Terms and Conditions of Employment
1. Do you issue all employees with a written employment contract (Statement of Particulars) within eight weeks of starting employment?
2. Are you satisfied that the written employment contract offers you adequate protection as an employer? (
For example do you have clauses relating to confidentiality, probationary periods, and conflicts of interest?)
3. Are you confident that your written employment contract conforms with current legislation? (For example does it incorporate disciplinary and grievance arrangements and if so do these comply with current Disputes Resolution Regulations?)
Policies and Procedures
4. Do you have a staff handbook covering basic or important arrangements regarding employment? (For example
policies covering your organisation’s disciplinary rules, disciplinary procedure; a grievance procedure; diversity; absence management; health and safety)
5. Are you satisfied that the policies in your staff handbook are up to date?
HR Record Keeping
6. Do you use an HR software package for storing employee data?
7 . Do you keep a record of employee training, appraisals, sickness, holiday, emergency and other leave?
8 . Do you obtain your employee’s consent to keep a record (electronic or paper based) of their personal information?
Recruitment
9. Do you produce job descriptions and person specifications for the recruitment process?
10. Are you satisfied that you always appoint people who match the job requirements?
11. Do you verify the successful candidate’s suitability, for example by checking proof of eligibility
to work in the UK, taking up employment references, reviewing absence history and / or undertaking CRB checks (if appropriate)?
12. Do you feel that all applicants are treated fairly and have a good impression of the organisation,
regardless of whether or not they are successful?
Pay and benefits
13. Do you know whether the basic salaries paid to staff are in line with other organisations within your sector?
14. Do you think your staff would say you have an equitable and well designed salary structure?
15. Do you have an occupational or stakeholder pension scheme in place?
16. Do you offer employees tax efficient benefits such as childcare vouchers or computer loans etc?
Development
17. Do your staff and managers regularly participate in an appraisal system?
18. Are you confident that the organisation’s managers can competently deal with all aspects of staff
management, for example can they manage poor performance or great performance?
19. Do you feel that your managers would benefit from training in aspects of staff management, for example,
dealing with performance issues, giving feedback, basic employment law etc.
Diversity
20. Do you feel that the people you employ reflect the diversity of the clients or communities you serve?
21. Do you have an equal opportunities or diversity policy?
Right to time off
22. Do all of your employees work, on average, less than 48 hours per week, have an uninterrupted rest break
of 11 hours in any 24 days and are able to take four weeks paid holiday per year?
23. Do you allow staff to take time off (paid or otherwise) for emergency domestic situations?
24. Are you aware of the procedure that should be followed if an employee requests changes to their working arrangements?
Keeping Staff
25. Do you ask those leaving the organisation to complete a confidential exit questionnaire or attend an exit interview?
HR Strategy and Planning
26. Are you clear about the skills, organisation culture and numbers of staff you will require in order to achieve the business plan?
27. Do you monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of your HR practices?
Your organisation’s
needs