People and Policies Statement

The Society has policies and procedures which govern our behaviours and set standards for both personal and commercial integrity. The Society’s HR policies provide advice and guidance for colleagues and managers on a range of employment issues. HR procedures support and supplement HR policies where appropriate.

It is the Society’s responsibility to ensure our HR Policies:

• Reflect and comply with existing or new legislation (there are certain HR policies that all businesses are required to have in place by law)

• Support our business strategy

• Encourage effective colleague management

All Society policies are shared with USDAW (our recognised trade union) in representation of our colleagues and to provide a colleague voice in the implementation or review of our Society policies and procedures.

Where to find our Society HR policies?

All HR policies can be found on Coop Colleagues Connect People and Policies Page.

Our policies are categorised within the following categories:

Additional Support and Resources

If colleagues have any questions regarding our Society HR policies, they should speak to their line manager in the first instance or contact the HR Advisor for your business group, or email HR.advice@midcounties.coop.

Colleagues can stay up to date on all current and new legislation for the UK, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, by visiting http://www.legislation.gov.uk/.

The below are some of the most common pieces of Employment legislation and working practices which underpin the majority of our policies and procedures:

1. Equality Act 2010 - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents

2. Working Time Regulations 1998 - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/1833/contents  

3. Employment Rights Act 1996 - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/18/contents

4. ACAS Code of Practice - https://www.acas.org.uk/acas-code-of-practice-on-disciplinary-and-grievance-procedures

The Society has partnered with GroceryAid to provide colleagues with a FREE confidential helpline service. For help and advice colleagues can contact the confidential 24/7 GroceryAid Helpline by calling 08088 021 122. A live webchat is also available here. There is also a wide range of guidance and support resources available at www.groceryaid.org.uk.

Acas (www.acas.org.uk) offers free impartial advice on workplace rights, rules and best practice.