Welcome to Kew Green

Congratulations on your new role and Welcome to Kew Green Hotels! We are absolutely delighted to have you on board.

This is From Kew To You - our digital Employee Handbook. On this site you will find everything you need during your time with us. "The Details Matter" gives you access to all of our company policies, "Perk Up!" tells you everything you need to know about accessing your incredible benefits and the other sections contain lots of useful information on our values, company history, career options and who's who in our business, as well as the details of our Employee Assistance Programme and the importance of looking after your mental health.

In this section, you will find full details of the policies you are asked to agree to when completing your new starter paperwork and commencing your employment with us. Please read them and get in touch if you have any questions.

Individual Opt-Out Agreement

I agree that the limit in Regulation 4(1) of the Working Time Regulations 1998 shall not apply to me.

My average working time may therefore exceed 48 hours for each seven day period (as defined by and calculated in accordance with the Working Time Regulations 1998).

This agreement shall apply from the commencement of my employment.

I agree that I will comply with any and all policies of the company’s arrangements, from time to time in force, which relate to its maintenance of records of my hours of work.

This agreement can be terminated by me giving seven days notice in writing to my Manager.

I accept and agree that the following are expressed written terms, as contained within my contract of employment and as stated in the employee handbook, which I have read and understood.

Annual Holidays

In the event of your employment terminating during the holiday year and you have taken holidays in excess of the number of days accrued and due to you, at the effective date of termination of your employment, we reserve the right to recover a sum equal to the amount of excess holidays taken by making a deduction from your final pay. You will be notified of such at the time, in writing.

Payments In Error

In the event that the company makes an overpayment in error, not limited to salary, expenses or holidays the company reserves the right to require you to repay the company either by deduction from salary or by any other means, deemed acceptable by the company. Failure to notify the company of payment errors could result in your summary dismissal on the grounds of gross misconduct.

Stock/Property

If, following investigation, it is found that as a result of your carelessness, negligence, or failure to comply with our procedures, or by willful act, we suffer loss, or damage, of cash, stock, fixtures and fittings, or property, (including vehicles), this will be construed as a serious breach of the rules, which could result in your summary dismissal on the grounds of gross misconduct.

We reserve the right to take disciplinary action, and in addition you may be liable to pay the full, or part, cost of making good our loss in respect of cash, stock, fixtures and fittings, or our property (including vehicles). In the event that we make a claim against our insurers, for repair, or replacement, or other losses incurred, we reserve the right to require you to pay any possible insurance excess.

N.B. This would include losses incurred by us in respect of any hire equipment or costs which we have had to reimburse to a third party.

Fines

If you incur any fines for parking or other motoring offences whilst driving one of our vehicles, you will be personally accountable for the payment of such fines. Fixed penalty notices are normally reported directly to us by the authorities. We reserve the right to pay such fixed penalties on your behalf and deduct the cost from your wages or salary.

Company Issue Uniform

If, on leaving our employment, you fail to return your uniform, without our prior agreement, the amount equal to the value of the uniform, will be deducted from any final monies due to you.

I further understand that on any occasion when my employer intends to implement one or more of the above conditions, I will receive written notification of that fact and a statement of the amount to be deducted. I hereby give my written consent for my employer to make deductions, in the circumstances described above.

I, the undersigned, hereby agree that I will at all times, whether or not in the employment of this company and except where such information is in the public domain:

• maintain the strictest secrecy with regard to the business affairs of the company and its customers, except to the extent that I may be authorised or ordered to disclose them by the board of directors of this company, a court of law, any authorised supervisory or enforcement agency (such as the police, a regulatory body given powers under the Financial Services Act or HM Revenue & Customs);

• refrain from revealing or using confidential information regarding systems and programme design, and data for personal gain;

• use computer equipment and access the internet only when authorised to do so and only for official employer business, as unauthorised usage could result in damage to the equipment and loss of stored data;

• I will familiarise myself with the data protection procedures set down by the company as a result of the General Data Protection Regulations and understand that the company is obliged as a consequence to view any breach of these procedures as a serious matter that could result in summary dismissal under the company’s disciplinary procedure.

I understand that any breach of this agreement could result in the company’s sensitive and confidential data being disclosed to competitors or other interested parties and any such on my part may render me liable to summary dismissal under the disciplinary procedure.

Nothing in this agreement prevents me from making a protected disclosure within the meaning of s.43A of the Employment Rights Act 1996.

I confirm that my position carries responsibility for ensuring that the following cash and key security procedures are adhered to.

• All keys must be signed for when taken out and again when returned in an appropriate register. No keys are to be removed from the hotel without authority from the General Manager.

• Keys must always be kept by the person who signed them out and kept on the person’s body, not placed in a drawer.

• Keys to cash boxes and drawers must be held only by the person who signed them out and never given to any unauthorised individuals.

• Where a hotel has a reception safe, the keys to this safe must be kept in the possession of the person responsible for the safe.

• The safe must never be left open, or the key to it left in the lock, and at no time must the amount of cash contained in the safe exceed the insurance limit for the safe.

• All cash floats must be signed for when taken out and again when returned. Once cash float holders have signed for the floats they become responsible for them.

• Cash must always be kept in a secure place and never left unattended. Safes, cash drawer, cash boxes etc, must be kept locked at all times when not in use.

• No person other than the person responsible must be allowed access to the float.

• Individual cash floats must be balanced by the float holder at the end of each shift.

• Cash must never be counted in areas accessible to the public and must always be locked away before dealing with interruptions.

• When handing over the keys at the end of shift, keys should be given personally to the incoming employee who is designated as having responsibility for these keys.

• Shift takings during the shift must be accounted for and witnessed when placed in the drop safe.

• All keys when handed in, should be placed in an appropriate safe.

• When there is an overage or shortage which amounts to 1) an individual discrepancy of £5 or more, or a cumulative total of more than £15 in any one month, or 2) an unpaid food and beverage check, the incident will be investigated and the disciplinary process followed as appropriate in line with the staff handbook.

A single unexplained overage/shortage, or missing check, of £100 or more will result in an automatic suspension and may result in termination for gross negligence.

If the reason for the discrepancy is due to gross negligence, the individual responsible renders themselves liable to instant dismissal, following investigation, in line with company procedure.

Examples of gross misconduct are:

• Leaving a cash float unlocked

• Loss of cash float

• Loss of daily deposit

• Loss of keys

• Major float shortage

• Illegal transactions (theft etc)

I understand that it is also my responsibility to ensure that any irregularities such as cash shortages and loss of keys, must be reported immediately to the finance department. I understand that failure to follow these procedure, or loss of cash and/or keys may result in disciplinary action being taken against me.

I have read and understand the contents of this declaration and agree to abide by them.

Our fire procedures are written to ensure the safety of our guests, personnel and properties.

It is a legal requirement that all personnel be trained in the action to be taken in the event of a fire and in fire prevention.

Action to take in the event of a Fire:

• Immediately operate the nearest break glass point by pushing the center.

• If the fire is small enough (no bigger than a waste basket) and you have been trained, attack the fire with the relevant appliance provided. Assess your route and ensure your exit route is clear before you tackle.

• If unable to tackle, leave the area immediately by nearest fire escape closing doors behind you, inform reception of the situation and proceed to the assembly point.

• Staff with specified duties, follow the hotel evacuation procedure.

• Staff without specified duties, proceed to the fire assembly point.

• As you leave close any doors or windows behind you and disconnect power supplies, if practical.

• Stay at the fire assembly point until instructed otherwise by the fire officer. A roll call will be taken.

General Responsibilities of all Personnel

• To know what to do in the event of fire.

• To make certain you are familiar with all means of escape and to ensure staircases, landings and other routes are maintained and free from obstruction at all times

• To assist in the safe evacuation and direction of guests to the fire assembly point in the event of fire.

• To prevent possible causes of fire, e.g. smoldering materials, electrical appliances.

• To ensure that all smoke stop doors and fire doors are closed when not in use and during night hours.

Points to Remember:

• Always treat the fire alarm as the real thing.

• Do not use lifts.

• When informing guests to leave the building be assertive and do not get into discussions about whether it is a real alarm or test.

• If a guest refuses to leave, inform them that they are putting their own and others’ lives in danger and leave them. It is essential that you inform the Duty Manager that someone has been left in whichever area. The Duty Manager will inform the fire officer on arrival.

• Never panic or run.

• Never put your own life in danger.

• Assist guests to the assembly point if necessary.

• Calmly walk to the assembly point and assemble with your department for roll call.

• Do not re-enter the building until told to do so by the Fire Officer.

I understand the procedure as described above.

I agree to report to my immediate supervisor or manager as soon as possible, by telephone, if necessary, in any of the following circumstances:

• Should I suffer from any illness involving any of the following:

  • Vomiting

  • Diarrhoea

  • Septic skin lesions (boils, infected cuts, etc.)

  • Discharge from ear, nose, eye or any other body location

  • Infectious illnesses such as Covid-19, Measles, Chicken Pox, Influenza

• Before returning to work following any illness with the above conditions.

• If any of my household is suffering from diarrhoea and/or vomiting.

• After returning from any holiday during which I suffered diarrhoea and/or vomiting.

• After returning from any holiday in which any of my party suffered diarrhoea or vomiting.

I have read (had read to me) and received a copy of the Grooming Standards in the Dress and Appearance section of the handbook,

I understand and agree to abide by those standards.

A Food Handler is a person whose work at any time involves him/her handling and / or the service of food and drink and the use of equipment and utensils connected with the service and preparation of food and drink.

I agree to report to the manager on the following occasions and understand that I may be referred to a doctor for examination.

• If I develop an illness involving:

  • Vomiting

  • Diarrhoea

  • Skin Rash

  • Septic Skin Lesion (boils, infected cuts etc) however small

  • Discharge from ear, eye, nose or any other visual area

• If I suspect I am suffering from or a carrier of a disease likely to be transmitted through food.

• I have/have not had typhoid, paratyphoid (Please delete as appropriate, for recorded purposes only)

• I will avoid unnecessary handling of food, and will use tongs, forks, spoons, scoops etc, where ever possible.

• I understand that I am responsible for maintaining a high degree of personal cleanliness, and will wear suitable, clean and when appropriate, protective clothing.

• I will ensure that my uniform is kept clean and presentable at all times.

• I will wash my hands thoroughly; before starting work, before handling food, after every break, after using the toilet, after handling raw foods or waste products and after blowing my nose, or smoking.

• I will not smoke, eat or drink in a food room and i will never cough or sneeze over food.

• If I should cut myself I will always cover cuts with a high visibility waterproof dressing.

• I will avoid unnecessary handling or touching of foods.

• If I see something wrong I will report it to my supervisor.

I have read (or had explained to me) and fully understand the food handler’s declaration.

Whilst in the employment of KGH you may, from time to time, be asked to model for or be included in a promotional photograph or corporate video. The photographs may be used in any of our promotional literature and on our websites. The corporate video may be used for promotional purposes at KGH or at any exhibitions or sales promotions we may attend.

By signing the starter policies letter, you agree to be photographed. Any film and/or photographs will remain the property of KGH for use at their discretion both during and after your period of employment with the company.