome of this discussion will be confirmed in writing. 

•	If there has been some, but insufficient, progress the manager should meet the employee and explain those areas that have improved and those that still 
require improvement.  The monitoring period will be extended and all issues discussed will be confirmed in writing to the employee.

•	If there has been no significant improvement (either at the end of the original or extended monitoring period), the employee will be required to attend a formal Capability Interview to further discuss the performance problems.

5.10	ACCESS TO HR PERSONAL FILE
The Church supports the principle of openness in its relationship with employees and subject to certain safeguards which it believes to be necessary, will allow employees access to their personal files.

The objective of this is to enable employees to have access to their personal files in order to verify factual information held and where necessary, to correct information which is factually incorrect.

An employee will have to put a request in writing to the Chairman of the Management Committee in order to access their file.  

Section 6:	Safe Guards

6.1	SAFEGUARDING
THE CHURCH HAS A DUTY OF CARE UNDER THE LAW of the land to protect children (under 18 years) in its care, to keep them safe and sound, whether it be on church premises, community facilities, residential centres or the homes of adult leaders and helpers. A Diocesan policy has been formulated from many sources, in particular The Children Act 1989; a Code of Practice issued by the Home Office entitles 'Safe from Harm'; the House of Bishops' Policy Statements on Child Abuse (July 1995) and 'Protecting all God's Children' [2004]. 

Diocesan people (paid or voluntary) who in the course of their activities are likely to have opportunities for contact with children/young people under eighteen years of age are required to have an enhanced disclosure check to be carried out by the Criminal Records Bureau before commencing those activities. In short, the Church has to ensure there is adequate, secure supervision of and a safe environment for the young people in its care.

6.2	DATA PROTECTION
THE DATA PROTECTION ACT 1998 requires that any person or company who processes personal information on a computer to be registered. The Act lays down a code of conduct, enforceable by law, in the form of eight principles.  As an employee, you are required have to abide by these rules. The Act also gives individuals the right to see any information on themselves, to have it corrected, and to sue for compensation if they have been caused damage or distress as a consequence.   The Act says that personal data* must:

1	be obtained and processed fairly and lawfully;
2	be held only for the purposes specified in the data user’s registration entry;
3	be used and disclosed only in accordance with the registered entry;
4	be relevant, sufficient and not excessive for the purposes specified;
5	be accurate and maintained up-to-date;
6	be kept no longer than is necessary;
7	be made available to the data subject at his/her request and corrected as necessary;
8	be protected against unauthorised loss or disclosure.

If you break any of these principles you personally could be fined and/or sued for compensation. This puts the onus on you to make sure that the data you process is kept up-to-date, accurate, and secure.

*Personal Data Definitions and Provisions
•	'Personal data' covers both facts and opinions about an individual. It includes information necessary for employment such as the employee's name, address, and details for payment of salary.
•	Processing of personal data. An employee's consent may be required for processing personal data unless it is necessary for the performance of the contract of employment. Any information that falls under the definition of personal data and is not otherwise exempt, will remain confidential and will only be disclosed to third parties with the consent of the employee.

•	Sensitive personal data. The Church may, from time to time, be required to process sensitive personal data regarding and employee. Sensitive personal data includes medical information and data relating to religion, race, trade union membership, and criminal records and proceedings. Where sensitive personal data is processed by the Board, the explicit consent of the employee will generally be required in writing.
•	Rights of access to information. Employees have the right of access to personal information held by the Church. Any employee wishing to access their personal data should put their request in writing to the Chairman of the Management Committee. The Church will endeavour to respond to any such written requests as soon as is reasonable practicable and in any event within 40 days. 

How this relates to your job
•	Do not let unauthorised persons have access to personal data - or even a glimpse of your screen;
•	Keep your password secure;
•	Do not leave your computer without logging-off;
•	Lock away any storage media, print-outs etc. when you leave your office unattended.
•	Do not take home computer print-outs as 'scrap';
•	If you receive a request for personal data to be provided under the Act you should clearly establish the identity of the person making the request, if necessary by asking for the caller's name, position, and telephone number, and if in doubt discussing it with the Chairman of the Management Committee before disclosing the information requested. 

Section 7:	 Training & Development

7.1	PERFORMANCE REVIEW
Each year you will have a formal performance appraisal with your Line Manager. This has a number of important aims:
•	To build closer working relationships and become more effective in the way we work together;
•	To recognise job priorities and agree goals for the future;
•	To review progress against objectives;
•	To understand what we are doing well and what we could be doing even better;
•	To improve our performance;
•	To discuss potential development needs.

During the interview you can expect:
•	An honest, open discussion on your own performance, and your manager's role in supporting you;
•	To be able to express your views on your work and progress;
•	To gain recognition for work well done;
•	Constructive feedback on where performance can be improved;
•	Discussion on future personal development;
•	To agree aims, objectives, and priorities for the future. 

Peformance review is not simply an annual event; it is a continuous process. Concerns or constructive comments you have about any aspect of your job, including your working relationships with other departments and staff, should be made known to your Line Manager immediately, not left until the formal review interview. The appraisal is also an opportunity for you to raise any other matters that you may have felt unable to broach in any other context.

Section 8:	Managing change

8.1	GUIDANCE ON CHANGE AND REDUNDANCY

The need to review structure and/or reorganise within the Church will occur from time to time.  The Church will seek to minimise the need for redundancies by responsible and careful planning.

The Church will make every effort to secure suitable alternative employment for any employees either at risk of, or under notice of redundancy.

If the selection of employees for redundancy becomes necessary, consultation will take place on the selection criteria to be used based on legislation, good practice and ACAS guidelines

Consultation

Whenever the need for re-organisation occurs, managers will discuss processes and timelines with staff at the earliest opportunity and staff will have full employment rights to – 

•	Statutory processes for consultation/decision/appeal
•	Be consulted about change, implications and impact
•	Be accompanied at each stage of the process by a workplace colleague
•	Appropriate notice periods
•	Reasonable paid time off to prepare for/attend interviews
•	Seeking suitable alternative employment

Redundancy Pay

The Church will pay statutory redundancy pay, calculated in accordance with the provisions of the relevant current legislation, to any employee made redundant

Voluntary Redundancy/Early Retirement

Where an employee wishes to apply for voluntary redundancy/early retirement they should write formally to their line manager as soon as reasonably possible.  

8.2	RETIREMENT

With effect from the 1 October 2011 the Church cannot compulsorily retire their employees, unless the retirement can be objectively justified in their particular circumstances.

In certain cases it might be possible for an employer to objectively justify a retirement age but in order to do so an employer would need to show that they were acting to further a legitimate aim of the business and that their actions to achieve that aim were appropriate and necessary.

Section 9:	 Employee Health

9.1 SICKNESS REPORTING AND PAY

Sickness Reporting
All employees who are unable to report for work because of illness are to inform their Line Manager as early as possible (preferably before 9.30 a.m.) on the first day of absence, giving the date they first became ill, some indication of the illness and how long they expect to be away.

Employees should notify their Line Manager on the fourth day, of sickness absence, to update them on their condition

Self Certificates/Doctor’s Certificates
In any event, a ‘self certification form’ will be required for up to seven working days’ absence, and thereafter a doctor’s or hospital certificate will be required. 

Line Managers will provide employees with a self-certification form for completion upon return to work.  This form will be counter-signed by the Line Manager, and recorded on the system. 

A Doctor’s Certificate for one week includes the day it is dated i.e. if the Certificate is for one week dated on a Friday, employees should return to work on the following Friday, not the Monday after that.

Sick Pay
You will be entitled to Statutory Sick Pay. To qualify for this you need to earn at least £109 per week before tax and be ill for 4 days in a row.

Sickness and Annual Leave
Should employees become ill while on annual leave and wish to claim sick pay in lieu of holiday, they:

•	Must telephone their relevant manager immediately.
•	Must submit a Self Certificate to their relevant manager to cover first 7 seven days and thereafter a Doctor’s certificate, as necessary.
•	Will be regarded as being on sick leave from the date of a Doctor’s Certificate.

Monitoring
Absence from work will be monitored and the Church reserves the right to require a medical certificate where self-certificated absence becomes excessive or a concern. 

Any abuse of the Sickness Scheme will be dealt with accordingly and repeated abuse could lead to disciplinary action.

Section 10:	Health & Safety

10.1	HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY
THE CHURCH ACCEPTS ITS MORAL DUTY (which is also a legal requirement under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (its subsequent revisions and addenda) to ensure the health, safety and welfare at work of all its employees as well as its duty to persons other than employees (e.g. visitors).  To meet its statutory responsibilities the Church will ensure safety and absence of risks to health in the following:
•	systems of work;
•	use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances;
•	place of work including the provision and maintenance of means of access and egress;
•	working environment, including welfare facilities/arrangements.

The Act also lays duties upon all employees to take reasonable care for their own health and safety, and that of others, and to assist the Church in fulfilling its statutory duties.  To that end all employees should:
a)	be constantly on the lookout for safety hazards and alert to possible accident causes;
b)	understand the importance of reporting immediately to the Line Manager the discovery any faults in furniture, equipment and machinery, including electric wiring or plugs;
c)	report in writing to the Chairman of the Management Committee any matter of concern within the area of health and safety.

All Church Offices have been designated 'No Smoking' areas.

EMPLOYEES ARE REQUESTED TO FAMILIARISE THEMSELVES WITH THE MATTERS SET OUT BELOW

1	GENERAL
The Church is concerned for the health, safety and welfare of its employees at work and will observe the terms of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (the Act) and other allied legislation, the terms of any regulations made under it. The Board will keep under review any measures that may, from time to time, become necessary in order to ensure the health and safety of all employees and other persons using the Board’s premises.
The Chairman of the Management Committee will be responsible for the implementation of all general policy. He will rely heavily on the co-operation of all employees to act responsibly and to do everything possible to prevent injury to themselves and to fellow employees.

2	HEALTH
The Church will, so far as it is reasonably practicable, provide suitable facilities and arrangements for the welfare of all staff and to provide and maintain the premises and systems of work which would not involve risks to health. Such information, instruction, training and supervision will be given as is reasonably practicable and necessary to safeguard the health of employees at work.

SAFETY
It is the Church’s policy to ensure that all machinery and equipment in its buildings operate safely and that adequate information, instruction, training and supervision in its use has been provided, where necessary, for the safety of all employees.

Any defect in such machinery or equipment should be reported at once to your immediate Line manager.

4	PREMISES
It is the Church’s policy to see that offices are maintained in a safe condition, that they are without risk to health and that safe means of access and egress are provided for the use of all employees, visitors, and callers at the offices. For this purpose the office buildings are periodically inspected and maintenance work carried out.
Employees should maintain the premises in a state of tidiness in order to minimise the risk of accident or damage to the furniture, machinery or equipment. In particular, telephone or electrical wires must not run across open areas of floor.

Any signs of deterioration, internal or external, which could prove hazardous, should be brought to the immediate attention of the Chairman of the Management Committee.

5	DUTIES OF EMPLOYEES
The Act imposes obligations on employees as well as employers.
The following summaries of the provisions of Section 7 and 8 should be noted:
a)	It is the duty of every employee whilst at work, to take reasonable care of him/herself and of the other persons who may be affected by his/her acts or commissions at work, and to co-operate with his/her employer or anyone else concerned to ensure that their obligations under the Act are performed or complied with.

b)	With regard to any duty or requirement imposed on the Church or any other persons by or under the relevant statutory provisions, employees must co-operate with the Church so far as is necessary to enable the Church’s duties or requirements to be performed or compiled with.

c)	No person shall intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided in the interest of health, safety or welfare pursuant to the terms of the Act or any subsequent regulation.

10.2	EMPLOYER’S LIABILITY INSURANCE
The Church holds Employer Liability Insurance and the certificate is displayed in the Church Office.