WORKING FOR PARAMOUNT TRADES AND LABOUR LTD

 Introduction

Paramount Trades and Labour is a well-established recruitment agency that specialises in supplying trades and labour to the construction industry. We have been sourcing blue and white collar staff since 2014 and have over 75 years of combined construction experience.

We are a member of SEDEX and Construction line. Paramount Trades & Labour Ltd works to these best practice procedures and comply with the Employment Agency Standards regulations to ensure a high quality approach at every stage of the recruitment process.

We are totally committed to providing a high quality recruitment service and ensuring the well-being of our temporary workers at all times. We have compiled this handbook to give you useful information on our policies and procedures and your rights as a temporary worker.

Assignments

After you have registered, your recruiter will be hard at work looking for suitable assignments on your behalf. Open communication is very important to us, so don’t hesitate to give us a call to discuss your availability, new skills you have learned, or to update us on recent employment so that we can update your details.

It is vital that you keep us informed of your availability for work. Many assignments are at short notice and require a rapid response. Up to date contact details and a flexible approach are essential for regular work to be achieved.

You must ensure you have been given all booking details before you are sent on an assignment. This will include:

• working hours
• name of person to report to
• client name, address & telephone number
• pay rate
• the anticipated length of the assignment
• the type of work involved

As a team member of Paramount Trades & Labour Ltd, please treat all information relating to a client or the company as confidential. Failure to do so may be in breach of GDPR 2018 and could result in the termination of your assignment. Paramount Trades & Labour Ltd will also ensure it keeps your personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Punctuality and Timekeeping

Please ensure that you arrive at the assignment with enough time to prepare yourself for the induction and the day’s work ahead. Being punctual creates a good impression and your timekeeping will be noted by your supervisor.

You are also required to conduct yourself in a professional, polite and considerate manner at all times, whether under supervision or not.

PPE and Tools

Please ensure that you are dressed appropriately and have full PPE – hard hat, goggles, high visibility vest, gloves and steel toe cap boots.

Dependent on the type of placement you may need certain items of protective clothing, industrial work wear or tools. If this is the case your recruiter will discuss this with you in further detail.

Timesheets

Your timesheet will be completed by the site supervisor or manager according to your signing in and out times. Every site has different rules and systems in place, so please make sure you familiarise yourself with the clocking system on site on the first day of the assignment during your induction. If you are unsure or the clocking system isn’t working, you must speak to your supervisor. If you fail to sign in and out, your hours might be missed off the timesheets and payment either delayed or not authorised.

Payment

Pay

Temporary staff are paid weekly, one week in arrears. Payment is made by BACS transfer into your account on the Friday of the following week. If the Friday is a Bank Holiday, payment will normally be made on a Thursday.

Payment dates during annual holidays (Christmas, New Year and Easter) may vary, however you will be notified in advance.

 Tax and National Insurance 

Please note that all payments made to you will be subject to deductions for tax and National Insurance contributions and any other statutory deductions. No other deductions will be made to your pay without your prior consent. You may be paid via a third party providing payroll services of your choice.

 Payment Queries 

If you believe a mistake has been made regarding the amount of pay you have received, or you have any other pay-related queries please contact your recruiter.

Absence

If you are going to be late for an assignment, are ill or unable to attend work for any other reason, please inform your recruiter at the earliest opportunity and at least one hour before your normal start time on the day you are due to be at work. You can call the out of hours telephone number or send a text message to your recruiter. You can find contact details on our website under the “contact us” tab. Your place of work will then be informed within working hours.

We ask that you keep us informed of the situation and your approximate date of return so that we have a reasonable amount of time to arrange cover if necessary. Dependent upon circumstances, your assignment may be filled by another temporary worker. If this is the case we will endeavour to find you a new assignment when you are able to return to work.

Holiday

Under the Working Time Regulations 1998 you are entitled to 28 days annual leave (including bank holidays) if you work full-time in an assignment over the year. This amount will be pro rata for part time working and paid with your wages on weekly basis.

Your holiday entitlement is inclusive of any time off for bank holidays. If you began your assignment part way through the year, the amount of leave you are entitled to will be pro rata’d according to the proportion of the leave year that you have worked.

When requesting holidays you must give at least one week’s notice.

Statutory Pay

You may also qualify for other kinds of statutory pay, such as Statutory Sick Pay, Statutory Maternity Pay, Statutory Adoption Pay and Statutory Paternity Pay. Please speak to your recruiter who will be able to advise you on this.

 Legal Breaks:

Rest breaks at work – Workers have the right to one uninterrupted 20-minute rest break during their working day, if they work more than 6 hours a day. This could be a tea or lunch break. The break doesn’t have to be paid – it depends on their employment contract.

Daily rest – Workers have the right to 11 hours rest between working days, e.g. if they finish work at 8pm, they shouldn’t start work again until 7am the next day.

Weekly rest – Workers have the right to either a) an uninterrupted 24 hours without any work each week or b) an uninterrupted 48 hours without any work each fortnight

How to Leave

If would like to stop working on an assignment for Paramount Trades & Labour Ltd, please contact your recruiter by email or phone to inform them of your situation.

Agency Workers’ Regulations 2010

The Agency Workers Regulations 2010 came into force in October 2011 giving agency workers the same basic employment conditions after 12 weeks in a given job as those that would have applied if they had been recruited directly by the hirer.

GENERAL RULES

Day 1 Rights

You also have rights from day 1 of your assignment. Rights that apply from day one include the right to be treated no less favourably than the client’s comparable employees and workers in relation to shared facilities and amenities provided by them e.g. canteen, staff room, breaks etc.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Checks

Some assignments may be subject to receipt of a satisfactory DBS disclosure in order to ensure the worker is suitable for work in that particular position. If this is the case, a special procedure will be followed which will be explained to you in detail at the appropriate time.

Working Time Regulations 1998

The Working Time Regulations are intended to promote the health and wellbeing of all workers. Your health and safety is important to us and we believe it is important for you to understand the regulations.

The basic rights and protections that the regulations provide for adult workers (aged 18 or over) are:

• a limit of 48 hours a week, averaged over a 17 week reference period, which a worker can be required to work (although temporary workers can choose to work more if they want to)
• a right to 11 hours rest a day (24 hours)
• a right to a day off each week or 48 hours in a 2 week period
• a right to up to 28 days paid leave per year (including bank holidays)
• a right to a 20 minute break after 6 hours of work. The break doesn’t have to be paid – it depends on their employment contract.

Your supervisor will inform you of any extra breaks you may be entitled to take. Hours will vary from assignment to assignment but you will be informed of these prior to starting the assignment.

If you want to work for more than 48 hours a week you will be required to sign an opt-out agreement, which you can cancel at any time; this is stated under Regulation 4 of the above Act, where relevant your consultant will discuss this with you.

It is the total number of hours worked so if you have registered with other agencies please let us know.

Health and Safety

Good health is important to us in the supply of quality people and we encourage you to take steps to maintain good physical and mental health.

Workers and employers have duties and responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. As a temporary worker you have a duty to take care of your own health and safety, as well as that of others who may be affected by your actions. Therefore, we suggest that you familiarise yourself with all the health and safety information which the client provides you with at induction and at all other times.

If you do come across any factors that you feel may affect your health and safety at work or you have any concerns, please bring it to the attention of your supervisor at your place of work immediately.

When you commence work at the client’s premises it is the responsibility of your Supervisor/Health and Safety Officer, or both, to advise you on the following points:

• what to do in the event of a fire
• the location of fire exits
• the location of fire extinguishers
• the location of assembly points
• alarm systems
• first aid procedures and officers/appointed persons/responsible persons
• use of the accident book
• client site rules
• importance of understanding and complying with risk assessments

Please let your recruiter know immediately if you have any health and safety concerns.

Accidents at Work 

If you have an accident at work, however trivial, report it to your supervisor and make sure it is entered in the accident book located at your place of work. Ensure that you also pass details of the accident to your recruiter by telephoning them immediately. This is to enable them to keep a record.

It is a legal requirement under Health and Safety Regulations to record all accidents that happen in the workplace.

 Induction Training 

The client is responsible for your induction training and will make you aware of risk assessments that are appropriate to your job. Your place of work should have already been risk assessed so that we are sure the environment is a safe place for you to work.

Complaints Procedure

We appreciate that, at times, you may have concerns or problems with your assignment or working environment.

If you have a complaint or query, do not hesitate to contact the supervisor at your assignment. It is important that you bring the issue to light at the earliest opportunity, so that you and your supervisor can rectify the problem quickly.

If this is not appropriate, contact your recruiter and he/she will endeavour to resolve the complaint within a five working day period. If the complaint relates to your recruiter, put it in writing and send it to the HR & Compliance Manager, who should respond within a five working day period to info@ptl.agency

Personal Appointments

Please attempt to make routine or non-urgent appointments (such as dentist or doctor) outside of office hours. Where urgent or specialist treatment is required appointments may be made in work hours with the authorisation of your supervisor. Time away from work will normally be unpaid.

 

POLICIES

Anti-Harassment and Bullying Policy

Unwanted behaviour in the form of bullying and harassment affects the dignity of everyone subjected to it and will not be tolerated. You have the right to be treated with consideration and respect at work. If you experience any form of bullying or harassment whilst in your assignment please inform your supervisor who will endeavour to assist you and take appropriate action.

It is your responsibility to:

• act in a professional manner at all times
• treat all colleagues with the same consideration and respect

Equality and Diversity Policy

Equality is ensuring individuals or groups of individuals are not treated differently or less favourably, on the basis of their specific protected characteristic.

Diversity aims to recognise, respect and value people’s differences to contribute and realise their full potential by promoting an inclusive culture for all staff.

We are fully committed to the principles of equal opportunities and diversity and do not discriminate on the grounds of; sex, race, colour, nationality, ethnic and national origins, age, marital status (including civil partnerships), pregnancy and maternity, disability, religion, belief, sexual orientation or gender reassignment.

Anti-Bribery Policy

Bribery is the offering or accepting of any gift, loan, payment, reward or advantage for personal gain as an encouragement to do something which is dishonest, illegal or a breach of trust.

Bribery is a criminal offence. The Company prohibits any form of bribery. We require compliance, from everyone connected with our business, with the highest ethical standards and anti-bribery laws applicable. Integrity and transparency are of utmost importance to us and we have a zero-tolerance attitude towards corrupt activities of any kind, whether committed by Paramount Trades and Labour Ltd employees or by third parties acting for or on behalf of Paramount Trades and Labour Ltd.

Disciplinary Policy

The organisation aims to ensure that there will be a fair and consistent approach to the enforcement of standards of conduct throughout the organisation. This policy and procedure is designed to help and encourage all workers to achieve and maintain standards of conduct, attendance and job performance. This policy also aims to resolve problems of conduct or performance and wherever possible to avoid dismissal.

The procedure is designed to establish the facts quickly and to deal with disciplinary issues consistently. No disciplinary action will be taken until the matter has been fully investigated.

 

PERSONAL RULES

Social Media 

Most companies will have a social media or social networking policy in place, alongside other policies that you should be aware of and expected to follow in the course of your work.

It is recognised that you will also use the Internet for personal purposes and that you may participate in social networking on websites such as Facebook, Twitter, etc.

However, in order to ensure that the confidentiality and reputation of Paramount Trades & Labour and that of our clients is protected when you use social media you are required to:

• refrain from identifying who you are working for
• ensure that you do not conduct yourself in a way that is detrimental to the client
• take care not to allow your interaction on these websites to damage working relationships between members of staff, colleagues and clients

Failure to follow this policy may result in disciplinary action.

Drugs and Alcohol

You must not work under the influence of drugs, alcohol or any controlled substances. Clients are within their right to either request you to participate in a test or to refuse to allow you to continue the assignment if they are suspicious of your behaviour.

Smoking (Inc. E-cigarettes) 

Smoking is banned in all public places in accordance with the Health Act 2007.

The above rule applies equally to ‘E-cigarettes’ which are battery powered products that release a visible vapour that contains liquid nicotine that is inhaled by the user.

Privacy Policy

Details of how we collect, use and protect your personal data can be found here. It is also emailed to you with your first job offer.

Mental Health

If you have any concerns you can speak in confidence to your recruitment consultant.

For information and advice on a wide range of mental health topics please visit the Mind website.

 

OTHER INFORMATION

Auto Enrolment Pension

A Workplace Pension (Auto Enrolment) is a defined contribution Employer Pension Scheme. Employers are required to enrol all staff in a workplace pension scheme if they:

• Work in the UK
• Are not already in a suitable (qualifying) workplace pension scheme
• Are at least 22 years old, but under state pension age
• Earn more than £10,000 a year (tax year 2020-21)

Once you have reached the above thresholds you will be automatically enrolled and will receive an e-mail promoting an online registration for access to your pension account.

If you choose to opt out you must first be enrolled, if you opt out within the first 30 days your contributions will be refunded to you. After this time your contributions will remain in your ‘pension pot’ for your retirement. Information on how to opt is available from your pension provider. If you do choose to opt out you will lose out on your employer’s contribution and the government’s contribution in the form of tax relief.

By law employers must re-enrol all employees back into the scheme approximately every three years, if they still meet the eligibility criteria.

Modern Day Slavery

Modern slavery is the illegal exploitation of people (of any nationality, gender, or age) for personal or commercial gain. It can include labour exploitation victims are forced to work with little or no pay and may suffer poor working conditions, excessive working hours or wage deductions, or be housed in squalid accommodation.

Indications of modern slavery can be difficult to spot. Some of the things to look out for include:

• Workers who don’t have written employment contracts
• Workers who have had to pay fees to obtain work
• Workers who can’t prove that they’re legally entitled to work in the UK
• A large number of people listed as living at the same address
• Agencies charging suspiciously low rates against standard industry pricing
• Workers who seem to have few personal possessions or often wear the same clothes
• Workers who appear frightened or reluctant to talk to others
• Workers who are dropped off or collected for work by the same person regularly, either very early or very late at night
• Workers showing signs of physical abuse and may appear malnourished or unkempt.

Modern Day Slavery Helpline – 08000 121 700

The Modern Day Slavery Helpline is fully independent and confidential. It is free to call or you can submit reports online or spot the signs of modern slavery and report concerns using the free Unseen App.

Stronger Together

Stronger Together is a multi-stakeholder business-led initiative aiming to reduce modern slavery particularly forced labour, labour trafficking and other hidden third party exploitation of workers.

Migrant Help: Helpline – 0141 884 7900 (daytime) 0141 212 8553 (out of hours)

Migrant Help are there to help protect people affected by displacement and exploitation. Their core services include: –

All policies and procedures are available at https://paramounttradesandlabour.com/construction-workers/