Health and wellbeing

PCH is committed to providing a responsive service to its customers. We all share responsibility for trying to make this commitment a reality. Your part in upholding the responsibility is to ensure that you attend work as required by your contract. But we all experience illness from time to time which can affect our ability to work. 

PCH has expectations about attendance which are essential to our performance as a high-achieving major Housing Association and also for the well-being and dignity of both you and your colleagues. PCH has procedures around the way absence is reported as well as how employees work with their manager to support a return to work and attendance at work.

If you are too unwell to come to work, you need to inform your line manager or another manager by telephone at the earliest opportunity and within 20 minutes of the time they were due to start work’

It is not acceptable to report sickness absence by written communication such as email or text message. Nor is it acceptable to leave a message with a colleague.

Your responsibilities for reporting your absence and full details regarding absence can be found in the Managing Attendance Procedure. 

You won’t be paid Company Sick Pay whilst in your probation period. Give a member of the payroll team a call if you have any questions. Once you have passed your probation, you will be paid both Company and Statutory Sick Pay as outlined in your contract. Let us know if you want to talk about this.

From time to time we need to attend medical appointments such as the Doctors or the Dentist. 

If you work flexitime, you should try to arrange appointments in your personal time. If your appointment does fall within working hours check the Flexi Guidance notes. 

If you work fixed hours you should try to arrange appointments outside of your working hours. If you can’t, we won’t make you work the extra hours.  

You will need to provide proof of your medical appointments if asked. 

We have an outside Occupational Health provider to support your health and wellbeing, who help promote your return to active work and get advice on any health matters that may be affecting your work, such as;

• Long sick leave

• Short term sick leave

• Accidents at work

• Ergonomic assessments

• Mental health

Your manager will ask Occupational Health to arrange an appointment and do an assessment for you. 

You will need to go to your Occupational Health (or other assessments) appointment to help you support your return to work. It’s really important you engage with the process so that we can make decisions about the benefit of this advice. You can check out our Occupational Health partner Medigold at their website.

We use Care First to provide an Employee Assistance Programme which is completely independent and confidential.  

If you’re suffering from work-related or personal problems that are affecting you, you can access this confidential counselling and advisory service through the Care First website. Further details are available on Jannet or from HR. 

Plymouth Community Homes recognises the importance of employing and developing all individuals regardless of their circumstances, and we are delighted to have earned the highest validation from the Government’s ‘Disability Confident scheme’ in recognition of how well we support disabled people.

Being a Disability Confident Leader means that we are recognised as an employer who makes the most of the talents which disabled people can bring to an organisation we were the Plymouth Employer to gain this level of award!

 As a Disability Confident Leader it shows that we:

• Recruit, retain and develop people with the skills we need by tapping into the huge pool of talent among disabled people

• Increase the understanding of disability, and how we can make the most of opportunities provided by employing disabled people

• Remove barriers that could be preventing disabled people or those with long-term health conditions from employment with PCH

• Play our part in ensuring disabled people have opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their ambitions

 If you have a disability and need support or adjustments to do your job then please speak to your manager or HR. We also have a Jannet page dedicated to equality matters which includes advice around such things as how to maintain good mental health.

We have dedicated gym facilities for PCH staff to be able to fit some health and wellbeing in and around the day job. Contact the facilities team to book your induction and get access to our own personal trainer! 

We want to make sure that you’re safe at work and we have won several awards for our Health and Safety protocols. You are responsible for making sure you and others around you stay safe and your contract of employment will tell you your specific roles and responsibilities. You’ll complete a Health and Safety Induction on your first day of work with us. 

Further information can be found here.

As part of your responsibility under Health and Safety you should report any ‘near misses’ or accidents that occur whilst you are at work. These should be reported straight away to your line manager who will complete an Incident Form with you which helps us stop any future accidents from occurring.

If you are injured at work and require First Aid, we have a number of qualified First Aiders in the building. 

First Aiders names are displayed on green signs in key areas around our sites.

If you are working at a tenant’s property and are injured you should contact your line manager and attend the nearest NHS walk-in centre or A&E depending on the nature of the injury. 

All injuries that occur as a result of an accident at work must be reported to your line manager however slight you feel the injury is.

PCH also has a number of Mental Health First Aiders who act as first response for any mental health problems you may have. Details of how to contact a MHFA can be found on Jannet.

If you discover a fire at any of our sites, immediately push the fire alarm button nearest to you.

On hearing the alarm, leave the building calmly by the nearest and safest fire exit. Do not stop to collect personal belongings. Make your way to the nearest evacuation point to your location. If you are with any visitors, please make sure you help them to leave the building. 

In our offices, designated fire wardens wear high-vis vests and will be on hand to help you to safely exit the building. Please listen to the instructions they provide you.

Please ensure that you are aware of the Assembly Points at your place of work, your line manager will go over these with you in your induction. 

PCH are committed to providing a safe environment for all staff so we have regular fire drills and fire alarm tests. 

PCH must ensure that it is compliant with the Display Screen Equipment Regulations.  This is for your safety and comfort if you use a PC.

When you start working for PCH or when there is a change in your location or circumstances you will be required to complete a DSE assessment to make sure that your work area is set up correctly for you.

Break out areas and kitchens are provided and we want you to take your lunch breaks in these areas away from your desk so you’re not working through your lunch. Tea, coffee and milk are all provided so you can make a nice hot drink in your favourite mug. 

At Plumer House a quiet room is provided for prayer, periods of reflection or thought.

Smoking is only permitted outside any of our buildings or where there is a smoking area provided. This includes electronic cigarettes and vaporisers.

Privately owned vehicles are required to be smoke free when transporting colleagues, customers and members of the public.

You must not smoke in company vehicles at any time. 

Employees who smoke within company property, other than the designated areas, including vehicles, will be subject to disciplinary action. 

Where designated smoking areas are provided you may use them during your normal agreed breaks. 

PCH have a role to play in holding abusive behaviour to account and helping staff access services to address their behaviour.

Conduct at work; those engaging in abusive behaviours might use workplace resources such as telephone or e-mail to threaten, harass or abuse their current or former partners, and might involve other colleagues who may or may not be aware of their motives. Such abuse requires an effective employer response because it is damaging and potentially dangerous for those being abused. Where appropriate this will be dealt with under existing policies e.g. Disciplinary Policy, IT Usage Policy.

An employee cautioned or convicted of a criminal offence may be subject to one of our existing policies if their activities outside of work have an impact on their ability to perform their role and/or be considered to bring PCH into disrepute.

All employees should be aware of this policy and how the PCH will support and respond to victims or concerns that an employee has been a perpetrator of abuse.  This policy can be found here.

The National Domestic Violence Freephone Helpline (0808 2000 247) can give support, help and information over the telephone to anyone experiencing domestic abuse but also to family, friends, colleagues, and others calling on their behalf.

 PCH also provide a confidential EAP and Carefirst, login details can be found via  HR  or HR - Home (ourpch.co.uk).

PCH recognise that the abuse of alcohol, drugs or substances can seriously affect performance at work, conduct, relationships and health. We will not tolerate drinking or drug use whilst at work.

However, we aim to be supportive of staff who want help dealing with these issues and we will signpost them to our Employee Assistance provider, Carefirst, and other agencies if needed.