HR Compliance Review – HR Documents

Employment Contract Types

Please confirm the types of contract currently in place (or that may be required).

Permanent Contracts

(Permanent contract: Provides continunous employment without a pre-set end date, offering steady and consistent terms of employment.)

Banded Hours Contracts

(Banded Hours Contract: Provided following an employee request to be placed on a particular band of hours, which are based on an average of hours worked by the employee for the previous 12 months. The employer must for the following 12 months, provide the employee with working hours that on average, fall within that band. )

Apprentice Contracts

(Apprentice Contract: Provides employment and training to apprentices for the duration of their apprenticeship.)

Remote/Hybrid Working Contracts

(Remote / Hybrid Working Contract: Provides employment to employees who work some or all of their working hours from a remote or home location, away from the employer base.)

Carer’s Leave Policy & Procedures

The Carer’s Leave Policy & Procedure: Should clearly explain to both managers and employees; an employee’s statutory entitlement to request unpaid Carer’s Leave to care for a person in need of full-time care, details of the notification requirements for employees requesting Carer’s Leave, plus details of Carer’s Benefit available to employees.

Driving For Work Policy & Procedures

The Driving For Work Policy & Procedures: Where employees are required to drive as part of their work duties, this policy should clearly explain to both managers and employees; the employer’s policy on driving for work, including driver, vehicle, and journey management, along with incident reporting requirements and procedures.

Grievance and Disciplinary Policy & Procedures

The Grievance and Disciplinary Policy and Procedure: Should clearly detail the fair and reasonable procedures (both informal and formal) which will allow employees to raise grievances with management, and (when required) for management to take disciplinary action against an employee, up to and including dismissal. The procedures should be in accordance with the WRC Code of Practice on Discipline and Grievance Procedures (SI No. 146 of 2000).

Health and Safety Policy & Procedures

A Health and Safety Policy: Is an employer declaration from senior management giving a commitment to ensure that the workplace is as safe and healthy as reasonably practicable and that all relevant statutory requirements will be complied with and provides a framework for managing safety and health.

Anti-Bullying Policy & Procedures

The Anti-Bullying Policy and Procedures: Should clearly explain to both managers and employees; the employer commitment to dignity in the workplace, a clear definition of bullying, and the procedure for managing complaints, both informally and formally. The policy should be in accordance with the Health and Safety Authority Code of Practice on the Prevention and Resolution of Bullying at Work, and the Workplace Relations Commission Code of Practice Detailing Procedures for Addressing Bullying in the Workplace.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy & Procedures

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy: Outlines the employer’s equal opportunities policy, and commitment to providing a safe and secure working environment free from, discrimination, harassment (including sexual harassment) and bullying, where all employees will be treated with dignity and respect. Should also include guidance on the procedure for employees to raise complaints.

Performance Management Policy & Procedures

Performance Management Policy: Should clearly outline to managers and employees how the organisation will monitor, review and appraise employee performance.

Training and Development Policy & Procedures

Training and Development Policy: Should clearly outline to managers and employees, management programmes to enhance employee skills and knowledge, promoting career growth and satisfaction.

Flexible and Remote Working Policy & Procedures

The Flexible and Remote Working Policy & Proecedures: Should clearly explain to both managers and employees; employees’ statutory rights to request flexible and remote working, and the management procedures in place to handle such requests. The policy should be in accordance with the WRC Code of Practice for Employers and Employees on the Right to Request Flexible Working and the Right to Request Remote Working.

The Right To Disconnect Policy & Procedures

The Right to Disconnect Policy and Procedure: Should clearly set out the policy on employee’s right to disengage from work and refrain from engaging in work-related electronic communications, such as emails, telephone calls or other messages, outside normal hours, and the procedure for raising concrns. The policy should be in accordance with the WRC Code of Practice on the Right to Disconnect.

Pension Policy & Procedure

Pension Policy & Procedure: Should comply with the Pensions Act by offering an appropriate pension scheme (if applicable) and providing necessary information to employees.

Lay-Off / Short-Time Working Policy & Procedures

Lay-Off / Short-Time Working Policy and Procedure: This policy should clearly outline to managers and employees; the process for laying-off staff, or placing employees on short-time work when a business has no work available or cannot afford to continue paying workers, and should be in accordance with the Employment Equality Act (2015) and the Redundancy Payments Act (1967).

Redundancy Policy & Procedure

Redundancy Policy & Procedure: Should clearly outline a fair and consistent redundancy process, should it be required, which, if implemented should avoid the risk of unfair dismissal or discrimination claims.

Retirement Policy & Procedure

Employers are obliged to have ‘objective justifcation’ for having a contractual set retirement age for employees. Care must also be taken to avoid any claims for age discrimination. A Retirement Policy should clearly outline the process for managers when handling an employees pending retirement, and include consideration of any employee requests to work beyond the retirement age.

Whistleblowing Policy & Procedure

Whistleblowing Policy & Procedure: Outlines the process for a worker to confidentially report any unethical behaviour or wrongdoing within the organisation.