Commencing Employment
Amendment and/or Variation of Contract
Wilson Vale reserves the right to amend, vary or delete the contents of the Employee Handbook and terms and conditions of employment, at its absolute discretion, subject to notice, at any time.
Employment Contract and Required Documents
Before you start with Wilson Vale you will be required to log onto our on-boarding portal the with link previously provided and complete your Right to Work check, provide your national insurance number and complete an income tax for.
Contract of employment form
Employees must complete and sign a Contract of Employment Form before commencing employment. This can be found on your on-boarding portal and is a DocuSign document. It is your responsibility to check the details included, particularly your bank account details, as any error will not be the responsibility of Wilson Vale.
You are responsible for updating any changes to your circumstances as follows:
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Changes to your home address and or bank account details can be updated by yourself using the Thyme Portal
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Any other changes to your circumstances such as next of kin, change of name etc will require you to notify your manager and they will complete a new contract of employment form. They will also complete a new form for any pay increases. All other changes to terms and conditions may be changed after consultation with yourself.
HMRC Checklist
You will be asked to fill in a HMRC checklist, failure to do this will mean that you will be taxed at the basic rate.
Induction
Your manager will explain your start times and also your break times. They will show you what is expected of you in terms of the role and give you a site tour. During your induction it is important that you ask any questions if you are unsure of anything.
Right to Work in the UK
As a Company we are required to check that our people have the right to work in the UK. Before you sign your contract or commence work we are required to ask you to bring relevant documentation with regards to your right to work in the UK. Documents include current passport (in date), Full Birth certificate, plus marriage certificate if name changed from original. Please note we cannot accept driving licenses or other photo ID.
If you have presented a document which indicates that you have limited leave to remain/permission to work in the UK, it is your responsibility to ensure that your permission does not expire. We will need copies of any new documentation showing your leave to remain/permission to work in the UK. We use a third party organisation, currently Trust ID, to verify the validity of the RTW documentation you provide. Employment can only commence after satisfactory completion of this process.
Follow-up checks and expiry of Right to Work (RTW).
A follow-up check is required if your right to work document has an expiry date.
Prior to expiry of an individual’s right to work, the HR department will contact the employee to request up to date RTW evidence. Evidence (e.g. a copy of the application) must be emailed to the HR department confirming one of the following:
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A request to extend the Certificate of Sponsorship has been submitted; or
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They have submitted an application for extension of a visa that will allow them to continue paid work; or
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They have submitted an application for permanent leave to remain; or
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They have been granted permanent leave to remain.
The HR department will verify this from the Home Office Employer Checking Service.
When permanent leave to remain is granted, a certified copy must be submitted to the HR department.
If none of the above are confirmed on or before the expiry date of the right to work, the employee’s employment will be terminated with immediate effect as it is a criminal offense to employ people without the right to work.
If after commencing, it is found that an employee has knowingly falsified any information given on their contract declaration form, Wilson Vale reserves the right to terminate their employment without notice or payment in lieu of notice. All employees must advise their Line Manager of any changes that may impact on their right to work in the UK. In the event an employee is unable to work legally in the UK their employment may be terminated without notice or payment in lieu of notice.
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check
At some of our sites you will be required to complete a DBS check (formerly known as a CRB check), prior to the commencement of employment. There may be local arrangements that mean that you cannot go onto that site until this is completed. In addition, some sites will require you to have completed the Children’s Barred List (formerly list 99) before starting with Wilson Vale. The DBS will be required to be renewed according to the requirements of the site you are working in.
In the event that your DBS certificate contains any police or other information, you will be required to provide the original DBS certificate to the site within 5 working days following receipt of it. If you fail to provide the original DBS certificate within this timeframe, we may not proceed with your appointment. Wilson Vale Catering do not keep your DBS certificate on record, so it is imperative that you retain your original DBS certificate.
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Additional checks
Some sites may require additional checks to be made before starting. These may include checking references, checking qualifications or other additional security checks i.e. credit reference checks (with written permission).
GDPR
For information on how we share and hold your personal data please see our GDPR Handbook.
Safeguarding
All employees working in Schools or other environments where children and/or young adults are present need to be aware of and adhere to the following:
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The Safeguarding policy for School
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Local rules in place at the school
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Guidance on safe working practices
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Conduct towards children and employees at the school
In addition, all employees will agree to undertake any training related to Safeguarding, guidance on safe working practices, local rules and conduct towards children and employees at the site.
Probationary Period
Not applicable to employees who transfer by virtue of TUPE
When you start a new role, it’s a difficult decision for both parties to decide from an interview whether the position is suitable. For this reason your employment is subject to a probationary period. Your probationary period will be detailed on your contract. Please note this may be two terms for school employees, and 26 weeks (for all other employees) or longer dependent upon what has been agreed with your Manager. During this period your suitability, conduct and performance will be assessed using a probationary review form. This will allow you to bring up any concerns that you may have. If during this time your manager has any concerns then they will raise them with you.
At the end of your probationary period your performance and conduct will be reviewed and if satisfactory to the Company your employment will be confirmed. If your performance is not deemed to be satisfactory your employment will either be terminated or the probationary period extended for a further specified period. If your employment is deemed to be unsatisfactory before the end of your probationary period Wilson Vale reserves the right to terminate your employment. If you wish to terminate your employment, we would require you to put this in writing to your Manager giving one week’s notice.
You will not be permitted to take any holiday during your probationary period unless otherwise agreed by your manager.
Please note that if you start a new role (e.g. a transfer or promotion) within Wilson Vale existing employee, this may be subject to a thirteen week probationary period or longer. If this is applicable this will be explained to you by your manager and detailed in an offer letter to you. Please note that if you start in a new role and you subsequently do not continue in that role, we may not be able to offer your old role back to you.
Please follow the link to view our Probationary Period Policy.
Pension Scheme
Wilson Vale operates a pension scheme in accordance with auto-enrolment legislation. It is a defined contribution scheme which means your benefits are based on your pay and how long you are in the scheme. On commencement of your employment with Wilson Vale your entry into the scheme will be postponed for upto three months. Following that period of time you will receive a letter detailing the scheme and the options open to you. Wilson Vale cannot provide financial advice on relation to the scheme as this is governed by pensions rules. If you have queries concerning the suitability of the scheme for your personal financial circumstances you must seek your own independent financial advice at your own expense.
Providing you contribute 4% net of your total earnings, for members joining the scheme, Wilson Vale will contribute 3% of your total earnings including any overtime or bonus earned (unless you have been notified by the Company that a bonus payment does not attract pension contributions).
For full details of the scheme please see our Pensions Booklet.
If you have TUPE’d over and are already in an auto enrolment scheme then your previous scheme will be frozen and you will be automatically enrolled into the Wilson Vale scheme with no postponement period. Details of contributions will be discussed with you when you join the company.
Wilson Vale reserves the right to change the provider of the Pension Scheme from time to time and change the amount of employer contribution subject always to statutory requirements.
Contracted Hours
Your hours are detailed in your contract. It will also be stated whether you are on a salaried contract or an hourly contract. Please note salaried employees contracts only attract overtime if agreed by a senior manager.
Timekeeping
You are required to be in your Uniform and ready to work as per your start time.
Poor timekeeping is unacceptable and will be monitored and recorded. The time must be either made up or it will be deducted from your contracted hours. Several instances of poor timekeeping will be investigated using the Disciplinary procedure and may result in a warning being issued.
Time Sheets
Each site has a signing in and out sheet (Time Sheet). Your manager will explain the system to you. Please make sure you sign the correct time on the sheet, failure to do could result in disciplinary action being taken.
You are required to sign in at the time you start work. This should also correspond with your contract. If you are working outside of these times then you must sign in at the time you start and finish. If you start earlier than your contracted time, this must be authorised by your manager. If you leave earlier than your contracted hours, this must be authorised by your manager and you must sign out at the time you leave and not your contracted time.
It is your responsibility to sign in and out and to collate your own hours at the end of the week. If you fail to sign your time-sheet, the payroll department will assume you have not worked and deduct hours accordingly.
Under no circumstances must you either record the time of another employee or allow somebody else to record yours. This offence will be treated as Gross Misconduct and will be dealt with under the disciplinary procedure.
Rest Breaks
Employees over the age of 18 are entitled to one 30-minute break during the working day if they work over 6 hours in a day. Employees under the age of 18 are entitled to one 30-minute break during their working day if they work over 4.5 hours in a day. Rest breaks are unpaid unless stated otherwise in TUPE or their contract of employment.
Leaving Site During Working Hours
If you wish to leave the site during working hours, you must first obtain permission from your manager. This includes doctor and dental appointments which, except in an emergency, should be made outside of your working hours or at the end of your shift. If your appointment is within working hours you will be asked to bring in the letter or card given to you with your appointment on. Should appointments be taken during working hours, the Company reserves the right to ask employees to work additional hours on the same or a later date to compensate for the time lost. These provisions do not apply to antenatal care appointments.
With some of our clients, it will be necessary for you to have a signed pass out for presentation to the security officers. If you return during the shift you must contact your manager for permission to restart work. Failure to comply with these requirements will be treated as Serious Misconduct.
Overtime Regulations
Overtime is paid monthly in arrears on the following basis:
Up to 40 hours in a week – at time
Above 40 hours in a week – at 1.5 time
Saturday – at 1. 5 time (unless Saturday forms part of your normal working week)
Sunday – Double time (unless Sunday forms part of your normal working week)
Please note that employees who have been subject to a TUPE transfer may have different terms that the ones above. This will be outlined on their contract of employment.
Working Time Regulations
The Working Time Regulations relate to the average number of hours worked over a 17 week period. At the start of your employment with us you can ‘opt in or out’ of the Regulations and we do not expect anyone to work more than 48 hours in an average week. If you do ‘opt out’ you are not committed for the entire time of your employment with us and you can give us 3 months’ notice in writing of your intent to ‘opt back in’. The Regulations do not apply to managers who are expected to manage and regulate their own hours.
Place of work
a) Your present place of work is detailed in your contract. However, you may be required to work at an alternative site according to the needs of the business temporarily or on a permanent basis, with or without notice. If you are required to work at an alternative site, we will inform you.
b) In the interests of the efficient running of Wilson Vale you will be expected, when reasonably asked to do so by management, to undertake work outside the confines of your normal tasks and duties provided that such alternative tasks can be reasonably undertaken by you. An unreasonable refusal to undertake such tasks or duties may result in disciplinary action being taken.
c) Given the nature of the Wilson Vale’s business and that we are guests working on a client’s site, if, for any reason whatsoever, the client requires Wilson Vale to remove you from site, then we will not be able to permit you to return to that site. Wilson Vale will use its utmost endeavours to find you alternative work at an alternative site. If however, such work is not available then Wilson Vale will have to consider the termination of your employment.
Please follow the link to view our Third Party Pressure Policy.
Flexibility and change
Our business is to ensure that our clients receive the most effective and efficient service possible, so we need to have the flexibility to expand, develop and modernise catering methods. As a market leading Company we are always looking for ways to improve the business, make it easier for you to do your job and provide a better service or product for our customers. As a result of this, we may need to make changes to the way we work or work different hours including participation in toil (time off in lieu) to achieve the flexibility required for your specific site. In addition, there may be a requirement to work in a different part of the Site. If any of these apply, we will take into consideration any commitments and aim to mutually agree any changes to your working environment. Should we not be able to informally agree changes with you then we may need to follow a more formal process to agree changes to your working arrangements. In all cases your manager or senior manager will discuss this with you.
Flexible Working Policy
Employees have the statutory right (from their first day of employment) to request flexible working twice within a 12-month period, however an employee may only have one live request for flexible working with Wilson Vale Catering at any one time. Wilson Vale will consider applications from qualifying employees seriously and carefully and will provide an explanation, in writing, if we are not able to agree to a request.
The Flexible Working Policy can be used by employees to request changes to their working hours or other elements of their contract. The policy has been devised to ensure that straightforward procedures are in place, which will allow qualifying employees to pursue these rights.
Wilson Vale has to consider the wider implications of granting requests, such as our ability to provide services to customers. In reaching a decision, Wilson Vale will carefully look at the benefits of the requested changes in working conditions for the Team Member and the business and weigh these against any adverse business impact of implementing the changes. The policy aims to encourage fair and transparent decision making by the company.
Working flexibly to meet Business Needs
Due to the nature of our business and our client requirements it may be necessary to ask you to work additional hours other than your contracted hours. In these circumstances, we will aim to give you as much notice as possible and will take into consideration any commitments you may have outside of work. Should this become an ongoing arrangement we may need to follow a formal process to agree changes to your current working arrangements.
Special Conditions of Employment
Any special conditions of employment, where applicable, will be supplied with your letter of appointment. These supersede the general conditions contained in this handbook.
Trade Union Membership
Wilson Vale does not recognise any union. However, we impose no restrictions upon joining a trade union.
Secondary employment and spare time activities
Employees may not enter into another occupation or employment or conduct any trade or business, in their spare time, without the prior written approval of the company. Approval will not be given for any outside work which might interfere with the proper performance of employee duties. Employees must not be engaged directly or indirectly in any other business, which provides the same or similar services as Wilson Vale. Please note this includes other contract caterers. Employees should not engage in spare time activities of such a nature or to such an extent as to impair fitness to carry out employment duties with Wilson Vale.