VILLAGE DU PAIN LTD

EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK

NOVEMBER 2009

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 WELCOME!

The handbook is for the guidance of the Village Du Pain Ltd/ t.a Le Pain Quotidien (referred
to as “Le Pain Quotidien”, “LPQ”, “The Company”) staff carrying out the duties of their
employment, and provides a general set of rules and obligations applying to all employees
of the Company. It also outlines all the Company’s policies and procedures, including the
Disciplinary & Grievance procedures, which are part of all Le Pain Quotidien’s employees’
terms and conditions of employment.

The guidelines and policies provided by the Employee Handbook will be complied with by
both Village Du Pain Ltd/ t.a. Le Pain Quotidien (the employer) and its employees.

You will find this Handbook a useful source of information and should refer to it to ensure
you understand its provisions and how they apply to you personally. If you need any
further information, please ask your General Manager or contact the Human Resources
department.

From time to time, in the interests of efficiency and in your own interests, it may be
necessary to vary the terms and conditions of your employment. These changes will be
notified to you in writing and should be kept with your contract and handbook. The most
up-to-date version of the Handbook can be asked from the HR department.

We would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to Le Pain Quotidien. We are
pleased to present you with this exciting opportunity to join our international team and we
are delighted that you have chosen to become part of our team. You’ll find you have joined
a team of friendly, hard working people dedicated to achieving personal and professional
success. Your enthusiasm, professionalism and genuine desire to serve our customers are
the keys to our success. It is your courtesy, knowledge, skill and willingness to provide
excellent service that will make you a valued member of our team.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

I) LE PAIN QUOTIDIEN HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY ---------------------------------------

--------------------------------------- 4
1. The true story. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 5
2. Concept ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6
3. Products ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6
4. Mission Statement ------------------------------------------------------------------- 6
5. Core beliefs ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7
6. MOTTO ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7
7. Philosophy -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7
8. Customer Service Standards --------------------------------------------------------- 8
9. Career Team Spirit ------------------------------------------------------------------ 8
II) HOURS OF WORK & PAY ----------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------- 9
1. Payroll------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9
2. General administration. ------------------------------------------------------------- 9
3. Tracking hours worked ------------------------------------------------------------- 10
4. Place of work ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 10
III) TERMS & CONDITIONS OF YOUR EMPLOYMENT -----------------------------------
----------------------------------- 11
1. Induction and training. ------------------------------------------------------------- 11
2. Hours of work. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 11
3. Holiday and leave. ------------------------------------------------------------------ 11
4. Probationary Period ---------------------------------------------------------------- 13
5. Notice Periods ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 13
6. Conflicts of Interests. --------------------------------------------------------------- 14
7. Retirement ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15
IV) YOUR BENEFITS ----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------- 16
1. Leaves of Absence ------------------------------------------------------------------ 16
2. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). ------------------------------------------------------------ 17
3. Medical Treatment ----------------------------------------------------------------- 18
4. Maternity / Paternity Leave --------------------------------------------------------- 18
5. Maternity benefits. -----------------------------------------------------------------20
6. Parental leave. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 22
7. Paternity leave. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 23
8. Compassionate Leave ---------------------------------------------------------------24
9. Personal Leave ---------------------------------------------------------------------24
10. Stakeholder Pension Scheme.------------------------------------------------------24
11. Free Lunch/ Staff Meals. -----------------------------------------------------------24
12. Team Member Discounts: ----------------------------------------------------------24
13. Childcare Voucher: ---------------------------------------------------------------- 25

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V) COMPANY PROCEDURES. --------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------- 26
1. Your future- our future. -------------------------------------------------------------26
2. Performing your duties. ------------------------------------------------------------26
3. Unauthorised representations. ------------------------------------------------------26
4. Confidentiality. ---------------------------------------------------------------------26
5. Performance assessments. --------------------------------------------------------- 27
6. Uniform ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27
7. Personal Appearance --------------------------------------------------------------- 27
8. Breaks -----------------------------------------------------------------------------28
9. Reporting Important Changes -------------------------------------------------------28
10. Reference Policy -------------------------------------------------------------------29
11. Drug-Free Workplace --------------------------------------------------------------29
12. Equal Employment Opportunity ----------------------------------------------------29
13. Lost property ----------------------------------------------------------------------29
14. Open Door Policy ------------------------------------------------------------------29
15. Training. --------------------------------------------------------------------------29
16. Company property. ----------------------------------------------------------------30
17. Company property when leaving. --------------------------------------------------30
18. Food and drink. -------------------------------------------------------------------30
19. Electronic Equipment -------------------------------------------------------------- 31
20. Personal Hygiene------------------------------------------------------------------ 31
21. Personal belongings --------------------------------------------------------------- 31
22. Right of Search -------------------------------------------------------------------- 32
23. Solicitations ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 32
24. Smoking/Tobacco ----------------------------------------------------------------- 32
25. Telephone, E-mail and Internet: --------------------------------------------------- 32
26. Theft Prevention Policy ------------------------------------------------------------ 33
27. Working Time Regulations --------------------------------------------------------- 33
28. Absence --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 33
29. Absence control procedure. -------------------------------------------------------34
VI) DISCIPLINARY AND GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE -------------------------------------
------------------------------------- 36
1. Disciplinary. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 36
2. Grievance procedure. --------------------------------------------------------------- 41
VII) COMPANY POLICIES ------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------ 45
1. Health & Safety. ------------------------------------------------------------------- 45
2. Sexual Harassment Policy --------------------------------------------------------- 46
3. Bullying & Harassment Policy ------------------------------------------------------- 47
4. Environmental Policy --------------------------------------------------------------- 51
5. Alcohol and drug abuse ------------------------------------------------------------ 52
6. Company training ------------------------------------------------------------------ 53
7. Conflicts of interests. ---------------------------------------------------------------55
8. Equal opportunity policy ----------------------------------------------------------- 64
9. Diversity. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------65
10. Data Protection.--------------------------------------------------------------------66
VIII) HEALTH & SAFETY AT WORK WO RK ---------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------- 69

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 I) LE PAIN QUOTIDIEN HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY

1. The true story.

“Great ideas often have very simple origins”.

That is certainly true of ‘Le Pain Quotidien’.

At the beginning of the 90s, Alain Coumont, chef in a prestigious Brussels restaurant,
enjoyed offering a tasty and authentic style of cuisine, prepared from ingredients of the
highest quality. Because he could not find any bread up to his standards, he decided to make
it himself!

Very soon a small bakery started up. Favoring the classic approach, our chef decided to
make leavened bread there. Flour, leaven, water and salt remain the basis of the bread, his
his savoir-faire brought the touch which made the whole difference.

Very rapidly many Brussels inhabitants took to the taste of this traditional bread.

A shop was added to the bakery situated in the Antoine Dansaert street in Brussels, an
avant-garde quarter of Belgian fashion.

What does “Le Pain Quotidien mean”?

The choice of the name ‘Le Pain Quotidien’ (The Daily Bread) corresponded to the profound
desire to restore bread to the vital place it had held over the centuries.

To the bread counter was added a large communal table which generates conviviality and
offered an opportunity of making new friends. A place where one can enjoy breakfast,
lunch or coffee. The range of products gradually expanded to include pastries,
viennoisserie, tartines and salads.

Never short of ideas, Alain Coumont developed the concept further by selecting original
new grocery products of high quality, which fitted together with his bread.

Success was not slow in coming: numerous candidates offered to open other ‘Le Pain
Quotidien’ outlets. Today you can find more than 60 ‘Le Pain Quotidien’s’ in Brussels,
Paris, Geneva, New York, Los Angeles, Sydney, Toronto and London. This expansion looks
like continuing, so that the art of living ‘Au Quotidien’ can be appreciated in all the four
corners of the world.

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2. Concept

Conviviality rediscovered

‘Le Pain Quotidien’ is a return to origins, a glimpse of a way of life of yesterday. Simple,
rustic, authentic.

In the sober decor of a bakery of yesterday, ‘Le Pain Quotidien’ has restored bread to the
place it deserves, that of the centre piece part of the meal.

The atmosphere of ’Le Pain Quotidien’ is unique: the wooden counter on which the pastries
are displayed, the jam pot, the bread basket, the walls coated with sand and ochre colors,
the soft lighting, the large blackboard on which the day’s suggestions are written up in
chalk and the classical music, the communal table.

It is around this communal table that one appreciates ‘Le Pain Quotidien’ even more: the
croissant served on a china dish, the coffee in a bowl, the famous smoked salmon tartines,
the special salad of the day, … it is all these things which distinguish us and contribute to
our success.

3. Products

Expert Savoir-faire

‘Le Pain Quotidien’ is above all bread. Bread made from organic flour ground on stone. A
fermentation with leaven, carried out in wicker baskets lined with linen cloth. It is a return
to the real origins of bread, considered as a dish in itself.

The same attention to the quality of the ingredients and the know-how is found in all our
products, from nut and raisin flutes and old style baguettes to our raisin loaves, the
croissants, the raisin danish, the brownies and of course the famous chocolate bomb, all
demonstrate our unwavering focus on making a great daily bread.

4. Mission Statement

Le Pain Quotidien’s mission is to be recognized by our customers for:

~ Offering excellent breads and pastries

~ Serving excellent coffee and beverages
~ Friendly and sincere service staff and management
~ Be recognized for a commitment to environment and organic.

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5. Core beliefs

~ We believe in treating ourselves each other and the planet with care and respect.
~ We believe our authenticity and conviviality are our points of difference.
~ We believe learning never ends.
~ We believe our products and customer service should always embody excellence.
~ We believe true leadership is delivered with passion and by example.

6. MOTTO

“Quality is our daily bread”

7. Philosophy

We want our employees to be conscious of maintaining a high level of professionalism at

all times. The following customer service standards are the framework for our employees
to serve our customers, vendors, visitors, and co-workers with the professionalism and
style that guarantees our high standard of service.

~ We are committed both to meeting and exceeding each customer's expectations. Do

what you feel you must to sell satisfaction.
~ Treat each customer, vendor, visitor, and co-worker as you would a guest in your own
home.
~ Every employee should help keep the LPQ Restaurant neat and orderly.
~ Return any stock to its proper place as soon as possible, report any unsafe fixtures or
hazards, and make sure that the LPQ Restaurant looks presentable and safe at all times.
~ Chewing gum, eating, drinking and smoking are prohibited in any LPQ store! It is also
prohibited to use mobile phones during your shift, or to listen to “musical/media devices”.
Employees are allowed to eat their lunch at the employee break area. Smoking must be
done outside and not in front of the LPQ store.
~ In LPQ, business is highly confidential. Purchases made by customers, financial
performance, reports, inventory information, etc., are private matters in your LPQ
Restaurant, and it is the job of all employees to protect this information.
~ All employees should be required to notify their supervisor if they leave the LPQ store for
breaks, lunch or any other reason (the Manager should notify the employees as well)

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8. Customer Service Standards

~ If a co- worker is asked for by name but is away from the store, please explain to the
customer that he/ she is not in store at the moment and offer to help by taking a message,
or assisting the customer yourself.

~ If you are helping a customer at closing time, take the additional time to finish the
transaction properly and completely without making them feel rushed, even if it is
necessary to work past your scheduled shift.

9. Career Team Spirit

You are now part of a team that is committed to provide our customers with the highest
quality bread, baked goods and dishes, with the highest level of hospitality service. Our
organization has established an outstanding reputation, and it is our aim to provide the
best of professional services, and the finest quality of facilities, products and services. We
hope you, too, will find satisfaction and take pride in your affiliation with Le Pain
Quotidien.

We hope you will enjoy your career with us and that you will find personal satisfaction in
striving for excellence. We are pleased to provide you with our LPQ Employee Handbook
and would like to take this opportunity to formally welcome you. This Handbook will
introduce our organization, goals, management philosophy and policies to you. Please take
the time to read it carefully and keep it handy as a reference source. If anything is unclear,
please discuss the matter with your direct Supervisor.

We extend to you our personal best wishes for your success and happiness at Le Pain
Quotidien.

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 II) HOURS OF WORK & PAY

- Hourly Paid Team Member: Your hours of work will be mutually agreed with your team
leader on a weekly basis. Your schedule (rota) may vary depending on the needs of your
LPQ store. Schedules (rotas) are posted in advance in the common areas. It is your
responsibility to know your rota and hours. Review your rota thoroughly so that you are
familiar with your assigned hours and days off. You must request changes to your schedule
in writing ahead of time, and your manager must approve the change. Once a schedule is
posted by the manager, changes cannot be made without being specifically approved by
your manager. Special schedule requests must be submitted in writing to your manager at
least one week prior to the posting of the schedule.

- Salaried Team Members: Your core hours of work will be based on a normal work week
as agreed with your manager. Due to the nature of this position, you may be required to
work additional hours to meet your objectives and responsibilities.

1 . Payroll

Hourly team members will be paid fortnightly in arrears by credit transfer into their
nominated bank or building society account. Their salary will be paid to their bank account
by B.A.C.S (Bankers Automated Clearing System). Salaried team members will be paid
either by equal monthly instalments in arrears on the last business day of each calendar
month or fortnightly in arrears by credit transfer into the nominated bank/building society
account, once again using the B.A.C.S system. The Company reserves the right to change
the frequency of payment, and notice of any such changes will be given to all team
members.

Upon commencement of your employment, you must provide LPQ with your account details
in order to make the payment of wages/salaries. Please inform us of any changes to your
bank details.

Team members paid on an hourly rate and fortnightly paid salaried team members will
receive a pay slip every two weeks.
Monthly paid salaried team members will receive a pay slip soon after the completion of
the month. The pay slip will confirm a bank deposit of your wages/salary for the prior
period worked.

2. General administration.

The Human Resource department looks after the employees of Le Pain Quotidien UK,
permanent and temporary. This involves calculating and paying salary, incentive bonus,

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holiday and sick pay as well as various earnings and deduction. The HR department also
handles all personnel administration, including attendance and timekeeping, in direct
relation with store management.

Therefore, please ensure your completed all your required forms correctly and legibly and
return them to your General Manager by the cut- off deadlines, notified separately.

Which department do I contact?

Until you get to know everyone, you may find that you have some questions that need
answering- your General Manager should be your first point of contact. Listed below are
some of the frequently required departments, they can all be contacted by telephoning the
main switchboard on 020 7486 6154

If you have any enquiries regarding your salary or incentive, you should contact:
-> The HR department.

If you have any enquiries regarding the daily operation of your store (suppliers,
structure…), you should contact:
-> The Operations department.

If you have any enquiries regarding your store’s banking, invoice reconciliations, petty cash
claims, etc, you should contact:
-> The Finance department.

If you have any enquiries regarding our induction programme, your own or your
employees’ training needs, etc, you should contact:
-> The HR department.

3. Tracking hours
h ours worked

If you miss a day, make sure that you keep your own records of hours worked, and record
them on your store’s timesheet as soon as possible before the next payroll. You must
ensure that you follow the hours tracking system as you have been advised by your
managers. This will be a timesheet by-hand system.

4. Place of work

You will normally be employed at the location indicated in your offer letter/contract.
However, The Company may require you to work at other Company outlets or locations on
a temporary or permanent basis according to the needs of the business. You will receive
reasonable notice of such relocation.

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 I II) TERMS & CONDITIONS OF YOUR EMPLOYMENT

1. Induction
Induction and training.

Le Pain Quotidien is committed to training and developing its team members to the highest
standards. You will be trained by Le Pain Quotidien, as appropriate, as soon as possible
after joining. You are also required to take part in any suitable induction courses and
training sessions run by the company. In addition, you are required periodically to attend
refresher training courses to update and improve your knowledge and skills.

The Management Training programme has been designed to develop our Management
team’s technical expertise.

2. Hours of work.

Your normal hours of work are stated in your contract of employment. These will be in line
with your store’s trading hours.

Le Pain Quotidien will, as far as it is reasonably practical, try to balance business needs
with the needs of the individual.

If you are employed on a part time basis, you may be required occasionally to work full
time hours to cover holidays, sickness, and busy trading periods, except if you are not
entitled to work these extra hours.

For business purposes, you may be required to attend, outside working hours, training
events, workshops, staff meetings, and similar activities.

3. Holiday and leave.

LPQ believes that all team members should be given paid holiday every year. Its purpose is
to provide an extended period of leisure time (27 days holiday in total) during which you
can have a break from work, relax and therefore return to work refreshed.

Your holiday entitlement is specifically stated in your contract. Team members wishing to
take holiday should complete a Holiday Request Form, which should be signed off and
approved by your manager. As holidays are granted on a first-come-first-served basis,
they should be booked at least one month in advance, and where possible should not
coincide with another team member in the same store/department, or exceed 10 days at
any one time. Team members wishing to take more than 10 working days consecutively for

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a special occasion should request this with a minimum of 2 months advance notice in
writing to the manager and obtain written approval.
Written approval should be received prior to making travel arrangements. Holiday cannot
be taken by team members at peak trading times. For example, it will not be permitted for
st
a team member to take holiday during the period from the last week of November to 31 of
December.

The holiday year runs from January 1st until December 31st and holidays are not cumulative
and not transferable from one year to another. All annual holiday entitlement must be
taken during this period in which it is applicable. There will be no payment for holiday not
taken by the end of the holiday year.
If your employment commences or terminates part way through the holiday year, your
entitlement to holidays during that year will be assessed on a pro-rata basis. For untaken
holiday upon termination you will receive payment in lieu upon request. When you will
have taken in excess of your entitlement, deductions will be made from final salary due to
you upon termination of employment.

c.1) Religious holidays.

If you require time off to observe religious holidays, you may do so, provided you discuss
the matter with your line manager. You will have the choice of taking unpaid leave or
using part of your annual holiday entitlement.

c.2) Jury service.

Employees who are required to attend for Jury Service will be granted leave of absence on
application to their line manager. If this applies to you, you will have to claim subsistence,
loss of earnings and travelling expenses from the Court. Le Pain Quotidien will make up
any differences between subsistence/ loss of earnings compensation and full basic pay.

c.3) Absence.

If you are unable to attend work for any reason, please follow the procedure explained in
section 3.1 under Absence notification and sickness benefit.

c.4) Medical appointments.

Should you have an appointment to see a doctor, dentist or need hospital treatment,
wherever possible this should be arranged on your day off. If your appointment is during
working hours, you are required to produce your appointment card and give your line
manager reasonable notice of your visit. Appointment should be made as early or late as
possible so as to minimise time absent from work. Such time will be unpaid.

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4. Probationary Period

For all employees, the first 3 months of employment corresponds to probationary period.
During this probationary period, you will learn the basics of your job and your manager
will offer you feedback about your performance. Together you will evaluate your progress,
set goals and determine training needs. During the probationary period, either you or the
Company may terminate your employment for a reasonable motive with one week notice.
The probationary period can be extended for another period of up to 3 months upon
Management approval.

Should you develop your career within Le Pain Quotidien through a managerial position;
the first 3 months of your employment in your new role will correspond to a new
probationary period. Throughout this period your performance and conduct will be
monitored and reviewed, and we will reserve the right to terminate your employment for a
reasonable motive with one week notice. At the end of the probationary period your
performance will be reviewed and if found satisfactory your appointment will be
confirmed.

5. Notice Periods

LPQ takes pride in our ability to retain great team members, but we recognize there may
be a time when you need to change your employment.

If you voluntarily leave your position, you are required to provide the Company with the
following notice:

For an hourly paid team member, 1 week notice is required during the 3 months
probationary period, and thereafter during your employment at LPQ.
Your employment may be terminated with 1 week notice if you’ve been
continuously employed for between one month and two years.
If you’ve been continuously employed for two or more years, you will be
entitled to an additional week notice for each completed year (up to a
maximum of 12) of service.

For salaried team members, 1 week notice is required during the 3 month
probation period and thereafter, your employment may be terminated by the
Company with 2 weeks notice or by yourself with 2 weeks notice in writing to your
manager. These conditions are applicable unless stated differently in your contract
of employment.

Notice given by the Company may include payment in lieu of notice. Payment in lieu of
notice shall not include any entitlement to company’s benefits.

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Team members who do not provide the correct notice period or fail to go until the end of
their notice period will forfeit any notice pay or of any entitled incentives (service charge,
bonus).

The Company may terminate your employment immediately for serious or persistent
misconduct, as explained later on in the disciplinary and grievance procedures. You may
be suspended with or without pay for no more than 4 weeks, while allegations are
investigated and disciplinary action considered.

Should you be dismissed by the Company for gross misconduct, you will not be entitled to
receive notice or salary in lieu of notice.

6. Conflicts of Interests.

As a Le Pain Quotidien employee, you will be expected to avoid situations that involve a
conflict of interest between you personal interests and your duties to the Company and
should not compromise the Company’s integrity and reputation in any way.

In joining Le Pain Quotidien as an employee you agree that the following restrictions are
reasonable.

In the paragraphs that follow, references to “client” include all those who are actual, past
or prospective public or business recipients of any Le Pain Quotidien services.

All clients are the shared assets of Le Pain Quotidien. They are not the property of any
individual employee.

f.1) Confidential information.

During your employment with Le Pain Quotidien and thereafter, you must treat as secret
and confidential and not at any time, or for any reason, disclose or permit to be disclosed
to any person or otherwise make us of, or permit to be made use of, any information which
is, or which may reasonably be assumed to be, confidential relating to the clients, staff,
business affairs or finances or, any other information which may be reasonably be
assumed to be confidential where the information was received during your employment.
The restrictions on the disclosure of confidential information contained in this paragraph
shall cease to apply to any information that has come into the public domain other than by
your default or that of any other person.

Amongst the information that is required to be kept secret and confidential is information
as to the identities of the clients of the Company, and as to the employees and consultants
of the Company.

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No written materials (including discs, tapes and notes) containing clients’ details nor
details of any other employees or consultants of Le Pain Quotidien may be removed from Le
Pain Quotidien’s premises nor kept at your home or elsewhere.

f.2) Information from Le Pain Quotidien’s clients.

The relationship between yourself and the client is such that you may hear from them
personal, social or business information that is sensitive and which they would not wish to
be released. Such information being truly confidential, its release by you could cause
embarrassment, distress or damage of some kind to the client and the client’s attitude
towards Le Pain Quotidien may inevitably be damaged. For this reason you are expected to
be highly discreet. You agree not to, either during your employment by Le Pain Quotidien
or, at any time thereafter, disclose or permit to be disclosed, to any person or otherwise
make us of, or permit to be made use of, any such information.

During your employment without our written consent, it is not acceptable for you to carry
any catering or other services related to the ones of Le Pain Quotidien without previous
written consent from the Company.

f.3) Contact with clients during employment by Le Pain Quotidien.

You may not canvass or solicit the business of any client on behalf of yourself or any other
firm or Company with a view to supplying services either whilst employed by Le Pain
Quotidien.

f.4) Duty of good faith to Le Pain Quotidien.

You should not, until your employment with Le Pain Quotidien has ended, even outside
working hours, make any active preparations to set up a competing business, beyond
seeking and accepting any alternative job offer and attending any necessary interviews.

7. Retirement

Generally, employees retire between the ages of 55 and 70. Your line manager will discuss
your intentions for retirement with you around the time you are 55.

Information regarding the Company’s Stakeholder Pension Scheme can be obtained from
the HR department.

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 IV)
IV) YOUR BENEFITS

We are committed to making your stay with LPQ a fun and rewarding experience.
Therefore, we have designed several benefits which we hope you will enjoy and value.

1 . Leaves of
of Absence

Team members are entitled to take leave for the following reasons:

a.1) Sickness Absence

- While no one can help being ill, there are certain procedures that we ask you to follow if
this happens:

You must telephone your manager before you are due to start work and where
possible at least 24 hours before the start of your shift. For example, if you are
unwell the day before you are scheduled to attend work and know that you will be
absent from work the following day, please contact your store as soon as possible
so that arrangements can be made, as far ahead as possible, to reschedule the
shift.

If you are unable to telephone, you must post a letter or send an email to your
General Manager giving details of your sickness or injury by the end of the first day
of which you would have normally worked.

On your return to work, you will be required to complete a return to work interview
with the General Manager.

You will be asked about the nature of your illness/absence and when you expect to
return to work.

It is not acceptable for someone to telephone on your behalf. Text messages are not
acceptable.

It is vital that you keep your manager informed on a daily basis, of your progress
and likely date of return to work

On return to work you must fill out a Self-Certification (SSP1) form.

- Certification

If your absence was more than 7 calendar days, you must provide a signed Doctor’s
Certificate on your return to work. If your sickness is over 7 calendar days you may be
required to post your certificate before you return to work. Please return all certificates to
your General Manage or the HR department as soon as possible. The doctor may charge
you for this certificate; Le Pain Quotidien will not reimburse you.

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- Absence the day after a pre- agreed holiday.

You must notify according to the normal rules and in addition you are required to provide a
doctor’s certificate. This applies even if your absence lasts for only one day.

In the event of persistent short-term absence, the Company may follow the disciplinary
procedure to assist you in reaching the required level of attendance.

- Scope.

You are “sick” if you are suffering from some physical or mental illness, which stops you
from working. Sickness includes convalescence that your doctor says is necessary for a
proper recovery.

- Sickness does not include:

o Routine visits to the doctor, dentist or optician.

o Maternity, for which there are separate provisions.
o Compassionate leave, bereavement, or leave to look after a child.

Le Pain Quotidien reserves the right to require you to produce medical evidence of your
condition during any period form work through personal sickness or injury. This is
normally by requiring periodical certification form your own doctor, or by arranging
examination by a doctor nominated by Le Pain Quotidien and at Le Pain Quotidien’s
expense. If you unreasonably refuse to allow a medical examination, you may be subject to
the appropriate disciplinary action.

2. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP).

Payment for periods of absence due to certified sickness will be made in accordance with
the current government Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) scheme. To qualify for SSP, you must
submit a Self-Certification form (SSP1) and a signed doctor’s certificate for an absence of
more than 4 working days in a row (including week ends and bank holidays). You must
also adhere to the Company’s sickness absence policy. Failure to do so may result in
forfeiture to any entitlement to pay under the scheme.

As the company does not have an internal Health Insurance policy or a Company Sick Pay
policy, we advise our staff to subscribe to a personal one.

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3. Medical Treatment

Team members who wish to visit the Doctor, Dentist etc… should whenever possible make
appointments outside of working hours or during their days off. If this is not possible, then
you should make appointments during the slower trading times specific to your LPQ store,
and you must receive prior consent from your line manager.

4. Maternity / Paternity Leave

Team members who are pregnant/partners are pregnant should in the first instance
contact their manager and the Human Resources Department in writing advising them of
the expected date of the baby’s birth. A letter will then be sent to you advising you of the
following:

Eligibility to maternity/paternity leave

Eligibility to maternity/paternity pay

Individual’s right to return to work

LPQ complies with the statutory provision for maternity and paternity leave. Full details are
available from the HR department.

Payment takes the form of Statutory Maternity Pay, which is paid by the company on behalf
of the Government.

o Maternity leave.

Under the current maternity rules, all pregnant employees qualify for maternity leave.

Regardless of length of service or hours of work, female employees are entitled (subject to
various notice requirements) to 26 weeks’ Ordinary Maternity Leave ("OML") and 26 weeks’
Additional Maternity Leave (“AML”) and to return to work without giving notice of the date
on which they intend to return (unless they intend to return early in which case 8 weeks’
notice must be given).
th
Maternity leave can start any time from the 11 week before the expected week of
childbirth and begins:

1) On the day you notify the Company as being the first day on which you intent your
leave to start, or;

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 2) The date that you are first absent from work, wholly or partly due to pregnancy
provided it is after the start of the fourth week before the expected week of
childbirth.

The first day of the maternity leave period will be whichever of 1 or 2 that comes first.
Normal contractual rights and benefits continue to apply during your leave except that
salary is not paid.

o Notification rules.

You should inform the HR department as soon as possible of your pregnancy.

You must notify to us by the 15th week before the EWC (unless it is not reasonably
practicable to do so), that:

1) That you will be absent from work because of pregnancy;

2) The intended start of your maternity leave period.
3) The expected week of childbirth.

As suggested in the paragraph above, OML can start any time from 11 weeks before the
EWC. It is possible to change the start of maternity leave on 28 days’ notice, unless it is not
reasonably practicable to do so.

On being advised, HR will send you a pack of relevant information and risk assessments
will be arranged with your General Manager.

Along with your written notification you will need to include a maternity certificate (Form
MAT B1 from your Doctor or midwife) to confirm your expected week of childbirth.

The company will respond in writing within 28 days of receiving your written notification of
your intended maternity leave start date and will notify you of your expected date of return
and what you must do to exercise your various rights.

o The right to return to work.

The date on which you return to work is normally the day after your maternity leave,
whether ordinary or additional, ends. You have the right to return earlier than the end of
your maternity leave provided at least 2 weeks have elapsed since the birth of your baby
before you return, and only if you provide us with 8 weeks’ notice of the date you intend to
return to work.

In the case of OML you are entitled to return to work in the same position as prior to your
maternity leave and in the same capacity, along with the seniority, pension and all other
rights as they would have been if you had not been absent, and on terms and conditions
not less favourable from those which would have applied if you had not been absent. In the

19
case of AML, if it is not reasonably practicable for the Company to offer you the same
position, you are entitled to return to work in a similar position on equal terms.

If you return to work at the end of AML, you will be allowed to return to the job in which
you were employed before your absence. If that is not reasonably practicable, you will be
allowed to return to a job which is both suitable for you and appropriate in the
circumstance, on terms and conditions not less favourable than those which would have
applied if you had not been absent, and seniority, pension and other rights as they would
have been but for your absence, but ignoring your period of AML.

5. Maternity benefits.

Eligible employees are entitled to receive Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) over a period of 39
weeks maximum.

o Eligibility for Payment.

Eligibility for SMP will depend on the following:

a) You must have at least 26 weeks’ continuous employment with the Company on the
th
15 week before the expected week of childbirth;
b) your weekly earnings during the “set period”, in agreement with current
regulations, must meet or exceed the Lower Earnings Limit;
th
c) you must be employed by the company at the beginning of the 11 week before the
expected week of confinement (this means that you must still have a Contract of
Employment with the Company);
d) you must have provided medical evidence of your expected week of childbirth.
e) you must be inside the European Community in the first week of the maternity pay
period.

If you are not eligible for SMP you may still be eligible for Maternity Allowance, a State
benefit paid direct by the state. In order to claim this allowance you will need to follow the
rules for notifying pregnancy outlines in the relevant section above and complete the form
SMP1 which will be sent out to you by HR when they receive your MATB1 and your
notification.

o Rates of SMP

There are two rates of SMP:

1) Higher rate.

The higher rate is 90% of an employee’s average monthly earnings and is payable for the
first six weeks in which SMP is due.

20
 2) Lower rate.

The lower rate is a set rate, which is reviewed by the Government each year. Please check
the current rate with the HR Department. The lower rate is payable for a maximum of 33
weeks. If your average weekly earnings during the qualifying period are less than the
current lower rate of SMP, you will receive your average weekly earnings only.

SMP is payable even if you do not intend to return to work. You should note that if you
work whilst on maternity leave you lose 1 week of SMP for each week in within you work.

o Method of payment.

SMP will be paid at the end of each month or on a fortnightly basis, depending on the
agreed method of payment. You will receive a payslip until the end of the maternity pay
period. SMP is taxable and subject to N.I deductions.

o Maternity appointments

If you are pregnant, you are entitled by law to have “reasonable” time off with pay to
attend a clinic or other such place to receive ante- natal care. Before you attend the clinic
or other such place, the Company may require you to verify your attendance by producing
your appointment card.

Appointments should be made for times which will minimise time off work. As much notice
as possible should be given of the dates and times of such appointments so that cover may
be arranged if necessary.

o Benefits during maternity leave.

During your maternity leave, you continue to be eligible for the benefits that apply to your
position. This includes:

- Your right to visit and make purchases from any of our stores.
- You will also continue to accrue paid holidays as if you were at work in accordance with
the Company’s holiday policy.

o Risk assessment

In order to fulfil legal requirements and as part of its duty of care to its employees, the
Company will carry out risk assessments for the following employees:

- Pregnant employees.
- New mothers with babies of six months old or less
- Mothers continuing to breast feed beyond six months after the birth of their baby.

21
The purpose of risk assessments is to identify whether Le Pain Quotidien needs to make
any reasonable adjustments to your working environment in order to ensure your
maximum safety and well- being.

In order to ensure that we follow the risk assessment procedure correctly, it is your
responsibility to inform your Line Manager and the HR department of your pregnancy. Once
notification has been received, the HR department, will liaise with your General Manager,
who will then complete the risk assessments form with you.
Following an initial risk assessment, subsequent risk assessment will be carried out at
approximately 2- monthly intervals up until the commencement of your maternity leave.
Once you have returned from maternity leave, risk assessments will again be completed at
2- monthly intervals until your baby is over six months old or when you finish breast
feeding, regardless of the age of your baby.

Once any reasonable adjustments have been made, the risk assessments forms will be sent
to the HR department and held on your personal file in a safe and secure environment in
line with the provisions made by the Data Protection Act.

6. Parental leave.

Parental leave is available to employees who have completed one year’s service with Le
Pain Quotidien. It will allow parents of children born or of a child under 18 having been
st
adopted after April 1 2004 to take up to 13 weeks’ parental leave to care of that child. The
right will apply to mothers and fathers and to a person who has obtained formal parental
authority responsibility for a child under the Children Act. Parents will be able to start
taking Parental Leave when the child is born or is placed for adoption or as soon as they
have completed one year’s service with Le Pain Quotidien, whichever is later. Le Pain
Quotidien’s Parental Leave policy is in accordance with statutory provisions.
th
The employee’s right to take the leave lasts until the child’s fifth birthday or 18 birthday if
disabled, or until five years have elapsed following placement in the case of adoption.

The leave will be unpaid and the employee has the right to return to the job that was left or
a suitable alternative.
Parental leave is to be taken in blocks of one week, and any part of a week will count as a
week. The employee must agree such leave in advance with their Line Manager giving at
least 21 days’ notice and can take up to a maximum of 4 weeks leave in any year. In line
with our Company policy, leave will not be authorised at our peak trading times including
Christmas.

The HR Department and your General Manager will discuss the matter with the employee
and provide written confirmation of either approval or postponement of the Parental Leave
within 7 days of receiving the notice.

22
Fathers who wish to take leave at the time when their baby is to be born must give notice
of three months before the expected week of childbirth.

Le Pain Quotidien will have the right to postpone the leave for a maximum of six months
but this will not apply to the time immediately after the child is born or placed with the
family for adoption.

In the event that Parental Leave is postponed the letter will set out the reasons for doing so
and the new dates for Parental Leave which will be within 6 months and of the same
length as that originally requested.

In the event that you are on Parental Leave and you wish to return to work early you must
provide at least 7 days notice.

Parents of disabled children will have the flexibility to take leave a day at a time longer if
they wish. A disabled child is a child for whom disability living allowance is awarded.

7. Paternity leave.

Paternity leave is in line with statutory provisions. Employees who have completed 26
th
weeks’ continuous service by the 15 week before the expected date of birth, have the right
to take two weeks’ Paternity Leave within the 56 days following the date upon which the
child is born. Paternity Leave must be taken in a single block of either one or two weeks.

o Statutory Paternity Pay.

If eligible for Paternity leave you will also be eligible for Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) for
the 2 weeks of your Paternity Leave.

SPP will be paid for up to 2 weeks as the Employee has chosen and will be paid at the
Prescribed Weekly Rate or 90% of his average weekly earnings if they are less than the
Prescribed Weekly Rate.

Employees who receive average weekly earnings below the lower earnings limit for
National Insurance will not qualify for SPP. Employees who do not qualify for SPP, or who
are normally low paid may be able to get income support while on Paternity Leave.
Additional financial support may be available through Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit,
Tax Credits or a Sure Start Maternity Grant. Further Information is available from your local
Jobcentre Plus Office or Benefits Agency

In order to claim SPP, you must contact the HR department, giving reasonable notice.

The company reserves the right to ask you to produce a copy of the mother’s Maternity
Certificate (MATB1) before SPP is paid.

23
8. Compassionate Leave

The Company will review requests for compassionate leave with sympathy and
understanding. Team members who suffer a death in their immediate family will be
granted paid leave for up to 2 days to make arrangements, travel and to attend the funeral.
Payment is only available for scheduled work hours, which the team member is unable to
work. Immediate family is defined as father, mother, husband, wife, son, daughter,
brother, sister, grandfather and grandmother. Compassionate leave cannot be accumulated
nor will team members be paid in lieu for any unused leave. Partners may request unpaid
compassionate leave, which may be granted at the discretion of the Company.

9. Personal Leave

If unusual and reasonable circumstances arise, such as a family emergency or unusual

childcare problem, you may request a personal leave of absence without pay. Such a leave
may or may not be approved by your manager and re-employment is guaranteed.

10.
10 . Stakeholder
Stake holder Pension Scheme.

The Company has a Stakeholder Pension Scheme in line with statutory provisions. Full
details are available from the HR department.

11.
11 . Free Lunch/ Staff Meals.

There is no charge for coffee/tea during your normal working hours. You are entitled to
have one meal per shift worked. You may choose one item from the dedicated staff menu
for your shift.

There will be no staff meals served between 11am and 3pm, the busiest period during the
day. All staff meals must be pre-approved by a manager, and must be rung into the cash
register.

12.
12. Team Member Discounts:

As a member of the LPQ team, you are entitled to a 25% discount on all products in the
store. This benefit can be removed at the discretion of your manager, if he/she feels that
you are abusing it.

24
To use such entitlement in other stores’ than your own, you need to present your latest
payslip to the manager on duty as a proof of entitlement.

13. Childcare Voucher:

Voucher:

Le Pain Quotidien operates a childcare voucher scheme.

The scheme is operated through a salary sacrifice agreement, which means that there is a
formal agreement between you and your employer to a reduction in salary, in return for
the equivalent value in childcare vouchers for the duration of the scheme.

Any employee, male or female, who has a qualifying child, or who has parental
responsibility for a qualifying child can take part in the childcare voucher scheme. It is
possible for married couples or partners with parental responsibility for the same
qualifying child to both take part in the scheme, thereby doubling their entitlement. The
allowance is per working parent or guardian, not per child.

Under current legislation, eligibility for childcare vouchers is worth up to £243 per month
(or £55 per week), free of tax and national insurance.

Should you wish to apply, you should contact the HR Department.

25
 V) COMPANY PROCEDURES.

1 . Your future-
future- our future.

The success of Le Pain Quotidien is based on integrity, innovation, a refusal to compromise

on quality and authenticity and the belief of treating ourselves, each other, and the planet
with care and respect.

Our reputation is in the care and respect of each and every Employees and it is vital that
we help to uphold and reinforce the position of Le Pain Quotidien in the way we look, dress
and work.

With your help and commitment, we will ensure that Le Pain Quotidien continues to
develop and build on these principles to the mutual benefit of the employees and earth we
live on.

2. Performing your duties.

By accepting Le Pain Quotidien’s offer of employment, you agree to carry out your duties
faithfully, competently, and diligently and to the best of your abilities and subject to all
policies, rules and regulations issued for the guidance of employees by Le Pain Quotidien
from time to time.

We are committed to working together with uncompromising ethics and integrity and we
therefore ask you to obey all lawful instructions given by the Management of Le Pain
Quotidien and to use your best endeavours to promote the interests of Le Pain Quotidien
and its mission.

3. Unauthorised
Unauthorised representations.

You must not, at any time, make any unauthorized promises or representations or give any
undertakings on the Company’s behalf.

4. Confidentiality.

In the course of your work with the Company, you may have access to confidential
information concerning the trade secrets, organisation, business, finances, transactions or
affairs at Le Pain Quotidien. You must not reveal to any third party, or use any such
confidential information, either during your employment with the Company (except in the

26
normal course of your duties), or after the termination of your employment, without the
Company’s express consent in writing.

5. Performance assessments.

Your manager is continuously evaluating your job performance. Day to day interaction
between you and your manager should give you a sense of how your manager perceives
your performance.
Your first assessment will be conducted at the end of your three-month probationary
period with the Company and thereafter annually.
The Company conducts a formal review at least once in a year for each employee. A review
may also be conducted in the event of a promotion or change in duties and responsibilities.
Your manager will consider the following among others: Attendance, initiative, effort,
knowledge of the job role, attitude and willingness, the quality and quantity of your work
etc.
Performance reviews identify your strengths and weaknesses and serves as a
developmental tool. You are encouraged to express your views and full consideration will
be given to any request or suggestion made.

6. Uniform

Team members
At the commencement of your employment you will be given two LPQ T-shirts (for which
you will be charged a £5 deposit each, deducted from your first pay and refundable upon
return), and one waiter’s apron (each charged a £5.00 deposit), and one chef’s hat (each
charged a £5.00 deposit), a chef’s apron (each charged a £5 deposit), and if working in the
kitchen/bakery area, a pair of chefs trousers (each charged a £10 deposit), all to be worn
on a daily basis. If you require any additional LPQ uniform items, you will be charged at
the same rate, which will be deducted from your payroll. Upon your departure from LPQ, it
is expected that you return your LPQ uniform items in good condition; otherwise your
initial deposit will not be refundable from your last payroll. Deposits will only be waived
for standard wear and tear. Losing your uniform is not an excuse…

7. Personal Appearance

LPQ expects its team members to adhere to the highest standards of professional
appearance and conduct. Below are general guidelines to be followed by LPQ staff
members:

- Shirt: Your LPQ shirt, which is supplied by the shop manager, must be kept clean and
pressed, and must be worn at all times whilst on the premises.

27
- Apron: Your LPQ apron, which is supplied by the shop manager, must be kept clean and
must be worn at all times whilst on the premises.

- Hat: A clean LPQ hat, which is supplied by the shop manager, must be worn at all times
on the premises, if working in the retail, kitchen or bakery.

- Trousers: No jeans allowed. Black trousers must be worn.

- Shoes: Non-slip, rubber sole black shoes or dark trainers with closed heals and toes.
Shoes must be clean.

- Hair: Hair must be well groomed, clean and should present a professional appearance.
Hair should be pulled away from your face and off the shoulders. Faces must be clean-
shaven. No facial hair other than a well-groomed moustache will be permitted. Beards are
only permitted to reasonably accommodate one’s religious beliefs or medical needs.
Exceptions to this policy will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

- Make-up: If worn should not be excessive. Nail polish and visible tattoos are not allowed.

- Jewellery: Rings – Only a plain wedding ring must be worn.

- Watches – No watches should we worn in the kitchen. For front of house team members,
it must be a washable watch and must be perfectly clean at all times.

- Earrings – No large or extreme styles; with a maximum allowance of two rings per ear.
Visible body piercing is not allowed.

- Necklace – One necklace is allowed, provided it is worn inside your shirt. The Team
Manager may require that any jewellery be removed at his or her discretion.

8. Breaks
Breaks

To provide a great service to each other and to our customers, it is important to take time
out during your work to rest, relax and refresh. LPQ will adhere to the Working Time
Regulations 1998, and team members should receive breaks (30 minutes per shift) in
accordance with these regulations.

9. Reporting Important Changes

Changes

LPQ maintains records of your home address, emergency contact number, home/mobile
number and other important information about you. These records are necessary for
insurance, emergency situations and tax purposes. Please advise us if any of these change
as a matter of urgency.

28
10.
10 . Reference Policy

As a matter of Company policy, LPQ provides standard references, which confirm your
dates of employment and position. Should you or a third party require a reference, these
requests should be addressed to the HR Department in writing.

11.
11 . Drug-
Drug-Free Workplace

LPQ has made a commitment to a drug-free workplace. Possession, sales, arrangement of

sales, or use of alcoholic beverages or any dangerous or illegal drugs at work is
prohibited. Reporting to work under the influence of any of these drugs is also prohibited.
Violation of this policy is grounds for immediate termination of employment. LPQ reserves
the right to test for drugs in situations involving accidents, injuries and property damage.

12.
12. Equal Employment Opportunity

We select qualified candidates for each position without regard to race, religion, national
origin, color, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited basis. LPQ will
not engage in unlawful discrimination on the basis of non-work related criteria. LPQ’s
personnel policies and work-related guidelines will be administered in accordance with UK
Employment Law.

13.
13. Lost property

If you find/have experienced lost clothing, property or money on Company premises you
should notify your manager immediately.
immediately

14.
14. Open Door Policy

LPQ believes that each team member and all LPQ employees deserve to be treated with
respect and in a fair manner at all times. We welcome and encourage you to exchange
suggestions and comments with your supervisor and any member of LPQ’s management
team at all times.

15.
15. Training.

Le Pain Quotidien is committed to training and developing its employees to the highest
standards. You may be required to take part in any suitable induction courses and training
sessions run by Le Pain Quotidien. In addition, you may be required periodically to attend

29
refresher training courses and conferences to update and improve your knowledge and
skills.

If you resign within the first month of joining Le Pain Quotidien, the Company reserves the
right to deduct two training days from your final salary, in lieu of your two day Le Pain
Quotidien’s Induction. This is to assist in covering our training expenses.

16.
16. Company property.

All documents, equipment, hardware and software, training manuals, books, staff
handbooks, product manuals, clothes, products, provided for your use by Le Pain
Quotidien, remain the property of Le Pain Quotidien and must be returned when your
employment ceases.

Any processes, products and services developed or created during the period of
employment with Le Pain Quotidien remain the property of Le Pain Quotidien. Le Pain
Quotidien also has sole rights to any copyrights or patents from these.

Any trade or service marks, design or copyright work created by you directly or indirectly
and any discovery, invention, secret process or improvement in procedure discovered,
invented, developed or devised by you directly or indirectly during your employment (and
whether or not in conjunction with a third party) and in the course of your duties affecting
or relating to the business of Le Pain Quotidien or capable of being used or adapted for use
therein, should immediately be disclosed to Le Pain Quotidien and, subject to such rights
under the Patents Act 1977, will belong to and be the absolute property of Le Pain
Quotidien.

17.
17. Company property when leaving.

On leaving the Company you must hand over all the documents relating to the Company’s
business (and not keep any copies) and all items belonging to the Company which are in
your possession or under your control. These include computer, telephone, keys, all lists of
customers, working papers (including any discs, tapes, sound tracks or other devices) and
all and any copies, transcripts, abstracts, or summaries provided to you by the Company or
prepared by you in any circumstances during your employment.
If photographs are taken of you by the Company or on its behalf, or by its agents or
contractors during the course of your employment, copyrights shall be retained by the
Company and such photographs may be used by the Company for any reasonable purpose.

18.
18. Food
Food and drink.

30
No food or drink should be consumed upon the premises or within thirty meters from the
entrances to the premises (except within the staff room).

19.
19. Electronic Equipment

You are not allowed to use beepers, pagers, mobile phones or personal stereos whilst on
duty.

20. Personal Hygiene

Because of the close personal conduct with other team members and the public, personal
cleanliness is of utmost importance. Please use perfumes and lotions with restraint. Due to
various health department regulations, team members working in the food preparation
area are not permitted to use lotions, creams, oils, etc… on their hands. The following
hygiene procedures must be observed at all times:

Hands must be scrubbed with bactericide provided prior to handling food.

Fingernails must be clean and neatly trimmed.

Dental hygiene should be performed daily.

Team members having infected sores or wounds, open abrasions or respiratory
infections will not be allowed to handle raw or finished goods, unless properly
covered with blue sticking plasters.

Team members must keep hands and fingers out of their mouths, hair and nose
while working … if touched, they must re-wash their hands.

Common sense and hygiene regulations require you to wash your hands after using
the bathroom and before returning to work. Hands must also be washed when
changing tasks, after taking out the rubbish, sneezing, coughing etc…

Team members working in food preparation areas may be required to wear
designated plastic gloves while preparing food. If the team member leaves the food
preparation area, gloves should be removed and disposed of. Upon return to food
preparation area, a new pair of gloves is to be worn.
You will receive more specific guidelines for your particular position during your
training.

21.
21 . Personal belongings

You are strongly advised not to bring large amounts of money, jewellery and valuables to
work. The Company cannot accept liability for the loss or damage to your personal
possessions while on Company property, and you will not be reimbursed for such losses.
Where the Company has provided designated areas to store personal belongings, team
members should keep their personal property in such areas. Any valuables can be given to
the Manager on duty, to be put into the safe or the office. The Company still cannot accept

31
liability for the loss or damage of such valuables.

22.
22. Right of Search

In order to safeguard Company property and your personal belongings, the Company
reserves the right to carry out a search on its premises. The right to search also applies to
any secure place provided by the Company and any bags or belongings which you bring on
the premises. The aim of the search policy is to prevent loss of Company and personal
property by theft and to protect innocent team members rather than to catch offenders.

Random searches may be carried out as a preventative measure even though prior to the
search, no one is necessarily under suspicion. All team members have the right to be
accompanied by a colleague at the time of the search.

23.
23. Solicitations

As a team member, please refrain from distributing materials unrelated to normal business
operations whilst at the LPQ location, whether you are working, on break or off work.
Furthermore, team members may not solicit other team members during work time. With
exception of Company designated charitable organizations, people outside the Company
are prohibited from selling, soliciting or posting printed material at Company locations at
any time.

24.
24. Smoking/Tobacco

LPQ stores provide a smoke-free environment for all team members and customers.
Smoking anywhere in our Company premises is prohibited, by us and by UK Law. Any
infringement of this rule may result in disciplinary action. It is requested that you remove
Company provided aprons and hats before smoking. If you do smoke during your break,
upon return to work you must wash hands thoroughly.

25.
25. Telephone, E-
E-mail and Internet:
Internet:

In order for the telephone lines to be available at all times for business, personal calls are
only permitted in the case of an emergency. However, it is accepted that there will
sometimes be justifiable reasons for personal calls, such as a brief conversation to a
spouse by a team member working late. Permission to make calls should be sought from
your manager. If it is necessary to make a personal call, please make it as brief as possible
and away from customers. The manager has a right to request payment for unauthorized
personal calls and the payment will be deducted from a team member’s salary.

32
Long distance calls are not permitted at any time. The use of the telephone for
unauthorized long distance calls may be cause for immediate dismissal.

Email and internet should be used solely for business purposes. Consideration would be
given to other email users, and you should avoid sending emails which in any way are
considered offensive. Abuse of email and internet systems will result in disciplinary action
and in serious cases may result in dismissal. Under no circumstances must you access,
download or send offensive or pornographic materials on office equipment, or install any
type of software.

26.
26. Theft Prevention Policy

The Company has a responsibility to its customers and employees to discourage and
prevent theft of personal property. Customers and employees are encouraged to alert the
Company of any theft of their personal property occurring on premises. Storage areas,
workstations or offices are not considered a secure place for your money or other
valuables. Le Pain Quotidien therefore will not assume liability for personal items that are
lost or stolen.

You are expected to follow the security procedures for handling cash and locking doors.
This protection is for employees, customers and the Company.

27. Working Time Regulations

The Company aims to comply with the Working Time Regulations 1998. In terms of average
weekly hours worked by team members, daily and weekly rest periods and the provision of
paid annual leave. Under the regulations, team members are entitled to have their average
weekly working hours limited to no more than 48 hours per week (over a 17 week period).
Upon signing a separate letter to your contract, you will have agreed that the regulations
concerning a maximum of 48 hour working week do not apply to you and that this
provision of the agreement may be terminated by you on not less than 2 months written
notice by you to the Company.

28. Absence

Every employee is a significant and important part of the team, and as such is relied upon
to be at work when scheduled. Attendance and punctuality is a basic and minimum
requirement of all jobs at Le Pain Quotidien. We do recognize that circumstances arise
when absence cannot be avoided. In such cases, you are responsible for finding a
replacement to work your shift. You must also telephone your team leader/manager at
least 24 hours before your shift begins or as soon as possible and speak directly to the

33
manager on duty (leaving a message with a fellow employee is not acceptable) informing
him/her who will be replacing you. Calling your manager at “socially unacceptable” hours
when the store is closed is also not acceptable.

Attendance guidelines:

You must take responsibility for knowing the store telephone number.

You must report your own absence. Friends, relatives or fellow employees may not
report your absence for you.

You must call in every day that you are absent.

Missing a scheduled shift without a call or notification to your team will subject you
to disciplinary action, including but not limited to termination.

The team leader must approve all shift changes.

29. Absence control procedure.

In order to satisfy the needs of the business, Le Pain Quotidien considers the use of
disciplinary procedures as necessary when attempting to control any kind of absenteeism,
including self- certificated absence. To this end, except when the matter is one of long-
term sickness, normal verbal and written warnings may be issued.

An unacceptable level of absence may be the result of one or more of the following factors:

- An unreasonable level or pattern of absence.

- An above average level of absence.
- Re- occurring frequent short absences.

Unauthorised absence may also be subject to disciplinary action and is defined as:

- Where the employee has taken time off without prior authorization.
- Where an employee has claimed sickness absence but has failed to notify Le Pain
Quotidien’s management in line with the Company procedures.
- Where the employee has failed to provide a satisfactory reason to warrant self-
certification.
- Falsification/ abuse of the self- certification procedure.

Guidelines for investigation and possible disciplinary action to control absence are as
follows:

- Four occasions, or more than a total 10 days absence in current calendar year
 The Management team should investigate, hold a face-to-face meeting and
follow up in writing.

- Two further occasions, or five more days in current calendar year

34
  The Management team should contact the HR department to discuss
potential disciplinary action.

- Any further absence

 The Management team should contact the HR department to discuss
potential disciplinary action.

Investigation into absence over longer periods of time will be made as necessary and may
invoke the disciplinary procedure.

Employees who are not satisfied that the procedure has been fairly handled may appeal
against disciplinary action in line with the Company’s grievance and appeals procedure.

This policy will be subject to review from time to time.

35
 VI) DISCIPLINARY AND GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

1. Disciplinary.

All individuals at work have a duty to behave in a responsible and professional way and to
respect their terms and conditions of employment. Nevertheless, from time to time people
break or bend the rules and we need to have a system to deal with these problems and to
remind those people who are not acting responsibly of their obligations. This system is
known as the Disciplinary Procedures.

The purpose of the disciplinary procedure is to ensure that any concerns over employees’
conduct or performance are handled in a fair, consistent and timely manner, with the
intention of bringing about an improvement, and to protect the proper operation of the
Company’s business and the health and safety of its employees.

This procedure may be reviewed and updated from time to time. Any amendments will be
notified to employees in writing, following consultation and/or notice where appropriate.

The following are some examples of types of conduct that will normally be addressed
through implementation of the Company’s disciplinary procedure:

Persistent lateness and poor timekeeping.

Unreasonable and/or unexplained absence from work.

Poor job performance involving sub-standard work. Failure to perform your job
satisfactorily, including neglect of duties, poor quality of work or low output

Failure to devote your full time and attention to your duties and to act with
responsibility and judgment at all times.

Any minor breach of company rules.

Behaviour upsetting or disrupting to other staff, visitors, suppliers or clients.

Behaviour detrimental to the maintenance of the interests and standings of the
company.

Failure to comply with a specific instruction - covered in but not exclusive to 2.4,
e.g. failing to attend meetings or trainings as required by Management.

Insubordination, including insolence, or the refusal to carry out reasonable working
instructions.

Negligence resulting in minor loss, damage or injury.

Failure to disclose any personal interest of yours which conflicts with any matter of
the Company

Any breach of confidence and confidentiality relating to the Company’s affairs

Being rude to customers

Foul or abusive language

Cash shortages whilst responsible for stock

36

Distribution of product without payment (giving friends a deal)

Consumption of food and drink without payment except in accordance with the
“25% employee discount”

Clocking in or out for someone else or recording timesheet data for someone else
unless it is for staff supervised by you, or you have been instructed to do so by a
member of the Management team.

The disciplinary procedure does not apply to:

 termination of employment during or at the end of a new employee’s probationary

period (including any extended probationary period); or
 termination of employment by reason of redundancy;
 or termination of employment by mutual consent.

Where time limits are referred to in this procedure, they may be shortened or extended by
mutual consent.

Disciplinary matters will be handled with as high a degree of confidentiality as is

practicable, particularly when the issue is of a sensitive nature.

Confidential records of disciplinary matters will be kept in the employee’s personnel file in
accordance with Data Protection legislation. Copies of meeting notes will be provided to
the employee, although the Company reserves the right to withhold certain information
(e.g. to protect a witness).

The Company reserves the right to suspend an employee from work on full pay, normally
for no more than 5 working days, while a disciplinary offence is investigated. Employees
will be advised if the suspension is likely to last longer than 5 working days. Suspension
on full pay is not regarded by the Company as disciplinary action.

The Company reserves the right to monitor employees’ activities including telephone calls,
email messages and internet use at any time, whether as part of a disciplinary
investigation or otherwise. Employees should therefore not consider such activities and
methods of communication to be confidential when conducted at work.

The Company reserves the right to search an employee’s desk, bags, pockets, vehicle or
other company property or personal possessions where such action is considered
necessary in the opinion of the Company. A search will only be carried out by an
appropriate person in the presence of a witness and employees may request the presence
of a work colleague.

a) Disciplinary Procedure-Steps

37
 1. Informal Discussion with Employee

In the first instance, the Company will try to resolve disciplinary issues informally by way of
informal discussion with the concerned employee.

The Employer/Manager will have a talk with the employee in private. This is a two way
discussion where the Employer will be able to inform the employee of their shortcomings
in conduct or performance and at the same time the employee will be able to provide an
explanation. The main purpose of the informal talk is to find a solution to the problem that
is beneficial for both the Employer and the employee.

Generally, cases of minor misconduct and/or unsatisfactory performance are dealt with
informally. However, if the informal action does not provide a solution to the problem or if
the disciplinary issue is too serious to be dealt with informally then the formal disciplinary
procedure will be followed.

2. Formal Disciplinary Procedure

The stages of the formal disciplinary procedure are:

 Stage 1 – Improvement note for unsatisfactory performance or first warning for

misconduct.

The Improvement note for unsatisfactory performance is a written letter to the

employee setting out the performance problem, the improvement that is required, the
time-scale and will also include details of any help that may be given following
discussion with the employee. The employee will be advised that this constitutes the
first stage of the formal procedure. A record of the improvement note will be kept for
12 months, subject to achieving and sustaining satisfactory performance. Instead, the
first warning for misconduct is a written warning to the employee setting out the
nature of the misconduct and the change in behaviour required and the right to appeal.
The warning will also inform the employee that a final written warning will be
considered if there is no satisfactory improvement. A record of the warning will be kept
for 12 months.

 Stage 2 – final written warning

If the offence is sufficiently serious, or there is a failure to improve during the currency
of a prior warning, a final written warning may be given. This will give details of the
complaint, the improvement required and the time-scale. It will also warn that failure

38
 to improve may lead to action under Stage 3 and will refer to the right of appeal. A
copy of this written warning will be kept on file and will be disregarded for disciplinary
purposes after 12 months subject to achieving satisfactory conduct/performance.

 Stage 3 – dismissal (or other penalty)

If there is still further misconduct or failure to improve performance the final step in
the procedure may be dismissal or some other action short of dismissal such as
demotion or disciplinary suspension. The employee will be provided with, in writing,
the reasons for dismissal, the date on which the employment will terminate, and their
rights of appeal, as soon as reasonably practicable.

During formal disciplinary procedures the Company will first conduct a careful
investigation of the alleged matter. If the Company concludes that there is a disciplinary
case to answer, the Company will notify the employee of this in writing. This notification
will contain information about the alleged disciplinary matter and it also provides details of
the time and venue for the disciplinary meeting.

The convening of the disciplinary hearing does not necessarily mean that disciplinary
action will be taken. Action will only be taken where appropriate and after the hearing has
taken place.

The immediate line manager will normally conduct a disciplinary hearing. In all cases, the
employee has the following rights:

- To be informed in advance in writing of the hearing and the alleged conduct or other
circumstances which have led Le Pain Quotidien to contemplate taking disciplinary action.
- To be accompanied by a work colleague who may speak and ask questions at the hearing
but may not answer on your behalf.
- The opportunity at the hearing to explain the circumstances surrounding the alleged
offence or the area for improvement.
- To receive written confirmation of the decision within five working days of the verbal
decision being given.
- To appeal against any disciplinary action taken as a result of the disciplinary interview.

If the employee is unable to attend the disciplinary hearing at the agreed time, the
employer shall offer an alternative reasonable time and date. If the employee fails to
attend on the rearranged date, the employer is free to decide upon the matter. The
employer will have to inform the employee about such a decision in writing.

If the employer is unable to attend the hearing, such a delay should be conveyed to the
employee at the earliest opportunity and a reasonable alternative should be provided to
the employee.

39
 3. Gross Misconduct

In the event that an employee commits an act of gross misconduct, the Company is entitled
to summarily terminate the employee’s contract of employment without notice or pay in
lieu of notice.

The following non-exhaustive list gives examples of offences that the Company will
normally regard as gross misconduct:-

Assault or attempted assault.

Violent, indecent, or immoral acts whilst on company premises or at official
Company’s functions.

Abusive behaviour or language to fellow employers, clients or customers.

Dishonesty, theft, fraud, embezzlement or any action calculated to assist others or
collusion in such activities.

Breach of rules on incentives awards.

Breach of rules on staff discount.

Negligence resulting in serious loss, damage or injury.

Theft.

Malicious damage to property.

Willful disclosure to any unauthorized persons or improper use of any personal or
confidential information relating to the Company or the store in which you work, to
their business, customers, officials or staff.

Misuse, or the knowing or reckless improper disclosure of personal data relating to
the company’s employees, former employees, contractors, customers, or others, or
any other failure to observe the legislation or the company’s rules with respect to
Data Protection.

Demanding, accepting or offering financial data or other inducements either from
or to other staff, or any third party.

Willful disregard of duties related to your employment and acts of insubordination.

Harassment or bullying of any kind.

Failure to perform duties, as a result of attending work whilst being intoxicated by
use of drugs or alcohol or the use of drugs or alcohol during work time.

The use for personal ends of confidential information obtained by you in the course
of your employment.

Falsification or dishonest use of transaction recording systems (e.g tills), databases
and other IT software and systems. This includes for example elements such as
spent per head or customer numbers data.

Deliberate falsification or dishonest use of company’s records and documentation.

Serious breach of accounting procedures.

Falsification or dishonest use of financial and banking data.

Conduct violating common decency, or conviction on a criminal charge relevant to
your employment.

Possession of a weapon whilst at work.

Serious breach of Health and Safety rules.

40

Serious breach of Company rules and store management’s “House Rules”.

Serious breach of store’s rules.

Failure to adhere to the company’s policy on conflicts of interest.

Conduct, whether inside or outside work, which fundamentally breaches the
working relationship of trust and confidence between then employee and the
company.

The discovery of a conviction which is not spent under the Rehabilitation of
Offenders Act 1974, which was not disclosed at the time of engagement or has been
subsequently awarded since employment commenced.

Some other substantial reason.

4. Appeal

The purpose of this procedure is to enable employees who feel that disciplinary action
against them, including dismissal, is unjust in any respect, to raise their concern at a
hearing designed specifically to consider such points.

The appeal must be made in writing to the next level of management above that of the
manager who took the decision. The letter must be sent to the next level of management
within five working days of the receipt of the written confirmation, stating the grounds of
appeal. Should the letter be received after this, the right to be heard is discretionary.

An employee making an appeal has the right to be accompanied by a work colleague.

The hearing will be heard by an authority higher than that taking the disciplinary action
and an appropriate representative of the HR department may be involved in an advisory
capacity. The manager who hears the appeal will give the employee the opportunity to
state his/ her case and will investigate the reason for the warning/ dismissal and the
grounds for the action taken. After the hearing the manager may:

- Dismiss the appeal therefore upholding the disciplinary action.

- Reduce the penalty.
- Increase the sanction.
- Hold that no offence was committed and that no record should be maintain
- The final decision of the appeal will be notified in writing.

There are no further levels of appeal.

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2. Grievance.
Grievance.

The grievance procedure enables the Company to ensure that any problems, complaints or
concerns raised by employees are dealt with in a fair, timely and consistent manner. If an
employee has a grievance or complaint regarding:

♦ their work, working conditions, pay and benefits, working hours; or

♦ discrimination on the grounds of race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, disability,
age, gender reassignment, marital status or ethnic origin; or
♦ treatment by colleagues including harassment and bullying; or
♦ if they are concerned about their health and safety or a breach of statutory
employment rights; or
♦ any other issue affecting their employment it should be raised in line with this
procedure.

Informal Procedure

Employees should, where possible, discuss the grievance or complaint with

their immediate manager on an informal basis first. The manager will discuss
any concerns with the employee and attempt to resolve the matter within a
reasonable timescale. Where it is not possible for the employee to talk to their
immediate manager, or if the grievance concerns him or her, the employee
should instead talk to the next most senior person.

Where the informal procedure is used, both parties should keep a written
record of the meeting including what was discussed and any proposed action.

If the grievance has not been resolved or cannot be settled informally, the
matter should be dealt with according to the formal grievance procedure.

Formal Grievance Procedure

Stage 1 – Written Statement

The aggrieved employee must first send a written statement detailing the
nature of the grievance to the HR Manager (the “Grievance”). Where it is the
HR Manager who is the subject of the Grievance, the employee should
instead send the written statement to another manager of equal or greater

42
 seniority, where possible.

Stage 2 – Grievance Meeting

♦ Upon receiving the written statement the HR Manager will arrange for a
formal meeting to be held in order to discuss the grievance. The
formal meeting will be held without unreasonable delay and usually
no longer than 5 working days after the Grievance is received.
♦ The employee, following a reasonable request, have the right to be
accompanied at any meeting concerning the grievance by a colleague, a
suitably certified trade union representative or an official employed by a
trade union.

The companion shall be allowed to support the employee’s case
and confer with the employee during the meeting.

The companion shall not answer questions on behalf of the
employee, address the meeting without the employee’s consent
or prevent the HR Manager from explaining their case.
♦ The HR Manager, employees and their companions shall make every
effort to attend the meeting.
♦ If an investigation of the matter is required then the meeting should be
adjourned to a later date before a decision is taken about how to deal
with the employee’s grievance.
♦ Following the meeting and investigation, the HR Manager, without
unreasonable delay, shall:

Send to the employee the decision and the action intended to be
taken in order to resolve the grievance; and

Inform the employee in writing of their right to appeal if they
are not satisfied with the action taken.

Stage 3 - Appeal
♦ If you feel your grievance has not been satisfactorily resolved, you have
the right to appeal. Your request for an appeal should be submitted
to the HR Manager in writing within 5 working days of you receiving
written confirmation of the outcome of the formal grievance
procedure. The written request for an appeal must also state the
grounds for the appeal.

43
 ♦ The HR Manager will arrange a meeting to discuss the appeal within a
reasonable time of receiving the request for an appeal. The
employee will be informed of the time and place of the appeal in
advance.

♦ The appeal will be dealt with impartially and wherever possible will be
chaired by a manager who has not previously been involved in the
case and of increased seniority than the one who dealt with the
original grievance.
♦ The employee has the right to be accompanied at the appeal meeting by
a colleague or trade union representative.

♦ The outcome of the appeal meeting shall be communicated to the

employee in writing within 5 working days. Decisions made at this
point are final and the grievance procedure is concluded.

Confidentiality

Grievances will be handled with as high a degree of confidentiality as is

practicable.
Confidential records of the grievance will be kept in the employee’s personnel file in
accordance with Data Protection legislation. Copies of meeting notes will be provided to
the employee, although the Company reserves the right to withhold certain information
(e.g. to protect a witness).

44
 VII)
II) COMPANY POLICIES

1. Health & Safety.

LPQ aims to comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of
Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992.

Nonetheless, LPQ believes that a safe workplace is everyone’s responsibility. If you see any
unsafe situations or practices, report them to your manager immediately. Be alert for
hazardous conditions like wet or slippery floor, exposed sharp edges, defective equipment
or anything appearing to be a fire hazard. It is also our policy to give training on an on-
going basis to give you the skills and knowledge to be able to work in a safe and healthy
work environment.

To protect yourself and others, please follow these safety guidelines:

Know how to do your job safely and correctly

Keep all traffic ways and exits clear of debris

Familiarize yourself with fire safety and emergency evacuation procedures

Do not use broken equipment

Notify your manager if your equipment malfunctions

Mop up spills immediately

Follow hygiene procedures

Attend all related trainings sessions as required by the company.

If you are injured during working hours, report to your manager immediately and he/she
will assist you with the following:

Provide you with a first aid kit which is located in a designated area of your store

Initiate accident reporting by logging all details in the Accident Book

On joining Le Pain Quotidien, you are responsible for familiarising yourself with your work
place fire’s regulations.

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2. Sexual H arassment Policy
Polic y

Sexual harassment is a very serious matter and should be prohibited in the workplace by
any person and in any form.

Sexual harassment is: unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other
verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that constitute sexual harassment when:

Submission to such conduct is made, either explicitly or implicitly, a term or

condition of an individual’s employment, or

Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for

employment decisions affecting such individual, or

Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an

individual’s work performance or creates an offensive working environment

In addition, sexual harassment may include but not be limited to, vulgar language of a
sexual nature, displaying sexually suggestive objects or pictures, sexually derogatory
names or comments of a sexual nature about an individual.

Any incident of sexual harassment should be reported to an appropriate manager or

supervisor immediately; if the complaint involves someone in the employee’s direct line of
supervision then the employee should inform another supervisor, or if necessary, the
Company Managing Director; if the employee filing the complaint does not receive a
response from the manager to whom the complaint was reported within 24 hours then the
employee should report the offense to a higher-level manager or officer of the Company;
there will be no discrimination or retaliation against an employee for making a sexual
harassment complaint; and any supervisor or employee who is found, after an appropriate
investigation, to have engaged in sexual harassment will be subject to appropriate
discipline, up to and including termination of employment.

46
3. Bullying & Harassment Policy

a) Policy Statement
i. The Company wishes to provide a stimulating and supportive working
environment which will enable its staff to fulfil their personal potential
and creativity. Such an environment cannot exist where any member of
staff is subjected to harassment, intimidation, aggression or coercion.
ii. The Company is fully committed to the principles of equality and
diversity in the workplace and regards harassment as a form of
discrimination.

b) Harassment
i. Harassment is unwanted conduct which violates a person’s dignity or
creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive
environment. It may be on the grounds of sex, race, disability, sexual
orientation, religion or beliefs, age or gender reassignment. For the
purposes of this policy this list should be considered non-exhaustive,
and harassment or bullying on any grounds will not be tolerated by the
Company.
ii. Harassment may be persistent or an isolated incident, obvious or
subtle, face-to-face or indirect. It may even be through unequal or
unfair application of monitoring systems, for example through
computer monitoring of breaks where it is not applied to all employees.
iii. Examples of behaviour which may constitute harassment or bullying
include (but are not limited to):
o spreading malicious rumours;
o professional or social exclusion;
o unwelcome sexual advances;
o unfounded threats relating to job security;
o calculated undermining of an employees competence, for example
through a consistently unreasonable or unfair workload or
unnecessary circulation of critical memoranda;
o physical assault;
o verbal abuse, threats, derogatory name-calling, ridicule, insults and
jokes;
o derogatory graffiti/insignia or display of derogatory or offensive
material; and
o inciting others to commit any of the above.

47
c) Unlawful Grounds of Harassment and Bullying
The Company wishes to reiterate that it will not tolerate any instance of harassment
or bullying regardless of the grounds. The following however are expressly
unlawful grounds on which a person may experience harassment or bullying.

i. Sex
Harassment or bullying on the grounds of a person’s sex.

ii. Sexual Harassment

This is distinct from sex harassment, as it is conduct of a physical, verbal or
non-verbal that is sexual in nature.

iii. Race
Harassment or bullying on the grounds of race, colour, ethnicity or
nationality, be it deliberate or otherwise.

iv. Disability
Bullying or harassment on the grounds of a person’s disability.

v. Sexual Orientation
Bullying or harassment on the grounds of a person’s sexual orientation,
applying equally to “same sex” orientation, “opposite sex” orientation and
“both sexes” orientation.

vi. Religion or Belief

Harassment or bullying on the grounds of a person’s religion or beliefs.

vii. Age
Harassment on the grounds of a person’s age, applying equally to all people
regardless of age.

viii. Grievance
Harassment or bullying as a consequence of a person raising a grievance.

48
d) Complaints
i. Any employee who feels that they have been subjected to harassment
or bullying by any other member of staff should raise the matter
according to one, or both, of the following methods.
a. Informal Procedure
1. If you feel able, you should speak up at
the time when you feel that you are
being harassed or bullied. It is important
to be direct and to state explicitly that
you feel you are being harassed and that
the behaviour is unacceptable to you.
You could also discuss the matter with
another colleague or your supervisor
and ask them to speak to the harasser on
your behalf.
2. Alternatively, if you feel you are unable
to speak directly to the harasser, you
could write a letter to them which clearly
identifies the offending behaviour and
requesting that it stops immediately. You
should sign and date any such letter and
ensure that you keep a copy for any
possible future formal complaint.
b. Formal Procedure
1. Any employee who feels that they have
been subjected to harassment or
bullying may at any time decide to deal
with the issue through formal
procedures, regardless of whether
informal steps have been taken or not.
2. Where an employee wishes to deal with
any issue of harassment formally, they
must do so according to either the
Company Grievance Procedure or the
Dedicated Grievance Procedure
contained in the Company’s Equal
Opportunities Policy.
ii. The Company will treat any complaint received under this Policy
confidentially.

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e) Third Party Harassment
i. Third party harassment refers to harassment of an employee by any
person who is not an employee of the Company. Third party harassers
may include:
a. customers or clients of the Company;
b. suppliers of the Company; and
c. independent contractors.
ii. Any employee who believes that they have been the victim of third
party harassment should immediately inform their line manager of the
incident.
iii. Where an employee has been harassed on more than one occasion, the
Company will take such steps as are reasonably practicable to prevent
any recurrence. For the purposes of third party harassment, it is
immaterial whether the third party harasser is a different person in
each instance of harassment.

f) Consequences of Breach
i. Harassment is a disciplinary offence and will be dealt with according to
the Company’s Disciplinary Procedure. Bullying, harassment,
victimisation or discrimination may constitute gross misconduct,
punishable by summary dismissal without notice.

Employees should bear in mind that harassment or bullying may

also constitute
c onstitute a criminal offence punishable by a fine and / or
imprisonment.

50
4. Environmental Policy

Le Pain Quotidien is committed to protect and preserve the environment and our natural
resources through continued responsible action in all aspects of business. Our commitment
will be realized through the creation of sale and innovative ingredients, products,
manufacturing processes and packaging that meet customer needs, while minimizing
environmental impact.

Our specific objectives are to:

Meet and strive to exceed all environmental laws and regulations at all levels of
government where our products are manufactured and sold.

Design and operate facilities that conserve energy and minimize the effects of production
on the environment by reducing waste and pollution and by utilizing non- polluting
technologies wherever practical. Maintain manufacturing operations that are safe for
employees, consumers and the environment.

Reduce volume and weight of packaging, consistent with labeling requirements, product
protection and consumer safety, utilize recycled and recyclable materials in packaging
whenever possible and encourage vendors and consumers to recycle.

Produce safe quality products with the lowest practical impact upon the environment.

Dispose of any waste generated in a manner which not only meets regulatory
requirements, but also demonstrates consideration for the environment.

It is our intention to create within our organisation the necessary structure and accomplish
these objectives.

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5. Alcohol and drug abuse

Le Pain Quotidien makes every effort to provide a safe and productive environment for all
employees and is committed to maintaining a drug- free workplace. It is, therefore, the
policy of the Company to prohibit the unlawful manufacture, storage, distribution,
dispensation, possession, sale or use of alcohol or any controlled substance in the
workplace. All of us are expected to adhere to this policy as a condition of employment.
Violation of this rule is serious and can lead to termination of employment.,

As a further condition of employment, any employee convicted of violating any criminal

drug legislation based on offences that occurred whilst working for the Company, is
required to notify his/ her supervisor no later than five working holidays after the
conviction. Employees who are convicted of such violations will be subject to disciplinary
action, up to and including termination of employment. If a convicted employee is not
terminated, he or she may be required to participate in a drug abuse assistance or
rehabilitation programme as a condition of continued employment.

Le Pain Quotidien would show a sympathetic view to any employee who has an alcohol or
drugs dependency problem. Counseling and outside professional assistance may be
provided. Any referral would be via the HR Department.

Please consult your line manager or the HR Department if you have questions about Le
Pain Quotidien’s policy on the use of drugs and/or alcohol in the workplace.

52
6. Company training

a) Introduction

Le Pain Quotidien, believing that planned systematic training is essential for the running of
the business and the development of the employees, has drawn up the following
procedures which form the basis of the Company’s Training Policy.

1) All new or promoted employees will receive an induction training programme and will
undergo an initial training period under the supervision of their line managers, until they
have acquired the knowledge necessary to satisfactorily carry out their jobs. This will
include knowledge of the Company/ products/ systems and personnel.

2) In addition, appropriate skills training, if required, will be given to staff before or as

soon as possible following promotion or transfer.

3) An assessment system will operate providing an opportunity for individual employees to

discuss with their managers their performance, training needs and future development.

4) The General Manager will be responsible for ensuring implementation and coordination
of the overall Le Pain Quotidien’s Training Programme.

5) Employees will, under the age of 18, be entitled to absence from work to undertake
courses relevant to the development of their careers and the needs of the Company and
they will be encouraged to attend any such courses. Further details may be obtained from
the HR Department.

b) Guidelines

Courses instructions will be clearly stated in your invite letter. If any changes due to
unforeseen circumstances occur we will contact you by email or telephone. You must arrive
at the training venue in good time. If you are going to be late please ring the Course tutor
or the HR Department on 020 7486 6256.

You are a Representative of Le Pain Quotidien whilst in training so your behaviour should
reflect this at all times. Conduct must be the same standard as at work to maintain our
professional brand image, especially whilst in the restaurants. Training is for your benefit
to enable you to develop your skills, learn new topics and progress your career. Please
remember that training is a two way process – you need to listen carefully and contribute
at all times to gain the most out of your course.

Courses will be advertised and booked by the HR team. Confirmation of attendance will be
sent out at least 5 days prior to course.

53
All courses are valued at £50 and this sum will be deducted from store’s wages cost for
non attendance. Non attendance for a course will only be authorized if one of the following
is applicable:

- Notice is given to one of the HR team at least 72 hours prior to course start
time. The HR team should be contacted via email on hr@lpquk.biz or by
phone on 020 7486 6256.
- Doctor’s sick note is presented (no self certification can be accepted)
- Bereavement of a family member

54
7. Conflicts of interests.

We are confident that every member of our Company is aware that all of us owe a duty of
loyalty to the Company by virtue of acceptance of employment. This carries with it the
obligation to act in Le Pain Quotidien’s best interest and to avoid situations which could
produce a conflict of interest. Whilst it is not feasible to describe all of the conflict of
interest situations, the following guidelines should be adhered to at all time.

No Company employee may, without the Company’s written consent, have either a direct or
indirect (through family members or third persons) ownership or other interests in any
supplier of goods or services to the Company, in any customer of the Company or in any
distributor or seller of the Company’s products.

It is not a conflict of interest to own one- tenth of one percent of the securities of any
Company or in any distributor or seller of the Company’s products.

No Company employee may accept from any supplier or customer of the Company, or any
distributor or seller of the Company’s products, gifts (except of nominal value) or
entertainment going beyond reasonable business practice.

No Company employee may accept from any supplier or customer of the Company, or any
distributor or seller of the Company’s products, any commission, other form of
compensation or loan.

No Company employee may borrow or secure credit, except on terms normally available on
a non- preferential basis, from a financial institution which provides services to the
Company.

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8. Equal Opportunities
Opportunities Policy

Village Du Pain Ltd/ t.a Le Pain Quotidien (“the Company”) is committed to achieving a
working environment which provides equality of opportunity and freedom from unlawful
discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, gender, marital
status, disability, religious beliefs, age or sexual orientation. This Policy aims to remove
unfair and discriminatory practices within the Company and to encourage full contribution
from its diverse community. The Company is committed to actively opposing all forms of
discrimination.

The Company also aims to provide a service that does not discriminate against its clients
and customers in the means by which they can access the services and goods supplied by
the Company. The Company believes that all employees and clients are entitled to be
treated with respect and dignity.

Objectives of this Policy

To prevent, reduce and stop all forms of unlawful discrimination.

To ensure that recruitment, promotion, training, development, assessment, redundancy

and service provision are determined on the basis of capability, qualifications,
experience, skills and productivity.

Designated Officer

Name: Thomas Betis

Position: Human Resource Manager
Telephone Number 020 7486 6154

Definition of Discrimination
Di scrimination
Discrimination is unequal or differential treatment which leads to one person being treated
more or less favourably than others are, or would be, treated in the same or similar
circumstances on the grounds of race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, gender, marital
status, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation. Discrimination may be direct or indirect.

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Types of Discrimination
• Direct Discrimination
This occurs when a person or a policy intentionally treats a person less favourably than
another on the grounds of colour, nationality, ethnic origin, gender, marital status,
disability, religion, age, or sexual orientation.

• Indirect Discrimination
This is the application of a policy, criterion or practice to a person which the employer
would apply to others but which is such that:

• It is it detrimental to a considerably larger proportion of people from the group that

the person the employer is applying it to represents;
• The employer cannot justify the need for the application of the policy on a neutral
basis; and
• The person to whom the employer is applying it suffers detriment from the
application of the policy.
Example: A requirement that all employees must be 6ft tall would indirectly discriminate
against employees with an oriental ethnic origin, as they are less likely to be able to fulfil
this requirement if that requirement is not justified by the position.

Unlawful Reasons for Discrimination

• Gender and Marital Status

It is not permissible to treat a person less favourably on the grounds of their gender or the
fact they are married. This applies to both men and women. Sexual harassment of men and
women can be found to constitute sex discrimination. For example, asking a woman during
an interview if she is planning to have any (more) children constitutes discrimination on
the ground of gender.

• Age
It is not permissible to treat a person less favourably because of their age. This applies to
people of all ages. This does not currently apply to the calculation of redundancy
payments.

• Disability
It is not permissible to treat a disabled person less favourably than a non-disabled person.
Reasonable adjustments must be made to give the disabled person as much access to the
service and ability to be employed, trained, or promoted as a non-disabled person.

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 • Race, Colour, Nationality and Ethnic Origin
It is not permissible to treat a person less favourably because of their race, the colour of
their skin, their nationality or their ethnic origin.

• Sexual Orientation
It is not permissible to treat a person less favourably because of their sexual orientation.
For example, an employer cannot refuse to employ a person because s/he is homosexual,
or transsexual.

• Religion or Belief
It is not permissible to treat a person less favourably because of their religious beliefs or
their religion.

Reasonable Adjustments

The Company has a duty to make reasonable adjustments to facilitate the employment of a
disabled person. These may include:

i. Making adjustments to premises;

ii. Re-allocating some or all of a disabled employee’s duties;

iii. Transferring a disabled employee to a role better suited to their disability;

iv. Relocating a disabled employee to a more suitable office;

v. Giving a disabled employee time off work for medical treatment or rehabilitation;

vi. Providing training or mentoring for a disabled employee;

vii. Supplying or modifying equipment, instruction and training manuals for disabled
employees; or

viii. Any other adjustments that the Company considers reasonable and necessary provided
such adjustments are within the financial means of the Company.

If an employee has a disability and feels that any such adjustments could be made by the
Company, they should contact the Designated Officer.

Responsibility for the Implementation of this Policy

The co-operation of all employees is essential for the success of this Policy. However, the

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ultimate responsibility for achieving the objectives of this Policy, and for ensuring
compliance with relevant Legislation and Codes of Practice, lies with the Company. Senior
employees are expected to follow this Policy and ensure that all employees, subcontractors
and agents do the same.

All employees, subcontractors and agents of the Company are required to act in a way that
does not subject any other employees or clients to direct or indirect discrimination on the
grounds of race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, gender, marital status, disability,
religion, age or sexual orientation.

Employees may be held independently and individually liable for their discriminatory acts
by an Employment Tribunal and ordered to pay compensation to the person who has
suffered as a result of discriminatory acts.

Dedicated Grievance Procedure

Informal Procedure

i. If an employee feels that they have suffered direct or indirect discrimination they
are encouraged to attempt to raise and solve the issue informally before
commencing the formal procedures detailed below.

ii. Informal steps that may be taken include talking to your manager about the issue,
or talking directly to any individual who you feel is responsible for the
discrimination. This can be done verbally or by letter, and can be with the
accompaniment of a colleague or trade union representative.

iii. If you feel unable to deal with the issue informally, or if informal steps have failed
to solve the problem, you should raise the matter according to the formal
procedure detailed below.

Formal Procedure
iv. Formal grievances should be detailed in writing, signed and dated, and submitted
to the Designated Officer. The Grievance should contain the actions or policy that
the employee believes is discriminatory and all relevant facts surrounding the
action or policy, including any relevant dates, names and witnesses. The employee
should indicate what they feel the Company should do and any other suggestions or
information that they believe will assist in resolving the issue. Employees should
keep copies of all correspondence for their own records.

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 Written Statement
v. Where the Grievance concerns the Designated Officer it should be submitted instead
to the employee’s Line Manager or such other person of equal or greater seniority.

vi. If the employee has a union or employee representative they may opt to consult
with them about the action or policy, or request assistance with setting out their
grievance in writing.

Initial Meeting
vii. The employee will then be invited to a meeting to discuss the grievance (the “Initial
Meeting”) at a date and time mutually agreed upon, usually no longer than 3
working days after submission of the Grievance in writing.

viii. The purpose of the Initial Meeting is to discuss the employee’s Grievance, to
explore possibilities to solve the problem at an early stage and to begin the process
of investigating the Grievance.

Investigation
ix. Following the Initial Meeting the Company will investigate the matter. The
investigation of a discrimination related Grievance will usually include (but is not
limited to) the following actions:

1. where relevant, interviewing the person complained against and any

witnesses to the incident;

2. reviewing relevant company policies; and

3. checking for any history of similar grievances.

x. The Company reserves the right to consult, involve and/or engage independent
experts at any point in the investigation if of the opinion that to do so would result
in a fairer and more satisfactory investigation process. Any independent expert will
be subject to the same obligations of confidentiality as the Company.

Decision and Written Response

xi. Following the completion of the investigation, and usually within 10 working days
of the Initial Meeting, the Company will invite the employee to a second meeting in
order to discuss the outcome of the investigation and any action that the Company

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 proposes to take (the “Decision Meeting”). If the investigation continues beyond 10
working days the Company will write to the employee informing them that the
grievance is still being investigated and will provide an estimated time of
completion for the investigation.

xii. Following the Decision Meeting the Company will issue a written response to the
employee’s Grievance within 2 working days detailing the outcome of the
investigation and any action that is to be taken. The Company shall also inform the
employee in writing of their right to appeal if the decision goes against them.

Appeal
xiii. If the employee is dissatisfied with the decision they have the right to raise an
appeal by submitting a written request to the Designated Officer, which should
include any particular reasons for the employee’s dissatisfaction with the decision.
The appeal request must be submitted within 10 working days of the employee
receiving the written response from the Company.

xiv. If the employee obtains information or evidence that was not available at any point
prior to receiving the Company’s written response this information or evidence
should be submitted to the Designated Officer at the earliest possible stage in the
appeal process.

xv. The Company will invite the appellant employee to another meeting to discuss their
Grievance and appeal (the “Appeal Meeting”), to be held usually within 5 working
days at a time and place which shall be notified to the employee in advance. The
Appeal Meeting and procedure will, where possible, be chaired by a senior
manager who was not involved in the initial Grievance Procedure.

xvi. At the Appeal Meeting the Company and the employee will discuss the investigation
and the decision and the particular grounds for the employee’s dissatisfaction. If
further investigation is required as a result of new evidence or information, the
Company shall be allowed 5 working days to conduct the further investigation. The
Appeal Meeting shall be considered closed upon completion of the further
investigation and a notice to that effect shall be sent to the employee.

xvii. The employee shall have a statutory right to be accompanied at the Appeal
Meeting.

xviii. Within 5 working days of the close of the Appeal Meeting the Company shall issue a
final written response to the Grievance. The decision resulting from the Appeal

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 Meeting is final and the employee shall have no further rights of appeal.

Records, Accompanying Persons and Confidentiality

xix. The Company shall be responsible for taking notes of the proceedings of each
meeting during the Grievance Procedure. Where possible the notes of each meeting
should be signed by all parties. Copies of meeting notes will be provided to the
employee.

xx. Employees shall, having made a reasonable request, have the right at every stage
of the Grievance Procedure to be accompanied to any meeting concerning the
Grievance by a colleague, suitable certified trade union representative or an official
employed by the trade union. Where the employee is accompanied at any point in
the procedure, copies of meeting notes and written responses of the Company shall
be copied to the accompanying person.

xxi. The companion shall be allowed to support the employee’s case and confer with the
employee during the meeting. The companion shall not answer questions on behalf
of the employee, address the meeting without the employee’s consent or prevent
the Designated Officer e.g. Human Resource Manager from explaining his case.

xxii. All Grievances will be handled with as high a degree of confidentiality as is

practicable, with special consideration for the often sensitive nature of Grievances
falling under this Policy.

xxiii. Confidential records of the Grievance will be kept in the employee’s personnel file
in accordance with Data Protection legislation.

Employees engaging in Discriminatory

Discriminatory Conduct

i. Behaviour or actions found to be contrary to this Policy and the general spirit of the
laws on which it is based will be considered to be serious disciplinary matters. In
the most severe of cases, the employee responsible may face dismissal. Any such
employees will have the right to appeal against such a summary dismissal by
following the Company Grievance Procedure.

ii. Discrimination leads to an unpleasant and non-productive work environment. No

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 employee has the right to discriminate against another. If an employee is executing
Company policy that may be indirectly discriminatory, the Company will not
normally hold the employee responsible for any negative effects of that policy.
Employees should inform the Designated Officer if they become aware of any
discriminatory effects that a policy may have.

iii. If a grievance is received by the Company that cites the actions of an employee has
being discriminatory against another member of staff, the Company will send the
accused employee a copy of the written complaint and arrange a mutually agreed
date for that employee to attend an interview. The Company reserves the right to
transfer the accused employee to a different department or location during the
investigation process. In the alternative, the Company may suspend the employee
on full, partial or no pay during that period.

iv. If the employee is unable to attend the interview they must inform the Company as
soon as possible. The Company will re-schedule the interview. If the employee
fails to attend the interview and does not have a good reason, this fact will be
noted on that employee’s record and they may be subject to appropriate
disciplinary action.

v. At the interview the accused employee will be given the opportunity to present
their case. The employee may bring another person to the interview. Any evidence
or information should be submitted to the Designated Officer in advance of the
interview.

vi. Following the interview the matter will be investigated and a decision will be made
after considering all relevant evidence and submissions. The employee will be
informed of the Company’s decision in writing. The employee may be required to
attend a training course, move to a different department or to another location
within the Company either on a temporary or permanent basis. The employee may
receive a caution, final warning or may be dismissed with or without notice
depending on the Company’s findings.

vii. The employee shall have the right to appeal against the Company’s decision. If the
employee wishes to appeal they should inform the Company of their intention to do
so and the grounds on which their appeal is based in writing within 14 days of the
date on the initial decision letter.

viii. If the employee gathers information or evidence that was not available at the time
of the first meeting at any point prior to the arrival of the Company’s initial decision

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 letter, any such evidence should be submitted to the Designated Officer.

ix. If the employee appeals they will be invited to another interview to discuss the
initial decision. Where possible, the Company will seek to provide a new interview
panel to consider the facts of the appeal. The employee may bring another person
to the appeal interview.

x. At the meeting the Company and the employee will discuss the original decision. If
further investigation is required as a result of new evidence or information, this will
be carried out in due course. A written appeal decision will be sent to the
employee within 28 days of the disciplinary appeal meeting. If the investigation
continues beyond 28 days the Company will write to the employee informing them
that the disciplinary appeal is still being considered and will provide an estimated
date of completion for the investigation. Upon completion of the investigation into
the facts of the disciplinary appeal the employee shall be informed of the decision
in writing. This decision is final and the employee shall have no further rights of
appeal.

Advice and Support on Discrimination

Discrimination
Employees may contact their employer or trade union representative if access to such an
individual is possible.

The extent of the Policy

i. The Company seeks to apply this Policy in the recruitment, selection, training,
appraisal, development and promotion of all employees. The Company seeks to
ensure that all sub-contractors and agents act in accordance with this Policy. The
Company accepts no liability for the actions of sub-contractors and agents. The
Company offers goods and services in a fashion that complies with the spirit of this
Policy.
ii. This Policy does not form a part of any employment contract with any employee and
its contents are not to be regarded by any person as implied, collateral or express
terms to any contract made with the Company.
iii. The Company reserves the right to amend and update this policy at any time..

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9. Diversity.
Diversity.

Village Du Pain Ltd is committed to promoting a supportive and inclusive culture for all our
employees, members and third party business parties.

As an employee of Village Du Pain Ltd, you can expect:

- To be treated fairly and without discrimination during your employment with the
Company, commencing with the recruitment process, and having access to secondments
and promotions based on merit.

- To be fairly appraised and rewarded for your personal contribution to the business,
taking into account internal and external comparisons and affordability.

- To work in a healthy and safe environment free from hazards.

- To access opportunities for training and development to enable you to develop your full
potential.

- To be supported in balancing your work and home life commitments and to have your
request considered objectively in line with business needs.

- To be treated with dignity and respect in a fair and consistent manner in an environment
where inappropriate behaviour is not acceptable.

Village Du Pain Ltd is committed to promoting equality for all. If you believe you have been
subject to discrimination in employment, which is in direct conflict with our commitment to
equality of opportunity, you should consider raising this with your line manager or trying
to resolve it yourself. Alternatively, consider registering a complaint through the agreed
grievance procedure.

As an employee of Village Du Pain Ltd, you have responsibility to treat others with dignity
and respect. If you have been found to have acted in a deliberately discriminatory manner,
appropriate disciplinary procedures will apply.

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10. Data Protection

Village Du Pain Ltd/ t.a. Le Pain Quotidien needs to collect and use certain types of
information about employees and customers who come into contact with Village Du Pain
Ltd/ t.a. Le Pain Quotidien. This personal information must be dealt with properly however
it is collected, recorded and used – whether on paper, in a computer, or recorded on other
material - and there are safeguards to ensure this in the Data Protection Act 1998.

Village Du Pain Ltd/ t.a. Le Pain Quotidien regards the lawful and correct treatment of
personal information as very important and therefore ensures that personal information is
treated lawfully and correctly. To this end Village Du Pain Ltd/ t.a Le Pain Quotidien fully
endorses and adheres to the Principles of Data Protection, as detailed in the Data
Protection Act 1998.

Specifically, the Principles require that personal information

1. shall be processed fairly and lawfully and, in particular, shall not be processed
unless specific conditions are met,

2. shall be obtained only for one or more specified and lawful purposes, and shall
not be further processed in any manner incompatible with that purpose or
those purposes,

3. shall be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose or

purposes for which they are processed,

4. shall be accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date,

5. shall not be kept for longer than is necessary for that purpose or those purposes,

6. shall be processed in accordance with the rights of data subjects under the Act,

7. appropriate technical and organisational measures shall be taken against

unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental
loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data,

8. shall not be transferred to a country or territory outside the European Economic

Area unless that country or territory ensures an adequate level of protection for
the rights and freedoms of data subjects in relation to the processing of
personal data.

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Village Du Pain Ltd/ t.a Le Pain Quotidien, through appropriate management, strict
application of criteria and controls

1. observe fully conditions regarding the fair collection and use of information,

2. meet its legal obligations to specify the purposes for which information is used,

3. collect and process appropriate information, and only to the extent that it is
needed to fulfil operational needs or to comply with any legal requirements,

4. ensure the quality of information used,

5. apply strict checks to determine the length of time information is held,

6. ensure that the rights of people about whom information is held, can be fully
exercised under the Act. (These include: the right to be informed that
processing is being undertaken, the right of access to one’s personal
information, the right to prevent processing in certain circumstances and the
right to correct, rectify, block or erase information which is regarded as wrong
information),

7. take appropriate technical and organisational security measures to safeguard

personal information,

8. ensure that personal information is not transferred abroad without suitable

safeguards,

9. treat people justly and fairly whatever their age, religion, disability, gender,
sexual orientation or ethnicity when dealing with requests for information,

10. set out clear procedures for responding to requests for information.

In addition, Village Du Pain Ltd/ t.a. Le Pain Quotidien will ensure that:

1. there is someone with specific responsibility for Data Protection. Village Du Pain
Ltd/ t.a. Le Pain Quotidien’s Data Protection Officer is the HR Manager, Thomas
Betis.

2. everyone managing and handling personal information understands that they are
contractually responsible for following good data protection practice,

3. everyone managing and handling personal information is appropriately trained

to do so,

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 4. everyone managing and handling personal information is appropriately
supervised,

5. anybody wanting to make enquiries about handling personal information knows

what to do,

6. queries about handling personal information are promptly and courteously dealt
with,

7. methods of handling personal information are clearly described,

8. a regular review and audit is made of the way personal information is held,
managed and used,

9. methods of handling personal information are regularly assessed and evaluated,

10. performance with handling personal information is regularly assessed and

evaluated,

11. a breach of the rules and procedures identified in this policy by a member of
staff may lead to disciplinary action being taken,

This policy will be updated as necessary to reflect best practice in data management,
security and control and to ensure compliance with any changes or amendments made to
the Data Protection Act 1998.

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 VIII) HEALTH & SAFETY AT WORK

HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK

It is Le Pain Quotidien policy to ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, the health, safety,
and welfare at work of all its employees, and to implement where required the necessary
training and information facilities. Full consultation with all employees as to the
requirements will be maintained. All employees have a legal responsibility to comply with
the Act.

Le Pain Quotidien trusts all employees will respond and ensure full compliance by their co-
operation.

Employees should familiarise themselves with the Health & Safety, Fire training essentials
provided at the beginning of their employment.

All employees should, wherever they are based, be aware of the following general
guidelines:

FIRE PREVENTION

A fire needs three things to burn and spread: fuel, air and source of ignition. Remove one
of these and the spread of fire will be prevented.

• Fuel and ignition

Do not leave waste paper lying about; make sure cigarettes are stubbed out in an ashtray;
keep inflammable liquids in containers with close fitting covers, and do not forget to switch
off and unplug electrical appliances at the end of the day (apart from the case you are
advised not to do so by your line manager).

• Air

Tackling fires with certain types of extinguishers will eliminate the air supply. But
remember- you should only tackle a fire if there is no risk of personal injury and if you
have received training.

• What to do in case of fire

a) On discovering a fire, raise an alarm and inform the manager on duty.

b) Make sure staff and visitors immediately vacate the building in an orderly
fashion. Don’t induce panic.

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 c) Proceed to your pre- arranged meeting point outside the premises and
check all staff and visitors are present and accounted for.
d) Do not attempt to tackle a fire unless you have received proper training in
the use of fire extinguishers.

BOMB THREAT

• Telephone procedure

Be calm. Be courteous. Listen, do not interrupt the caller. If possible try to take written
notes. Notify your line manager while caller is on line.

• Action to take immediately after the call.

Team members
Inform security and members of management in accordance with your instructions. Talk to
no-one else.

Managers
Organise the evacuation of the building for staff and customers. Contact the required
emergency services. Report the occurrence to Head Office straight away.

GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

Good housekeeping is the foundation of all safe working practices. If your workplace is
untidy, it is impossible to carry out any job of work safely, so remember

DO keep gangways, passageways, stairways and regularly used areas free from
obstruction.

DO put away items of equipment when you have finished using them.

DO remove obstructions when you see them- someone else might not and they could easily
be injured.

DO ensure that spillages, especially liquids, are cleaned up without delay. Do not assume
that “someone else will do it”.

FALLS, SLIPS AND TRIPS

The commonest cause of accidents, mostly due to carelessness.

DO NOT attempt to walk on wet surfaces

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DO report damaged floor surfaces, slippery stair surfaces
DO NOT run, especially when using stairs or crossing work areas

LIFTING AND CARRYING

One of the biggest causes of accidents and injury is the failure to lift items correctly. If a
few simple rules are followed, many such accidents and subsequent injuries can be
avoided.

Remember- the golden rule when lifting from low level

“KNEES BENT, BACK STRAIGHT”

DO lift with your legs NOT your back

DO make sure you can see where you are going
DO NOT try to lift or carry anything which is obviously heavy for you to handle or which is
very bulky. GET HELP.

STORAGE AND STACKING

Safe storage is important for all items where large, small, light or heavy.

DO use suitable shelving systems, cupboards, containers etc., whenever possible

DO store bulky and heavy items at low level
DO store within reach whenever possible
DO stack securely, “brick” or “interlocked” stacking should be use dif you have larger
quantities or symmetrical cartons or packages
DO report to your line manager any practice which you consider unsafe

FIRST AID

Make sure you know where the first aid equipment is kept, and who your First Aider is.
Make sure you obtain the proper medical treatment even for small injuries and remember
to make the required entry in the Accident Book. Accidents do not just happen- they are
CAUSED.

LADDERS AND STEPS

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Many accidents are caused by a failure to adopt a safe system of working. Trying to gain
access to goods out of reach by standing on chairs, boxes, or climbing on shelving is very
dangerous.

DO use a pair of safety steps

DO report any defective safety steps to your line manager immediately

ELECTRICAL SAFETY

Electricity is dangerous- it can easily kill.

DO report any broken or faulty plugs, socket outlets, frayed leads, trailing wires, exposed
wiring or faulty equipment to your manager on duty.

DO NOT tamper with electrically operated equipment or try to carry out repairs yourself-
leave it to the experts

USE OF MACHINERY/ PORTABLE TOOLS

Nobody is permitted to use any machinery or portable electrical equipment unless trained
to do so.

ACCIDENTS AND DANGEROUS OCCURRENCES REPORTING

Remember, it is your responsibility to prevent accidents so if you are unfortunate enough

to have an accident, HOWEVER minor, report it- if you know of a dangerous occurrence in
your area, report it- in both cases, notify your manager on duty immediately.

In the case of EMPLOYEES- the report will be made as follows:

Report the incident, no matter how minor the injury, to the person within the store who is
responsible for Health & Safety and ensure entry is made in the Accident Book.

In case of injury at work, telephone the HR department immediately. They will complete
the necessary paperwork over the telephone. Provided this procedure is followed, payment
will be made as for a period of sickness with no liability.

In the event of a serious accident causing the person involved being absent from work for 3
days or more, which includes weekends, or being detained overnight in hospital, full
details should be submitted to the HR Department. This is a legal requirement and it is
essential to adhere to this policy.

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Remember, it is just as important to report a dangerous occurrence or a near miss,
whether it caused injury or not.

All Employees are advised to comply with this Policy Statement and safety procedures
issued by the store in which they are employed.

The person with overall responsibility for health, safety and welfare, will be the General
Manager.

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