• When you work for Unitemps you will need to enter the hours you work onto timesheets via our website.
• Timesheets must be submitted weekly by midday on Mondaymidday on Mondaymidday on Mondaymidday on Mondaymidday on Mondaymidday on Mondaymidday on Mondaymidday on Mondaymidday on Mondaymidday on Mondaymidday on Mondaymidnight on Sundaymidday on Mondaymidnight on Sunday9am on Monday for the previous week’s shifts so that your manager has time to authorise your timesheet.
• Monthly submission deadlines for WarwickBirminghamUCBCCCUSurreyDMULeicesterMiddlesexCityUCLSalfordNorthamptonNottinghamNTUStaffordshireLJMU are listed below.
• You will be paid monthly into your nominated bank account on the last working day of the month.the last working day of the month.the last working day of the month.the last working day of the month.the last working day of the month.the last working day of the month.the last working day of the month.the last working day of the month.the last working day of the month.25th of the month, unless this falls on a weekend, in which case you will be paid on the Friday before.25th of 28th of the month or, if the 28th falls on a weekend or a bank holiday, payment is made on the last working day before the 28th.25th of the month unless this falls on a weekend or bank holiday, in which case payment will be made on the nearest working day to the 25ththe penultimate working day of the month.the 22nd of each month.the dates below.
• Late timesheets will not be paid until the following month’s payroll so please contact Unitemps if you foresee any difficulties with timesheets not being submitted or authorised in time.
• Payslips will be available on our online payslip portal. Details on accessing the portal will be sent to you when you are set up on payroll.
• You will need to create an account on our online payslips portal to view your payslips, and here you will also be able to view other information such as your P45/P60s. You will receive an email from Signup@ePayslips.co.uk with detailed instructions to sign yourself up. The email will also contain unique codes required for the process. You’ll be able to set your own username and password, as well as enter security questions in case you forget your login details. Each period you will receive an email notification letting you know there is a new payslip for you to view online. You can change which email address you receive the notifications too. You can access your payslip at unitemps.epayslips.co.uk If you have an iOS or Android mobile device, you can download the ePayslips app to view your payslips on your phone. Just visit the App Store / Play Store and search for ePayslips.

Each month you will receive a payslip detailing your monthly income and any deductions. Payslips and PAYE documents are available online via the secure site Unitemps Warwick Payslip Portal. A guide explaining how to access your payslips/PAYE documents is available here. You should check your payslip each month to ensure you have been paid correctly and that the right amounts of tax and national insurance have been deducted. The Money Advice Service provides useful advice on understanding your payslip. If you have a query after checking your payslip, please email us birmingham@unitemps.co.uk unitemps@warwick.ac.ukunitemps@ed.ac.ukunitemps@ucb.ac.ukunitemps@canterbury.ac.ukunitemps@surrey.ac.ukunitemps@dmu.ac.ukunitemps@le.ac.ukunitemps@mdx.ac.ukunitemps@city.ac.ukunitemps@ucl.ac.ukpayroll@salford.ac.ukunitemps@northampton.ac.ukunitemps@nottingham.ac.ukunitemps@ntu.ac.ukunitemps@staffs.ac.ukunitemps@ljmu.ac.uk or call 0121 202 4100024 7652 81180131 651 14360121 232 445201227 78220401483 6841000116 207 83510116 229 7007020 8411 51510207 040 8026020 7679 26400161 295 419301604 8921210115 84 673740115 848 474001782 29499501512318888.

Payslips can be found online at the following web address: https://dmuhub.dmu.ac.uk. Your username and password for the DMUHub will be emailed to you around your first pay date. If you have not received them please email unitemps@dmu.ac.uk and we will resend the email to you. If you are having any problems accessing the DMUHub please call the ITMS department at De Montfort University on (0)116 250 6050. Please print off your payslips on a monthly basis, as the payroll office cannot reprint payslips once you have finished your assignment. You will also find your P60 (once issued) on the DMUHub

If you have any queries about your pay relating to tax or national insurance, you should contact HMRC directly on 0300 200 3300. You will need to provide your national insurance number and your PAYE reference number. These are shown on your payslip. Your PAYE reference number is 120/ZA76059 unless you are paid on the 24th of the month in which case your PAYE reference number is 190/U50120/ZA76059 unless you are paid on the 24th of the month in which case your PAYE reference number is 190/U50961/2401398068/B3120/FB15996581-MU23475/FB56469267/U27120/M1951 C2216951/U3475/FA76123267/ES50749507/231696120/TB67266120/MA86081120/EE07973.

This website has information on tax codes and may help you if you think you’ve paid too much tax. For more information about National Insurance, please visit this link.

Holiday pay is calculated by the number of hours worked multiplied by the holiday pay rate of a particular assignment. Holiday pay is an additional pay rate to your standard wage, which accrues as its own entity and is available to claim when you take annual leave through the Unitemps website. The Unitemps holiday year at BirminghamWarwickEdinburghUCBCCCUSurreyDMULeicesterMiddlesexCityUCLSalfordNorthamptonNottinghamNTUStaffordshireLJMU runs from 1 October through to 30 September1 October through to 30 September1 January through to 31 December1 October through to 30 September1st September through to 31st August1 October through to 30 September1 January through to 31 December1 January through to 31 December6 April through to 5 April1 August through to 31 July1 August through to 31 July1 August through to 31 July1 August through to 31 July.1 August through to 31 JulyAugust – July 1 October through to 30 September1 October through to 30 September and all holiday entitlement must be taken during the course of the leave year in which it accrues. It is your responsibility to ensure that all holiday is requested and taken within the correct leave year to ensure that it does not expire.

For further information regarding holiday pay follow this linkFor further information regarding holiday pay follow this link

Before you start working

Once you have been offered a role but before you start working you must visit the Unitemps branch that is managing your assignment with proof of your eligibility to work in the UK, your national insurance number and the bank details for the account in to which you wish to be paid. You cannot start an assignment until we have seen your proof of eligibility to work.

If you have an indefinite right to work in the UK

If you are a British, EEA or Swiss citizen or if you have a visa giving you an indefinite right to work in the UK then you must bring in one of the following combinations of ID before you work any shifts:

1. A passport showing the holder, or a person named in the passport as the child of the holder, is a British citizen or a citizen of the UK and Colonies having the right of abode in the UK.
2. A passport or national identity card showing the holder, or a person named in the passport as the child of the holder, is a national of a European Economic Area country or Switzerland.
3. A Registration Certificate or Document Certifying Permanent Residence issued by the Home Office to a national of a European Economic Area country or Switzerland.
4. A Permanent Residence Card issued by the Home Office to the family member of a national of a European Economic Area country or Switzerland.
5. A current Biometric Immigration Document (Biometric Residence Permit) issued by the Home Office to the holder indicating that the person named is allowed to stay indefinitely in the UK, or has no time limit on their stay in the UK.
6. A current passport endorsed to show that the holder is exempt from immigration control, is allowed to stay indefinitely in the UK, has the right of abode in the UK, or has no time limit on their stay in the UK.
7. A current Immigration Status Document issued by the Home Office to the holder with an endorsement indicating that the named person is allowed to stay indefinitely in the UK or has no time limit on their stay in the UK, together with an official document giving the person’s permanent National Insurance number and their name issued by a Government agency or a previous employer.
8. A birth (short or long) or adoption certificate issued in the UK, together with an official document giving the person’s permanent National Insurance number and their name issued by a Government agency or a previous employer.
9. A birth (short or long) or adoption certificate issued in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Ireland, together with an official document giving the person’s permanent National Insurance number and their name issued by a Government agency or a previous employer
10. A certificate of registration or naturalisation as a British citizen, together with an official document giving the person’s permanent National Insurance number and their name issued by a Government agency or a previous employer.

If you are working in the UK under a visa or have a temporary right to work

If you have a temporary right to work in the UK then you must bring in one of the following combinations of ID before you start working. We are required by law to carry out rechecks of your eligibility to work before the expiry date of the document or visa. If you are working under any restrictions then it is essential that you adhere to these at all times.

1. A current passport endorsed to show that the holder is allowed to stay in the UK and is currently allowed to do the type of work in question.
2. A current Biometric Immigration Document (Biometric Residence Permit) issued by the Home Office to the holder which indicates that the named person can currently stay in the UK and is allowed to do the work in question.
3. A current Residence Card (including an Accession Residence Card or a Derivative Residence Card) issued by the Home Office to a non-European Economic Area national who is a family member of a national of a European Economic Area country or Switzerland or who has a derivative right of residence.
4. A current Immigration Status Document containing a photograph issued by the Home Office to the holder with a valid endorsement indicating that the named person may stay in the UK, and is allowed to do the type of work in question, together with an official document giving the person’s permanent National Insurance number and their name issued by a Government agency or a previous employer.

If you are in the process of applying for a new visa then please bring evidence of your application in the form of a Certificate of Application, an Application Registration Card or an acknowledgement letter from the Home Office. We will then need to carry out a confirmation check with the Employer Checking Service before you can begin your assignment. This will normally take 3 to 4 days but could take longer. Once you have received your new visa please bring it to your local Unitemps branch as soon as possible. If you have not received it within 6 months then we will need to carry out this check again.

If you are a Student visa holder

In addition to the documentation described above you will also need to bring evidence of the term dates for your course and a student status letter. Please be aware that the term dates for your course may not match the standard term dates for your institution.

If you have any questions about this then please email your local branch on unitemps@warwick.ac.ukbirmingham@unitemps.comunitemps@ed.ac.ukunitemps@ucb.ac.ukunitemps@canterbury.ac.ukunitemps@surrey.ac.ukunitemps@dmu.ac.ukunitemps@le.ac.ukunitemps@mdx.ac.ukunitemps@city.ac.ukunitemps@ucl.ac.ukpayroll@salford.ac.ukunitemps@northampton.ac.ukunitemps@nottingham.ac.ukunitemps@ntu.ac.ukunitemps@staffs.ac.ukunitemps@ljmu.ac.uk .

If you are working under a Student visa, there are strict rules on the hours that you are permitted to work depending on whether you are working during or outside of your term dates. Please be aware that, depending on the level of your course, the University term dates may not apply to you and further documentation may be required.

Further guidance on this can be found Further guidance on this can be found herehereFurther guidance on this can be found here Further guidance on this can be found here

In the case of absence due to sickness or illness, you may be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay provided that you meet the relevant statutory criteria. Please note that Statutory Sick Pay is not payable for the first 3 days of the period of absence. If you wish to claim SSP you will be expected to complete a Self-Certification Form (NTU) to cover the first 7 days of absence (including non-working days) and thereafter must supply a doctor’s fit note. These should be sent to your local Unitemps office. If for whatever reason you are unable to attend work, you must telephone your line manager and/or the Unitemps office as soon as possible.

Statutory maternity pay (SMP) is payable to workers who take time off work to have a baby. There are qualifying criteria and not all temporary workers will be eligible. If you are not eligible for SMP then you can still apply for maternity allowance. Further details on SMP can be found here.

You must notify Unitemps of your pregnancy as follows:

• Inform your Unitemps office in writing so that a maternity risk assessment can be undertaken for the role and any necessary changes made
• Complete, by the 15th week before the baby is due at the latest, a maternity leave plan form and submit it to the Unitemps office with your MAT B1 form

Statutory paternity pay (SPP) is payable to workers who take time off work when their baby is born. There are qualifying criteria and not all temporary workers will be eligible. Further details on SPP can be found here.

You must notify Unitemps of the pregnancy as follows:

• Complete a paternity leave plan form and submit it to the Unitemps office by the 15th week before the baby is due at the latest.

Agency workers are not entitled to statutory paternity leave.

The Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) ensure that temporary workers in Great Britain are entitled to ‘equal treatment’ to permanent staff in certain areas of employment. View more information on how AWR is applied at Birmingham hereCCCU hereCity hereDMU hereLJMU hereMiddlesex hereNTU hereStaffordshire hereUCL hereUCB hereEdinburgh hereLeicester hereNorthampton hereNottingham hereSalford hereSurrey hereWarwick here.

Workers must by law be automatically enrolled in to a workplace pension scheme provided they are aged between 22 and state pension age, earn more than £10,000 a year and work in the UK.

If you become eligible for auto-enrolment, we will write to you with full details of the scheme and your options.

Further guidance on this can be found here.For all pension enquiries please contact the Pensions Team on pensions@surrey.ac.uk and they will be able to advise you.If you become eligible for auto-enrolment, we will write to you with full details of the scheme and your options. Further information on auto-enrolment and the scheme City Unitemps operates can be found here.Further guidance on this can be found here.

Further information on auto-enrolment and the scheme Unitemps Warwick operates can be found here.

Further information on auto-enrolment and the scheme Unitemps Birmingham operates can be found here.

We use two pension schemes; CRSP and USS at University of Nottingham Unitemps.

If you have finished your assignment with Unitemps WarwickBirminghamEdinburghUCBCCCUSurreyDMULeicesterMiddlesexCityUCLSalfordNorthamptonNottinghamNTUStaffordshireLJMU and you are not planning to work through us in the future then you will need to request your P45. A P45 request will remove you from the Unitemps WarwickEdinburghUCBCCCUSurreyDMULeicesterMiddlesexCityUCLSalfordNorthamptonNottinghamNTUStaffordshireLJMU payroll. Please email your request to unitemps@warwick.ac.uktimesheetenquiry@warwick.ac.ukunitemps@ed.ac.ukunitemps@ucb.ac.ukunitemps@canterbury.ac.ukunitemps@surrey.ac.ukunitemps@dmu.ac.ukunitemps@le.ac.ukunitemps@mdx.ac.ukunitemps@city.ac.ukunitemps@ucl.ac.ukunitemps@salford.ac.ukunitemps@northampton.ac.ukunitemps@nottingham.ac.ukunitemps@ntu.ac.ukunitemps@staffs.ac.ukunitemps@ljmu.ac.uk. You will need to include your name and the final date you worked for Unitemps. You should also make sure that you have claimed all of your outstanding holiday pay and confirm that you have done this in your email request.

If you request a P45 and then subsequently plan to do further work for Unitemps then you will need to come to the office to be setup on the payroll and to complete your right to work checks again before you start working.

Further information regarding P45 forms can be found here.

The Working Time Regulations place limits on the average working hours that a worker can be required to do and place restrictions on rest breaks and annual leave. Please be aware that further restrictions apply to under 18 year olds and it is not possible to opt-out of these.

Maximum working hours

Under the Working Time Regulations, the average working week for a worker must not exceed 48 hours per week. This average is calculated across a 17 week reference period (which excludes periods of annual leave or time off due to illness) and includes:

• Job-related training
• Time spent travelling for workers who have to travel as part of their job
• Working lunches
• Time spent working abroad in some cases
• Paid and some unpaid overtime
• Time spent on call at the workplace

However, the following periods are not included in this average:

• Breaks when no work is done (for example lunch breaks)
• Normal travel to and from work
• Time on call away from the workplace
• Unpaid overtime a worker has volunteered for
• Paid or unpaid holiday

Workers aged 18 and over can opt out of these restrictions with Unitemps if they wish to. Under the regulations an employer is not permitted to discriminate against a worker if they do not wish to opt out.

Opting out can be done as either part of the registration process or by contacting the local Unitemps branch in writing. At least 7 days notice must be given in order to opt back in to the regulations.

Rest breaks

Workers are legally entitled to a:

• Rest break of 20 minutes when the working day is longer than 6 hours
• Minimum rest period of 11 consecutive hours every 24 hour period
• Minimum rest period of 24 consecutive hours every 7 days

Night work

Workers must not average more than 8 hours of night work in any 24 hour period.

Annual leave

Workers are entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks paid annual leave each year (28 days per year for a full time position). Workers who are AWR qualified may receive additional annual leave days to match the entitlement of comparable employees.

We are committed to ensuring that all activities undertaken whilst working on an assignment through Unitemps are carried out to the highest possible standards of health and safety. It is our foremost concern that all temporary workers remain safe and healthy and we will take all reasonable measures to ensure this. The Health & Safety Act 1974 places a responsibility upon everybody to protect the health and safety of themselves and others when carrying out any work activity. Please take a few minutes to read and familiarise yourself with this information. If you have any questions, or are unsure of anything, please contact your local Unitemps office.

Emergency

It is important that you are familiar with the emergency procedures for your work area so that you can act appropriately should an emergency situation arise. If you are not provided with this when you start, ask your line manager for the emergency procedure for where you are working.

First Aid

Upon starting a new assignment, make sure you are aware of the designated first aiders and the procedure for reporting incidents.

Fire

It is essential that you understand how to act in the event of a fire.

If you discover a fire:

1. Shout “Fire” and operate the nearest red break glass point.
2. Alert the emergency services

If you hear an alarm in the building you are in:

1. Evacuate immediately, calmly and safely.
2. Always leave by the nearest exit.
3. Go to the assembly point as directed. Do not linger in doorways as this only impedes the fire brigade and endangers you and other people.
4. Never re-enter a building until you are told to do so, even if the alarms stop.
5. Never assume it’s a false alarm. If the alarm sounds you must leave the building immediately.

Automatic fire detectors, warning systems and firefighting equipment are put in place for everybody’s safety. To interfere with such systems and related equipment is irresponsible.

Fire doors onto staircases and kitchens protect your escape route and should never be blocked or wedged open.

Incident Reporting

All accidents/incidents in the workplace must be reported. Upon starting a new assignment, make sure you are aware of the procedures for reporting incidents. If an incident happens to you, or to a person you are supervising, a report of the incident must be completed as soon as possible. It does not matter how trivial the incident might appear to be at the time, reporting it could help to prevent a more serious accident in the future. Please ensure that the management of the area are made aware of the incident as soon as possible.

Hazardous Areas

If you are working in a hazardous area it is important that you are aware of any additional precautions that you need to take to work safely.

There are four basic types of safety sign, each with specific meanings attributed to the different colour and shape of sign;

• Signs with a green background provide information and / or indicate a safe condition e.g. emergency exit.
• Signs with a blue background give mandatory instructions which must be complied with e.g. wearing of personal protective equipment.
• Red signs with a white background are prohibition signs which inform you that you must not do something e.g. no smoking sign.
• Black and yellow signs are used to give a warning of a particular hazard e.g. a wet floor sign.

It is important that you are able to recognise safety signs in the workplace and respond to them appropriately to ensure your own safety and the safety of others. In the event of a person potentially being exposed to a substance that poses significant hazard to health it is essential that:

• Staff assisting should take care that they are not themselves put at risk of exposure;
• Relevant decontamination of the person should be carried out;
• The person kept or moved to a place of safety such that they are not subject to further exposure nor present a risk to others; and
• Medical advice should be sought before they are moved from this place of safety.

If the affected persons are in obvious need of medical attention, the Ambulance Service should be called and provided with details.

If medical checks are being taken as a precautionary measure then the affected individual(s) should not be sent to A&E without informing A&E of the details of the exposure and checking with A&E that they are able to receive the individual(s).

Risk Assessments

An awareness of risk assessment is essential to safe working.

It is important that you are aware of the content of any risk assessments as this will inform you of what risks are involved and the control measures you need to have in place. This will then help you carry out your activity safely by reducing the risks to yourselves and anyone else.

It is your responsibility to familiarise yourself with relevant risk assessments within your area of work.

If you feel there is a significant risk that is not currently supported by a written risk assessment, please report this to the person responsible for the area or the H&S Adviser.

Safety Equipment / PPE

Equipment provided for your safety must be used appropriately.

The provision of safety equipment and in particular personal protective equipment (PPE) is sometimes called for as a necessary control to further reduce the risk of personal exposure or injury arising from an activity.

All organisations have a duty to provide any PPE that has been assessed as mandatory for the activity or task. Similarly where PPE is a mandatory requirement the temporary worker has a duty to wear the PPE appropriately and report any defects with the PPE to the person responsible for the work area or the Faculty H&S adviser. It is a criminal offence to interfere with or misuse any equipment intended for either your own safety, or the safety of others.

Access & Security

Upon starting your assignment, familiarise yourself with the procedures for gaining access to where you are working. If a card access system is used to control access to buildings and you are issued with a card, ensure you have this with you at all times.

Portable Electrical Equipment

Do not use portable electrical equipment unless it has a valid inspection label. Any piece of electrical equipment should have a label on it which details the date that the equipment was last tested and the date when the next test is due. If an item does not have a label on it then query this with your line manager.

Computer Workstations

If you are using a computer in your role take the time to set up your workstation properly to achieve a comfortable position at your desk.

The following points provide the main guidelines that you should consider when setting up your workstation:

• You should avoid sitting directly facing a window. Ideally your computer should be positioned at 90 degrees to the window.
• Your screen should be positioned in front of you, adjusted such that the top of the screen is approximately at eye level.
• You should avoid twisting your body in order to use the computer; set up your workstation to achieve a comfortable position in front of the computer.
• Adjust your computer chair such that your forearms are horizontal to the desk with your elbows at right angles. Keep your wrists flat and in a neutral position whilst avoiding resting your wrists on the desk during typing.
• When sitting, your legs should ideally be at 90 degrees and your feet should be flat on the floor or supported with a foot rest (as necessary).
• Computer chairs should have fully adjustable height, back support and seat tip.

The majority of DSE related problems are generated by computer users not adjusting their chair properly to achieve an appropriate supporting posture. If you share your workstation, you should consider your comfort each time you use the workstation, taking the time to make the necessary adjustments to achieve a comfortable working position.

Manual Handling

By applying the basic principles of safe handling you can significantly reduce the risk of injury from manual handling operations.

Any heavy labour or manual material handling can contribute to the risk of injury whilst on the assignment. Manual material handling entails lifting, climbing, pushing, pulling, and pivoting, all of which pose the risk of injury to the back.

Musculoskeletal disorders caused by manual handling work contribute to more than a third of the reportable cases of accidents reported to HSA each year. Musculoskeletal disorders often involve strains and sprains to the lower back, shoulders, and upper limbs. Tasks may involve bending and twisting, repetitive motions, carrying or lifting heavy loads, and maintaining fixed positions for a long time. Manual handling under these conditions can lead to injury, but considered ergonomic intervention can decrease that likelihood.
Lifting can strain the lumbar vertebrae when done improperly. To avoid this keep loads close to the body and near the person’s center of gravity, using diagonal foot positions, and move loads at waist height rather than directly from the floor.

Pushing is generally easier on the back than pulling and it is important to use both the arms and legs to provide the leverage to start the push.

When moving containers, handlers are safer when pivoting their shoulders, hips and feet with the load in front at all times rather than twisting their back. The lower back is not designed for repetitive twisting.

When climbing with a load, safe material handling includes maintaining contact with the ladder or stairs at three points (two hands and a foot or both feet and a hand). Bulky loads would require a second person or a mechanical device to assist.

Smoking

Smoking is prohibited in any place of work under UK law. If you wish to smoke whilst on assignment, speak with your line manager to discuss when and where you will be able to do so. Persons wishing to smoke must do so in external areas. Smoking must take place away from building entrances in order to prevent smoke drifting back into the building.

Further Information

Don’t leave safety to chance. Take responsibility for your own safety, and the safety of others. If you see anything that you think could be dangerous tell your line manager immediately. We all share a responsibility for health and safety at work. If you have any health and safety queries that have not been included in this document please discuss these with your Unitemps office or the client.

Unitemps is committed to promoting equality of opportunity and embracing diversity in all areas of the business. We aim to ensure that all of our workplaces and services are free from unlawful discrimination and harassment.

As a signatory to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation Diversity Pledge, Unitemps embraces diversity and seeks to promote the benefits of diversity in our business activities. The culture of our business reflects this pledge.

Protected Characteristics and Discrimination

Unitemps seeks to treat everyone fairly and ensure that we do not directly or indirectly discriminate on the basis of any protected characteristics, defined under the Equality Act 2010 as:

• Age
• Disability
• Gender reassignment
• Marriage and civil partnership
• Pregnancy and maternity
• Race
• Religion or belief
• Sex
• Sexual orientation

Unitemps will also not discriminate on the basis of:

• Nationality
• Political views
• Membership or non-membership of a trade union
• Spent criminal convictions

Recruitment

Unitemps seeks to ensure that our recruitment and selection activities avoid unlawful or unfair discrimination. We will not:

• Accept instructions from clients that indicate an intention to discriminate unlawfully
• Discriminate unlawfully when advertising jobs, by ensuring that our staff are trained to recognise potential discriminatory adverts and that they advise clients of more appropriate wording
• Discriminate unlawfully when deciding which candidate or temporary worker is submitted for an assignment, by ensuring that each candidate is assessed only in accordance with their merits, qualifications and ability to perform the required duties
• Discriminate unlawfully in any terms of employment or terms of engagement for temporary workers
• Refuse or deliberately omit to provide services to certain groups of people with protected characteristics

Unitemps recognises that some groups and individuals may experience disadvantage and believes that as an employer and as a service provider, we have a role to play in tackling disadvantage. The company supports clients that wish to take positive action in recruitment and supports disabled candidates who require reasonable adjustments to enable them to apply for jobs and take up assignments.

Diversity

Unitemps aspires to have a diverse workforce which broadly reflects the composition of the community, recognising that within our staff and clients, there are differences in needs, culture, background, preferences and values. These differences are welcomed for the richness of views, perceptions and experiences they bring to the business, from which everyone can learn. Unitemps is therefore committed to flexibility in our practices to encourage inclusion and support diversity.

Unitemps is committed to securing a working environment for our temporary workers that is free from harassment, bullying and unlawful discrimination.

Unitemps expects clients to treat all temporary workers with dignity and respect and to take all steps in their control to prevent and deal with harassment in the workplace.

What is harassment?

The 2010 Equality Act defines harassment as “unwanted conduct related to a relevant protected characteristic, which has the purpose or effect of violating an individual’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that individual”.

Harassment is unwanted, unsolicited or unwelcome behaviour or language that is offensive or intimidating to the recipient. In making judgements about harassment, it is the behaviour and its impact on the recipient, and not the intention of the perpetrator, that is important.

Examples of harassment

• Embarrassing, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, jokes or innuendo
• Unwelcome remarks about clothing or appearance
• Demands for sexual favours
• Electronic messages or electronic displays of sexually suggestive pictures and literature, including email
• Aggressive physical or verbal behaviour
• Persistent demeaning and downgrading through words or actions
• Inappropriate or derogatory remarks in connection with performance
• Bullying, defined as any offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour which, through the abuse or misuse of power, makes the recipient feel vulnerable, upset, humiliated and threatened (power includes both personal strength and the power to coerce others through fear or intimidation)

Dealing with harassment

Unitemps regards any incidents of harassment by, or against, its workers as unacceptable and will investigate and take appropriate action to resolve the situation. If the perpetrator is a Unitemps worker, he or she may have their assignment terminated and be removed from the Unitemps register. If the perpetrator is an employee of the client and the matter is not resolved satisfactorily, Unitemps may terminate the business relationship. If the Unitemps worker is the victim, clients are expected to promptly deal with the issue.

Informal procedure

Unitemps will encourage the victim to make it clear to the person causing offence that this behaviour is unacceptable to them. In some instances this may be sufficient to resolve the problem. However, if harassment persists after following this approach, or if such an approach is not possible or inappropriate (for example in cases of sexual harassment) the victim will be encouraged to record details of incidents and to make a formal complaint.

A Unitemps representative will offer to meet the victim to discuss the nature of the problem and the courses of action available. If the victim wishes to make a formal complaint, he or she should notify the Unitemps branch manager in writing, and a formal investigation will be launched.

Formal procedure

1. Once a formal complaint has been received by Unitemps, an acknowledgement will be sent to the victim with the contact details of a nominated Unitemps representative, who will liaise with the victim during the investigation.
2. If the harassment has occurred whilst the victim has been working for a Unitemps client, the branch manager will contact the client to ask that the complaint be fully investigated within a given timescale. Every effort will be made to deal with complaints with the minimum time delay.
3. Each client will have its own harassment procedure and Unitemps would expect that procedure to be followed wherever practicable. Unitemps will seek to ensure that the investigation will be thorough, impartial and objective, and will be carried out with sensitivity and with due respect for the rights of all parties concerned.
4. Unitemps will not expect the victim to continue in an assignment with a client whilst a case of harassment against them is being investigated. Wherever possible, Unitemps will continue to make alternative assignments available to the complainant.
5. Unitemps will treat all parties with respect and all cases will be treated equally on the same basis regardless of job status or length of service.
6. Once the investigation has been completed, any consequential action has been taken and the relevant Unitemps procedures have been followed, the Unitemps branch manager will send a formal response to the complainant.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality is an important part of the procedures provided under this policy. Everyone involved in the operation of the policy, whether making a complaint or involved in any investigation, is responsible for observing the high level of confidentiality that is required.

Unitemps is committed to providing all of its customers with the best possible service at all times. If you are not satisfied with any aspect of our service we would like to hear from you as this will help us to improve our standards. If your complaint is related to a harassment or data protection issue then you should follow the complaints procedure in these policies:

Harassment Policy and Procedure

Privacy Notice

The majority of complaints about Unitemps’ services will be made informally to the relevant branch and will be immediately resolved to the individual’s satisfaction. On rare occasions, a complaint may be so complex or serious that it cannot be quickly resolved at local level. In these cases the formal complaints procedure applies. Where possible we will endeavour to respond within the timescales given below.

Formal complaints procedure

If your complaint has not been resolved informally please contact your local branch by clicking here, your complaint will then follow the procedure below:

Stage 1

• Within 2 working days: The relevant Unitemps branch will log your complaint and send you an email acknowledgement confirming the details, and explaining what happens next.
• A manager carries out an investigation or refers the matter to the most appropriate person to deal with the complaint.
• A manager or the most appropriate person may meet with you if necessary to discuss the complaint further.
• Within 5 working days from the start of the investigation or meeting: A manager or the most appropriate person will email you a full written response to your complaint.

Stage 2

• If you are not satisfied, you can write to us again and your complaint will be escalated to a senior manager and highlighted to Head Office.
• The senior manager will review all the case material.
• Within 5 working days: The senior manager will email you confirming our final position on the complaint, explaining our reasons, and copying in the relevant branch manager.

Stage 3

• If you are still dissatisfied and the matter concerns the conduct of the business, Unitemps will advise you to contact the Employment Agencies Standards Office at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy or the REC, the industry trade association, of which we are a member, by writing to the Consultancy and Compliance Team, REC, Dorset House, 1st Floor, 27 – 45 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NT.

If we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.

We publish regular newsletters for all candidates registered with Unitemps at the University of Warwick or Millennium Point, Birmingham. Follow the link below to read our latest issue:

• Issue 1: April 2021