Labour Standards and Worker Welfare Policy

1. Purpose

Our purpose is to protect workers, support responsible clients and ensure that work arranged through Pickles Recruitment is lawful, safe and respectful. We align our approach with UK employment law, GLAA Licensing Standards, REC professional standards and the labour principles commonly assessed through Sedex/SMETA.

2. Freely chosen employment

Work must be freely chosen. Workers must not be subjected to forced labour, bonded labour, trafficking, threats, deposits, recruitment debts or restrictions that prevent them leaving work lawfully. Identity documents remain with the worker except for brief inspection or lawful copying. No person may use immigration status, debt, housing, transport or threats to control a worker.

3. Child labour and young workers

We do not knowingly place anyone below the lawful minimum age for the work. Where young workers may lawfully work, additional restrictions on hours, night work, hazardous tasks and supervision are applied. Age evidence is verified as part of identity and right-to-work checks.

4. Pay, deductions and financial transparency

  • Pay must meet or exceed applicable legal minimums and agreed assignment rates.

  • Workers receive clear information on pay frequency, holiday pay, overtime where applicable and lawful deductions.

  • Wage records and itemised payslips are maintained.

  • No recruitment fees, deposits, kickbacks or unexplained charges are permitted.

  • Requests to divert wages to unrelated third parties are investigated.

  • Pay queries are handled promptly, with corrections made without avoidable delay.

5. Working hours, rest and holidays

Working hours must comply with applicable law and any lawful opt-out arrangements. Workers must receive appropriate rest breaks, daily and weekly rest and paid holiday entitlement. Excessive or unsafe hours are not acceptable. Repeated overtime, multiple jobs or fatigue indicators are considered during welfare checks and client reviews.

6. Equality, dignity and respect

Harassment, bullying, violence, discrimination, degrading treatment and sexual harassment are prohibited. Workers must have access to suitable welfare facilities and be treated consistently with comparable colleagues, subject to lawful terms. Religious, cultural, disability and family needs are considered reasonably and respectfully.

7. Health, safety and welfare

Control Area

  1. Before Supply

  2. Worker Briefing

  3. Client Duties

  4. Incident Response

  5. Vulnerable Workers

  6. Stop-Work Principle

Our Approach

  1. Obtain sufficient assignment information, identify hazards, confirm supervision and understand required skills, training and PPE.

  2. Provide clear instructions on duties, location, reporting, PPE, known risks and what to do if work differs from the agreed assignment.

  3. Expect suitable induction, safe systems of work, risk control, incident reporting, welfare facilities and competent supervision.

  4. Record accidents, near misses and concerns; cooperate with investigation; review continued suitability of the assignment.

  5. Consider language, literacy, disability, pregnancy, age, inexperience, lone working, night work and transport dependency.

  6. Workers may remove themselves from serious and imminent danger and must report it immediately without retaliation.

8. Freedom of association and worker voice

Workers may join a trade union, seek representation and raise collective or individual concerns without retaliation, subject to the law. We provide accessible reporting routes and seek to resolve concerns fairly. Confidentiality is respected, although information may need to be shared to protect a person or meet legal duties.

9. Accommodation, transport and dependency risks

Where accommodation or transport is connected to work, arrangements must be lawful, safe, transparent and not used to trap or control workers. Charges must be explained and lawful. We investigate overcrowding, excessive charges, confiscated documents, threats of homelessness, unsafe transport, forced use of a particular provider or a third party controlling several workers.

10. Grievances and remedy

Workers can raise issues by telephone, email or directly with a consultant or manager. We aim to acknowledge concerns promptly, assess immediate safety, investigate fairly and communicate outcomes. Remedies may include pay correction, reassignment, additional training, client corrective action, ending supply, disciplinary action or referral to authorities.

11. Client and supplier expectations

We expect clients and relevant suppliers to support these standards, cooperate with audits and correct material issues. Serious or repeated non-compliance may lead to suspension or termination of the relationship. We will not knowingly continue supply where worker safety or fundamental rights cannot be protected.

12. Performance measures

Measure

  1. Pay Accuracy

  2. Safety

  3. Worker Welfare

  4. Hours

  5. Modern Slavery Indicators

  6. Audit Readiness

Evidence Reviewed

  1. Track pay queries, root causes and time to correction.

  2. Track accidents, near misses, site concerns and corrective actions.

  3. Track complaints, early assignment endings, retention and themes from worker contact.

  4. Review excessive hours, fatigue concerns and repeated opt-out reliance.

  5. Record concerns, escalation, referrals and learning while protecting confidentiality.

  6. Maintain complete, retrievable records and close findings promptly.

13. Responsibilities

The Managing Director is accountable for this policy. Consultants and administrators apply the controls in daily work. Clients are responsible for conditions under their control. Workers are encouraged to follow safety rules and report concerns promptly. Everyone must cooperate with legitimate investigations.

Reference framework

Employment Rights Act 1996; National Minimum Wage legislation; Working Time Regulations 1998; Equality Act 2010; Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Modern Slavery Act 2015; Agency Workers Regulations 2010; GLAA Licensing Standards; REC Code of Professional Practice; Sedex/SMETA labour and health and safety pillars.