Staff Handbook sample

The sample below shows a typical page from the Staff Handbook. The left hand column shows the actual content with the parts normally customizable in red italics. Explanatory notes in the right hand column guide you in making the correct amendments. Once you have made the required changes, double clicking one button produces a reformatted, printable Staff Handbook.

Holidays

  • Full annual entitlement is 28 working days, inclusive of normal public holidays. There are reduced entitlements for those contracted to work fewer than 5 days a week, and for those joining or leaving during a holiday year. In your first holiday year, you can ask your manager for additional unpaid holiday, up to a full year's entitlement. For staff on irregular hours, e.g. ‘zero hours’ contracts, holidays will be paid at a rate calculated as laid down in the Contract of Employment.
  • Entitlement to take paid holiday does not start until you have been continuously employed for thirteen weeks, although holiday entitlement will accrue during this time.
  • The holiday year runs from 1st January to 31st December and normally you should take all holiday to which you are entitled wwithin it. In special circumstances, and with permission from a senior manager, up to five days of unused entitlement may be carried forward into the following holiday year. Such carried forward entitlement can be taken at any mutually convenient time to be agreed with a senior manager.
  • Part of your holiday entitlement must be reserved to be taken during the Organisation’s Christmas/New Year shut-down. A total of three or four days should usually be allowed.
  • On leaving the organisation you will receive pay in lieu of unused entitlement or, if you have taken holiday in excess of entitlement, there will be a deduction from pay due on termination.
  • All holiday arrangements should be agreed with a senior manager well ahead of the requested date. In any event, this should never be less than 10 working days before your holiday starts.
  • Minimum statutory holiday entitlement increased to 28 days from 1st April 2009. Employers can offer more and often do so based upon length of service.
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  • You can decide when your ‘holiday year’ is. Employers can state when holidays are to be taken, although maintaining good staff relations suggests any imposed bans or specific breaks should be reasonable. The paragraph shown is for employers who are quiet over the Christmas / New Year break. However, many retailers ban holidays from early November onwards and others base their holiday year on the financial year.
  • It can be to the employer’s benefit as well as the employee’s to allow them carry over of some holiday entitlement. However, holidays are there for people to recharge and employers should encourage people to take their full entitlement.
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