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Foodkind CIC

Disciplinary and Grievance Policy

The policy is for raising a grievance, or when a grievance is raised against a volunteer or employee. It is our aim to resolve matters

  • Foodkind CIC depends on the hard work of volunteers and employees, but we wish this to be in the context of a safe and supportive environment. Therefore, we wish to maintain a high standard of conduct from its volunteers and employees and the organisation as a whole.
  • We wish to ensure that issues are addressed and all individuals are treated fairly. Volunteers and employees are encouraged to discuss day to day concerns informally. This allows them to be addressed promptly and can stop situations escalating unnecessarily.
  • Volunteer and Employee Disciplinary Procedure will be utilised where conduct calls the organisation into disrepute or seriously impairs its efficient running.
  • The procedure applies to all volunteers and employees, including the Board of Directors.
  • Issues may include a refusal to comply with reasonable requests from a person of designated authority, particularly in matters of health and safety and safeguarding; incapacity to perform the duties of the post effectively due to drunkenness or use of illegal substances; harassment of any volunteer, employee, customer, partner or visitor; breach of any policy or where there is serious misrepresentation or negative misrepresentation of the Company.
  • In the event of an issue arising, the site manager or a director will arrange to have an informal discussion with the volunteer or employee; this will outline the cause for concern and give the volunteer or employee an opportunity to explain their alleged misconduct.
  • Consequences should concerns not be outlined will be addressed, with a timeframe.
  • If there is not sufficient improvement within the given timescale, the director or site manager will assess whether to initiate the formal disciplinary procedure.
    Formal Disciplinary Procedure
  • If the informal disciplinary procedure has not resulted in satisfactory or improved conduct of the volunteer or employee within the given timescale, or it emerges that there are allegations of a serious nature, the Board will begin formal disciplinary procedure.
  • The Board of Directors will arrange a formal meeting with the volunteer or employee, who will receive notification, in writing with a proposed time, date and venue.
  • The meeting will include the directors setting out the alleged misconduct, characteristics or other circumstances which have led to the formal disciplinary procedure being employed.
  • The volunteer or employee is welcome to bring a friend or colleague to the formal meeting.
  • The volunteer or employee has at least ten working days before the formal meeting will take place, to consider their response to the alleged misconduct which will be outlined by email or letter.
  • Alleged misconduct might lead to suspension from volunteering activities during the procedure. Minutes of the meeting will be taken.
  • During the meeting, the volunteer or employee will have the opportunity to fully explain their response to the allegations.
  • Details of the outcome of their formal meeting will be provided to the individual within five working days.
  • The potential outcomes of the formal meeting, all of which will be confirmed in writing, are: No warning being issued/a verbal warning
/ written warning/ final warning or dismissal.
  • The Board of Directors will ensure that the outcomes are upheld.

Gross misconduct

  • Where misconduct is so serious that the relationship between the volunteer or employee and the Company is irreparable, the Board of Directors reserves the right to dismiss the volunteer or employee without notice.
  • The Board of Directors will use their power of immediate dismissal of a volunteer or employee for gross misconduct only as a measure of last resort and where all other options have failed. This will include situations where the behaviour of a volunteer or employee is judged to present a danger to others.
  • A decision to immediately dismiss a volunteer or employee for gross misconduct will not be taken lightly or without good cause. When so made, the Board of Directors will provide the volunteer or employee with a comprehensive explanation of the reasons that compel them to take this decision.
  • The Board of Directors must make a unanimous decision to immediately dismiss a volunteer or employee for gross misconduct.
    Appeals procedure
  • If a volunteer or employee wishes to appeal against the outcome of the formal disciplinary procedure, they must write to the Board of Directors, giving their reasons for the appeal.
  • The appeals procedure will access if the process has been conducted correctly, fairly, and in accordance with the Disciplinary and Grievance Policy.
  • The Board of Directors will provide a response to the appeal within ten working days. This response is final and cannot be changed.

Grievances

Examples of grievances that may be raised by volunteers or employees under the Disciplinary and Grievance Policy include:

  • Concerns about supervision or management
 Harassment, bullying or discrimination by another volunteer or employee
  • Concerns about health and safety
  • Feedback that has been ignored or ill-received
  • Unmanageable workload
  • The conduct of another volunteer or employee, particularly where conduct concerns breach of policy.
  • General dissatisfaction does not fall under this procedure.

Raising a grievance

  • A volunteer or employee with a grievance should first express their grievance in writing by letter or email to the Board of Directors. The letter or email should details their concerns, providing as much information as possible.
  • The Board of Directors will confirm and recognise in writing the receipt of any grievance and designate an individual director to be responsible for investigating and processing the matter.
  • The volunteer or employee will be invited to attend a meeting with the designated individual responsible for processing the grievance. The meeting will take place within ten days of receipt of the grievance.
  • The volunteer or employee will have an opportunity to discuss their grievance and suggested resolutions. The designated individual responsible for processing the grievance will record the suggested resolutions.
  • The designated individual responsible for processing the grievance will make their recommendations for suggested resolutions to the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors will consider seriously any suggested resolutions. In collaboration with the designated individual responsible for processing the grievance, the Board of Directors will decide whether to take any action.
  • The volunteer or employee will be informed of the outcome of the meeting within five working days. They will be informed of any actions taken as a result of their grievance, and given an appropriate timescale detailing how and when actions will take place to resolve the concern.
  • Any monitoring information collected will be used to monitor the effectiveness of the Disciplinary and Grievance Policy. Information will be processed in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations, as outlined in the Company’s Privacy Statement.

The Disciplinary and Grievance Policy will be subject to review by the directors.

Reviewed and approved 2024