ROI Employee Handbook

Introduction

The success of any business and that of its employees depends very largely on the employees themselves, and so we look to you to play your part as we shall continue to play ours.

We provide equal opportunities and are committed to the principle of equality regardless of gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race or membership of the traveller community. We will apply employment policies which are fair, equitable and consistent with the skills and abilities of our employees and the needs of the business. We look to your support in implementing these policies to ensure that all employees are accorded equal opportunity for recruitment, training and promotion and, in all jobs of like work, on equal terms and conditions of employment.

We will not condone any discriminatory act or attitude in the conduct of our business with the public or our employees and acts of unlawful harassment or discrimination are disciplinary offences.

We welcome you and express our sincere hope that you will be happy here in our team. We ask that you study carefully the contents of this Employee Handbook as, in addition to setting out our rules and regulations, it also contains a great deal of helpful information.

Sarah Grant

HR Manager

Section 1

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Joining Our Organisation

Selection and Pre-Employment Screening

1. The Company shall carry out detailed pre-employment enquiries to ensure that all personnel are competent and of good character.
2. All persons offered employment by the Company for posts involving participation in, access to details of, or knowledge of security duties shall be screened.
3. A personnel file shall be established for each person subject to screening.
4. All applicants for relevant employment shall be required to provide the following:

• An acknowledgement; signed and dated by the applicant, that misrepresentation, or failure to disclose material facts may constitute grounds for dismissal.
• A signed statement authorising an approach to former employers, State institutions, personal referees, etc., for verification of their career and employment record.

5. Provisional employment shall in no case exceed a period of nine months.
6. Certified copies of all relevant personnel and screening documentation shall be held on file.
7. These requirements shall be applied equally to full-time and to part-time employees and at all levels of seniority, including directors
8. The screening period shall not be less than 5 years or from school leaving, whichever is the shorter duration
9. Persons employed for security duties shall not be less than eighteen years of age
10. The employee shall be classed as 'employed subject to satisfactory screening' whilst screening is continuing and shall be subject to a strict system of monitoring and supervision during this period.
11. Screening covering the whole of the screening period shall be completed no later than 13 weeks after employment has commenced.
12. Full screening for the period covered under (8) above shall apply except in the following circumstances:

         Screening for a shorter period will be carried out where:

• an employee or director holds a current PSA licence, and has, immediately prior to the commencement of this employment, been employed by another licensed security provider, and the previous employer aforementioned has carried out the full screening requirements under this standard within the preceding five years.

Where the above applies screening shall be carried out from the date the screening by the previous employer had been conducted until the commencement of your employment with the Company.

Personal Information

Our decision to offer you employment took into account the personal information you provided to the Company on the basis that it was correct and complete. In the event of such information proving to be untrue or misleading, the Company reserves the right to terminate any employment contract offered.

Probationary Period

You join us on an initial probationary period of six months. This does not prejudice our right to dismiss in accordance with the notice provisions contained in your individual Statement of Main Terms of Employment (form SMT), or without notice for reasons of gross misconduct, should this be necessary. During this period your work performance and general suitability will be assessed and, if it is satisfactory, your employment will continue. However, if your work performance is not up to the required standard or you are considered to be generally unsuitable for your position we may either take remedial action or terminate your employment, without recourse to the disciplinary procedure. At the end of your probationary period you will again be assessed and, if satisfactory, you will become a member of our regular staff. If you have not reached the required standard we may either extend the probationary period in order that remedial action can be taken or terminate your employment. At any stage during your probationary period the Company reserves the right to address disciplinary misconduct matters through probationary review assessments. We will be fair in the application of such discretion. Any continuous period of absence of four weeks or more will suspend your probationary period until your return to work.

Job Description

You have been provided with a job description of the position to which you have been appointed but amendments may be made to your job description from time to time in relation to our changing needs and your own ability. It may be necessary for you to perform alternative duties within the business.

Induction

At the start of your employment with our organisation you are required to complete an induction session. During which all our policies and procedures (including Health and Safety) will be explained to you. Information relating to these will be given to you at the induction will be issued to you.

Qualifications

Due to legislative requirements it is a condition of your employment that you have the necessary qualifications in order to perform your duties. In order to satisfy our legislative obligations, prior to your employment commencing the Company will require you to provide evidence that these qualifications have been attained within two weeks of commencing employment. A failure to comply with this request may lead the Company to consider taking disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.

Employee Training

At the commencement of your employment you will receive training for your specific job, and as your employment progresses your skills may be extended to encompass new job activities within the business. Any training needs should be raised with your Manager. We may offer the following types of training where such needs are identified:

• Induction
• Training
• Basic Training
• Site Related Training
• Specialist Training (where applicable)
• Refresher Training

Training Agreement

The Company has a policy of encouraging its employees to undertake training in order to further their career within the Company. This will include assisting with costs of the training. However, in the event of termination of employment, for whatever reason, the Company will seek reimbursement of the costs in line with the Training Agreement. Further details are available separately.

Performance and Review

Our policy is to monitor your work performance on a continuous basis so that we can maximise your strengths, and help you to overcome any possible weaknesses.

Job Flexibility

It is an express condition of employment that you are prepared, whenever necessary, to transfer to alternative departments or duties within our business. This flexibility is essential as the type and volume of work is always subject to change, and it allows us to operate efficiently and gain maximum potential from our work force.

Salaries and Wages etc.

Administration

Payment

1. For weekly paid staff the pay week ends on Tuesday midnight. Wages are available after each Wednesday.
2. You will receive a payslip showing how the total amount of your pay has been calculated. It will also show the deductions which have been made and the reasons for them, e.g. PAYE, PRSI, etc.
3. You are required to complete and submit timesheets as directed in order to ensure that you receive the correct payment.
4. Any contractual payments you may be entitled to for overtime hours will only be made when your hours physically worked exceeds 48 hours per week. These calculations will only include physical time spent at work and will not include periods of annual leave, public holidays or additional statutory leave to which    you are entitled and may have taken in a given week/relevant period.
5. Any pay queries which you may have should be raised with your Manager.

Overpayments

If you are overpaid for any reason, the total amount of the overpayment will normally be deducted from your next payment but if this would cause hardship, arrangements may be made for the overpayment to be recovered over a longer period.

Income Tax and Social Insurance

At the end of each tax year an end of year statement will be made available to you through your Revenue’s myAccount service showing the total pay you have received from us during that year and the amount of deductions for Income Tax and PRSI. If there is a change in your circumstances you should speak with the local revenue office.

Lateness/Absenteeism

1. You must attend for work punctually at the specified time(s) and you are required to comply strictly with any time recording procedures relating to your area of work.
2. All absences must be notified in accordance with the sickness reporting procedures laid down in this Employee Handbook.
3. If you arrive for work more than one hour late without having previously notified us, other arrangements may have been made to cover your duties and you may be sent off the premises for the remainder of the shift/day without pay.
4. Lateness or absence may result in disciplinary action and/or loss of appropriate payment.

Temporary Shortage of Work

If there is a temporary shortage of work for any reason, we will try to maintain your continuity of employment even if this necessitates temporarily placing you on short time, a reduced working week or having to lay you off work without pay.

Any wages, benefits or statutory leave accrued during a period of reduced working week, short time or lay off will be on a pro rata basis.

Working Time Policy

In accordance with the working time legislation, the Company is committed to the welfare of its employees with regard to their time spent at work. All employees, whether full-time, part-time or fixed term are covered by the legislation.

Daily Break Period - All employees must take a break of at least 15 minutes if working more than four and a half hours or a break of at least 30 minutes if working more than six hours. (This may be inclusive of the initial 15 minute break).

Daily Rest Period - Employees affected by this legislation must take a rest period of 11 consecutive hours in each 24 hour period.

Weekly Rest Periods - All employees must take a rest period of at least 24 consecutive hours in each period of seven days.

If you are unable to take a rest break in your job, you must notify your Manager in writing (within one week) that you were unable to take this break. Your Manager will look at the reasons why you were unable to take your break and at any health and safety issues that might or have arisen relating to you and your job.

Adverse Weather Policy

Extreme Weather Conditions

From time to time, extreme weather may seriously delay or prevent you from attending work. Whilst we expect you to make all reasonable effort to attend, there may be some occasions where this is not possible. This may be due to road closures or a lack of public transport due to prevailing weather conditions.

Employee Options

During severe weather, you have no automatic legal entitlement to remain at home on full or reduced pay. Instead, you have the following options available to you, once agreed with Management:

• Annual leave. If you’re unable to attend work, you may choose to take this time as annual leave.
• Unpaid leave. An alternative is to take this time as unpaid leave. If you do this, your annual leave allowance will remain unaltered.
• Additional Hours. Depending on the nature of your job role, it may be possible to make up this time, e.g. to work an extra hour a day. If you wish to pursue this as an option, you should discuss it with your line manager first.

Notification

You are expected to telephone your Manager at least four hours prior to the start of your shift, on the first day of absence, to let the Company know if you are going to be delayed, or unable to attend work. You should also be prepared to explain what efforts you have made to get in to work.

Authorised Leave/Time off from Work

Maternity, Adoptive, Parent and Paternity Leave

We meet the statutory requirements in respect of maternity, adoptive and paternity leave.  If you wish to take maternity, adoptive or paternity leave, you should notify your Manager within the required timescale in order that the relevant provisions can be explained to you.

Parental Leave

You may be entitled to unpaid parental leave, depending on the age of your child(ren) and your length of service with us. If you wish to take unpaid parental leave, you should notify your Manager so that any entitlement can be explained to you.

Urgent Family Leave/Force Majeure Leave

If you need to take time off work for urgent, emergency or unforeseen family reasons, you may be entitled to a limited amount of paid leave in accordance with the current statutory provisions. The statutory entitlement to ‘force majeure’ leave may arise where your immediate presence with a near relative (your child, spouse or partner, sibling, parent or grandparent) is required as a result of his/her injury or illness in unforeseen circumstances. It is your responsibility to apply for this leave as soon as possible following your return to work. Further details are available from your Manager.

Carer's Leave

You may be entitled to carer’s leave, depending on whether you meet certain Social Welfare criteria and your length of service with us. If you wish to take carer’s leave, you should notify your Manager so that any entitlement can be explained to you.

Jury Service

If you are summoned to Jury Duty you must inform your Manager as soon as possible and produce the jury summons. If you are summoned for Jury Duty on a scheduled working day you should provide evidence of attendance at Court to your Manager. Where you are called for Jury Duty you will be entitled to time off with pay for the required length of time. If you do not have to attend court, you are expected to report to work each day.

Witness Duty

Where you are required to attend a court or tribunal as a witness and are absent from work as a result, no payment shall be made by the Company.

Bereavement Leave

Individuals' reactions to bereavement vary greatly and the setting of fixed rules for time off for the death of a close relative, for example spouse, child, parent, brother, sister, in-law, is therefore inappropriate. In such cases you should discuss your circumstances with your Manager and agree appropriate time off. You will receive a minimum of one day’s pay in respect of the death of an immediate family member (parent, child or sibling, spouse, grandparent, grandchild).

Time Off

Circumstances may arise where you need time off for medical/dental appointments, or for other reasons. Where possible, such appointments should be made outside normal working hours. If this is not possible, time off required for these purposes may be granted at the discretion of your Manager and will normally be without pay.

Time Off for Religious Observance

You should make any requests for time off for religious observance to your manager as early as possible. Although you have no legal or contractual right to religious leave or time off to pray, the Company will consider all such requests.

Time off for religious observance must be taken from your rest periods or annual holiday entitlement.

If you wish to take the time off as annual holiday, you should make the request in accordance with the Company's annual holiday procedures. For the avoidance of doubt, the Company's rules relating to annual holiday will apply.

Holiday Entitlement and Conditions

Annual Holidays

1. Your holiday year begins on 1^st April and ends on 31^st March each year
2. Your annual holiday entitlement is shown in your individual Statement of Main Terms of Employment (Form SMT).
3. You are required to take all of your holiday entitlement in the current holiday We do not give payment in lieu of holidays.
4. Should your working hours be reduced due to a downturn of work, in accordance with our Temporary Shortage of Work Policy, any annual leave or sick leave entitlements accrued during this period will be on a pro rata basis.

Conditions Applying to your Annual Holiday Entitlement

1. All periods of annual holiday must be authorised in advance by your You must not make firm holiday arrangements before receiving confirmation from your manager that your request has been authorised. You are required to submit a completed ‘Holiday/Time off Request Form’ to your line manager as early as possible, normally giving a minimum notice of one month. Holidays/time off can only be booked by completing this form, no holidays/time off can be booked by text, phone or email.
2. Holiday requests will be allocated on a "first come - first served" basis to ensure that operational efficiency and minimum staffing levels are maintained throughout the year
3. You may not normally take more than two working weeks consecutively.
4. Your holidays will be paid at your normal basic pay unless otherwise specified.
5. In the event of your having taken holidays which have not been accrued pro-rata in the holiday year, then the appropriate payments will be deducted from your final wages/salary. This is an express written term of your contract of employment.
6. Please note that Good Friday is not a public holiday in Ireland. If you wish to have this day off it must be requested as annual leave.
7. Annual leave cannot be granted in place of sick leave.
8. The Company reserves the right to refuse annual leave requests where the Company is unable to facilitate such a reque This extends to cases where you have requested at least two unbroken weeks of leave having worked more than 8 months of the leave year.
9. If you are taken ill or sustain an injury during a period of authorised holiday, you will not normally be permitted to take the holiday at a later time. If you are absent from work due to sickness immediately prior to a period of authorised holiday and your incapacity extends into the authorised holiday period, you may be permitted to delay the period of holiday until a later You should submit a written request to postpone the planned holiday, together with a medical certificate completed by a medical practitioner.

Public Holidays

Your entitlement to public holidays and to any additional payment which may be made for working on a public holiday is shown in your individual Statement of Main Terms of Employment (Form SMT).

Sickness/Injury Payments and Conditions

Notification of Incapacity for Work

You must notify us by telephone where possible at least four hours before the start of your shift and no less than 2 hours unless authorised otherwise by your Manager. You should try to give some indication of your expected return date and notify us as soon as possible if this date changes. If you are unsure of your return to work date, you must notify us by telephone every day with an update until the expected return to work date has been determined. Notification should be made personally (or if due to incapacity you are unable to do so, then by a relative, neighbour or friend), to your Manager. Notification by text message or voicemail will not be acceptable.

Evidence of Incapacity

1. If your absence has been (or you know that it will be) for three or more working days you should see your doctor and make sure he/she gives you a medical certificate and forward this to us without delay. Subsequently you must supply us with consecutive doctor's medical .certificates to cover the whole of your absence
2. If your incapacity extends to more than seven days you are required to notify us of your continued incapacity once a week thereafter.

Payments

You are entitled to State benefit during absence as a result of sickness or injury, provided you meet the criteria laid down in government regulations.

1. Any contractual sickness/injury payments are shown in your individual Statement of Main Terms of Employment (Form SMT). No payment will be made for the first 3 days of any absence. Benefit will be at the prescribed rate per rostered week, or pro rata.
2. Any days of contractual sickness/injury pay which qualify for state benefit will be offset against the state benefit received in respect of your absence on a day to day basis. Where contractual sickness/injury pay is provided you may be required to forward confirmation from  the Department of Social Protection the amount you are entitled to. You should have this paid directly to you and then this amount will then be topped up by us.
3. If you are entitled to any payments in excess of state benefit and your entitlement expires, full or part payment may be allowed at our discretion where it is considered that there are special circumstances warranting it.
4. Where the circumstances of your incapacity are such that you receive or are awarded any sum by way of compensation or damages in respect of the incapacity from a third party, then any payments which we may have made to you because of the absence shall be repaid by you to us up to an amount not exceeding the amount of the compensation or damages paid by the third party.
5. Failure to abide by the rules of the contractual sickness/injury scheme will disqualify you from participation. This can include not forwarding doctor’s medical certificates, failure to provide information from Social Welfare, the Department of Social Protection etc.

Return to Work

1. You should notify your Manager as soon as you know on which day you will be returning to work, if this differs from a date of return previously notified.
2. If you have been suffering from an infectious or contagious disease or illness such as rubella or hepatitis/viral gastroenteritis (winter vomiting bug) you must not report for work without clearance from your own doctor.
3. On your return to work after any period of sickness/injury absence (including absence covered by a medical certificate), you are also required to complete a self-certification absence form and hand this to your Manager.
4. For any period of absence where you are required to provide a doctor’s medical certificate to cover your absence, you are also required to supply a certificate from your doctor stating that you are fully fit to resume your normal duties

Long-term Absence
1. Welfare Meetings

During a period of long-term absence, you are required to attend any scheduled welfare meetings with the Company. The purpose of these meetings is to discuss your current state of health, how long you expect to be absent from work and what steps, if any, the Company can take to facilitate your return to work.

If you are medically incapable of attending your place of work, a representative of the Company will come out to visit you. If the time scheduled for the meeting is not suitable, you should contact the Company immediately so that an alternative time can be agreed. You are also required to respond to any correspondence from the Company and any requests for information about your health.

2. Medical certification

You should continue to provide medical certificates, completed by your medical practitioner, even if you have exhausted your entitlement to sick pay.

3. Failure to co-operate

The Company will always be sensitive to your physical and mental wellbeing during periods of long-term absence. However, where there is a failure, without good reason, to co-operate with the Company in relation to attending meetings, communicating effectively, attending occupational- health assessments and providing necessary information, this may be treated as misconduct and the Company may take disciplinary action.

4. Termination of employment

The Company is committed to supporting you during your absence and assisting your return to work. However, a prolonged period of absence cannot be sustained indefinitely, and the Company may need to review your continued employment periodically. Before any decision is made in relation to termination of your employment on the grounds of capability, the Company will consult fully with you and obtain up-to-date medical advice.

General

1. Submission of a medical certificate or sickness self-certification absence form, although giving us the reason for your absence, may not always be regarded by us as sufficient justification for accepting your absence. Sickness is just one of a number of reasons for absence and although it is understandable that if you are sick you may need time off, continual or repeated absence through sickness may not be acceptable to us.
2. In deciding whether your absence is acceptable or not we will take into account the reasons and extent of all your absences, including any absence caused by sickness. We cannot operate with an excessive level of absence as all absence, for whatever reason, reduces our efficiency.
3. We will take a serious view if you take sickness/injury leave which is not genuine, and it will result in disciplinary action being taken.
4. If we consider it necessary, we will require you to be independently medically examined by our Occupational Health Specialist. Where you are independently medically examined the cost will be borne by us. We may also ask your permission to contact your own doctor for an assessment on your state of health. Failure to comply with such a request will cause us to make our conclusion based on the evidence to hand.
5. During any period of absence from work due to illness or injury you are required to adhere to all Company policies in relation to conduct including refraining from engaging in work for a competitor/another Organisation. This includes taking part in any activities that may put yourself in a situation that may extend/accentuate any illness or injury. Such behaviour may lead to loss of payments where applicable and in some cases disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.

Deductions Policy

Deductions from Wages

1. Any deductions that are made as a result of overpayments, repayments or in accordance with our Wastage policy will be made in line with the Payment of Wages Act.
2. Where any deductions do occur the Company will notify you at least one week in advance of any monies being deducted from your normal wage, by providing you with a written statement of the particulars of any deductions being mad

Wastage

1. We maintain a policy of "minimum waste" which is essential to the cost-effective and efficient running of all our operation
2. You are able to promote this policy by taking extra care during your normal duties by avoiding unnecessary or extravagant use of services, time, energy, , and the following points are illustrations of this: -

a) Handle machines, equipment and stock with care
b) Turn off any unnecessary lighting and heating. Keep doors closed whenever possible and do not allow taps to drip.
c) Ask for other work if your job has come to a standstill
d) Start with the minimum of delay after arriving for work and after break

3. The following provision is an express written term of your contract of employment: -
a) Any damage to vehicles, stock or property (including non-statutory safety equipment) that is the result of your carelessness, negligence or deliberate vandalism will render you liable to pay the full or part of the cost of repair or replacement.
b) Any loss to us that is the result of your failure to observe rules, procedures or instruction, or is as a result of your negligent behaviour or your unsatisfactory standards of work will render you liable to reimburse to us the full or part of the cost of the loss.
c) In the event of an at fault accident whilst driving one of our vehicles you may be required to pay the cost of the insurance excess.

4. In the event of failure to pay, we have the contractual right to deduct such costs from your pay.
5. The recovery of any monies owed by you does not preclude the Company from initiating disciplinary action relating to the offence

Repayment of Outstanding Monies

On the termination of your employment we have the right to deduct from any termination pay due to you, any monies collected by you on our behalf and any advances of wages or any loans which we may have made to you. This is an express written term of your contract of employment.

Return of Vehicles

On the termination of your employment you must return your Company vehicle to our premises. Failure to return the vehicle will result in the cost of its recovery being deducted from any monies outstanding to you. This is an express written term of your contract of employment.

Return of our Property

On the termination of your employment you must return all our property which is in your possession or for which you have responsibility. Failure to return such items will result in the cost of the items being deducted from any monies outstanding to you. This is an express written term of your contract of employment.

Annual Leave Taken but Not Accrued

In the event of your having taken holidays which have not been accrued pro-rata in the holiday year, then the appropriate payments will be deducted from your final wages/salary. This is an express written term of your contract of employment.

Uniforms

Subject to normal wear and tear the cost of all uniform items supplied and provided to employees during their employment will be borne by the employer subject to the following:

1. If an employee leaves the organisation within 3 months of the issuance of uniform item(s) to him/her, the employer may deduct 100% of the actual verified cost of the uniform item(s).
2. If an employee leaves the organisation after 3 months but before 6 months of the issuance of uniform item(s) to him/her, the employer may deduct 50% of the actual verified cost of the uniform item(s).
3. Where an employee leaves an organisation and the uniform items are not returned to the organisation, the cost of the uniform items may be deducted from any payment due to the employee.

General Terms of Employment, Information and Procedures

Changes in Personal Details

You must notify us of any change of name, address, telephone number, etc., so that we can maintain accurate information on our records and make contact with you in an emergency, if necessary, outside normal working hours. Form CPD is available from your Manager for this purpose.

Travel Expenses

We will reimburse you against receipts for costs involved whilst travelling on our business, details of which will be issued separately.

Employees' Property

We do not accept liability for any loss of, or damage to, property which you bring onto the premises. You are requested not to bring personal items of value onto the premises and, in particular, not to leave any items overnight.

Car Insurance

If you are using your own car for business purposes, you must ensure that your car insurance provides adequate cover and a copy of your current certificate is made available to your Manager.

Driving Licence

If it is a requirement of your job duties that you possess a current driving licence, the loss of such a licence as a result of a motoring conviction or on health grounds, may, if we are unable to provide suitable alternative employment, lead to the termination of your employment. You are required, wherever applicable, to produce your driving licence for our inspection at any time when so requested.

Work Permits

Should you require a Work Permit/Green Card or similar paperwork to work in Ireland, it is your responsibility to maintain the validity of such documents. You should apply for a new permit in a timely manner prior to expiry of your existing permit. You must provide copies of all such documentation to your Manager on receipt of same. Failure to provide a valid permit may result in you being placed on unpaid leave until the permit can be obtained as it is illegal to work in Ireland without the relevant permit. Failure to provide copies of your work permit in a timely manner may result in disciplinary action being taken. In addition non-renewal of a work permit by the relevant authorities may leave the Company with no alternative but to terminate your employment under SOSR (failure to provide a Statutory Requirement) in line with the Company’s disciplinary procedures.

Client Relations

We provide services to clients and you are employed to do work on behalf of our clients, sometimes on their own premises. Because of this relationship our clients may from time to time request that an individual be removed from a job in accordance with their contract with us. In such circumstances we will investigate the reasons for such requests. However, if our client maintains their stance we will then take all reasonable steps to ensure that alternative work is provided. If this is not possible we may have no alternative but to terminate your employment. This procedure is separate from any concurrent disciplinary matter which may need to be addressed.

Some Other Substantial Reason

The Company may terminate your employment citing Some Other Substantial Reason (SOSR) for termination other than capability, conduct or redundancy.

Other Benefits

Death in Service Benefit

A non-contributory Death in Service Benefit, equal to one year’s basic pay, will apply after 6 months service in the Company, and up to the age State Pension.

Personal Attack Benefit

A non-contributory Personal Attack Benefit will apply, after 6 months service in the Company, and up to the age State Pension, who are attacked in the course of their duty, resulting in an injury.

The amount payable will be as follows:

• After 6 months’ service 10 weeks’ basic pay, less Social Welfare
• After 18 months’ service 15 weeks’ basic pay, less Social Welfare
• After 30 months’ service 20 weeks’ basic pay, less Social Welfare
• After 42 months’ service 26 weeks’ basic pay, less Social Welfare

Termination of Employment

Terminating Employment without Giving Notice

If you terminate your employment without giving or working the required period of notice, as indicated in your individual Statement of Main Terms of Employment, you will have an amount equal to any additional cost of covering your duties during the notice period not worked deducted from any termination pay due to you. This is an express written term of your contract of employment.

Return of Vehicles

On the termination of your employment you must return your Company vehicle to our premises. Failure to return the vehicle will result in the cost of its recovery being deducted from any monies outstanding to you. This is an express written term of your contract of employment.

Handover of Social Network Profiles and Contacts

On termination of your employment you must hand over all social network profiles created by you during the course of your employment, and is inclusive of any contacts or “friends” obtained via these profiles. This is an express written term of your contract of employment.

Resignations

All resignations by employees must be supplied in writing and stating their reason for resigning. We will then notify Revenue of your termination date.

Exit Interview

When you resign from the Company you will be asked to complete an exit interview form with your Manager. This information helps us to identify areas where we can improve employee relations and/or the arrangement of work and will be treated confidentially.

 

Section 2

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Safeguards

Rights of Search

1. We have the contractual right to carry out searches of employees and their property (including vehicles) whilst they are on our premises or business You may be asked to remove the contents of your pockets, bags, vehicles, lockers, etc. These searches are carried out at random or on the basis of suspicion.
2. The Company will ensure an appropriate person carries out any such search, and an employee’s personal dignity will be maintained at all times.
3. Where a search is required, if practicable you will be accompanied by a fellow employee who is on the premises at the time a search is taking place, or at the time that any further questioning takes place.
4. The company will draw all appropriate and reasonable inferences from any refusal to co-operate fully with any search request. Any lack of co-operation with such a request may result in disciplinary action.
5. We reserve the right to call in the Gardaí at any stage.

Confidentiality

1. All information that:-

a. is or has been acquired by you during, or in the course of your employment, or has otherwise been acquired by you in confidence,
b. relates particularly to our business, clients or that of other persons or bodies with whom we have dealings of any sort, and
c. has not been made public by, or with our authority,

shall be confidential, and (save in the course of our business or as required by law) you shall not at any time, whether before or after the termination of your employment, disclose such information to any person without our written consent.

2. You are to exercise reasonable care to keep safe all documentary or other material containing confidential information, and shall at the time of termination of your employment with us, or at any other time upon demand, return to us any such material in your possession.

Companies & Professional Practices

At the start of your employment you will be required to attend an induction session(s) at which you will be made aware of the standard procedures and code of practice applicable to your individual role and responsibilities. From time to time we may amend the content of this induction and will require you to undergo further training as necessary.

Security Industry Approved Licence

The Private Security Authority is the Government appointed regulating body for the Security Industry.

All those wishing to work within the security Industry in Ireland are required to have, and display the appropriate licence.

Very serious penalties/fines for security companies and security officers will be incurred should PSA investigators find operatives working without the appropriate licence.

To qualify for a licence you must meet the following criteria:

• Aged over 18.
• Pass an Identity check
• Pass a criminal record check
• Have achieved the appropriate PSA approved training qualification.
• You have the Responsibility for obtaining a licence and the licence belongs to you
  • NOT SG Guarding Ltd.

The PSA states: You, the operative are responsible for obtaining a licence. However, the Company will help and provide the necessary administrative guidance to assist you through the process. Management will inform you of the licence(s) required in order that you can work in the relevant sectors of the security industry. With regards to the cost of the licence, you should refer to the PSA website.

Identity Check & Criminal Record Check:

The Company will provide the necessary documentation and assist you through the above process. The PSA insists that all documentation is completed correctly and will return any documentation not completed correctly. This will delay your application!

You as the employee should attend to any requests from the Company with regard to information or documentation as a matter of urgency in order that the process is completed as quickly as possible.

LEAVING CLIENTS SITES

Employees are not permitted to leave any of our clients’ premises without the permission of Management.

OTHER EMPLOYMENT

If you propose taking up employment with an employer or pursuing separate business interests or any similar venture, you must discuss the proposal with your immediate Manager in order to establish the likely impact of these activities on both yourself and the Company. You will be asked to give full details of the proposal and consideration will be given to:

• Working hours
• Competition, reputation and credibility
• Health, safety and welfare

You will be notified in writing of the Company’s decision. The Company may refuse to consent to your request. If you work without consent this could result in the termination of your employment.

If you are unhappy with the decision you may appeal using the Grievance Procedure.

GIFTS

You are not permitted to accept any gift (including monetary gifts) from customers/suppliers or other third parties connected with the business or anyone or organisation soliciting for business

GDPR

The Company is committed to protecting all personal data provided to us. We will only process personal data in ways which are compliant with The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Acts 1988-2018. We will strive to ensure that data is handled lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner.

Our privacy notice provides detailed information on when and why we collect your personal information, how we use it, the conditions in which we may disclose it to others, and how we keep your data secure.

CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION

Closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras are used on our premises/client’s premises for security purposes. Notwithstanding this express purpose we reserve the right to use any evidence obtained through CCTV in any disciplinary issue.

PSA LICENCE

You must ensure that your PSA Licence is visible at all times during working hours, failure to adhere to this policy will result in disciplinary action up to and including your dismissal.

Making a Protected Disclosure - Whistleblowing

INTRODUCTION

Our Organisation is determined to ensure that employees are knowledgeable of their rights and responsibilities in relation to disclosures.

In line with legislation, all employees who make a protected disclosure of relevant information will have legal protection from being penalised as a result of making that disclosure. In order to benefit from this legal protection the employee must show that they had a reasonable belief that a relevant wrongdoing had occurred, or was likely to occur, and that this relevant wrongdoing came to their attention during the course of their employment.

RELEVANT WRONGDOINGS

Certain disclosures afford employees some protection under law, definitions of relevant wrongdoings for the purposes of this are;

a) that an offence has been, is being or is likely to be committed;
b) that a person has failed, is failing or is likely to fail to comply with any legal obligation, other than one arising under the worker’s contract of employment or other contract whereby the worker undertakes to do or perform personally any work or services;
c) that a miscarriage of justice has occurred, is occurring or is likely to occur;
d) that the health or safety of any individual has been, is being or is likely to be endangered; e) that the environment has been, is being or is likely to be damaged;
f) that an unlawful or otherwise improper use of funds or resources of a public body, or of other public money, has occurred, is occurring or is likely to occur;
g) that an act or omission by or on behalf of a public body is oppressive; and
h) discriminatory or grossly negligent or constitutes gross mismanagement, or that information tending to show any matter falling within any of the preceding paragraphs has been, is being or is likely to be concealed or destroyed.

DISCLOSURE CRITERIA

The disclosure must be where the employee believes

1. that the disclosure relates to a relevant wrongdoing as defined in B) abo
2. that the information disclosed, and any allegation contained in it, are substantially true

If these criteria are fulfilled, the employee is not liable for damages by making a protected disclosure and nor shall they be penalised by their employer for having done so.

PROCEDURE FOR MAKING A DISCLOSURE

If you so wish you must in the first instance report any concerns you may have to a Director of the Company, your line manager, or member of the HR team who will treat the matter with complete confidence, and your identity will remain protected.

Only where you reasonably believe that the relevant wrongdoing which the disclosure tends to show relates solely or mainly

1. to the conduct of a person other than your employer, or
2. to something for which a person other than your employer has legal responsibility

Should you raise the matters with a person not affiliated with our Organisation, e.g. the Gardain, a Legal Advisor, the Minister, Revenue, Health and Safety Authority or Social Services Department.

GENERAL NOTES

We encourage you to use the procedure if you are concerned about any wrong doing at work. However, if the procedure has not been invoked in good faith (e.g. for malicious reasons or in pursuit of a personal grudge), then it will make you liable to immediate termination of employment or such lesser disciplinary sanction as may be appropriate in the circumstances.

Code of Ethical Practice

STATEMENT OF ETHICAL PRINCIPLES

The Company is committed to the maintenance and development of a culture where integrity and ethical standards are given the highest priority. Our ability to function effectively relies on the implicit trust of the public and clients, and their belief that we can carry out our duties in a fair and impartial manner.

Our Statement of Ethical Principles and Code of Ethical Practice relates to every member of the Company.

Our Statement of Ethical Practice and Code of Ethical Practice are not intended to cater for all eventualities. Instead, they are designed to provide guidance in respect of issues and decisions, which may arise in the course of our duties and everyday lives.

All staff must report any conduct considered to be unethical. Where there is suspected wrongdoing, confidentiality will be given the highest priority and will be maintained as far as possible and supported by management. The focus is, however, about preventing situations where employees may be compromised.

This statement and Code are intended to be living documents, which will continue to evolve. What may have been acceptable or unacceptable conduct many years ago may now no longer be so.

Equally conduct, which may be considered entirely appropriate or inappropriate today, may, in years to come, become less so.

It is in the context that we all have a duty to examine our own conduct and be willing to expose ourselves to scrutiny in all spheres of our employment and off duty time.

EMPLOYEE’S RESPONSIBILITY

All members of SG Guarding Ltd have a responsibility to conduct themselves with professionalism, integrity and dignity at all times, whether on or off duty. All staff should ensure that they conduct their personal affairs in a manner that does not leave them exposed to compromise or corruption.

No member of SG Guarding Ltd should benefit either directly or indirectly from their activities on behalf of the Company and should neither offer, seek nor accept any form of inducement regarding the conduct of business on behalf of SG Guarding Ltd.

1. Conduct Outside Hours:

It is acknowledged that all members of staff have a life to lead outside their working environment. As a guide to what is considered unacceptable outside working hours, it is important that personnel ask themselves whether the same conduct by others may be likely to warrant attention or public criticism. If it might, then such conduct, even though outside working hours, is likely to be unacceptable.

Members of staff must remember at all times that their conduct impacts on the perception and reputation of SG Guarding Ltd and they should act in a manner that presents a positive image of the Company. It is of paramount importance that members of staff demonstrate an awareness that conduct outside normal working hours has the potential to reflect positively or adversely on the Company is of paramount importance.

Should your conduct outside work bring us into disrepute (or be of a nature which may bring us into disrepute), damage our commercial relationships or affect our standing and reputation with our clients and/or with the other bodies and agencies with whom we work, you may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including summary dismissal.

2. Associations:

Members of staff must exercise discretion at all times and display sound judgment with regard to friendships, associations and relationships. They are reminded that the perception of such associations is equally important. In addition, attendance at social events, membership of organisations and affiliation to particular groups should not compromise their position as an employee of the Company in any way. If anyone, is concerned that there is a potential for compromise or a conflict of interest through family relationships or other friendships or associations then they should declare their concerns to their line manager at the earliest opportunity. Declarations will be confidentially assessed and "guidance/direction" will be given as appropriate.

3. Use of Facilities/Equipment:

Employees of SG Guarding Ltd have a responsibility to properly manage resources.

Company facilities and equipment are for official use only and any private utilisation of such is not permitted unless official permission has been sought and granted, and then only when it does not disrupt official work.

Any employee who has any doubt as to whether the use of Company facilities or     equipment is acceptable or not should seek the advice of a Line Manager or Supervisor.

A realistic approach will be taken in relation to the occasional personal use of Company equipment for a necessary purpose and discussions with management will clarify and authenticate such use.

4. Disclosure of Criminal Conviction/Road Traffic Conviction:

Employees of SG Guarding Ltd must declare all criminal convictions received either prior to or during employment with the Company. In addition, such declarations must include Fixed Penalty Fines (with the exception of non-endorsable parking offences), Fiscal Fines and Fiscal Warning Letters. It is of paramount importance that Senior Management is made aware of all such matters at the earliest opportunity in order that appropriate support can be provided and the necessary action taken.

In addition, any member of staff who becomes aware of being the subject of a criminal investigation by the Gardai or any other law enforcement agency where the Company may not be aware of the investigation should report this matter at the earliest opportunity. Similarly, where a member of staff becomes the subject of criminal proceedings in circumstances where the Company may not be aware must report this to management

5. Conduct During Working Hours:

Employees of SG Guarding Ltd should at all times fulfil the duty imposed on them by serving  their clients/public and protecting all persons and property against illegal acts without fear or favour. In the performance of this duty, personnel must respect and protect human dignity, respect an individual's human rights, use only appropriate force as is absolutely necessary and at all times act with the utmost fairness, integrity and impartiality.

6. Arrested Persons/Detainees:

Members of staff must ensure that all persons detained by the employees of SG Guarding Ltd are treated in a humane manner and with the respect for the inherent dignity and wellbeing of the human person.

7. Confidentiality - Media:

Employees of SG Guarding Ltd are granted access to private and sensitive information with regard to members of the public and victims of crime. This information is only available to enable personnel to perform their duties.

If SG Guarding Ltd has a responsibility to provide information to and co-operate with the media, protocols and procedures are in place to legitimise such contact and ensure that only appropriate disclosure is made.

Unauthorised disclosure of information whether deliberate or unintentional to the media or any third party, has the potential to compromise clients and contracts, to undermine Company policy and to cause particular harm and distress to the members of the public or colleagues to whom the information relates and to undermine public confidence. Such disclosure may amount to a breach of trust/confidence and may constitute misconduct. Such disclosure can also be unlawful.

Unless specifically authorised to do so employees of SG Guarding Ltd should not disclose or use any information other than in the course of their official duties.

8. Use of Discretion:

Employees of SG Guarding Ltd are encouraged to use discretion. However, this must be applied fairly, honestly and with complete impartiality.

9. Discriminatory Behaviour - Harassment:

Employees of SG Guarding Ltd must not discriminate against any person, either colleague or member of the public, for any reason. Please refer to the Bullying and Harassment Polices below.

Discriminatory behaviour or any form of harassment is at best highly inappropriate, may well be illegal and will be dealt with accordingly. Staff is reminded that the use of foul or offensive language whether to colleagues or members of the public is regarded as inappropriate at all times.

SG Guarding Ltd has procedures in place to enable the victims of discriminatory behaviour or victims of harassment to make confidential reports concerning such matters and thereafter progress can be made with regard to resolution it at all possible in keeping with the wishes of the complainer.

In addition, members of staff have a duty to deal with discriminatory behaviour or harassment witnessed by them in respect of colleagues or members of the public and they must either endeavour to stop such parties and/or report them to an appropriate manager or supervisor with the Company. To do nothing in such a situation is not an option.

10. Reporting Corruption or Serious Misconduct:

Integrity is the absolute cornerstone of modern day corporate behaviour and is dependent upon the personal conduct of every employee of the Company and their willingness to take action against instances of corruption or serious misconduct.

SG Guarding Ltd has given an undertaking to ensure that effective reporting mechanisms are in place to facilitate any instances of confidential reporting. The Company is fully committed to tackling all aspects and allegations of corruption and misconduct.

Staff when they have suspicions or genuine concerns that an act of corruption or misconduct has been or may be committed are expected and encouraged to report this to management. Such reports should be made as soon as is reasonably practical.

SG Guarding Ltd has decreed that full support will be made available to staff reporting under such circumstances. The Company is not prescriptive as to how such reports are made and there are a number of options in this regard depending on the circumstances.

11. Vetting

SG Guarding Ltd must take care when placing employees in positions where the likelihood or potential for compromise is increased. In such instances there is a need to minimise the risk to both the organisation and its staff and this can be done through the introduction of a robust vetting policy.

In this regard, employees must make full and frank disclosure throughout any vetting procedure that they become involved in. The vetting that staff are subjected to will depend upon their role within the organisation and the level of the vetting required relative to that particular position. Employees are reminded that during the vetting process, sensitive information may require to be disclosed by them, however, this will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.

MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

The role of service managers is critical to the success of this Code of Practice. The opportunities for malpractice and corruption within the Company are many and are increased when policies, procedures, supervision and management are weak. It is possible to simply identify policy and procedural weaknesses and introduce good preventative practice to minimise the risks. It is, however, more challenging to introduce some uniformity in supervisory management practice throughout the Company to address the above issues.

Managers and supervisors occupy a position of authority over staff and must strive to provide quality direction and guidance to their staff on issues of professional and ethical performance. In so doing, they should use common sense, be transparent about their decision making and be prepared to explain their actions. Open and ethical management engenders trusts and respect and secures the full support of all the team.

The following bullet points are offered as a guide to the standards expected from managers and supervisors within SG Guarding Ltd.

• Promote and demonstrate ethical conduct at all times
• Positively intervene to prevent corrupt and unethical conduct
• Develop an open and honest management style to allow for effective communication with all staff
• Show support for lawful and reasonable decisions made by staff
• Critically reflect on honest mistakes and errors of judgment to achieve the best learning outcome
• Develop a supportive working environment by demonstrating decisive leadership, personal example and sound judgment and direction
• Ensure all staff are aware of the Code of Ethical Practice and develop an environment where staff, seek advice/instruction

GIFTS AND HOSPITALITY

It is the policy of SG Guarding Ltd that staff should not accept gifts or hospitality for personal benefit as a consequence of being so employed. Such offers should, in the main, be politely declined and line managers so advised. Where failure to accept a gift or hospitality would cause embarrassment or even offence to the individual or body making the offer, then such occurrences should be reported to a line manager without delay.

There will be occasions when during on duty activities, members of staff will be offered general hospitality as a matter of routine politeness, and without any underlying motive to corrupt or seek to influence. The acceptance of such hospitality is a matter for the discretion of the individual and judgment should be made based on the appropriateness or not of acceptance or refusal at that time. Where there is any doubt concerning appropriateness, compromise or perception then such hospitality should be refused.

It is imperative to the maintenance of the integrity of SG Guarding Ltd that members of staff do not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to individuals or organisations that might influence them in the performance of their duties or indeed could be perceived as doing so.

Any gifts or hospitality received and accepted by employees of SG Guarding Ltd which may be perceived as affecting their impartiality to discharge their duties should be declared and recorded. Such transparency can counter balance allegations of inappropriateness and evidence the facts and circumstances of acceptance, thus maintaining the integrity of such decisions.

DISCOUNTS

From time to time "discount offers" are made to members of staff by businesses, without any thought being given to the questions of personal or corporate advantage. Such offers are often made to other organisations and reflect the benefit of conducting business with any large workforce. All members of staff are reminded of the perception that such offers can create and any acceptance should be made after considering the appropriateness and the ethical implications.

USE OF IDENTITY CARDS

All members of staff are reminded that the use of Identity Cards is for official identification purposes only and should not be misused.

CHARITABLE EVENTS

Financial or other donations to SG Guarding Ltd in connection with recognised or approved charity events should be encouraged providing that appropriate records are maintained for audit purposes.

All personnel should ensure that these worthwhile causes receive the high level of support, which members of the Company have traditionally given, without this impacting on the credibility or integrity of the Company or any individual.

DECLARATION OF INTERESTS

Employees of SG Guarding Ltd must strive to maintain the highest levels of impartiality and integrity. There are many areas of potential conflicts of interest during daily activities and it is vital to remain alert and aware in respect of such possible compromise.

Conflicts of interests arise when personal circumstances, associations, affiliations or financial/business interests either affect impartiality or are perceived as such. Either way, such issues or perceptions may cast doubt on the integrity of individuals and their overall fairness and motivation when carrying out their duties.

Such conflicts perceived or otherwise should be avoided.

When personal circumstances, associations, affiliations or financial/business interests are, or may be perceived as, a conflict of interest they should be declared and recorded at the earliest opportunity.

SUBSTANCE MISUSE

SG Guarding Ltd is committed to providing a safe, healthy and productive working environment for all members of staff. In addition, we demand our personnel carry out their duties in an efficient and effective manner as far as possible without risks to themselves, their colleagues or members of the public.

In this regard, substance misuse (including alcohol, drugs etc.) may impact on the judgment and may threaten the health and safety of not only the individuals concerned but  may involve their colleagues and members of the public.

A member of staff with any substance misuse problem should seek help before their work performance becomes adversely affected.

Members of staff have responsibilities to ensure that such misuse of substances does not adversely affect either themselves, colleagues or members of the public. Such misuse impacts on the safety of staff and members of the public and affects performance of duties, public confidence and the reputation of the Company therefore to do nothing in such a situation is not an option.

CONCLUSION

The SG Guarding Ltd code of Ethical Practice is not a book of absolute rules. It is a common sense document that offers guidance regarding expectations in relation to ethical conduct and standards in respect of all members of staff. It should be regarded as an ethical framework from which support can be sought in relation to the many ethical challenges faced during the professional and personal exchanges. Such guidance can only benefit individuals and the Company as a whole.

This code of Ethical Practice is designed to provide practical guidance that will help employees of SG Guarding Ltd to resolve many of the ethical dilemmas that they face both on and off duty.

Standards

STANDARDS OF DRESS

The personal appearance of employees makes an important contribution to the Company's reputation and image. For this reason, it is important that your dress and appearance is professional and reflects the environment in which you work. The directions and requirements within this policy are not exhaustive and all employees will be expected to comply with further management instructions concerning dress and appearance.

• If you are required to wear a uniform you must do so at all times during your hours of work.
• All uniform must be clean, in good condition and worn in a presentable fashion.
• No item of uniform may be altered without the prior approval of management.

You must return your uniform in a reasonable condition on termination of your employment. The Company retains the right to deduct the cost of any uniform that is not returned, or is returned in a damaged condition due to your neglect, from your final pay.

HOUSEKEEPING

Both from the point of view of safety and of appearance, work areas must be kept clean and tidy at all times.

COMPANY PROPERTY

Use of such property for any purpose other than normally defined duties is not permitted. Property of any type is not to be taken away from the premises unless with prior approval. You must immediately notify the appropriate member of Management of any damage to property or premises.

COMPANY TOOLS

The Company provides you with tools necessary to carry out your duties. You should keep these in good repair and secure at all times. You must report any lost or mislaid tools to your Manager. You must return Company tools upon termination of employment by either party. Failure to do so will result in a deduction to cover the cost of tools being made from monies due to you. This is an express written term of your contract of employment.

COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

From time to time customers/clients will make a complaint (whether verbal or written) to you about the business or its employees. It is your responsibility to inform your Manager immediately of the complaint you have just received. A record of the complaint should be kept by your Manager irrespective of how small the complaint is. On receipt of the complaint, the main priority is to deal with the complaint promptly and to the customer’s/client’s satisfaction as far as possible. You should not attempt to deal with the complaint yourself or without the assistance of your Manager.

Your Manager is responsible for maintaining an effective complaints procedure in line with the appropriate guidelines and for training all staff in their responsibilities on receipt of a complaint.

WORK-RELATED SOCIAL EVENTS

Throughout the course of your employment, the Company may at its discretion organise official work events for staff for specific celebrations such as Christmas parties or in the event of a staff member leaving. Employees must remember that while attending such a work-related event that they are representing the Company and that the Company’s rules and procedures will still apply in relation to behaviour and conduct at such events. Accordingly, staff will be expected to;

• Conduct themselves at all times in an orderly manner;
• Refrain from loud and obnoxious behaviour;
• Be aware of other people, the venue and their staff and treat them with respect;
• Ensure that they take alcohol responsibly;
• Refrain from posting photographs on social networking sites which may paint the Company or its employees in an inappropriate light;
• Refrain from posting photographs containing images of your fellow employees/colleagues on social networking sites against the wishes or without permission of those fellow employees/colleagues.

From time to time there may be parties or outings which are organised by employees and these are not the responsibility of the Company. The Company will not be liable for any incidents which occur during an unofficial party. These parties will not be:

• Organised by Management;
• The responsibility of the Management or Company;
• Organised during work hours;
• Organised in the workplace or on the Company premises;
• Held on the Company premises;
• Booked in the name of the Company, nor will the Company name be used during any unofficial outings/party.

Staff organising any unofficial outing, party etc. must inform all possible attendees that the outing is unofficial and not the responsibility of the Company or Management. Employees will know if a party/outing is official as:

• All documentation regarding the event will be on official memos or headed paper from Management.
• The event will be organised via the workplace.

If in doubt please ask Management. A breach of this policy may result in Disciplinary action.

BEHAVIOUR AT WORK

1. You should behave with civility towards fellow employees, and no rudeness will be permitted towards customers or members of the pub Objectionable or insulting behaviour or bad language will render you liable to disciplinary action.
2. You should use your best endeavours to promote the interests of the business and shall, during normal working hours, devote the whole of your time, attention and abilities to the business and its affairs.
3. Any involvement in activities which could be construed as being in competition with us is not allowed.

All reasonable instructions from Management are to be carried out.

BEHAVIOUR OUTSIDE OF WORK

Because the business demands employees of the highest integrity we have the right to expect you to maintain these standards outside of working hours. Activities that result in adverse publicity to ourselves, or which cause us to lose faith in your integrity, may give us grounds for your dismissal.

Safety, Welfare and Hygiene

SAFETY

1. You should make yourself familiar with our Health and Safety Policy and your own health and safety duties and responsibilities, as shown sep
2. You must not take any action which could threaten the health or safety of yourself, other employees, customers or members of the pu
3. Protective clothing and other equipment which may be issued for your protection because of the nature of your job must be worn and used at all appropriate time Failure to do so could be a contravention of your health and safety responsibilities. Once issued, this protective wear/equipment is your responsibility.
4. You should report all accidents at work, no matter how minor in the accident book, which can be found in the site.
5. The Company firmly believes in the importance of providing a healthy and safe environment for customers and staf The Company wholly accepts the aims and provisions of health and safety legislation and recognises that foremost in its duties and responsibilities to its employees is the need to provide and maintain safe, healthy and hygienic working conditions and practices. The Company considers all levels of staff share their responsibility.
6. It is the duty of every individual employee to take every reasonable care for the health and safety of himself/herself and of other persons who may be affected by his/her acts or omissions at work. It is the legally enforceable duty of all employees to co-operate with their Company in achieving compliance with health and safety legislation.

REFRESHMENT MAKING FACILITIES

We provide refreshment making facilities for your use, which must be kept clean and tidy at all times. The refreshment making facilities may only be used during authorised breaks.

BATHROOM/TOILET

We provide a bathroom/toilet for your use, which must be kept clean and tidy at all times.

SMOKING POLICY

There is a statutory ban on smoking in the workplace/sites/company vehicles, which must be observed at all times.

HYGIENE

1. Any exposed cut or burn must be covered with a first-aid dressing.
2. If you are suffering from an infectious or contagious disease or illness such as rubella or hepatitis you must not report for work without clearance from your own doctor.
3. Contact with any person suffering from an infectious or contagious disease must be reported before commencing work.

CLIENTS/CUSTOMERS PREMISES

Whilst visiting or working at any of our clients/customers premises, you must ensure that you are aware of and strictly comply with all of their rules and requirements e.g. security, health and safety, smoking, parking, etc.

ALCOHOL & DRUGS POLICY

The purpose of the policy is to set out the Company's position on drug or alcohol misuse in the workplace, to protect the health and safety of workers and to comply with relevant legislation.

1. Your responsibilities

You must not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol when you report for work or during working time.

If you are taking medication or herbal remedies that may affect your work performance, or the safety, of yourself or others, you must inform the Company as soon as possible of which medication you are taking and the possible side effects.

2. Support for employees with alcohol or drug problems

If you have, or believe you may have an alcohol or drug problem, you should inform the Company and seek medical advice before it affects your performance or conduct at work. If you come forward and seek help for an alcohol or drug problem you will be treated sympathetically and any discussions will remain confidential.

The Company will treat any absence due to drug and alcohol abuse in the same way as sickness absence on condition that you have obtained professional help and/or are receiving treatment. However, you must not be under the influence of alcohol or drugs at work throughout this time of support.

The use, possession, storage, transportation, promotion and/or sale of illegal drugs are forbidden in any situation connected to the Company. The Company reserves the right to involve the relevant authorities if it is deemed appropriate.

3. Procedure

The Company will take all reasonable steps to prevent employees, agency workers and contractors carrying out work-related activities, if they are considered to be unfit or unsafe to undertake the work as a result of drug or alcohol consumption.

If you are suspected to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs during working hours or on Company premises, the Company reserves the right to send you home. This type of incident may be viewed as a gross misconduct offence and dealt with under the Company's Disciplinary Procedure, which could result in dismissal without notice. If the Company has reasonable grounds to believe that you were under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol at work you will not be paid for this day.

Due to the nature of your work, the Company may require you to undergo testing for the presence of alcohol and/or drugs. This policy sets out the circumstances in which this might happen and the procedure that the Company will follow.

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS MISUSE

1. Your responsibilities

You may be required to undergo testing for alcohol or  drugs in certain circumstances. Testing may be undertaken in the following circumstances:

• when there are reasonable grounds for believing that you are intoxicated or under the influence of drugs
• when you have been involved in any incident, injury or accident
• on a random basis for all employees who work in safety-critical roles
• when you are participating in follow-up monitoring or a rehabilitation programme, you may be required to take a test, without notice, to verify your continued abstention from alcohol or drugs
• prior to joining the Company; confirmation of employment is conditional on a negative test result
• if you work on third-party sites that are subject to drugs and alcohol testing. In the event there are differences between the third party’s policy and the Company's policy, the more stringent policy will apply

2. Procedure

Alcohol and drugs testing will be carried out only by qualified and competent personnel who will use accepted and reliable methods and ensure that tests are carried out with the least possible intrusion into your privacy. All possible measures will be put in place to ensure confidentiality of test results, and checks will take place to avoid any false results.

In circumstances in which you refuse to undergo a test, or in which you fail a drug or alcohol test administered by the Company, client or third party, this will normally be treated as gross misconduct and may result in dismissal without notice

You are also expected to comply with any third party site rules, policies and procedures.

FITNESS FOR WORK

If you arrive for work and, in our opinion, you are not fit to work, we reserve the right to exercise our duty of care if we believe that you may not be able to undertake your duties in a safe manner or may pose a safety risk to others, and send you away for the remainder of the day with or without pay and, dependent on the circumstances, you may be liable to disciplinary action.

Induction Basics

In order to start work with SG Guarding Ltd we will need:

• A fully completed application form (covering your 5 year work/employment history) to enable you to be appropriately vetted.
• Your signed contract with agreed pay rate.
• Your bank details and email address (your wage slip will be emailed to you on a Tuesday prior to the Wednesday bank payment you will receive directly into your bank account).
• Your PPS number.

You are responsible for signing your timesheets which your head door steward will also have the Unit Manager sign and will then get them to SG Guarding Ltd head office by close of business on the Tuesday following the Sunday of the week worked. If there is no head door steward this responsibility falls upon the individual employee. The working week runs Monday to Sunday, with wages being paid directly into the bank the following Wednesday (10 days later). SG Guarding Ltd staff deployed in Wetherspoon units must obtain a Door Staff Time Sheet from the unit prior to leaving their shifts.

We operate a no timesheet, no pay policy.

You must wear the correct uniform for your unit and operate to SG Guarding Ltd’s standards of conduct, professionalism at all times when representing the Company.

You should know the contact number for the duty mobile for your area, for head office, and for your line manager should you need to contact these while on shift.

If you have any wage queries, please address these in the first instance with your Area Manager. Thereafter, please email the Payroll department at payroll@groupemploymentservices.co.uk.  A weekly deduction from your wages will be made as a contribution towards the cost of personal accident insurance and will appear on your wage slip; this is a condition of your employment as an employee. A deposit is deducted against any inventory which may be signed out to you. This deposit will be returned on receipt of the inventory being signed back in by you.

Expense/Mileage Claims should be signed off by the Area Manager before submitting to the Finance Department. Expenses will not be paid if over three weeks old.

Staff induction sessions will be conducted at regular intervals.

Rules for the Use of Company Vehicles

DRIVING LICENCE AND AUTHORITY TO DRIVE COMPANY VEHICLES

1. You must be in possession of a current driving licence and have your Manager’s authority to drive one of our vehicl
2. Your driving licence must be produced for scrutiny by your Manager prior to driving any of our vehicles. It is your responsibility to provide us with copies of renewed licence
3. If at any time your licence is endorsed, or you are disqualified from driving, we must be informed immediately.
4. It is your responsibility to see that the vehicle is not used by anyone other than authorised employees. Special written permission must be obtained from your Manager for the vehicle to be used by any other person.

FIXTURES, FITTINGS AND MODIFICATIONS

1. No fixtures such as aerials, roof racks, towing apparatus, stickers, may be attached to the vehicle without prior written permission. When handing the vehicle back to us such attachments must remain unless adequate rectification work is carried out professionally to restore the vehicle to its former cond
2. No change or alterations may be made to the manufacturer's mechanical or structural specification for the vehicle.

DRIVING WHILST INTOXICATED

You are not permitted under any circumstances to operate or drive a Company vehicle, either during working hours or on personal time, under the influence of any intoxicant. Whether inside or outside working time you must abide by the Company rules of use for this Vehicle. This is an express condition of your employment and if you are found to be in breach of the Company usage policy it will result in disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.

WARRANTY

All warranty work must be reported to us prior to it being carried out.

CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE

1. As the vehicle has been allocated to you, it is your responsibility to keep it clean both internally and externally, and to ensure that the vehicle is regularly serviced in accordance with the requirements laid down by the manufacturer, and as specified in the maintenance book of the particular model of
2. Any other maintenance or repair work or replacement of parts, including tyres, must be approved in advance by us.

SMOKING POLICY

There is a statutory ban on smoking in Company premises, including Company vehicles which must be observed at all times. Current legislation imposes a €3,000 fine on employers whose employees smoke in an enclosed work environment including Company vehicles. Breaches of the Company smoking policy will result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.

FUEL ETC.

1. In addition to keeping the vehicle regularly serviced, it is your responsibility to see that the oil and water levels, battery and brake fluid and tyre pressures are maintained and that the tread of all tyres conforms to the minimum legal requiremen
2. Unless contrary arrangements exist in writing between us, we will only reimburse you for fuel and oil used on our business. Fuel receipts must be submitted immediately to the office.

FINES

We cannot under any circumstances accept responsibility for parking or other fines incurred by you. The cost of these fines if not paid may be deducted from salary/pay.

DAMAGE OR INJURY

1. If you are involved in an accident which causes damage to property or another vehicle, or injury to any person or animal, you are required to give your name and address, the name and address of the vehicle owner, the registration number of the vehicle and the name of the insurance Company to any person having reasonable grounds for requiring such information. It is important that you give no further information. If for some reason it is not possible to give this information at the time of the accident, the matter must be reported to the office   and where necessary the Gardaí as soon as possible, but within twenty-four hours of the occurrence
2. In addition, in the case of an incident involving injury to another person or to notifiable animals, you are responsible for notifying the Gardaí of the occurrence and you must produce your insurance certificate to the Garda attending the accident, or to any other person having reasonable grounds for seeing it. The accident must be reported to a Garda station or to a Garda within twenty-four hours. If you are not then able to produce the certificate you must in any event produce it in person within five days after the accident to such Garda station as you may specify at the time of first reporting the accident
3. For security reasons, insurance certificates are kept by u However, a copy of the certificate of insurance is provided with each vehicle and this will be renewed annually. You should make sure that it is with the vehicle at all times. Replacement copies can be obtained from us if necessary.

LOSS

1. In the case of theft of the vehicle, we and the Gardaí must be informed immediate Full details of the contents of the vehicle must also be given. If any contents are stolen from the vehicle, we and the Gardaí should be notified immediately.
2. Please note that only our property is insured by us and you should make your own arrangements to cover personal effects, preferably in the boot.
3. If a vehicle is stolen we are required to prove to the insurance Company that there has been no negligence and, therefore, we must hold you responsible in the event of such negligence.

ACCIDENT PROCEDURE

1. It is a condition of the insurance policy that the insurers are notified of all accidents, even if apparently of no consequence. You must, therefore, as soon as possible after the accident obtain an accident report form from us which must be completed and returned to us within twenty-four hou All the information required on the form must be completed. You should note that whenever possible the following particulars should appear in the form:

1. the name and address of the other driver and the name and address of his/her insurers
2. the names and addresses of all passengers in both our vehicle and the other vehicle
3. names and addresses of all witnesses. It will be of considerable assistance if statements can be obtained from all witnesses at the time of the accident
4. particulars of the Garda attending e. name, number and division

2. A detailed sketch must be provided showing the relative position of the vehicle before and after the accident, together with details of the roads in the vicinity, e.g. whether they are major or minor roads and as many relevant measurements as possible
3. If our vehicle is undriveable you are responsible for making adequate arrangements for the vehicle to be towed to a garage, and the name and address of the garage where the vehicle may be inspected must be stated on the claim form.
4. An estimate of the repairs required to be carried out, showing details and cost of both labour and materials, must be obtained and sent to us as soon as possible
5. Under no circumstances may repairs be put in hand until the insurance Company has given its agreement. We will notify you when this has been done
6. You should not under any circumstances express any opinion one way or the other on the degree of responsibility for the accident. Only exchange particulars mentioned in I) above and nothing more.

TRAVEL OVERSEAS

Our vehicles may not be taken out of the country without written permission from your Manager. Our insurance policy covers the use of the vehicle in the Republic of Ireland only.

PERMITTED USE

1. Subject to the restrictions already stipulated, our vehicles may only be used for our business, excluding the carriage of passengers for hire or reward. Employees are not permitted to carry passengers, other than fellow employees of the Company, during working h Our vehicles may not be used for any type of motoring sport, including racing, rallying or pace making, whether on the public highway or on private land. Private mileage must be shown and declared.
2. Company vehicles are provided for your job, with limited personal use allowed outside of working hours. We expect employees to be aware that these vehicles advertise the company logo and to bear this in mind when using the vehicles outside of working hours. You are expected to behave with the highest integrity when using our vehicles, both during and outside of working hour You must not engage in or cause our vehicles to be present at any activities that could result in negative publicity to ourselves, or which could adversely affect our public image.

The Company reserves to right to initiate disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal, if you have been found to be in breach of our Rules for the Use of Company Vehicles policy.

PERSONAL LIABILITY FOR DAMAGE TO VEHICLES

1. Where any damage to one of our vehicles is due to your negligence or lack of care, we reserve the right to insist on your rectifying the damage at your own expense or paying the excess part of any claim on the insurers.
2. Repeated instances may result in the use of the vehicle being withdrawn and disciplinary action being taken.

USE OF MOBILE PHONE WHILST DRIVING

It is an offence for anyone to drive a motor vehicle whilst holding a mobile phone or a similar device in your hand, or using another part of your body to support the device when you are driving. If you are charged by the Gardaí you may be liable for prosecution (a fine of up to €2000 and four five penalty points) if you are holding a mobile phone or any other type of hand-held device to send or receive any sort of data, be it voice, text or a pictorial image, or to access message facilities or the internet whilst driving.

Driving includes times when a vehicle is on a public road with its engine running or when the vehicle is stopped at traffic lights or during any other hold-ups that occur during a typical journey when a vehicle can be expected to move off after a short while.

A mobile phone may only be used whilst driving if you are dialling 999 or 112 for an emergency or if you have a cordless hands-free device installed in your vehicle. Calls should be kept to the shortest possible time and be only to effect essential communications. If you need to operate a mobile phone in the vehicle or if you need to deal with a call through a hands-free device for longer than receiving or giving a short communication, before doing so you must stop and park the vehicle where it is safe and lawful to do so and switched the engine off. A failure to comply with this policy will lead to disciplinary action.

Section 3 

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Capability and Competence

Introduction

We recognise that during your employment with us your capability or competence to carry out your duties may deteriorate. This can be for a number of reasons, the most common ones being that either the job changes over a period of time and you fail to keep pace with the changes, or you change (most commonly because of health reasons) and you can no longer cope with the work.

Job Changes

1. If the nature of your job changes we will make every effort to ensure that you understand the level of performance expected of you and that you receive adequate training and supervision. If we have concerns regarding your capability these will be discussed in an informal manner and you will be given time to impro
2. If your standard of performance is still not adequate you will be invited to a formal meeting and may be issued with a verbal warnin Failure to improve and to maintain the performance required could lead to a further warning in writing.
3. If your standard of performance is still not adequate you will be invited to a subsequent formal meeting and the outcome could be a warning in writing that a failure to improve and to maintain the performance required could lead to a further final warning. We will also consider the possibility of a transfer to more suitable work if possible.
4. If there is still no improvement after a reasonable time, you will be issued with a final warning that you will be dismissed unless the required standard of performance is achieved and maintained if we cannot transfer you to more suitable work.
5. If such improvement is not forthcoming after an agreed period of time, you will be dismiss
6. Every effort will be made in between meetings to set out achievable targets and objectives and you will be fully aware of the level of performance expected of y
7. We reserve the right to take into account an employee’s length of service and to vary the procedures accordingly. If you have a short amount of service you may not be in receipt of any formal warnings before dismi However, you will retain the right to a formal disciplinary hearing, the right of representation and the right to appeal.

Personal Circumstances

1. Personal circumstances may arise in the future which do not prevent you from attending for work but which prevent you from carrying out your normal duties (e.g. a lack of dexterity or general ill health). If such a situation arises, we will normally need to have details of your medical diagnosis and prognosis so that we have the benefit of expert advice. Under normal circumstances this can be most easily obtained by asking your own doctor for a medical report. Your permission is needed before we can obtain such a report and we will expect you to co-operate in this matter should the need arise. When we have obtained as much information as possible regarding your condition and after consultation with you, a decision will be made about your future employment with us in your current role or, where circumstances permit, in a more suitable role.
2. There may also be personal circumstances which prevent you from attending work, either for a prolonged period(s) or for frequent short absences. Under these circumstances we will need to know when we can expect your attendance record to reach an acceptable level and again this can usually be most easily obtained by asking your own doctor for a medical report. When we have obtained as much information as possible regarding your condition and after consultation with you, a decision will be made about your future employment with us in your current role or, where circumstances permit, in a more suitable role.
3. The Company reserves the right to get its own appropriate doctor or consultant to examine you in respect of your condition and to provide the Company with a report setting out when or if you will be fit to return to work and what reasonable accommodation is required, if any, to enable your early return to work. The Company appointed doctor or consultant may need to contact your own doctor and/or consultant and we expect you to consent to this information and contact with your doctor. All information in this regard will be treated with as sensitive personal information and confidential.
4. You will be furnished with a copy of the report from the Company appointed doctor/consultant and you will be given an opportunity to get your own doctor/consultant to give a contradictory report before any decision will be made. However, while the Company will consider any report from your own doctor/consultant, it reserves the right to rely on its own medical advice.

Disciplinary Rules and Procedures

Introduction

1. It is necessary to have a minimum number of rules in the interests of the whole organisation.
2. The rules set standards of performance and behaviour whilst the procedures are designed to help promote fairness and order in the treatment of individuals. It is our aim that the rules and procedures should emphasise and encourage improvement in the conduct of individuals, where they are failing to meet the required standards, and not be a means of punishment.
3. Every effort will be made to ensure that any action taken under this procedure is fair, with you being given the opportunity to state your case and appeal against any decision that you consider to be unjust.
4. The following rules and procedures should ensure that:-

a) the correct procedure is used when inviting you to a disciplinary hearing;

b) you are fully aware of the correct procedure, the standards of performance, action and behaviour required of you;

c) disciplinary action, where necessary, is taken speedily and in a fair, uniform and consistent manner;

d) On occasion it may be necessary for the Company to conduct an investigation meeting to clarify a particular incident or occurrence prior to any potential disciplinary hearing. The purpose of this investigatory meeting is to establish the facts about a particular incident or occurrence, and the details of which will remain completely confidential. The investigation will be carried out by a designated member of the Management team or, if necessary, in the case of any possible conflict of interest, an agreed external third party. In either case, the person nominated will have appropriate training and experience and be familiar with the procedures involved. The designated investigator will meet with you and any witnesses or other relevant persons individually. The person investigating the complaints will make every effort to carry out and complete the investigation as quickly as possible. This investigation meeting itself should not be interpreted as a disciplinary hearing as no disciplinary sanction would ever be issued on foot of an investigatory meeting. Instead, the facts established in an investigatory meeting may be used to identify whether or not a formal disciplinary hearing ought to be conducted;

e) on some occasions temporary suspension on contractual pay may be necessary in order that an uninterrupted investigation can take place. This must not be regarded as disciplinary action or a penalty of any kind;

f) other than for an "off the record" informal reprimand, you have the right to be accompanied by a fellow employee or Trade Union Representative, who may act as a witness or speak on your behalf, at all stages of the formal disciplinary process. However, they are not there to answer questions on your behalf. In addition, in line with the Code of Practice for Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures, there is no provision for legal representation at any stage of the disciplinary process;

g) you will not normally be dismissed for a first breach of discipline, except in the case of gross misconduct or SOSG (some other substantial grounds;

h) you will only be disciplined after careful investigation of the facts and the opportunity to present your side of the case at a disciplinary hearing; and

i) if you are disciplined, you will receive an explanation of the penalty imposed and you will have the right to appeal against the finding and the penalty.

Disciplinary Rules

It is not practicable to specify all disciplinary rules or offences which may result in disciplinary action, as they may vary depending on the nature of the work. In addition to the specific examples of minor misconduct, major misconduct and gross misconduct shown in this handbook, a breach of other conditions, procedures, rules, etc. within this handbook will also result in the disciplinary procedure being used to deal with such matters.

Rules Covering Minor Misconduct

(these are examples only and not an exhaustive list)

You will be liable to disciplinary action if you are found to have acted in any of the following ways:-

1. failure to adhere to the general health and safety rules and procedures;
2. persistent absenteeism and/or lateness;
3. unsatisfactory standards or output of work; and
4. unauthorised use or negligent damage or loss of our property.

Rules Covering Major Misconduct

(these are examples only and not an exhaustive list)

1. rudeness towards customers, members of the public or other employees, objectionable or insulting behaviour or bad language;
2. failure to devote the whole of your time, attention and abilities to our business and its affairs during your normal working hours;
3. failure to carry out all reasonable instructions or follow our rules and procedures;
4. unauthorised use of Company E-mail and Internet facilities;
5. failure to report immediately any damage to property or premises caused by you;
6. failure to comply with normal safety procedures;
7. breach of driver’s rules and procedures;
8. failure to comply with rules for the use of mobile phones whilst driving; and
9. failure to report any incident whilst driving our vehicles, whether or not personal injury or vehicle damage occurs.

Rules Covering Gross Misconduct

(these are examples only and not an exhaustive list)

You will be liable to summary dismissal if you are found to have acted in any of the following ways:-

• Theft, dishonesty or fraud
• Deliberate recording of incorrect working hours
• Unauthorised absence
• Smoking on company or a third party's premises or in a vehicle belonging to the company or its client
• Sleeping during working hours
• Assault, acts of violence or aggression
• Carrying weapons of any kind
• Actions constituting a criminal offence
• Bullying
• Unacceptable use of obscene or abusive language
• Possession or use of or being under the influence of non-medicinal drugs or alcohol on company/client premises or during working hours
• Wilful damage to company, employee or third-party property
• Serious insubordination
• Serious or gross negligence
• Conduct bringing the company into disrepute or of a nature that may bring the company into disrepute
• Conduct which damages our commercial relationships
• Conduct which affects our standing and reputation with clients and/or with the other bodies and agencies with whom we work
• Criminal convictions or charges during the course of your employment which affects your suitability for your role, impairs our business reputation or seriously undermines the trust and confidence that we have in you
• Failing to disclose criminal investigations/charges to which you are subject or criminal convictions you have received during the course of your employment
• Falsification of records or other company documents, including those relating to obtaining employment
• Unlawful discrimination, including acts of indecency or harassment
• Refusal to carry out reasonable management instructions
• Gambling, bribery or corruption
• Serious breach of health and safety policies and procedures
• Serious breach of our code of ethical standards
• Serious breach of our standing instructions
• Breach of confidentiality, including the unauthorised disclosure of company information to the media or any other party
• Unauthorised accessing or use of computer data
• Unauthorised copying of computer software
• Inappropriate use of social media sites
• Jeopardising the company’s relationship with our clients, including questioning or interrogating the client on employment related issues

Disciplinary Procedure

Disciplinary action taken against you will be based on the following procedure:- 

We retain discretion in respect of the disciplinary procedures to take account of your length of service and to vary the procedures accordingly. If you have a short amount of service you may not be in receipt of any warnings before dismissal but you will retain the right to a disciplinary hearing and you will have the right of appeal.

If a disciplinary penalty is imposed it will be in line with the procedure outlined above, which may encompass a formal verbal warning, written warning, final written warning, or dismissal, and full details will be given to you. All warnings will be effective from the date they are initially communicated to you in writin Warnings will be issued in accordance with the Company’s disciplinary procedures, and will be for corrective purposes.

In all cases warnings will be issued for misconduct, irrespective of the precise matters concerned, and any further breach of the procedure in relation to similar or entirely independent matters of misconduct will be treated as further disciplinary matters and allow the continuation of the disciplinary process through to dismissal if the warnings are not heeded.

We reserve the right at our discretion the authority to bypass any step in the disciplinary process if we feel that the severity of the action warrants it. We will be fair in the application of such discretion.

Disciplinary Authority

The operation of the disciplinary procedure contained in the previous section is based on the following authority at the various levels of disciplinary action. However, the list does not prevent a higher level of seniority or nominated person progressing any action at whatever stage of the disciplinary process.

Formal verbal warning - Member of Management

Written warning - Member of Management

Final written warning - Member of Management

Dismissal - Member of Management

Period of Warnings

1. Formal verbal warning

A formal verbal warning will normally be disregarded after a 6 month period.

2. Written warning

A written warning will normally be disregarded after a 12 month period.

3. Final written warning

A final written warning will normally be disregarded after a 12 month period.

Extended Warnings

The Company may extend, at its discretion, a final written warning if in its opinion the employee has not reached the required standard following a disciplinary process but has shown some improvement.

Spent Warnings

A “spent” warning forms part of an employee’s history and cannot be used to accelerate the disciplinary procedure to the next level warning. However, in certain limited circumstances it may be used in consideration of the employee’s total work history, especially where any future offences or incidents are related.

General Notes

1. If you are in a supervisory or managerial position then demotion to a lower status may be considered as an alternative to dismissal except in cases of gross misconduct.
2. In exceptional circumstances, suspension from work without pay for up to five days as an alternative to dismissal (except dismissal for gross misconduct) may be considered by the person authorised to dismiss.
3. Gross misconduct offences will result in dismissal without notice.
4. You have the right to appeal against any disciplinary action.

Disciplinary Appeal Procedure

1. The disciplinary rules and procedures which form part of your contract of employment incorporate the right to lodge an appeal in respect of any disciplinary action taken against y
2. If you wish to exercise this right you should apply, preferably in writing, to the person, within five days, indicated in your individual Statement of Main Terms of Employment (Form SMT) or nominated person if deemed more appropriat From time to time it may be necessary to appoint an external person to hear an appeal; such an appointment will be deemed a last resort and only used where absolutely necessary. Should it be deemed necessary to engage an external person to hear an appeal, all such hearings carried out will be in accordance with the Terms of Reference.
3. Any disciplinary penalty imposed on you, as a result of the Company’s disciplinary procedures, will be effective from the date the penalty was initially imposed. If you are successful in your appeal, the disciplinary penalty will be corrected with effect from the date that it was initially imposed.
4. An appeal against a formal warning or dismissal should give details of why the penalty imposed is either too severe, inappropriate or unfair in the circumstanc
5. The disciplinary appeal procedure will normally be conducted by a member of staff not previously connected with the disciplinary process so that an independent decision into the severity and appropriateness of the disciplinary action can be made.
6. If you are appealing on the grounds that you have not committed the offence then your appeal may take the form of a complete re-hearing and reappraisal of all matters so that the person who conducts the appeal can make an independent decision before deciding to grant or refuse the appeal.
7. You may be accompanied at the appeal hearing by a fellow employee of your choice or an authorised trade union representative, who may act as a witness or speak on your behalf, and the result of the appeal will be made known to you in writing within five working days after the hearing. This decision is final.

Grievance Procedure

1. It is important that if you feel dissatisfied with any matter relating to your work you should have an immediate means by which such a grievance can be aired and resolved.
2. Nothing in this procedure is intended to prevent you from informally raising any matter you may wish to mention. Informal discussion can frequently solve problems without the need for a written record but if you wish your grievance to be formally recorded and investigated, please make this clear at the outset.
3. If you feel aggrieved at any matter relating to your work (except personal harassment, for which there is a separate procedure following this section), you should:-

1. first raise the matter with the person specified in your Statement of Main Terms of Employment (Form SMT) in writing, or if the matter relates to this person, a Director. From time to time it may be necessary to appoint an external person to investigate any grievance matter; such an appointment will be deemed a last resort and only used where absolutely necessary. Should it be deemed necessary to engage an external person to investigate a grievance, all such investigations carried out will be in accordance with the Terms of Reference.
2. explain fully the nature and extent of your grievance. If you wish, a fellow employee can be present with you to help you to explain the situation more clearly.

4. If you are dissatisfied with a decision made regarding a grievance you have raised, you have the right of appeal. Whenever possible, the appeal will be dealt with by a different manager to the person who dealt with the grievance. Your appeal must be made in writing, stating the reasons for the appeal, to the individual identified in the decision letter. This should be submitted no later than the end of the fifth working day after you received written notification. The first of these five working days is the day on which you received written confirmation of the Company's decision.

Redundancy Policy

1. Should circumstances arise where redundancy is seen to be a possibility the Company will ensure it complies with relevant legislation and look where possible to:

1. reduce overtime to a workable minimum; and
2. investigate measures, such as short-time working, reduced working week and/or lay off  (without pay), as a means of avoiding redundancies.

2. If redundancies cannot be avoided, consideration may be given to applications for voluntary redundancy, where appropriate. It may not be possible to accept every application for voluntary redundancy depending on the requirements of the business. If the selection of employees for redundancy becomes necessary, any criteria for selection will be discussed with you at the time where possible. At all times the overriding consideration will be the future viability of the business and we reserve the right to deviate from this policy if we deem it necessary.

Equal Opportunities Policy

Statement of Policy

1. We recognise that discrimination is unacceptable and although equality of opportunity has been a long- standing feature of our employment practices and procedures, we have made the decision to adopt a formal equal opportunities policy. Breaches of the policy will lead to disciplinary proceedings and, if appropriate, disciplinary action.
2. The aim of the policy is to ensure no job applicant or employee is discriminated against either directly or indirectly on the grounds of gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religious belief, age, disability, race or membership of the traveller community.
3. We will ensure that the policy is circulated to any agencies responsible for our recruitment and a copy of the policy will be made available for all employees and made known to all applicants for employment.
4. The policy will be communicated to all private contractors reminding them of their responsibilities towards the equality of opportunity.
5. The policy will be implemented in accordance with the appropriate statutory requirements and full account will be taken of all available guidance and in particular any relevant Codes of Practice.
6. We will maintain a neutral working environment in which no worker feels under threat or intimidated.

Recruitment and Selection

1. The recruitment and selection process is crucially important to any equal opportunities policy. We will endeavour through appropriate training to ensure that employees making selection and recruitment decisions will not discriminate, whether consciously or unconsciously, in making these decisions.
2. Promotion and advancement will be made on merit and all decisions relating to this will be made within the overall framework and principles of this policy.
3. Job descriptions, where used, will be revised to ensure that they are in line with our equal opportunities policy. Job requirements will be reflected accurately in any personnel specifications.
4. We will adopt a consistent, non-discriminatory approach to the advertising of vacancies.
5. We will not confine our recruitment to areas or media sources which provide only, or mainly, applicants of a particular group.
6. All applicants who apply for jobs with us will receive fair treatment and will be considered solely on their ability to do the job.
7. All employees involved in the recruitment process will periodically review their selection criteria to ensure that they are related to the job requirements and do not unlawfully discriminate.
8. Short listing and interviewing will be carried out by more than one person where possible.
9. Interview questions will be related to the requirements of the job and will not be of a discriminatory nature.
10. We will not disqualify any applicant because he/she is unable to complete an application form unassisted unless personal completion of the form is a valid test of the standard of English required for the safe and effective performance of the job.
11. Selection decisions will not be influenced by any perceived prejudices of other staff.

Training and Promotion

1. Senior staff will receive training in the application of this policy to ensure that they are aware of its contents and provisions.
2. All promotions will be in line with this policy.

Personal Harassment Policy and Procedure

Introduction

1. Many people in our society are victimised and harassed as a result of their gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race or membership of the traveller community.
2. Bullying in the workplace is repeated inappropriate behaviour, direct or indirect, whether verbal, physical or otherwise, conducted by one or more persons against another or others, at the place of work and/or in the course of employment, which could be regarded as undermining the individual’s right to dignity at work. Please see further Bullying prevention Policy below.
3. Personal Harassment, unlike bullying, can consist of one single act in certain circumstances. Harassment is defined as any act or conduct including spoken words, gestures or the production, display or circulation of written words, pictures or other material if the action or conduct is unwelcome to the employee and could reasonably be regarded as offensive, humiliating or intimidating and has the purpose or effect of violating that employee’s dignity.
4. Personal harassment takes many forms ranging from tasteless jokes and abusive remarks to pestering for sexual favours, threatening behaviour and actual physical abuse. Whatever form it takes, personal harassment is always serious and is totally unacceptable.
5. Sexual harassment covers acts, requests or conduct which could reasonably be regarded as being offensive, humiliating or intimidating, has the purpose or effect of violating that employee’s dignity and are in fact unwelcome to a particular employee.
6. We recognise that personal or sexual harassment can exist in the workplace as well as outside and that this can affect employees' working lives by interfering with their job performance or by creating a stressful, intimidating and unpleasant working environment.

Policy

1. We deplore all forms of personal or sexual harassment and bullying and seek to ensure that the working environment is sympathetic to all our employees. The workplace environment is not confined to the business premises or normal working day and extends to conferences, external training, and work-related social events.
2. We have published these procedures to inform employees of the type of behaviour that is unacceptable and provide employees who are the victims of personal harassment or bullying with a means of redress. For the sake of simplicity, the word “harassment” has been used in the remainder of this policy. However, it should be understood that, for the purpose of this policy, the examples given and the procedures to be used apply equally to the more general concept of bullying.
3. We recognise that we have a duty to implement this policy and all employees are expected to comply with it.
4. If you are experiencing difficulties in accessing or understanding our documentation in its current form please speak to your Line Manager immediately.

Examples of Personal Harassment

Personal harassment takes many forms and employees may not always realise that their behaviour constitutes harassment. Personal harassment is unwanted behaviour by one employee towards another and examples of harassment include:

1. Insensitive jokes and pranks
2. lewd or abusive comments about appearance
3. deliberate exclusion from conversations
4. displaying abusive or offensive writing or material
5. unwelcome touching
6. abusive, threatening or insulting words or behaviour
7. the use of a mobile phone to harass, bully or intimidate.

These examples are not exhaustive and disciplinary action at the appropriate level will be taken against employees committing any form of personal harassment.

Sexual Harassment

1. You have a right to work in an environment which is free from sexual harassment
2. Sexual harassment can be persistent unwanted attention which continues after the person receiving it makes it clear that they want it to stop.
3. Sexual harassment can also be a one-off incident

Examples of Sexual Harassment

In general, you are free to determine what behaviour is acceptable to you and other employees should respect your standards.

Examples of behaviour which can constitute sexual harassment include:

a) Acts of physical intimacy (such as unnecessary touching, patting or pinching or brushing against another employee’s body);
b) Requests for sexual favours
c) Gestures
d) Spoken words (such as propositions or pressure for sexual activity, continued suggestions for social activity outside the work place after it has been made clear that this is unwelcome, unwanted or offensive flirtations, suggestive remarks, innuendoes or lewd comments)
e) The production, display or circulation of inappropriate written words, pictures or other material (for e.g. videos, etc.)
f) Any conduct that is degrading, derogatory or intimidatory towards another employee because of his/her gender

These examples are not exhaustive and disciplinary action at the appropriate level will be taken against employees committing any form of sexual harassment.

You are reminded that the use of email to circulate jokes, pictures, and so on, can constitute sexual harassment and are reminded that the Company may monitor emails in accordance with the Company’s Communications Policy.

Complaining about Personal or Sexual Harassment
Informal Complaint

We recognise that complaints of personal harassment and particularly of sexual harassment can sometimes be of a sensitive or intimate nature and that it may not be appropriate for you to raise the issue through our normal grievance procedure. In these circumstances you are encouraged to raise such issues with a senior person of your choice (whether or not that person has a direct supervisory responsibility for you) as a confidential helper. This person cannot be your Manager, who will be responsible for investigating the matter if it becomes a formal complaint.

If you are the victim of minor harassment you should make it clear to the harasser on an informal basis that their behaviour is unwelcome and ask the harasser to stop. If you feel unable to do this verbally then you should hand a written request to the harasser, and your confidential helper can assist you in this.

Complaining about Personal or Sexual Harassment
Formal Complaint

Where the informal approach fails or if the harassment is more serious, you should bring the matter to the attention of your Manager as a formal written complaint and again your confidential helper can assist you in this. If possible, you should keep notes of the harassment so that the written complaint can include:-

a. the name of the alleged harasser
b. the nature of the alleged harassment
c. the dates and times when the alleged harassment occurred
d. the names of any witnesses
e. any action already taken by you to stop the alleged harassment

On receipt of a formal complaint we will take action to separate you from the alleged harasser to enable an uninterrupted investigation to take place. We are committed to providing a full and fair investigation, which gives due sensitivity and respect to the rights of both the complainant and the alleged harasser. This may involve a temporary transfer of the alleged harasser to another work area or suspension with contractual pay until the matter has been resolved.

The person dealing with the complaint will carry out a thorough investigation in accordance with our disciplinary procedure. Those involved in the investigation will be expected to act in confidence and any breach of confidence will be a disciplinary matter.

When the investigation has been concluded, a draft report of the findings and of the investigator's proposed decision will be sent, in writing, to you and to the alleged harasser.

If you or the alleged harasser are dissatisfied with the draft report or with the proposed decision this should be raised with the investigator within five working days of receiving the draft. Any points of concern will be considered by the investigator before a final report is sent, in writing, to you and to the alleged harasser.

Complaining about Sexual Harassment

The Procedure, detailed above, should be initiated if you believe that you are being sexually harassed by any of the following:

• a fellow employee;
• a supervisor;
• customers; or
• anybody else whom you regularly come into contact with as a result of your employment, for g. Company suppliers

You are encouraged to report all behaviour that you are uncomfortable with and which you feel could be sexual harassment. Each report will be investigated in accordance with this policy.

All complaints will be kept confidential as far as possible; however on receipt of a formal complaint in order to investigate the matter thoroughly the alleged harasser will be made aware of any such complaint. You will not be penalised or victimised in any way as a result of making a complaint unless following investigation it becomes clear that the complaint is malicious or vexatious by its nature.

General Notes

1. If the report concludes that the allegation is well founded, the harasser will be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with our disciplinary procedure. An employee who receives a formal warning or who is dismissed for harassment may appeal against the disciplinary action by using our disciplinary appeal proceduThe complainant is not entitled to know what, if any, disciplinary sanction the harasser has received.
2. If you bring a complaint of harassment you will not be victimised for having brought the complain However if the report concludes that the complaint is both untrue and has been brought with malicious intent, disciplinary action will be taken against you.
3. Similarly, if an employee supports a colleague in bringing a complaint of harassment or if an employee gives evidence in respect of such a complaint of harassment then that employee will not be victimised for doing so. However, where it is concluded that an employee supported a colleague’s harassment claim which they knew to be false or malicious, or if the supporting employee deliberately gave factually inaccurate evidence to substantiate a colleague’s harassment claim, then disciplinary action may be taken against that supporting employee, up to and including dismi
4. Every effort shall be made to carry out and complete the investigation as quickly and efficiently as possible, having due regard for all circumsta

Dignity at Work Charter/Bullying

We at Group Employment Services Ltd T/A SG Guarding Ltd commit ourselves to working together to maintain a workplace environment that encourages and supports the right to dignity at work. All who work here are expected to respect the right of each individual to dignity in their working life. All will be treated equally and respected for their individuality and diversity. Bullying in any form is not accepted by us and will not be tolerated. All individuals whether employed by us or contracted by us have a duty and a responsibility to uphold this dignity at work charter.

Bullying Prevention Policy

Purpose

As part of our commitment to the fairness, dignity and respect of each employee, any form of bullying will not be tolerated by this Company. The aim of this Policy is to indicate what constitutes bullying and what action the Company will take if it becomes necessary to deal with an offence of this nature.

Scope

This Policy is applicable to all employees (temporary and permanent) irrespective of length of service and includes clients and service personnel both inside and outside the work environment.

Policy

The Company acknowledges the right of all employees to a workplace and environment free from any form of bullying. Every member of staff has an obligation to be aware of the effects of their own behaviour on others.

Any instances of bullying will be dealt with in an effective and efficient manner. In cases where the behaviour is proved to be repeated and consistent, causing unnecessary stress and anxiety, this will be considered gross misconduct. The Company reserves the right to use the disciplinary procedure up to and including summary dismissal.

As part of this Company's code of conduct, it is imperative that all staff and suppliers respect the dignity of every colleague. Please consider the multi-cultural beliefs of all of your colleagues with particular reference to remarks, dress code, posters, e-mails and anything which may cause offence on the grounds of a person’s gender, civil status, race, religion, family status, age, sexual orientation or disability or membership of the traveller community.

Definition

The Task Force on the Prevention of Workplace Bullying defines bullying as:

“Repeated inappropriate behaviour, direct or indirect, whether verbal, physical or otherwise, conducted by one or more persons against another or others, at the place of work and/or in the course of employment, which could reasonably be regarded as undermining the individual's right to dignity at work. An isolated incident of the behaviour described in this definition may be an affront to dignity at work but, as a one off is not considered to be bullying''.

The following are examples of the types of behaviour considered as bullying and are prohibited by the Company:

VERBAL ABUSE

• Shouting or using aggressive or obscene language, in public or in private, to humiliate or intimidate.
• Making offensive comments about the same person regularly.
• Unfair and excessive criticism.
• Ridiculing the employee in front of other employees and individuals.
• Spreading false or malicious information about the individual around the Organisation etc.
• Personal insults, name calling
• Threatening job loss for trivial errors.

The above list is not exhaustive and only serves as a guideline to employees. Each case will be taken in isolation and dealt with in the appropriate manner.

NON VERBAL ABUSE

• Setting up a person to fail by overloading them with work or setting impossible deadlines.
• Withholding information and blaming the person for being ignorant.
• Ignoring, excluding and isolating a person.
• Blocking promotion.
• Threatening body language.
• Damaging personal belongings.
• Excessive monitoring.
• Making offensive/inappropriate comments via text messaging, email or via social networking sites.

PHYSICAL ABUSE

• Hitting.
• Bodily contact that is abusive in nature.

The above list is not exhaustive and only serves as a guideline to employees. Each case will be taken in isolation and dealt with in the appropriate manner.

PROCEDURES FOR DEALING WITH BULLYING

1. Informal Procedure

An informal approach can often resolve difficult situations with the minimum of conflict and stress for the individuals involved. This in no way diminishes the issue of the effects on the individual.

If you feel you are being bullied you should attempt to explain to the alleged bully that their behaviour is unacceptable. If you find it difficult to approach the alleged bully alone then seek help and advice from the nominated contact person. He/she will listen, be supportive and explain the various options open to you.

You may ask the contact person to assist you with raising the issue with the alleged bully. The contact person will approach the alleged bully in a confidential, non-confrontational discussion to try to resolve the matter in a low-key manner.

If you decide to bypass the informal procedure, for whatever reason, and choose to go down the formal route then this will not reflect negatively on you in any way.

2. Formal Procedure

If the informal approach is not appropriate, or if after using the informal procedure, the bullying continues, then the formal procedure will be invoked.

A formal written complaint must be given to your Manager or a member of the Management team. The complaint should only contain precise details of actual incidents of bullying.

A letter will be sent to the alleged bully to inform him/her that a formal complaint has been made against them. A copy of the complaint will be given to him/her and he/she will be given the opportunity to respond to the allegations.

An initial examination will be carried out by a designated, impartial member of Management who will determine the appropriate course of action to be taken e.g. a mediated solution or attempt to resolve the situation informally or decide if it should be progressed to a formal investigation. If these courses of action prove to be inappropriate or inconclusive, then a formal investigation of the complaint will take place to determine the facts and credibility of the allegations.

3. Investigation

The investigation will be carried out by a designated member of the Management team or, if necessary, in the case of any possible conflict of interest, an agreed external third party. In either case, the person nominated should be familiar with the procedures involved. The investigation will be thorough, objective and confidential. It will be conducted with sensitivity and respect for the rights of the complainant and the alleged bully.

The designated investigator will meet with the complainant, the alleged bully and any witnesses or other relevant persons individually. The purpose of these meetings is to establish the facts about the allegations, set a timeframe, all of which will be completely confidential.

The complainant and the alleged bully have the right to be accompanied by a work colleague or employee / trade union representative.

The person investigating the complaints will make every effort to carry out and complete the investigation as quickly as possible. When the investigation is complete, a written report will be submitted to Management which will contain the findings of the investigation.

Both the complainant and the alleged bully will be given the opportunity to comment on the findings of the investigation before any action is decided by Management.

Management will inform the complainant and the alleged bully, in writing, about the findings of the investigation.

4. Outcome

If it is decided that the complaint is well founded then a formal interview will be conducted with the alleged bully to determine an appropriate course of action. This may include counselling, monitoring or progressing the issue through disciplinary and grievance procedures. The Complainant has no right to know or to be informed of what course of action the Company has decided in respect of the bully.

In the event of the findings of the investigation concluding that the complaint was untrue and was brought with a malicious or vexation intent then disciplinary action will be taken against you up to and including dismissal.

Legal Information

The laws that are applicable to the licensed trade are many and varied. Interpreting them is sometimes a judgment call. However, those that apply to the door supervisor/steward are mainly licensing laws, laws relating to drug misuse and the Health & Safety at Work legislation.

LICENSING LAWS

The legislation in the Republic of Ireland applicable to licensing are;

• Intoxicating Liquor Act 2000
• Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003.
• Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008.
• Licensing Act 1872
• Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994
• Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018

This legislation is complex and lengthy. However, at induction stage, the main areas we expect you to be aware of are the rules relating to drunkenness, disorderly conduct and the protection of children from harm.

The Premises Manager or a Personal Licence Holder has the power to refuse admission, or to exclude any person who is drunk, violent, quarrelsome, disorderly, or whose presence would subject them to a penalty under law. Any person who is asked to leave in these circumstances by a Premises Manager, Personal Licence Holder or their agent, and fails to do so, commits an offence. The Premises Manager, Personal Licence Holders and Door Supervisors are permitted to exclude drunks, not to serve them, and to ask them to leave. It is an offence to allow patrons to remain on the premises if they are deemed drunk and incapable.

MISUSE OF DRUGS

The legislation in the Republic of Ireland applicable to misuse of drugs are;

• Misuse of Drugs Act 1977
• Misuse of Drugs Act 1984
• Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances) Act 2010
• Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Act 2015

During the past three decades or so, the misuse of drugs in Ireland has increased to the extent that it should come as no surprise that not only drug taking, but also the buying and selling of drugs, are likely to occur in places of public entertainment. Unfortunately this may involve members of staff as well as other persons, and you should be prepared to deal with such circumstances. It is well established and accepted that where people are likely to gather, one can also be expect others prepared to exploit the situation, supplying them or offering to supply them with illicit drugs.

The offences contained in the legislation include unlawful importation and exportation of a controlled drug, the unlawful production of a controlled drug, the unlawful supply of a controlled drug and the unlawful possession of a controlled drug.

During your further training, you will learn recognition, definitions and actions to be taken, and an outline of the law. The offences that are most relevant to the door supervisor/steward and ones you should be aware of are the Unlawful Possession and Possession with Intent to Supply.

SAFETY, HEALTH AND WELFARE AT WORK ACTS 2005 (as amended) 

You have been made aware of the act in the earlier part of this précis and the responsibility of both yourselves and the management to comply. You, as a door supervisor/steward, will be a key position to monitor and advise on hazards within your workplace. You must be conversant with the reporting procedure applicable to the premises if accidents occur. In particular you should monitor the capacity of the premises, recording numbers entering and leaving the premises when required.

SAFETY, HEALTH AND WELFARE AT WORK (CONTROL OF NOISE AT WORK) REGULATIONS 2006

Hearing is essential. Exposure to excessive noise may permanently damage your hearing. You must take precautions. Earplugs are available free of charge for this purpose.