Level 1 – HR Foundation

What Is It?

‘Level 1’ is a foundation programme designed to ensure that clients have all the documentation in place to meet all current legal requirements.

When things go wrong at work, the first question you will be asked is “What does it say in their contract?”  The People Programmes’ HR Foundation service will enable you to manage such issues in a clear and professional way, as your documentation will set out exactly what you can expect from your employee and what they can expect from you.

Whether it is a question about outside business interests, holiday entitlements, the terms of the probationary period or the hours of work, the ‘Written Statement of Terms and Conditions’ (often called an employment contract) will have the answer.  If you do need to discipline or dismiss an employee, you will also have a policy and procedure that meets the legal requirements to ensure you deal fairly with the situation, and help avoid costly and time consuming Employment Tribunals.

What are the advantages to my organisation?

• Being Legally Compliant: Do you know if your current documentation fully meets the requirements of the Employment Rights Act (1996)?  How about the Equality Act (2010)?  Our HR experts will ensure that these minimum requirements, and a host of other legislation, are fully catered for, when they draft your documentation.
• Being Consistent and Fair: Without a formal policy, it is easy to just do what feels right at the time. But if the decision this time was different to the last time you applied it, you may inadvertently have discriminated against one of your employees.  Our professionals work with you to determine what policies you need and then design policies that are right for your organisation and enable you to be consistent in your treatment of your employees.
• Best Fit for Your Organisation: Whilst we are guided by best practice, all your documentation is designed around the needs of your organisation. We will never try to shoehorn a standard document or policy into your organisation; we will always customise the documentation to fit.

What Is Included?

One of our HR professionals would work with you to understand your requirements, review any existing documentation, and then deliver your new documentation in an electronic version for you to issue.

The ‘Written Statement of Terms and Conditions’ covers all the statutory contractual elements:

Commencement and Period of Continuous Employment Hours of Work Holiday Entitlement Notice Periods Disciplinary & Grievance Procedures Job Title and Place of Work /Duties Remuneration Absence Reporting and Sick Pay Pension Arrangements & Retirement Date Collective Agreements Working Abroad

Additional clauses can be added as appropriate.  Some of the more common additional clauses are:

Probationary Period Bonus/Commission Outside Business Interests Post Termination Restrictions Company Vehicles Maternity / Parental Leave Confidentiality Security Health and Safety Pay In Lieu of Notice Variation to Terms and Conditions Acceptance and Acknowledgement

Employee Handbooks typically expand on the Written Statement of Terms and Conditions, and can also include more detailed policies on issues such as business expenses, the use (and abuse) of software and e-mails. Example policies include:

General Company Information Working Time Regulations Expenses Absence Procedures (Sick, Holiday etc) Parental Leave / Flexible Working Maternity / Paternity / Adoption Recruitment Policy Data Protection Health & Safety Policy Equal Opportunities Disciplinary Policy and Procedures Grievance Policy and Procedures Public Interest Disclosure Software Policy E-mail Policy Redundancy Policy

Once provided, these documents are yours. There is no additional charge or licence required for their ongoing use.

What Does It Cost?

Please contact us to get an estimate of the cost for your organisation:

Mail: enquiries@peopleprogrammes.co.uk