About This Handbook

This purpose of this Handbook is to give Cable staff clear and easily accessible documentation of our structure, practices, roles and shared agreements. This will be good for organisational memory, clarity and easier onboarding of new staff, volunteers, directors or freelancers.

We also want to share our structure and practices with our members and the outside world and this documentation will make it easier to do so.

The Handbook is a living document that is updated as necessary. If you see something that could be improved: that's your invitation to improve it! If it's a significant change outside your Circle, contact the Circle Lead responsible. Just remember to treat this as a public document that could be seen by anyone.

How the handbook is organised

The handbook is broken up into chapters. Here's what they are and who's responsible for keeping each chapter up to date:

• Structure

  Guides to the internal Cable teams (which we call 'circles') that make up the staff team. The Workplace circle is responsible for keeping these up to date.

• Staff guides These explain how certain things work for staff, such as how to claim sick leave or book annual leave. People circle is responsible for keeping these up to date, unless a guide is specific to a single circle.

• Policies Legal documents determining how the co-op operates. Overseen by the People circle. Policies can only be changed through mandated working groups or team proposals. Changes then need to be signed off by the board.

• Bristol Cable Co-op

  The legal foundational documents outlining Cable's co-operative ownership model and commitments. These can only be changed through member vote.

Other handbooks

We're indebted to public handbooks of other organisations for inspiring and informing this one, including:

• Enspiral

• The Bristol Bike Project

• Gini

Cable Team's agreed rules:

1. Proposals: are what we use to make decisions. Each should be fully developed alongside relevant (affected) staff, with detail in every section, and circulated among the team by at least 3pm the day before the relevant team meeting.

2. Proposed spends above £150 within an allocated Circle budget must be signed off in a Circle meeting. Proposed new spends (i.e. an overspend) above £150 must be brought to the Team as a proposal, and signed off in a Team meeting.

3. Every Team or Circle meeting needs a chair, minuter and timekeeper, and the Chair is responsible for making and sharing the agenda ASAP.

Useful forms and templates:

Getting things done:

Finance forms:

The Cable is a co-operative, and we collectively share responsibility for managing the organisation, following the principles of Sociocracy.

Summary

• Comms

• Distribution

• Community and relationship building

• Ongoing campaigns

• Events

Circle vision

Accountabilities

1. Manage ongoing projects that fall outside the remit of other circles e.g. Future of Cities

2. Community relationships management

3. Oversee relationship building and maintenance that falls outside the remit of other circles (e.g. relationships not held by media, fundraising)

4. Oversee calendar administration

5. Support comms including with

   1. End of year comms

   2. Print comms

   3. Co-op newsletter

   4. Editorial newsletter

6. Oversee the management of the member inbox

7. Support events including with:

   1. The AGM

   2. AiF events

   3. Launch events

8. Oversee the maintenance and, where relevant, development of the membership system

9. Support distribution delivery

10. Oversee membership development strategy, in partnership with Revenue

Domains

• Events

• Distribution delivery

• Newsletters

• Social Media comms

• Co-op comms i.e. print co-op updates and member letter, Cable Community News (‘blog’)

• Membership strategy

Summary

• Produce the media in line with our aims and values

• Oversees print and online production

Circle vision

Accountabilities

• Regularly publish thorough and original local journalism which has impact in terms of holding power to account, engaging readers and contributing to public debate.

• Report accurately, in line with our journalistic standards and ethics including sensitivity around framing and what to leave in/leave out based on ethical and political sensitivities

• Manage and oversee the production of our media both in print and online, including managing the production budgets.

• Manage healthy relationships with commissioned and freelance contributors.

• Build the public profile of the Cable and its journalists and represent the Cable in community and industry forums where required.

• Seek out and take opportunities for journalistic and editorial work to contribute to wider Cable aims, including:

  • Growing the Cable’s membership

  • Increasing the Co-op revenue e.g. seeking project funding for specific media team funding

• Redefining local media

• Support the development and diversification of Bristol’s journalism & media ecosystem beyond the Cable where resources allow

Domains

The areas which this circle or role has final decision making power over. They will be expected to ask advice from those with expertise related to this area and/or those who will be particular affected by the decision:

• Print and online production and budgets

• All commissioned content, excluding co-op specific comms (Special Projects’ domain)

• Relationships with freelancers, sources, collaborators and other media organisations

Our events are...

Not just about ‘experts’ at the front - everyone has a story to tell and things to learn. We respect lived experience as well as expertise. At our events everyone is given a chance to speak their mind, swap ideas and listen.

About learning (for us and everyone else) - Our events are experimental and we want each to better than the last. So we find ways to gather proper feedback and listen to it. And find ways to upskill each events team member - staff, freelancers and volunteers.

About social justice - we want our events to be interesting and fun. We also run them to change things and explore what we (people of Bristol) can do to make things better. This impacts on event design. How are injustice around race, sexuality & gender, (dis)ability, age, class, faith playing out in this event? How is this event creating better ways to look at things and do things? Are we challenging the status quo or propping it up? How are we paying dues to those people in the wider conversations that our event is tapping into?

Public and collective: Our events let people talk face to face about tricky issues. We have the chance to connect with different types of people and have our minds changed. We want to experience a sense of contact in a society that is more and more atomised and where conversations about the world rarely extend beyond polarised private or online spaces. We want to find the magic in our event design and facilitation that makes this possible.

As open as possible - Who comes to the events and why? How does the venue, date/time, event design and topic attract and exclude different people in our city? Some conversations aren’t for everyone and that’s ok, but we need to know who we’re excluding and why. Keep things as open as possible (see social justice).

Community building - we want people to feel connected to the Cable and our mission. We want readers, members and journalists to link up so that the Cable spreads further and further across Bristol.

Summary

Co-ordination between operations and People Lead.

Circle vision

Accountabilities

• Support People and Operations leads to fulfil their role responsibilities

• Organise away days and organisational wide training

• Safety at work - health and safety practice, fire safety

• Provide a point of communication between between the People circle and the board

Domains

• Away days

• Organisational wide training

• Health & safety in the workplace

1. Remove from directors mailing list

2. Give then a card and a gift

Guides describe how we do things in practice, but they're not legal documents like policies.

Guides vs. policies

Guides describe what happens day-to-day for things to get done. They exists to give detail and clarity about our agreed ways of doing things. By naming our practice we hope it's easier for people to get things done and understand our systems.

Guides are descriptive (they describe practice) and prescriptive (they describe how we want things to happen).

e.g. staff guide to sick leave contains up to date info on what to do when you're sick. It was written by the People circle based on a system that this circle developed. When this system changes, the guide will be updated.

Guides can be changed by the circle who is responsible for that area of work/activity.

Policies are legal documents which govern the running of the co-op and our rights as employees. They're higher level and sometimes go less into the practical detail of how we do things. To change policies requires sign off from the whole staff team and directors.

e.g. sick leave policy tells you your rights. It doesn't give you a blow-by-blow account of how you'll be supported when you're sick.

Do our policies, guides and practices match?

How do I change a guide?

In the guide heading it should say which circle is responsible for its upkeep and maintainance. Talk to that circle to suggest changes.

Who can edit the handbook

At the moment, the handbook can only be edited by Bristol Cable staff who have accounts.

Please check with the Tech Co-ordinator before changing the structure of the handbook in any drastic way.

How to edit a page

Get permission

For typos and small errors, it doesn't matter whose page it is - if you see something that needs correcting, go ahead! For bigger changes, that change the meaning of the content more substantially, check who is in charge of the page. If it's your circle then great, go ahead.

If it's another circle, either ask them to make the change or get their permission to make it yourself.

Editing a page

Once you've got permission to edit a page, login and you should be able to edit.

But the quick version is - you can edit by clicking on the page. Save your changes in draft form by clicking the green Save button on the left hand dashboard panel. You can name your changes so that you can come back to this draft. Once you're ready for the content to be made public then click the blue merge button.

Undoing mistakes

If you make a mistake, you can use the classic CTRL+Z shortcut to undo it. Or for bigger, saved mistakes, check the activities tab in the furthest lefthand dark dashboard. You can see all previous versions of the handbook in this tab.

How & when to claim expenses

We cover expenses for things you might need to pay for in the course of your work. The most common types of expenses are for teas & coffees at meetings out, for example with interviewees.

When you've paid for something with your own money

1. Get a receipt and take a photo of it

3. Done!

When you've paid for something using a cable card

1. Get a receipt and take a photo of it

3. Done!

How to book travel

If you need to book travel which is reimbursable by the Cable, in most cases, follow the expenses process

If the cost is fairly high, you can book the travel with a staff debit card (which Adam, Lucas, and Alon have).

However with train tickets, make sure you are able to pick up tickets and return the card as soon as possible (ideally before the day of travel). Often it’s easier to book on your own card and claim reimbursement.

General rules

Threads

• Threads are your friend! If your message is responding to, or continuing/following up on a conversation about something that's already on Slack then it goes into that thread.

DMs vs Channels

• If you're having a general discussion about work, it should probably be in a DM. If it's not about a specific project that has a channel then put it in a DM. Work happens in channels.

• Keep channels public unless they are on confidential projects.

• Don't join channels you don't have to have to be in. You can still DM folks in a group, you can still be @ed in to a channel you are not in.

Security

• Slack IS NOT a secure platform, it's not for password sharing (use Passbolt).

• If you are working on a story where your threat model is one involving the state or other highly resourced gang/corporation/entity - best to keep that in Signal.

Pinning posts vs Bookmarks

• Make use of pinned posts for say latest minutes for the next meeting, or the doc about the topic.

• Links are great for long term project trackers and key links e.g. to the leave log.

Naming conventions for Cable Slack

Each channel should start with the parent circle e.g. media-production is about production and is a Media team project. The next print channel name would be media-edition100.

Team-wide channels begin 'team', so team-meeting is only for team-meeting-related proposals.

Useful links

“Employees are entitled to bank up to 4 hours to take off without prior notice when they get their period. This time must be worked and logged in advance. You must communicate your absence to any team members who will be affected by your absence and avoid cancelling external meetings.”

Things to cover in quarterly peer-to-peer

• Review your peer’s annual leave by looking over the leave log with them - How much annual leave have they taken? Is this roughly proportionate to where we are in the year? If not, when could they book some in?

• Review previous goals:

  • How far have they got towards each goal?

  • if they have/haven’t achieved their goals explore the reasons behind that

  • What are their learnings?

  • What will they do the same / differently?

• Support your peer to set new goals for the next quarter

• Is there any training your peer needs to reach their goals or fulfil their work generally? [See guide to training for more details on how to record training]

Things to cover in monthly peer-to-peer meetings: checklist

Essential:

• Ask about your peer’s overall wellbeing and stress levels

• Ask your peer how their relationships with colleagues are: are there any tensions, difficulties, conflicts? If so, what do they plan to do about it? How can you support?

• Ask how their workload is - are they overworking at the moment?

  • [Offer coaching if so: how would they like it to be… What are the barriers?]

  • Ask how you can support them

• Review your peer’s progress on their goals

• Review at the end how your peer is finding the support you’re offering. This is a space for them to offer constructive feedback.

Optional questions to ask:

• How else shall we use this session?

• How is your wider life going?

• How is work going for you?

• How is this organisation feeling for you right now?

  • And your role in it?

• How can I best support you?

• In the last month, where did you get to with your goals?

• What did you like/ dislike, what would you change?

• What do you want to do this month?

• Is there anything you want to check in on again at our next meeting?

The Cable constitution: 2017 Primary Rules state that at each AGM the 3 most senior directors must stand down, they may stand for re-election. Directors who stand down during a term also count towards this total, so if one director stands down during a term then only two need to stand down at the end.

Voting system

Each member is given multiple votes, they don't have to use them all and cannot give each candidate more than one vote. In the past this has always been 3 votes, but that isn't specified in our primary rules. We also have no upper limit of number of directors so in theory any number of candidates could be elected.

Process

Getting applicants

This can be a long process and should ideally be initiated 2 months before the AGM. Ask coordinators and existing directors for any recommendations. We send an email to all members asking if they want to be a director but this generally yields quite low response rates. At the 2019 AGM we reached out to particular members we felt might bring new skills or experiences to the board. This process is far from perfect.

Online voting

As many members as possible should be encouraged to vote online, this leaves more time at the AGM for discussion and other stuff. Make sure the online voting closes before the AGM starts so it's easier to add the two sets of votes together.

Voting at the AGM

We would rather not have allocated time at the AGM for voting, however you should check how many people who are attending the AGM have voted online and if it looks high this might need to change.

Give people who haven't voted a voting slip when they sign in at the AGM, an announcement should be made at the start of the AGM that they are expected vote before a certain time, then voting slips will be collected.

Template for voting slip: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FIgPSq_11fW9vWhOyKNXw38z9IBISNFL1LQW_M90kk0/edit?usp=drive_web&ouid=116319029991244097474

Results and announcement

You will generally need 3-4 volunteers to help collect any remaining voting slips, then 15-20 minutes to add those slips to the online votes to get the results. Generally we ask 2 existing directors to announce the results.

How do I get training?

As of April 2021, staff will be supported by their peer to identify their training needs in relation to their wider professional and personal goals.

For now, there are two main ways to get training - either find a training yourself or tell a relevant colleague/circle that you would like some training, if it’s something they could arrange or skill share. The People Circle is in charge of overseeing the training needs of the organisation, so they’re a good place to start. Sometimes we may arrange training for all staff.

Once you’ve identified an external training you’d like to do, check if you have the training budget to access it (see below). Then book on it and claim back the money or ask someone with a Cable credit card to book you on it. Record the training in the training log: https://forms.gle/m88QPhsgbLYch8JA6. This form uploads into the ‘training log’ tab in the Leave Log.

How much training am I allowed per year? In terms of days and money?

At the moment, each coordinator is allowed £330 and 5 days.

How do I keep track of how much of this budget I’ve already spent?

You can see this in the tab for training allowances which should show how much budget you have (left) for training this year, though only if the previous spend was logged in the training log form.

When does the budget get renewed?

Every April (same as the financial year)

How should I let people know I am doing a training?

Post on loomio or let colleagues know in advance.

The directors is a bimonthly meeting on the last Wednesday of the month. It's the main opportunity for the Cable's directors to have contact with the rest of the board and to scrutinise what the coordinators are doing.

Preparation

Every meeting needs a chair and a minuter, the chair will be a director and generally a coordinator has taken minutes.

Timeline

4 weeks before

Create the skeleton agenda by copying the one from the previous meeting. Collate all the actions recorded in the "Previous actions" section and send reminders to any coordinators who have actions to do.

Send out an initial email to directors notifying them about the upcoming meeting with the following information:

• A link to the new skeleton agenda, inviting directors to add agenda items.

• Ask for apologies from those who can't attend, this is important so you have an idea of how many people will be at the meeting and can be sure it will be quorate.

• If a chair has not been nominated for the meeting ask for a volunteer for that too.

Send a notification to the coordinators on Slack about the next meeting, requesting any agenda items be added to the skeleton agenda

3 weeks before

Essentially the same notifications as in 4 weeks before to the coordinators and directors. Generally the agenda should be complete with any reading materials 2 weeks before, so this should be their final opportunity to get stuff in there.

You should check how the agenda is looking at this point, if it looks a bit empty put a bit more pressure on the team, if it's a bit full maybe see what can be moved to a different forum (e.g. director asks for update about a project, maybe this could just be an email?)

2 weeks before

The agenda should be ready, including any reading materials. In practice there is a bit of leeway here with reading materials but the agenda should be finalised.

1 week before

Any remaining reading materials must be sent by now, finalise who from the coordinators team will attend

2 days before

Just another quick reminder to directors and coordinators

On the day

• Tidy office

• Tell team it’s happening

• Get office snacks and make tea/coffee

• Get projector ready

1. Add to directors mailing list

2. Send a welcome email to the directors mailing list, welcoming the new director(s).

3. Tell them when the meetings happen, when the next one is

4. Give them a link to this handbook

5. Meet new director in person Assume that directors are new to both the Cable and lots of our structures and processes (e.g. sociocracy). This initial meeting is great for giving an overview of how the Cable is structure and introduce the new director any concepts that. Potential talking points:

   1. Structure of organisation

   2. What would they like to contribute to the Cable?

   3. What can the Cable do for them?

The text below is taken from the Bristol Cable's Primary Rules, which is the legal constitution of the co-op. Read the entire Primary Rules in full.

4. The objects of the Society shall be to carry on any business for the benefit of the community by establishing a local media publication that fosters citizen journalism in Bristol. As a democratic co-operative, we aim to provide a collaborative platform for the creation of trustworthy and accountable multimedia journalism. To ensure that we are embedded in the communities we serve, we will continue to provide skill exchanges and training sessions for people in Bristol.

In this way The Bristol Cable is building the tools and platform for people to engage with their communities, the city and the wider world through the medium of journalism.

Our Members' Charter reflects the ethos and organisation of The Bristol Cable, which all members must subscribe to before being a member of the cooperative.

5. The Society shall be owned and controlled by its Members on a fair and equitable basis

Summary

• Organisational budget

• Oversee finances and spending

• Strategy development and overview of implementation

• Fundraising

• Distribution strategy

• Oversee risk management

Circle vision

Accountabilities

Budgeting and business planning

1. Oversee the organisational budget and monitor spending.

2. Oversee financial and governance reports for the board meetings and subgroup meetings where required. Communicate relevant information about the organisational budget to other relevant stakeholders where required (staff, members etc) including via the annual report.

3. Support the Strategy lead to produce and implement a business strategy that provides a framework for the Cable’s path to sustainability in line with our values.

4. Oversee the development of sustainable revenue, including:

5. 1. Collaborate with the team to develop and implement our audience funnel, converting people in the city into readers, members, and advocates for the Cable.

6. Frequently review opportunities for the diversification of revenue streams.

7. Maintain awareness of funding opportunities and where needed source support for grant applications and subsequent reports and management.

8. Participate as an advocate for the Cable in conferences where required.

9. Oversee the distribution strategy.

Fundraising

1. Develop fundraising strategy.

2. Work collaboratively to apply for grants.

3. Manage relationships with funders including via grant reporting.

Strategy support

1. Reflect on organisational metrics and feedback to more effectively plan and achieve goals

2. Oversee the development of organisational strategy

3. Design and implement strategy development processes

Domains

• Organisational strategy

• Organisational budgets

• Organisational fundraising strategy

• Finance and governance reports

• Grant applications and reports

• Fundraising relationship management

• Business plan

• Distribution strategy

• Suggested: Risk management matrix

Summary

• Recruitment, on boarding and offboarding

• Policy development and compliance

• Anti-oppression work

• Peer-to-peer and appraisals

• Holiday, sick leave, absence

• Manage People-related risk

• Conflict, team dynamics and healthy culture

• HR admin

Circle vision

Accountabilities

1. Support the work of the People Circle lead

2. Manage recruitment, selection and contracting in collaboration with the relevant coords

3. Manage all employee on and off boarding procedures ensuring the company meets its statutory obligations, delivers an effective probationary process and gathers useful feedback at exit

4. Develop and manage performance appraisals

5. Provide necessary HR administration and remain up to date on employment legislation to ensure that any changes are communicated in a clear and timely manner

6. Develop and manage our organisational policies and procedures in line with our values

7. Ensure that equality, diversity and anti-oppression is at the heart of what we do; work to counter the impact of structural injustice on recruitment, employment and workplace culture

8. Oversee individual and team development and training

9. Maintain and develop systems/practices to support healthy workplace culture, relationships and team dynamics: a culture of care in the Cable where team members can thrive, achieve personal development and contribute to the aims of the organisation.

10. Oversee our peer-to-peer system of mutual support

11. Maintain safe working environments for staff and volunteers in line with our policies and procedures

12. Provide responsive point of contact and support for HR issues: absence, disputes, conflict, sickness, other issues.

13. Provide support around internal conflict, tensions and difficult team dynamics

14. Oversee that social activities are happening regularly

15. Maintain oversight of toil and holiday

Domains

• Recruitment processes, job descriptions, person specifications

• Onboarding: induction plans

• Probation processes

• Exit interviews and onboarding processes

• Appraisal system

• Peer-to-peer system

• Policies and policy handbook draft development

• Holiday and absence records

• Confidential data related to employee’s health and HR requests e.g. flexible working requests, requests for reasonable adjustments; confidential data related to job applicants e.g. data collected for equality and diversity purposes

• Employee, freelance, collaborator contracts

One of the key things to understand in Sociocracy (and some would say life more generally) is the difference between Policy and Practice.

Policy is what we would like to do. It includes our aims (our Mission, Vision etc). How we would like to go about things – what we value. It is essentially ‘abstract’.

Practice is what we actually do, day-to-day in real life.

To take an example, your co-op might have a policy of inclusion. You say that you value the expression of a diverse set of views, from a diverse set of people.

Practice is what we actually do about that across a broad range of activities. These might include:

• how we go about hiring people

• where we source the people we hire

• how we explain what we value to people we are hiring, when we on-board them

• how we all behave in meetings

• what feedback we give to each other

• how we reward people

• etc

The challenge is matching practice with policy. So, for example, when we are in meetings do we actually allow everyone time to say what they need to say. Or, for example, do we let some voices dominate?

Our practice – our behaviours – are what makes the difference – not just the intention we hold.

The way we turn policy into practice is by everyone noticing where there is a difference between the two – and speaking up about it.

This is everyone’s responsibility at The Bristol Cable.

Participating in policy updates

• Is not mandatory while in probation, but you’re v welcome to if you would like

• After probation: voting yes or no on updated policies is manditory

1) head to

3) you can then add a new or edit an old one, in this case i'll add a new

4) add in the message to be sent

You can use the place holders and if you want to do some HTML in you auto reply talk to Mat as thats not easy in this interface.

• i would suggest 12 hours as the interval to minimise us spamming mainly each other.

• The From box is your name all most certainly

!IMPORTANT!

5) When you return from holiday don’t forget disable or you can set it to end at a certain time when you are back so you do'nt need to!

there is also a guide here https://go.cpanel.net/Autoresponders

What to do if you’re sick

If you’re off sick, you need to ideally let someone from the team know by 10am on the day you’re working.

How to let us know

• Contact People Circle sick leave coordinators.

or

• Post in #work-schedule slack channel if you don’t mind the whole team knowing

or

• Contact another member of the People Circle privately

Please include in your message (if possible):

• What’s wrong with you

• How long you’re likely to need off (it’s ok if you don’t know!)

• When the illness or injury started

What happens next

• Your main job while you’re off is to rest up, relax and recover!

• A member of the People Circle will be in touch to gather any relevant info you haven’t provided, find out what work needs to be handed over or rescheduled, and ask you about when/how to be in contact

• Let them know how you’d like to stay in touch for the duration of your absence (phone? Slack? Email?)

If you’re off for more than one day

• If in doubt, get in touch with your contact in the People Circle to let them know you won’t be in

If you’re off regularly with sickness

• If a pattern emerges with your absence then someone from the People Circle will meet with you to discuss whether any reasonable adjustments need to be made to facilitate your participation in the workplace.

FAQs

Do I need to prove I’m ill?

If you’re off for just a few days – no problem! No need to prove anything.

What if I’m sick during my time off for holiday?

What happens to my pay when I’m sick?

What happens when I’m ready to come back to work?

If your sick leave has been longer than four days, the People Circle will work with you to help you back to work and discuss if you need any support. If you’ve been sick for less than four days but need some support, for whatever reason, just get in touch with the People Circle.

Thunderbird

This is my favorite way to check my emails...​First if you don't have thunderbird head to:​

1) open new account tab:

If its a new install you'll be taken straight to:

f you have thunderbird then open the menu -> go to add account setting then click account actions and in there you can find the add accounts page

2) add you name and email

Enter in your name, you may want something like "Mat a (Web Admin)" or mat a (the bristol cable), email address and your password as previously set then click "configure manually".

3) Then change the server to ''mail.xtreamlab.net''

change the hostname for the incoming and outgoing server to ''mail.thebristolcable.org''. Then click re-test then you can click "done". it may throw and error in which case re add in the hostname under smtp then hit done and it will work.

4) You've got mail!

click finish (unless you want to set up end to end encryption in which case follow the prompts.Click on inbox and theres your emails!You can add your email address from other servers to thunderbird so all your emails are in one place!

Offline working

If you hit download now then all your emails will be synced up ready for your journey :)

Moving or copying emails to your computer

So weather its because you dont want the email on the server (say your doing secreat research) or your sadly leaving the organisation you can copy or move your emails onto your computer and off the server to keep for a rainy day.1) To do this, first make a folder in your local folders section:

2) Then go to the Inbox (or what ever folder you want to move to your local machine and select all your emails.

3) Then drag to the folder you made above. If you hold shift when you let go it will move all the emails off of the server. Repeat for sent emails or any thing else you need.

If you have lots of emails it will take a long time! as it needs to download each an every email!

How to book time off

1. Check the team calendar and speak with relevant colleagues in case there might be work that needs to be covered, and make sure that work can be covered.

2. Notify the team on the #time-off channel about the dates you’d like to book off. Give the team at least a week to respond and flag any potential issues. If no one responds, you can assume it's fine to take that leave.

Remember to

• Remind team that you'll be away - post in #workshedules on Slack on the last day before your leave

• Set up out of office reply on email

• Enjoy your leave and don’t work while you’re away!

FAQs

How do I book unpaid leave?

Workers are also entitled to three weeks unpaid leave in addition to annual leave, with team consent. The process for requesting extra leave is the same as for requesting annual leave, with the addition of also informing the finance coordinator.

What if I’m sick during my time off for holiday?

You can claim back the annual leave! You’ll need to get proof of your sickness from a GP though (a medical certificate). For more details see the sickness leave policy.

What if I haven’t used up my leave by the end of the year?

Up to 2 weeks (in total) can be rolled over at the end of the year. Its important to take your holiday.

What if I have to miss work because of training? Does this count as annual leave?

What if my holiday plans change at short notice?

What if I need to take time off due to sickness, or a family emergency?

See the sick leave guide, or message the lead of the People circle if you have a family emergency, and they will support you.

The Co-operative’s Principles

These principles set out the parameters within which all employees, volunteers and directors at the Cable are required to work and relate to each other and the Cable’s external stakeholders. These are the behaviours we encourage to create a positive and supportive working environment. Infringing these principles may result in disciplinary proceedings.

Creating a positive atmosphere:

1. Contribute to the working environment with a positive and productive atmosphere, both in person and online.

2. Use active listening, especially when a discussion gets heated.

3. Abide by a clear and inclusive decision-making process; to be decided within working groups based on an agreed co-operative-wide template.

4. Behave respectfully around others with different ideas and ways of working.

5. Every effort should be made to meet agreed team targets and objectives by the deadline.

6. Each working group has a responsibility to keep other groups up to date with the progress of its work.

7. Take every opportunity to acknowledge, appreciate and praise the work of colleagues.

8. Nurture constructive relationships between staff and with and between volunteers.

9. Actively take responsibility for the use and tidiness of the office space.

When an issue arises:

1. When an issue arises, it should be addressed specifically, frankly and openly, as well as respectfully, promptly and face to face. This should be arranged in a private space for a convenient time for all who are involved.

2. If you want to discuss your feelings, hold a face-to-face meeting. Expressing feelings in emails can make things worse. Use emails to record and share any agreements reached when you have met to discuss your feelings.

3. Keep assumptions in check and question where they are coming from and whether they are helpful in complying with the Cable’s principles.

4. Deal with internal and external criticism in the spirit of collective solidarity. Do not use personal blame, ask “how can WE resolve this?”

1. All should manage actual or perceived conflicts of interest.

Drafted but not signed off by the team September 2017

The Cable is organised into circles that are each responsible for different parts of the organisation. In this section you'll find descriptions of all our circles.

Project teams

We occasionally form temporary circles for specific projects that involve a lot of cross team collaboration (e.g. local election coverage, replacing a team member). They usually exist only for the duration of the project and may involve people from across the coordinator team.

The Cable Co-ordinator Team (or 'circle')

Summary

Oversee the running of the co-op in line with our aims and values.

Circle vision

Accountabilities

• Oversee decisions that either:

  • Are related to the overall vision, purpose or strategy of the co-op

  • Impact on all coordinators

  • Involve multiple circles

• Support the work of all circles and roles by providing forums for effective information sharing and coordination including feed in on proposals which affect all circles

• Final decision making power over organisational policies, code of conduct and Co-op rules

• Maintain forum(s) for effective decision making and information sharing of this kind

• Celebrate and take stock of progress to support staff development and team cohesion

• Look after the Sociocratic decision making and circle structures including identifying and addressing gaps, issues or tensions in the current system

Domains

The areas which this circle or role has final decision making power over. People in this team will be expected to ask advice from those with expertise related to this area and/or those who will be particularly affected by the decision:

• Team meetings

• Coordinator’s decision making platform

• Policies

• Code of conduct

• Co-op rules

• Circle structure

• Decision making system(s)

1.Voluntary and Open Membership

Co-operatives are voluntary organisations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.

2. Democratic Member Control

Co-operatives are democratic organisations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting their policies and making decisions. Men and women serving as elected representatives are accountable to the membership. In primary co-operatives members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote) and co-operatives at other levels are also organised in a democratic manner.

3. Member Economic Participation

Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their co-operative. At least part of that capital is usually the common property of the co-operative. Members usually receive limited compensation, if any, on capital subscribed as a condition of membership. Members allocate surpluses for any or all of the following purposes: developing their co-operative, possibly by setting up reserves, part of which at least would be indivisible; benefiting members in proportion to their transactions with the co-operative; and supporting other activities approved by the membership.

4. Autonomy and Independence

Co-operatives are autonomous, self-help organisations controlled by their members. If they enter into agreements with other organisations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain their co-operative autonomy.

5. Education, Training and Information

Co-operatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers, and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their co-operatives. They inform the general public – particularly young people and opinion leaders – about the nature and benefits of co-operation.

6. Co-operation among Co-operatives

Co-operatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the co-operative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures.

7. Concern for Community

Co-operatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by their members.

Guidance Notes on the Co-operative Principles

Introduction

Web dav is a system that allows you to secularly upload files to our server where our emails and website is stored. It has the benifits:

no space limit

• no space limit, so no issues of storing lots of files

• secure user authentication

• built in support in Mac, and some built in support in windows

TLDR;

If you have a client in mind the general details are:

Server Address: thebristolcable.org Port: 2078 Username: <your name here>@thebristolcable.org Password: Your Web Disk account password. SSL Enabled: Enabled

Apple Operating system

To connect to Apple® operating systems using the built in system (for example, macOS® X or Sierra), perform the following steps:

1. Open Apple’s Finder application.

2. From the Go menu, select Connect to Server.

3. Enter the Web Disk server’s URL in the Server Address text box ( https://thebristolcable.org:2078).

4. Click Connect.

5. Enter your Web Disk account’s username and password.

6. Click Connect.

Cyberduck

Cyberduck is useful for uploading and downloading a few files, it's easy to use, works on both mac and windows and is open source.

Instructions

1. You can download it from: https://cyberduck.io/download/

2. Once downloaded extract the program if you are using a mac or open the installer and install the program

3. Open cyber duck and click open connection

4. select webdav https in the drop down

5. Enter in https://thebristolcable.org and port 2078 as the server

6. as the user name enter: <yournamehere>@c077c26902e2ebcb097c462eb-16780.sites.k-hosting.co.uk

7. enter your password so it looks like the screen shot below:

Once you click connect you have an interface like any other folder in which you can drag and drop in files or out files and folders

Other useful links

The Cable’s value resides in the people and the relationships that make up our inspiring, changemaking media cooperative. We collectively strive to foster an increasingly open, inclusive and caring culture.

In this document you will find a few suggested steps to take to safely and appropriately resolve conflict. Also included are support mechanisms if you need additional input to help resolve the conflict.

Create shared language to describe conflict

Conflict – when there is tension between two or more people.

Tension – Small annoying problems that, if left unfixed, will get worse over time. For example a piece of gravel in your shoe. You are affected negatively by something - this could involve (an)other person(s) or be some pain/frustration at the way things are working.

Divergence – A disagreement or difference of opinion, style or values. This may or may not involve tension.

Cable vision for conflict

Conflict and tensions are both really useful feedback. If we don’t communicate about these we are denying individuals and the organisation useful learning.

However, talking about conflict or tensions can be really scary and draining for different people for different reasons. But it is something that we can practice and having a shared commitment, shared language and structures will make it easier.

Conflict affects everyone in the group, so don’t view it as between individuals. It’s all our problem.

Conflict is inevitable. It will take up more time if you don’t deal with it consciously. If it’s not dealt with it can often resurface and ‘leak out’, draining energy and creating bad vibes.

“We rely heavily on “common sense” when we’re working in groups. We have expectations of each other, and we feel we shouldn’t have to explain all those expectations. The trouble with common sense is that everyone has a different version. We’ve all had different experiences, so we all have different unspoken assumptions. If you want to work together for a long time, if you want to be accessible to new people, and if you want to work with people who are not exactly like you, your group is going to have to have some conversations about norms and boundaries.”

Discussion on what we like / any issues

Step 1: processing yourself

• Take time to process experiences if you feel confused, overwhelmed or agitated.

• Note uncertainties and possible misunderstandings in your interactions, including cultural differences.

• Distinguish people's actions from your feelings about them. They're both important, but they're different.

• Distinguish disagreement from personal hostility. We're allowed to disagree, dissent and discuss.

Personal reflection & individual support

Think through what happened or has been happening. Take time and space to process and clarify your thinking if you feel confused, overwhelmed, or are experiencing strong emotions. Talk to a trusted friend, colleague, or your peer to work through your own perspective and experience. Ask yourself what part you played in it, what you could have done differently, and what your needs are to improve the situation. If you feel you need to go beyond individual work to resolve the problem, escalate to the next step.

Step 2: Invite direct communication

As long as you feel safe and the power balance and tone is conducive to constructive discussion, approach the person in question and talk it out.

Be mindful of picking a good time and place (privacy, lack of time pressure, mutually agreed location).

If you don’t feel like you can work it out one-on-one for any reason, escalate to the next step.

NVC process:

• Think about what you observed (separate of feelings, thoughts and needs)

• How did that situation make you feel?

• What are your needs in this situation and moving forward

Step 3: Supported communication

You may want to ask your peer if they can support you to have a conversation, however bear in mind they may not feel comfortable doing this, and mediating conflict is not an expectation of a peer.

People circle

If the previous steps have not resolved the conflict, reach out to the People circle lead, or ask your peer to do so. They will try to find a mutually agreeable next step, such as hosting a mediation themselves, or inviting an external mediator if needed.

Important note

Note: If you feel uncomfortable or unable to communicate via the Cable’s normal communication channels, please contact the People Circle lead (Lucas) to support you or another member of the people circle.

Other resources

• Patterns for decentralised organisations p. 13 - a description of why we are decentralising care work (book is in the office)

Quick tips/wins

• if sharing passwords etc when people can't access Passbolt or whatever, send half over WhatsApp and half over Signal – never a whole one and especially not over here

Tor Browser

Firefox

If you use these sort of plug-in in chrome it's a bit useless as google all the time are making new ways of tracking that circumvents the plugins that it runs!

Tails

General

Security Guides

Security testers

has my email address and password been stolen?

Guide to team communications and file sharing

For sharing files in the Cable we use Google Drive. If you want to share a file with the whole team (recommended unless confidential) share it with [email protected] and it will be accessible to everyone in the organisation. Please dont add individual email addresses (unless you want to keep the document private of course) as that way its very hard to unshare files with folks who leave the organisation.

Useful Links

Commonly used forms:

These are the most useful form:

The main spreadsheets:

Email

Online webmail can be found at thebristolcable.org/email

If you ever have tech question ask mat or will for a hand

If for some reason you wished to email everyone of the coordinators the adress for that is : [email protected] but sharing to that email via google doesnt do anything, only other coordinators can email this list, external emails are rejected.

We cover reasonable expenses for things you might need to pay for in the course of your work. The most common types of expenses are for teas & coffees at meetings out, for example with interviewees. If you’re unsure whether something is expensable, ask a colleague for advice before making the purchase.

If you pay for something expensable with your own money, here is the process you need to follow:

1. Get a receipt and take a photo of it

3. Done! :)

How to book travel

In most cases, follow the expenses process if you need to book travel which is reimburse by the Cable. If the cost is fairly high, you can book the travel with a staff debit card (which Sara, and Lucas have). However with train tickets, make sure you are able to pick up tickets and return the card as soon as possible (ideally before the day of travel). Often it’s easier to book on your own card and claim reimbursement.

How to book time off

1. Check the team calendar and speak with relevant colleagues encase there might be work that needs to be covered, and make sure that work can be covered.

2. Notify the team on Slack about the dates you’d like to book off

4. Input your leave on the Team Google Leave Calendar

Who to contact for unexpected absence / sick leave

1. Introduction

1.1 The Bristol Cable actively encourages constructive and cooperative working relationships. The organisation believes that any employee who considers they have a grievance should have it examined quickly, fairly and effectively. The Bristol Cable aspires to be reasonable and proportionate in the way the organisation deals with grievances.

1.2 This policy and procedure is non-contractual and may be amended from time to time.

1.3 Grievances are concerns, problems or complaints that employees raise with their employers.

2. Informal process

2.2 If this does not resolve the issue to the complainant’s satisfaction, staff can then begin the six-step formal grievance procedure, as outlined below.

3. Formal procedure

3.1 This procedure is to formally resolve any issues that are either too serious to be dealt with informally, or where an informal approach has been unsuccessful. We would not normally expect an issue to be raised in the first instance through this process.

3.2 A six-step grievance procedure is outlined below. Records of each stage of the process need to be maintained and held confidentially in accordance with data protection legislation.

3.3 Any part of the organisation affected by the grievance procedure will be informed about any possible impact on its work and the length of time that impact is expected to last.

Step 1. Verbal discussion of grievance

A record of the issue will be made by the peer and passed to the Lead of the People Circle, including any proposed resolutions. A representative from the People Circle will then meet with the employee to explore how to come to a resolution. In the event that the grievance is made by or about someone in the People Circle, the employee or their peer can speak with a Board Member to be nominated by the People and Governance subgroup of the Board of Directors.

The representative of the People Circle will also meet with any person(s) who are the subject of the grievance to hear their perspective on the grievance.

Step 2. Formal written statement of grievance

If the employee wishes formally to report a grievance, they need to send a written statement of grievance to the Lead of the People Circle (or in the case of the grievance directly concerning a member of the People Circle, to People and Governance subgroup).

The grievance should set out the facts and where possible give examples of the complaint, dates, copies of documents and names of witnesses.

Step 3: Grievance hearing

The People Circle Lead will hold a hearing with the employee, ideally within 5 working days of receiving the grievance, so that they have an opportunity to explain the grievance in further detail.

If there is a conflict of interest with the People Circle Lead, the People and Governance subgroup will appoint someone else to hold the grievance hearing.

The employee will be notified of the time and location of the grievance meeting in writing. They will be informed that they have the right to be accompanied by a companion (either a colleague or a trade union representative) at this grievance meeting.

The employee should state how he or she thinks the grievance should be resolved and what outcome he or she is seeking.

Step 4. Investigation

The People Circle Lead will begin an investigation if, following the grievance meeting, they feel they need further information. This will be a fact-finding exercise.

The aim of the investigation is to establish the full facts of the grievance before any decision is taken.

If the grievance involves other members of staff, they will be informed and given an opportunity to provide their own witness statement, and evidence if applicable.

Step 5: Decision

Having considered the evidence, the People Circle Lead will decide whether to uphold or reject the grievance.

This decision will be communicated to the employee, in writing, within 10 working days following the conclusion of the investigation.

The letter will also provide the employee with a right of appeal.

Step 6. Appeal

If the grievance has been rejected or partially rejected, the employee may appeal the decision in writing within 5 days of receiving the outcome of the grievance.

The appeal will be dealt with by an elected Board Member(s) who has not been involved in the previous decision regarding the grievance.

The employee will be notified of the time and location of the appeal meeting in writing. They will be informed that they have the right to be accompanied by a companion (either a colleague or a trade union representative) at this appeal meeting.

Most appeal hearings will be in the form of a review but they can take the form of a re-hearing if the basis of the appeal was flawed procedure, or evidence was not included in the original decision.

The employee will be informed in writing of the outcome of the appeal within 10 working days of the appeal meeting.

Authorisation and revisions

Created March 2018

Revised by: Hannah Vickers, Julia Beasley, July 2021

Authorised by Coordinators: October 2021

Authorised by Directors: December 2021

Policies should be reviewed every 2 years, unless:

• We approve a proposal that changes the policy

• There’s a change to the organisation that will change the policy

• There’s a change in the law that affects the policy

61. The Society shall have a Board of Directors comprising not less than three Directors.

62. The initial Directors of the Society from registration until the first annual general meeting shall be appointed by the Founder Members.

63. Only persons of the Society who are aged 18 years or more may serve on the Board of Directors.

64. The Board of Directors shall be elected by and from the Society’s Members. The maximum number of Directors serving on the Board shall be determined by a general meeting of the Society from time to time.

Retirement Cycle

65. At the first annual general meeting all elected Directors shall stand down. At every subsequent annual general meeting one-third of the elected Directors, or if their number is not a multiple of three then the number nearest to one-third, shall retire from office. The Directors to retire shall be the Directors who have been longest in office since their last election. Where Directors have held office for the same amount of time the Directors to retire shall be decided by lot. A retiring Director shall be eligible for re-election.

Co-option of Directors

66. In addition the Board of Directors may co-opt up to two external independent Directors who need not be Members and are selected for their particular skills and/or experience. Such external independent Directors shall serve a fixed period determined by the Board of Directors at the time of the co-option, subject to a review at least every 12 months. External independent Directors may be removed from office at any time by a resolution of the Board of Directors.

67. The Board of Directors may at any time fill a casual vacancy on the Board by cooption. Coopted individuals must be Members of the Society and will hold office as a Director only until the next annual general meeting.

Powers and Duties of the Board of Directors

68. The business of the Society shall be managed by the Board who may exercise all such powers of the Society as may be exercised and done by the Society and as are not by statute or by these Rules required to be exercised or done by the Society in general meeting.

69. All decisions made by a meeting of the Board of Directors or by any person acting as a Director shall remain valid even if it is later discovered that there was some defect in the Director’s appointment or that the individual had previously been disqualified from acting as a Director.

70. All cheques, promissory notes, drafts, bills of exchange and other negotiable instruments, and all receipts for monies paid to the Society shall be signed, drawn, accepted, endorsed, or otherwise executed in such manner as the Board shall from time to time direct.

71. Without prejudice to its general powers, the Board may exercise all the powers of the Society to borrow money and to mortgage or charge its undertaking and property or any part of it and to issue debentures and other securities whether outright or as security for any debt, liability or obligation of the Society or of any third party.

72. No Regulation made by the Society in general meeting shall invalidate any prior act of the Board which would have been valid had that Regulation not been made.

Delegation

73. Subject to these Rules, the Directors may delegate any of the powers which are conferred on them under these Rules to any Person or committee consisting of Members of the Society, by such means, to such an extent, in relation to such matters and on such terms and conditions as they think fit.

74. The Directors may specify that any such delegation may authorise further delegation of the powers by any Person to whom they are delegated.

75. The Directors may revoke any delegation in whole or in part or alter any terms and conditions.

Sub-Committees

76. A sub-committee to which the Directors delegate any of their powers must follow procedures which are based as far as they are applicable on those provisions of these Rules which govern the taking of decisions by Directors.

77. The Directors may make Regulations for all or any sub-committees, provided that such Regulations are not inconsistent with these Rules.

78. All acts and proceedings of any sub-committee must be fully and promptly reported to the Directors.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Calling a Meeting of the Board of Directors

79. Any Director may, and the Secretary on the requisition of a Director shall, call a meeting of the Board of Directors by giving reasonable notice of the meeting to all Directors. Notice of any meeting of the Board of Directors must indicate the date, time and place of the meeting and, if the Directors participating in the meeting will not be in the same place, how they will communicate with each other.

Proceedings of a Meeting of the Board of Directors

80. The Board of Directors may meet together for the despatch of business, adjourn and otherwise regulate their meetings as they think fit.

81. A Director is able to exercise the right to speak at a meeting of the Board of Directors and is deemed to be in attendance when that person is in a position to communicate to all those attending the meeting. The Directors may make whatever arrangements they consider appropriate to enable those attending a meeting of the Board of Directors to exercise their rights to speak or vote at it including by Electronic Means. In determining attendance at a meeting of the Board of Directors, it is immaterial whether any two or more Directors attending are in the same place as each other.

82. Questions arising at any meetings of the Board shall be decided by a majority of votes. In the case of an equality of votes the status quo shall be maintained and the Board of Directors may choose to refer the matter to a general meeting of the Society.

83. A written resolution, circulated to all Directors and signed by a simple majority (51%) of Directors, shall be valid and effective as if it had been passed at a Board meeting duly convened and held. A written resolution may consist of several identical Documents signed by one or more Directors.

84. The Board of Directors may, at its discretion, invite other persons to attend its meetings with or without speaking rights and without voting rights. Such attendees will not count toward the quorum.

Quorum

85. The quorum necessary for the transaction of business at a meeting of the Board of Directors shall be 50% of the Directors or 3 Directors, whichever is the greater and shall include those Directors not present in person.

86. If at any time the total number of Directors in office is less than the quorum required, the Directors are unable to take any decisions other than to appoint further Directors or to call a general meeting so as to enable the Members to appoint further Directors.

Chairing Board Meetings

87. The chairperson shall facilitate meetings of the Board of Directors. If s/he is absent or unwilling to act at the time any meeting proceeds to business then the Directors present shall choose one of their number to be the chairperson for that meeting.

Declaration of Interest

88. A Director shall declare an interest in any contract or matter in which s/he has a personal, material or financial interest, whether directly or indirectly, and shall not vote in respect of such contract or matter, provided that nothing shall prevent a Director voting in respect of her/his terms and conditions of employment or any associated matter.

Expenses

89. The Society may pay any reasonable expenses which the Directors properly incur in connection with their attendance at meetings or otherwise in connection with the exercise of their powers and the discharge of their responsibilities in relation to the Society.

Termination of a Director’s Appointment

90. A person ceases to be a Director of the Society as soon as:

(a) That person resigns from office in Writing to the Secretary of the Society, and such resignation has taken effect in accordance with its terms;

(b) That person is removed from office by an ordinary resolution of the Society in general meeting, the notices for which specified that the question of the Director's removal was to be considered;

(c) That person is prohibited from being a Director by law;

(d) A bankruptcy order is made against that person;

(e) A registered medical practitioner who is treating that person gives a written opinion to the Society stating that the person has become mentally incapable of acting as a Director and may remain so for more than three months;

(f) By reason of that person’s mental health, a court makes an order which wholly or partly prevents that person from personally exercising any powers or rights which that person would otherwise have.

1. Introduction

1.1 We are committed to building a workplace where anyone who wants to build a new approach to journalism that amplifies voices and challenges power can come to work and thrive. We know that in the media, as in wider society, individuals and groups are discriminated against, for example due to their race, sex, class, gender identity or ability. This discrimination is not always immediately obvious or visible. It is always unacceptable.

1.2 As an organisation we aim to create awareness of these issues, including our own role within them, and to address them. This is central to our values and crucial to our success as an organisation.

1.3 As an organisation, we seek to:

1. Understand our own shortcomings and limitations as an organisation and develop our understanding of experiences other than our own;

2. Challenge and develop the structures, policies and culture of the Bristol Cable, as well as our own behaviours, to enable all those who work at the Cable to thrive and support the aims of the organisation;

3. Ensure all aspects of our work will be welcoming to all who share our core aims.

1.4 We are still learning (as an organisation and as individuals) what it means to have an equal, diverse and inclusive workplace. We are always open for feedback and opportunities for learning wherever we may need to improve. If you have any concerns/recommendations please get in touch with the People Circle.

1.5 Our aim is that our workforce is representative of a diversity of sections of society and that each employee feels respected and able to give of their best.

1.6 The Bristol Cable recognises that discrimination and victimisation is unacceptable and that it is in the interests of the cooperative and its members to utilise the skills of the total workforce. It is the aim of the organisation to ensure that no coordinator or job applicant receives less favourable facilities or treatment (either directly or indirectly) in recruitment or employment on grounds of race, colour, ethnicity, nationality or national origins, age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage / civil partnership, pregnancy, maternity, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation (the protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010).

1.7 If you feel you’ve been unfairly discriminated against, even if it’s not for something that is mentioned in the above paragraph, please get in touch with the People Circle.

1.8 We oppose all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination or victimisation. To that end, the purpose of this policy is to provide equality and fairness for all within the organisation.

1.9 All employees and members will be treated fairly and with respect. Selection for role allocation, training or any other benefit will be on the basis of aptitude and ability. All members of the team will be helped and encouraged to develop their full potential and the talents and resources of the team will be fully utilised to maximise the efficiency of the organisation.

1.10 Our team will not unlawfully discriminate directly or indirectly, or harass members and the public because of any of the protected characteristics in the provision of the organisation’s activities.

1.11 This policy and the associated arrangements shall operate in accordance with statutory requirements. In addition, full account will be taken of any guidance or Codes of Practice issued by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, any government departments, and any other statutory bodies.

1.12 This policy does not form part of any employee’s contract of employment. It may be amended at any time by the organisation.

2. Our commitment

2.1 An equal opportunities, diverse and inclusive workplace is a collective task shared by employees and the Board.

1. We will create an environment in which individual differences and the contributions of all our staff are recognised and valued;

2. Every employee is entitled to a working environment that promotes dignity and respect for all. No form of intimidation, bullying or harassment will be tolerated;

3. Training, development and progression opportunities are available to all members of the team;

4. We will promote equality in the workplace which we believe is good management practice and makes sense for organisational development;

5. We will ensure that equal opportunities apply to all aspects of the working relationship including work-related social events, termination of employment and matters after termination including references;

6. We will review all our employment practices and procedures to ensure fairness;

7. Breaches of our anti-discrimination policy will be regarded as misconduct and could lead to disciplinary proceedings;

8. The policy will be monitored and reviewed periodically.

3. Responsibilities of the employees

3.1 Responsibility for ensuring the effective implementation and operation of the arrangements will rest with the People Circle. Directors and employees will ensure that they and the team operate within this policy and arrangements, and that all reasonable and practical steps are taken to avoid discrimination.

3.2 The People Circle will ensure:

1. Grievances concerning allegations of unlawful discrimination are dealt with properly, fairly and as quickly as possible;

2. Proper records are maintained.

3.3 The People Circle and Directors will be responsible for monitoring the operation of the policy in respect of employees and job applicants.

3.4 Responsibility for ensuring that there is no unlawful discrimination rests with all employees and the attitudes of the team are crucial to the successful operation of fair working practices. In particular, all members of the coordinator team should:

1. Comply with the policy and arrangements;

2. Not discriminate unlawfully in their day-to-day activities or induce others to do so;

3. Not victimise, harass or intimidate other staff or groups who have, or are perceived to have one of the protected characteristics;

4. Ensure no individual is unlawfully discriminated against or harassed because of their association with another individual who has a protected characteristic;

5. Inform the People Circle (who will then inform the People and Governance subgroup) if they become aware of any unlawful discriminatory practice.

4. Third parties

4.1 Third-party harassment occurs where a coordinator is harassed, and the harassment is related to a protected characteristic, by third parties, including members of the Bristol Cable.

4.2 The Bristol Cable will not tolerate such actions against its team, and the person concerned should inform the Lead of the People Circle (who will then inform the People and Governance subgroup). The Bristol Cable will fully investigate and take all reasonable steps to ensure such harassment does not happen again.

5. Related policies and arrangements

5.1 All employment policies and arrangements have a bearing on equality of opportunity. The organisation’s policies will be reviewed regularly and any discriminatory elements removed.

6. Rights of Disabled people

6.1 The Bristol Cable attaches great importance to the needs of Disabled people.

6.2 Under the terms of this policy, coordinators are required to:

1. Make reasonable adjustments to maintain the services of an employee who is or becomes disabled, for example, training, provision of special equipment, reduced working hours. (NB: the People Circle is expected to seek advice on the availability of advice and guidance from external agencies to maintain Disabled people in employment);

2. Include Disabled people in training/development programmes;

3. Give full and proper consideration to Disabled people who apply for jobs, having regard to making reasonable adjustments for their particular aptitudes and abilities to allow them to be able to do the job.

7. Equality training

7.1 The People Circle will make sure the Anti-discrimination Policy is implemented and will assist with delivering training on equality issues. Equality information will be included in induction programme.

7.2 Training will be provided for employees on this policy and the associated arrangements. All coordinators and directors who have an involvement in the recruitment and selection process will receive training on the matter.

8. Grievance/Disciplinary

8.1 Employees have a right to pursue a complaint concerning unlawful discrimination or victimisation via the organisation’s grievance procedure. Staff who raise a grievance in good faith will be afforded confidentiality and also protected from victimisation.

8.2 Discrimination and victimisation will be treated as potential disciplinary offences and they will be dealt with under the organisation’s disciplinary procedure. Making a deliberately false allegation is also potentially a disciplinary offence.

8.3 In some cases staff can be personally liable for acts of discrimination, for example for an incident taking place outside of the workplace. Harassment can also amount to a criminal offence.

Authorisation and revisions

Created 1 June 2018

Revised by: Hannah Vickers, Julia Beasley and Mat Alborough, September 2021

Authorised by Coordinators: November 2021

Authorised by Directors: December 2021

Policies should be reviewed every 2 years, unless:

• We approve a proposal that changes the policy

• There’s a change to the organisation that will change the policy

• There’s a change in the law that affects the policy.

The text below is taken from the Bristol Cable's Primary Rules, which is the legal constitution of the co-op. Read the entire Primary Rules in full.

BORROWING

7. The Society shall have the power to borrow money from its Members and others in order to further its objects providing that the amount outstanding at any one time shall not exceed £10,000,000.

8. The Society shall have the power to mortgage or charge any of its property, including the assets and undertakings of the Society, present and future, and to issue loan stock, debentures and other securities for money borrowed or for the performance of any contracts of the Society or its customers or Persons having dealings with the Society.

9. The rate of interest on money borrowed, except on money borrowed by way of bank loan or overdraft or from a finance house or on mortgage from a building society or local authority, shall not exceed 5% per annum or 2% above the Co-operative Bank’s base rate at the commencement of the loan, whichever is the greater.

10. The Society may receive from any Person, donations or loans free of interest in order to further its objects but shall not receive money on deposit.

FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000 ACTIVITY

11. For the avoidance of doubt the Society shall not engage in any activity by virtue of any of these Rules that would require a permission from the Registrar to carry on that activity without first having applied for and obtained such permission.

INVESTMENT OF FUNDS

12. The Society may invest any part of its funds in the manner set out in Section 31 of the Act.

LIABILITY OF MEMBERS

94. The liability of a Member is limited to the amount of their shareholding.

APPLICATION OF PROFITS

95. Members of the Society will be rewarded primarily through a social dividend rather than a monetary dividend. Any profits of the Society shall be applied as follows in such proportions and in such manner as may be decided by the Society at the annual general meeting:

(a) To a general reserve for the continuation and development of the Society;

(b) To paying interest on issued share capital at such rate or rates as determined

by the Board from time to time, but not exceeding 5% per annum or 2% above the Co-operative Bank’s base rate, whichever is the greater;

(c) To making payment for social or community purposes within the community served by the Society.

ASSET LOCK

96. Pursuant to regulations made under section 1 of the Cooperatives and Community Benefit Societies Act 2003 all of the Society's assets are subject to a restriction on their use. The Society must not use or deal with its assets except:

(a) Where the use or dealing is, directly or indirectly, for a purpose that is for the benefit of the community;

(b) To pay a Member of the Society the value of his withdrawable share capital or interest on such capital;

(c) To make a payment pursuant to section 24 (proceedings on death of nominator), 25 (provision for intestacy) or 26 (payments in respect of mentally incapable persons) of the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1965;

(d) To make a payment in accordance with the Rules of the Society to trustees of the property of bankrupt Members or, in Scotland, Members whose estate has been sequestrated;

(e) Where the Society is to be dissolved or wound up, to pay its creditors; or

(f) To transfer its assets to one or more of the following:

(i) a prescribed community benefit society whose assets have been made subject to a restriction on use and which will apply that restriction to any assets so transferred;

(ii) a community interest company;

(iii) a registered social landlord which has a restriction on the use of its assets which is equivalent to a restriction on use and which will apply that restriction to any assets so transferred;

(iv) a charity (including a community benefit society that is a charity); or

(v) a body, established in Northern Ireland or a State other than the United Kingdom, that is equivalent to any of those Persons.

(g) Any expression used in this rule which is defined for the purposes of regulations made under section 1 of the Co-operatives and Community Benefit Societies Act 2003 shall have the meaning given by those regulations.

AMALGAMATION, TRANSFER OF ENGAGEMENTS AND CONVERSION

97. The Society may, by special resolution passed in the way required by the Act, amalgamate with or transfer its engagements to any other society or non-profit body subject to at least the same degree of restriction on the distribution of profits and assets as is imposed on this Society by virtue of these Rules. The Society may also accept a transfer of engagements and assets by resolution of the Board or of a general meeting.

98. The Society may, by special resolution passed in the way required by s52(3) of the Act, amalgamate with or transfer its engagements to a company or convert itself into a company under the provisions of the Act. In relation to calling a general meeting for the purpose of such resolution, the following provisions shall apply:

(a) The Society shall give to Members not less than two months’ notice of the meeting;

(b) Notice of the meeting shall be posted in a prominent place at the registered office and at all trading premises of the Society to which Members have access;

(c) The notice shall be accompanied by a separate statement setting out for Members:

(i) the reasons for the proposal;

(ii) whether the proposal has the support of the Board of the Society;

(iii) what alternative proposals have been considered, and whether they are viable;

(iv) details of the number of shares in the Society held by Members of the Board, and Persons connected with them;

(v) a recommendation by reputable independent financial advisors that the Members should support the proposal rather than any alternative proposal.

(d) Where the separate statement is contained in another Document, information shall be provided in the notice specifying where Members can obtain a copy of the Document.

(e) The quorum for a meeting at which a special resolution to amalgamate with, transfer engagements to or convert into a company is to be voted upon shall be 150 Members or 50% of the Members present in Person, whichever is the greater, subject to an absolute minimum of three Members.

DISSOLUTION

99. The Society may be dissolved by the consent of three quarters of the Members by their signatures to an instrument of dissolution, or by winding up in a manner provided for by the Act.

100. If on the winding up or dissolution of the Society any of its assets remain to be disposed of after its liabilities are satisfied, these assets shall not be distributed among the members, but shall be transferred instead to some other non-profit body or bodies subject to at least the same degree of restriction on the distribution of profits and assets as is imposed on this Society by virtue of these Rules, as may be decided by the members at the time of or prior to the dissolution.

Introduction

This policy governs how policies are created and updated in terms of the process and final decision making.

This policy and procedure is non-contractual and may be amended from time to time.

Process:

1. Policy Coordinator writes policy or goes through existing policy to do basic updates

These updates are to make sure it’s in-line with:

• Terms and personnel (e.g changing workplace coordinator to the appropriate circle, etc)

• Our statutory duties - to reflect any changes that have come into play in the past year

• Our values

• Any policy changes we’ve voted in since the policies were written

The Policy Coordinator makes edits to the policy which they highlight in yellow to show what has been changed. It can also be helpful if the Policy Coordinator highlights which changes in particular have any implications for day-to-day practice, entitlements or may be controversial for other reasons. They could do this by highlighting these changes in a different colour.

The Policy Coordinator then proceeds to either stage 3 or 2 first as preferred. The policy cannot be signed off until it has been approved by both the staff team and a representative from the Board of Directors but this can happen in either order.

1. Policy Coordinator seeks consent of staff

For new policies or updates to existing policies where there are significant changes proposed to the policy, the Policy Coordinator takes the proposed change(s) to the team meeting.

Significant changes are defined as any changes which will have significant implications for day-to-day practice or staff’s entitlements as employees and/or requires more in-depth discussion or explanation of context, implications or why they’ve been proposed (see Appendix). Otherwise, the Coordinator posts the policy on Loomio to gain the consent of all staff who are interested (2 week deadline). Any changes to the existing policy must be highlighted in yellow.

The sign off process on Loomio follows a Sociocratic process:

• The policy is shared

• Staff can ask clarifying questions or respond to the proposed policy and/or policy changes. They can do this in Loomio or in comments on the document.

• Staff give their consent to the policy or raise critical concerns in the Loomio forum.

Note: staff are not obliged to engage with the consent process on Loomio, but staff who do not wish to engage must let the Policy Coordinator know. If any staff are absent or on annual leave then sign off can proceed without them.

If the policy has not yet received approval from a representative from the Board, then the Policy Coordinator should continue to stage 3. Otherwise, proceed to stage 5.

1. Policy Coordinator sends policy to representative from the Board for review

The Board’s Policy Lead asks questions and responds in comments on the document where relevant.

1. Policy Coordinator incorporates comments and suggested edits by the Board representative.

If the Board representative suggests more significant changes, the Policy Coordinator can meet or talk with them if necessary to discuss these changes.

If there is a difference of perspective between the Policy Coordinator and Board member which the Coordinator does not feel they can resolve by themselves, then they can ask for additional support in the decision making process from another staff member or member of the Board.

If the Policy Lead’s feedback leads to any significant changes to the policy, then the process reverts to stage 2, with any proposed changes highlighted in the text of the policy document (if the policy is being updated). Otherwise, the process continues to stage 5.

1. Final check

Policy Coordinator gives policy final checks for formatting, grammar etc., then updates the policy in the handbook and emails the staff and P&G lead with the new or updated policy, for transparency.

1. Next date for review is added to the appropriate documents and calendars.

Appendix

Decisions on changes made during Policy reviews

Last updated: November 2023

Authorised by Coordinators:

Authorised by Directors: March 2024

Background

The Bristol Cable is committed to creating a progressive, supportive workplace and we want our policies to reflect that. We’d like the way we work to actively challenge the power structures that reproduce inequality and injustice, and consciously choose to work in ways that are liberatory, or anti-oppressive.

Our policies have been written with these principles in mind and signed off by the entire staff team, who collectively run our Co-op.

Archived version here

Policy review process

1. Introduction

1.1 This policy covers leave relating to unexpected circumstances regarding dependants, domestic emergencies, bereavements and other compassionate needs. The aim of this policy is to inform employees and members of employment rights relating to such leave and to provide a framework for the decision making process.

1.2 The Bristol Cable is committed to equality of opportunity in employment for all its employees and to developing work practices and workplace policies that support work-life priorities.

1.3 This policy covers a range of exceptional circumstances which may affect employees and extend in the appropriate circumstances the statutory right of employees, as set out inGovernment legislation, to take reasonable unpaid time off work to deal with an emergency involving a dependant and to make any necessary longer term care arrangements.

1.4 The Bristol Cable recognises it will need to balance the requirements of the Bristol Cable with the needs of an employee at a time of personal stress or a serious family emergency and understands that a prompt and thoughtful response to requests from employees is important in maintaining good working relationships.

2. Dependants Leave

2.1 Dependants’ leave is designed to support employees where the emergencies are related to children or dependants.

2.2 Employees have the statutory right, no matter what their length of service, to take reasonable unpaid time off work to deal with an emergency involving a dependant. This leave is intended to cover genuine emergencies and there is no set limit as to the number of times an employee can be absent from work under this right.

2.3 A dependant is defined in law as the partner, child, or parent of the employee, or someone who lives with the employee as part of their family. It does not include tenants, boarders or employees living in the home.

2.4 In cases of illness, injury or where care arrangements break down, a dependent may also be someone who can reasonably be said to rely on the employee for assistance. For instance a parent or grandparent who lives elsewhere, or an elderly neighbour living alone where the employee is closest on hand at the time of the emergency.

2.5 Statutory dependants’ leave may be granted to an employee for the purpose of dealing with a situation involving a dependant, such as, for example:

• A child or partner who is sick or injured or assaulted

• An adult for whom an employee cares where no other arrangements can reasonably be made for someone else to look after the person

• A serious incident involving a child at school

• A child or family member whose usual care arrangements are unexpectedly disrupted

2.6 Dependants’ leave is not intended to and will not be granted to deal with predictable domestic arrangements that could be accommodated using annual or extra leave (for example regular childcare and childcare during the school holidays).

2.7 The purpose of dependants’ leave is to afford the employee the time and space to resolve an ongoing care emergency. It is expected this time will be used to find alternative care arrangements where possible to enable the employee to return to regular work times and duties. If such arrangements cannot be found, the employee should update the Cable as soon as is practical with estimated timescales for return to work and/or other proposals for meeting Cable responsibilities in the interim period.

3. Compassionate Leave

3.1 In addition to the above statutory rights to unpaid leave, the People Circle has discretionary authority to grant additional days paid compassionate leave per year. This would normally be for up to five days but can be extended in exceptional circumstances. Each case will be considered on its merits, using the principles outlined below. Any further leave may be granted as annual or extra leave.

3.2 The Bristol Cable recognises that circumstances and the nature of relationships vary. Compassionate leave may apply to close friends as well as relatives or partners. Rather than being prescriptive on the situations under which compassionate leave is available, each case should be assessed individually and should take into consideration the following factors to determine whether a request is granted:

• The seriousness of the situation

• The age of the person

• The extent to which the person can cope on their own

• The nature and extent of any illness

• The availability of others to look after the person

• The relationship between the person and the employee

3.3 Bereavement Leave

3.3.1 The Bristol Cable will pay bereaved employees up to five days bereavement leave with pay on the death of a partner or parent.

3.3.2 In addition, an employee whose child dies under the age of 18 years or is stillborn after 24 weeks’ of pregnancy is entitled to 2 weeks’ bereavement leave and statutory bereavement pay.

3.3.3 The Bristol Cable recognises that circumstances, the nature of relationships and the required observances of different religions vary. Therefore there is a need to assess each case individually, depending on its own particular circumstances.

4. Leave for a domestic emergency

4.1 Leave for a domestic emergency is designed to support employees where the emergencies are unrelated to children or dependants.

4.2 The People Circle can grant one day of paid leave per emergency recorded using the guidelines below, which can be extended depending on the circumstances. Any further leave should be taken as annual leave or additional unpaid leave.

4.3 Examples of an emergency include:

• Escaping domestic abuse or moving house following domestic abuse

• A road accident or other similar accident involving the employee, other than when the employee is entitled to sick leave

• A burglary at the employee’s home or a violent crime involving the employee

• Fire or flooding at the employee’s home

4.4 In determining whether request for leave should be granted, the People Circle should take the following into consideration, where the information is available:

• The nature and extent of the emergency

• The availability of others to deal with the emergency

• The likely impact of the emergency on the employee

4.5 This leave is intended to cover genuine emergencies. If an employee knows in advance that they are going to need time off for a domestic issue (for example in the case of delivery of goods to the employee’s home) they should ask for leave in the normal way.

5. Reporting of leave

5.1 Employees must report their absence to the responsible member of the People Circle as soon as is reasonably practicable. They also need to advise of the reason for their absence and how long they expect to be away from work. A text or phone call is an acceptable way to communicate this in stressful circumstances. Where extended leave is necessary a discussion will take place with the employee and their Circle Lead or a member of the People team to determine the best way forward to balance the needs of the employee and the organisation.

5.2 Any leave taken must be recorded on the Leave log. This can be done on the employee’s return to work.

6. Refusal of leave

5.1 Employees who feel that they have been unreasonably refused the right to dependants, compassionate, domestic emergency or bereavement leave or who feel that they have been victimised for requesting leave have the right to raise the matter through the grievance procedure.

Authorisation and revisions

Created January 2018

Revised by: Hannah Vickers, Julia Beasley, Lucas Batt and Mat Alborough November 2021

Revised by Maya Kaufman, Nick Plant and Neil Sellers: Feb 2024

Authorised by staff team: April 2024

Authorised by Directors: March 2024

Policies should be reviewed every 2 years, unless:

• We approve a proposal that changes the policy

• There’s a change to the organisation that will change the policy

• There’s a change in the law that affects the policy

1. Purpose

   1. This document sets out the Bristol Cable’s Ethical Fundraising Policy. It is intended for our members, audience, current and prospective donors (both individual and organisational) and their advisers, to provide full transparency about the contributions we solicit, and those we accept (or decline), and our values and principles in our approach to fundraising.

   2. The Bristol Cable is an independent, community-owned local newspaper, and legally registered as a community benefit co-operative. It operates with the support of member contributions and contributions from private individuals and foundations in Bristol and internationally. The Cable actively encourages philanthropic support, and considers securing such support as a key element in being able to fulfil its mission.

2. Fundraising principles

   1. This policy was shaped from consultation with members, who voted in our 2022 AGM to create an ethical fundraising policy. The values and principles raised by members at that time are enshrined here.

   2. The policies outlined in this document apply to all solicited contributions and unsolicited contributions of £5,000 or more. It does not apply to contributions from individual members unless they exceed £5,000 in a 12 month period, in which case this policy applies to that member’s contribution as a High Contributing Member or large donor.

   3. Our fundraising protects our independence, reputation, and mission.

      1. The Bristol Cable is editorially independent, and independent of any government, political ideology, company or religious belief, and our fundraising activity respects and protects that.

      2. We will not solicit or accept contributions from individuals, governments or organisations that seek to influence the outcome of our investigations or other editorial, and compromise our independence.

      3. We will not accept contributions from sources who may adversely impact our reputation for impartiality and independence. If we turn down a contribution or offer of support, we will explain why.

      4. The Cable will decide on what funding it seeks or accepts on a case by case basis, recognising the complexities of considerations in where funding has come from, and the association and interests of the donor.

      5. The Cable reserves the right to refuse any contributions from individuals or institutions if the organisation determines that such funds might undermine the Cable’s credibility, independence, or reputation.

      6. The Cable will avoid seeking or taking funding from:

         1. any organisation that has a proven (or strongly suspected) record of mistreating, or discriminating against, people based on protected characteristics such as: workers, LGBTQ, people of colour, disabled people, gender, language, ethnicity, class, religion, political beliefs, union membership. This list is not exhaustive.

         2. any organisation who make their income from activity that abuses human rights, or causes environmental destruction or depend on the depletion of finite resources, or from any of these sources: gambling, defence, property speculation, tobacco, drugs, the sex industry, or any kind of criminal activity. This list is not exhaustive, but sets out the kinds of industries and practices the Cable does not want to be associated with, and sources of money we do not want to accept.

      7. The Cable will not seek or accept funding from any political party.

      8. The Fundraising team is responsible for decisions on accepting funding, and will consult with other members of the staff team, directors, and members where needed. The Fundraising team has a responsibility to conduct due diligence in understanding the suitability of potential donors, assessing the benefits and risks of accepting money on a case by case basis.

      9. We will ensure that projects for which we raise funds reflect our mission and priorities. Neither the funding opportunities we pursue, or the requirements of funders, will deflect us from our strategic objectives.

      10. We will not allow any funding relationship to constrain us from criticising that body or exposing any wrongdoing in which it may be involved.

      11. To insulate against the end of a funding relationship for any reason, we will make all possible attempts to diversify our funding streams.

   4. We are honest and transparent about our fundraising

      1. We are honest and behave with integrity in all our fundraising, ensuring we comply with our fundraising principles and that these comply with UK regulation and legislation.

      2. We are transparent about the funds we receive and will state all funding sources in our Annual Accounts in compliance with UK regulation and legislation.

      3. For every donor which has given £5,000 or more in a year, we will list their name and funding given on our website, and the name of the specific project where relevant. (This number is chosen to be in alignment with guidelines set out by Who Funds You?, a project that researches and promotes transparency of think tank funding sources.)

      4. We remain accountable to our members on major funding questions, whose contributions enable the Bristol Cable to inform and empower people in Bristol through our journalism, and community engagement. Our finances are discussed transparently each year at our AGMs.

      5. We use contributions in accordance with their intended causes and provide timely updates to our donors explaining how we have used their contributions.

      6. This policy will be prominently displayed on the Bristol Cable website and periodically alongside any funded content.

      7. Where funding has been accepted for a specific editorial project, the donor name will be listed alongside or in conjunction with funded content.

   5. We use our funds responsibly

      1. We put our donor’s contributions to work as quickly as we can and do this wisely and responsibly.

      2. We are modest and do not solicit more funds than we need to further our mission. We are grateful for all support, large and small.

      3. We keep our operating costs at a minimum, so your support goes directly to our work, not to exorbitant salaries or fundraising campaigns.

   6. Data protection

      1. While honouring article 2.4.3, we respect our donors’ privacy and right to decide how and if the Bristol Cable contacts them. We make it easy for donors to choose how they want to hear from us, and if they ask us not to contact them we won’t, unless it is a legal or administrative requirement.

      2. Our fundraising activity is carried out in accordance with our data protection policy and procedures. We will never sell our donor’s data, or share it outside of the Bristol Cable.

3. Agreement with donors

   1. Donors accept and agree they will not have editorial influence, and that they do not have special or privileged access to Cable reporters or editors.

   2. Funders are not aware of specific stories the newsroom is working on and do not review them before publication.

      1. All donors consent to honouring this policy when they make a donation to the Bristol Cable.

Document history:

Created by Eliz Mizon, 2023

Reviewed by team on Loomio on: July 2023

Uploaded to the handbook on 7th August 2023

The text below is taken from the Bristol Cable's Primary Rules, which is the legal constitution of the co-op. Read the entire Primary Rules in full.

Means of Communication

101. A Member may provide their consent to receive communications from the Society by Electronic Means.

102. A notice sent to a Director’s Address shall be deemed to have been duly served 48 hours after its posting. A Director may agree with the Society that notices or Documents sent to her/him in a particular way are to be deemed to have been received within a specified time of their being sent, and for the specified time to be less than 48 hours.

Seal

103. If the Society has a seal, it shall only be used by the authority of the Board of Directors acting on behalf of the Society. Every instrument to which the seal shall be attached shall be signed by a Director and countersigned by a second Director or the Secretary.

Registers

104. The Board of Directors shall ensure accurate registers are maintained which shall include a register of Members, a register of Directors and a register of Officers.

Register of Members

105. The Board shall ensure that the register is maintained in accordance with the Act and that the particulars required by the Act are available for inspection and accessible without the need to disclose other particulars contained in the register.

Register of Directors and Officers

106. The Society shall maintain a register of Directors and Officers which shall include the following particulars:

(a) Name of the Director;

(b) Address of the Director;

(c) The date on which they assumed office;

(d) The date on which they vacated office; and

(e) The position held by a Director if s/he is also an Officer and the date on which the Director assumed and vacated his/her Officer position.

Amendments to Rules

107. Any of these Rules may be rescinded or amended or a new rule made by Extraordinary Resolution at a general meeting of which 14 Clear Days’ notice has been given, such notice to include details of the change(s) to be proposed at that meeting. No amendment of Rules is valid until registered by the Registrar. When submitting the rule amendments for registration, the Secretary may at their sole discretion accept any alterations required or suggested by the Registrar without reference back to a further general meeting of the Society.

Copies of the Society's Rules

108. A copy of these Rules and any amendments made to them shall be given free of charge to every Member upon admission to membership and shall be provided to any other Person on demand and on payment of the statutory fee chargeable for the time being in force.

Minutes

109. The Society shall ensure that minutes are kept of all:

(a) Proceedings at general meetings of the Society; and

(b) Proceedings at meetings of the Board of Directors and its sub-committees which include names of the Directors present, decisions made and the reasons for those decisions.

Annual Return

110. Every year and within the period prescribed by the Act, the Secretary shall send the annual return in the prescribed form to the Registrar. The annual return shall be accompanied by:

(a) A copy of the Auditor’s report on the Society's accounts for the period covered by the annual return or a copy of such other report (if any) as is required by statute for such a period; and

(b) A copy of each balance sheet made during that period and report of the Auditor or other appropriate person as required by statute on that balance sheet.

111. The Society shall on demand supply free of charge to any Member or any person with an interest in the funds of the Society a copy of the latest annual return together with a copy of the Auditor's report on the accounts and balance sheet contained in the annual return and the Auditor’s Report (if any).

112. The Society shall at all times keep a copy of the latest balance sheet of the Society together with a copy of the corresponding Auditor's report (if any) hung up in a conspicuous place at the registered office and displayed on the Society's website (if any).

Audit

113. Subject to section 4A of the Friendly and Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1968, the Society has resolved by extraordinary resolution at the 2016 Annual General Meeting to disapply section 4 of the Friendly and Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1968.

114. The members shall vote annually, as allowed by the Act, at the Annual General Meeting, to have when necessary in law, or where the membership requires, an audit carried out by a registered auditor, or an audit carried out by two or more lay auditors, or a report carried out by a registered auditor, or unaudited accounts, where the conditions for such exist. If a full audit or a report is required, a person who is a qualified auditor under section 36 of the Friendly Societies Act 1974, shall be appointed. The qualified or lay auditors, if so appointed, shall not be officers or servants of the society and nor shall they be partners of, or in the employment of, or employ, an officer or servant of the society. Lay auditors shall be chosen by the Committee of Management from the general membership and/or others. If the membership vote for unaudited accounts, the board shall commission an independent external examination of the accounts prepared by the society’s accountant.An income/expenditure report will be prepared to present to the society’s members at each Annual General Meeting

115. The following persons shall not be appointed as Auditor of the Society:

(a) An Officer or Employee of the Society;

(b) A person who is a partner or employee of, or who employs an, Officer of the Society.

116. The Board may appoint an Auditor to fill a casual vacancy occurring between general meetings.

117. An Auditor for the preceding financial year shall be reappointed as Auditor of the Society for the current financial year unless:

(a) A decision has been made by the Board to appoint a different Auditor or expressly decided that s/he shall not be reappointed; or

(b) S/he has given notice in writing to the Secretary of her/his unwillingness to be reappointed; or

(c) S/he is ineligible for appointment as Auditor of the Society for the current financial year; or

(d) S/he has ceased to act as Auditor of the Society by reason of incapacity.

118. Any ordinary resolution of a general meeting of the Society either to remove an Auditor from office or to appoint another person as Auditor shall not be effective unless notice of the proposed resolution has been given to the Society at least 28 days prior to the meeting at which the resolution is to be considered. At least 14 days' notice of such resolution must then be given to Members of the Society in the manner prescribed in these Rules and in Writing to the Auditor(s).

Social Accounting and Reporting

119. In addition to any financial accounts required by the Act, the Members may resolve to undertake an account of the activities of the Society which will endeavour to measure its social and environmental performance using whatever methodology the Members deem appropriate. Following the completion of such an account the Society shall report any findings to its Members and other stakeholders.

Indemnity and Insurance

120. Subject to the following rule, any Director or former Director of the Society may be indemnified out of the Society’s assets against:

(a) Any liability incurred by that Director in connection with any negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust in relation to the Society;

(b) Any liability incurred by that Director in connection with the activities of the Society in its capacity as a trustee of an occupational pension scheme;

(c) Any other liability incurred by that Director as an Officer of the Society.

121. The above rule does not authorise any indemnity which would be prohibited or rendered void by any provision of law.

122. The Directors may decide to purchase and maintain insurance, at the expense of the Society, for the benefit of any Director or former Director of the Society in respect of any loss or liability which has been or may be incurred by such a Director in connection with their duties or powers in relation to the Society or any pension fund or employees’ share scheme of the Society.

Introduction

Why training is important to the Bristol Cable

The Bristol Cable is fully committed to the continuous development of our staff, in the same way as we continuously develop our organisation. As well as providing in-house training for all staff, continuous development will be achieved by helping all staff identify and meet their own work-related development needs.

To do this, through the peer-to-peer system, our Reviews and regular opportunities for self-reflection and feedback, we will:

• Ensure that staff have a level of knowledge and skill to fully perform their role(s)

• Encourage staff to develop within their current role(s) by setting goals, taking on new challenges and accessing training

• Recognise and celebrate staff development (utilising it wherever possible)

• Create a learning culture by providing opportunities for reflection and learning

Equal opportunities

All staff are entitled to, and can expect to receive, the training they need to carry out their current roles. The Bristol Cable’s main priority will be towards job-related and statutory training, but we will also encourage individuals to undertake personal & professional development training. This may entail taking professional qualifications; undertaking research into a particular field of interest or experiencing a particular aspect of another job in order to gain an insight into the role and fuller understanding of the work.

Training should not be viewed purely as “attending a training course”. There are a variety of different methods that can be used to help train and develop individuals. For example, using open learning materials; e-learning; and reading literature, to name but a few.

Decisions relating to training and development should be made fairly and consistently, and equality of opportunity should be provided for all staff in this area.

Shared responsibilities

The Bristol Cable recognises the need for everyone to learn and develop their skills on a continuous basis and will support individuals to help them achieve this. Equally, the Bristol Cable expects individuals to take on responsibility for their own self-development. For example, identifying suitable training activities (with the help of peers or the People Lead) and adopting a flexible and positive approach to any training and development that is identified with them.

Planning your training

In Reviews, coordinators will discuss and identify training needs. In quarterly goal setting peer-to-peer meetings, coordinators can further discuss their training needs with their peers and update any training plans.

Budget allowance:

There is a budget allocated to each employee (and in some cases for specific Circles) for training and development. The budget amounts are set each year as part of the annual budget, and each employee can expect to receive an equal portion of the training budget for individual training needs (budgets are determined pro-rata to an employee’s working hours).

Reasonable travel costs can be paid for out of the training budget (i.e UK based overland travel on public transport or private car).

Identifying and applying for training

Identifying training

You may be able to search and research training you want to attend, based on development goals you’ve identified in your Review or peer-to-peer meetings.

However, if you’d like support to identify trainings that could help your development, ask the People Lead.

Applying for training

1. If you’ve identified a training you want to attend, firstly consult with any coordinators who will be impacted by your time away from work. You can do this by:

• Sharing the dates you’ll be away from work in a team meeting so that other team members can raise any concerns

• Posting the dates on a relevant slack channel and asking other coordinators to acknowledge receipt and raise any concerns over dates/clashes.

• Email coordinators with the dates of the training.

1. If colleagues have approved your time away, contact the People Lead to get final approval for the training. It’s helpful if you can tell the People Lead (either in person or writing)

• How this training will support your development

• Why this training offers good value for money compared to other similar trainings

• Any other reasons you chose this training (e.g. recommendations, reviews)

The People Lead will consent to the training unless they have critical concerns, for example that the training is not in line with the development goals identified through your review; poor value for money; in conflict with Cable aims and values etc.

However, they will talk the decision through with you and see if you can find a way to address any critical concerns.

1. The People Lead will log trainings.

2. It’s staff members’ responsibility to make sure that colleagues are aware of the time and dates they’ll be away.

It’s also great if you want to share any learnings or reflections from your training. You can do this online or at the next team meeting. This can help encourage others to take time away from work to attend trainings as well as share learnings that you want to bring back to the Co-op or integrate into your ongoing practice.

Applying to spend more than your assigned budget

Any extension of the agreed allowance must be proposed and consented to by the Coordinator team. In your proposal, you may want to include:

• Brief description of the training

• Benefits to the Co-op of you attending the training

• Proposed budget

• Your previous training expenditure

• How much of the overall training budget for this financial year has already been spent or committed.

If writing and preparing a proposal is difficult, you can contact the People Lead to ask for support. The People Lead can make the proposal on your behalf.

A decision to award the extra funding will be made by consent by the staff team, including the proposer, if it’s ‘good enough for now, safe enough to try’. In some cases it may be appropriate for staff members to contribute to the cost of specific training events, equipment and/or courses. In these situations, we will work with the Coordinator to agree fair and reasonable arrangements.

Expenses

All training must be logged and necessary receipts must be promptly provided to the Workplace coordinator in the expenses form . Failure to do so will result in the coordinator bearing the sum of any unverified costs.

Authorisation and revisions

Created: June 2018

Revised by: Hannah Vickers and Julia Beasley

Revised by Cait Crosse November 2023

Revised by Maya Kaufman Jan 2024

Authorised by staff team: April 2024

Authorised by Directors: March 2024

Policies should be reviewed every 2 years, unless:

• We approve a proposal that changes the policy

• There’s a change to the organisation that will change the policy

• There’s a change in the law that affects the policy

Archived policies:

• Training and Development Policy - FINAL 06/18

• The Bristol Cable: Coordinator development and training

The text below is taken from the Bristol Cable's Primary Rules, which is the legal constitution of the co-op. Read the entire Primary Rules in full.

33. The Society shall, within six months of the end of the financial year, hold a general meeting of the Members as its annual general meeting and shall specify the meeting as such in the notice calling it.

34. The business of an annual general meeting shall comprise, where appropriate:

(a) The receipt of the accounts and balance sheet and of the reports of the Board and Auditor (if any);

(b) The appointment of an Auditor, if required;

(c) The election of the Board or the results of the election if held previously by ballot;

(d) The application of profits;

(e) The transaction of any other business included in the notice convening the meeting.

Calling a General Meeting

35. The Secretary, at the request of the Board of Directors may convene a general meeting of the Society. The purpose of the general meeting shall be stated in the notice of the meeting.

36. The Board of Directors upon an application signed by one-tenth of the total number of Members, or 100 Members, whichever is the lesser, delivered to the registered office of the Society, shall convene a general meeting. The purpose of the general meeting shall be stated in the application for and notice of the meeting. No business other than that stated in the notice of the meeting shall be conducted at the meeting.

37. If within one month from the date of the receipt of the application the Board have not convened a general meeting to be held within six weeks of the application, any three Members of the Society acting on behalf of the signatories to the application may convene a general meeting, and shall be reimbursed by the Society for any costs incurred in convening such a meeting.

Notices

38. The Directors shall call the annual general meeting giving 14 Clear Days’ notice to all Members. All other general meetings shall be convened with at least 14 Clear Days’ notice but may be held at shorter notice if so agreed in Writing by 90% of the Members.

39. Notices of meetings shall either be given to Members personally or sent to them at their Address or alternatively, if so agreed by the Society in general meeting, notices of general meetings may be displayed conspicuously at the registered office and in all other places of business of the Society to which Members have access. Notices shall specify the date, time and place at which the meeting is to be held, and the business which is to be transacted at that meeting. A general meeting shall not transact any business other than that specified in the notices calling the meeting.

40. A notice sent to a Member's Address shall be deemed to have been duly served 48 hours after its posting. The accidental omission to send any notice to or the nonreceipt of any notice by any Person entitled to receive notice shall not invalidate the proceedings at the meeting.

41. All notices shall specify the date, time and place of the meeting along with the general nature of business to be conducted and any proposed resolutions.

42. If the Society has appointed an Auditor in accordance with these Rules they shall be entitled to attend general meetings of the Society and to receive all notices of and communications relating to any general meeting which any Member of the Society is entitled to receive. The Auditor shall be entitled to be heard at any meeting on any part of the business of the meeting which is of proper concern to an Auditor.

Quorum

43. No business shall be transacted at a general meeting unless a quorum of Members is present which shall include those Members not present in Person. Unless amended by Extraordinary Resolution, a quorum shall be 5% or 50 people whichever is lower of overall membership. The society commits to endeavour to mobilise as many members as possible for every AGM and aim to exceed the 5% minimum.

Chairing General Meetings

44. The chairperson of the Society shall facilitate general meetings. If s/he is absent or unwilling to act at the time any meeting proceeds to business then the Members present shall choose one of their number to be the chairperson for that meeting.

Attendance and Speaking at General Meetings

45. A Member is able to exercise the right to speak at a general meeting and is deemed to be in attendance when that Person is in a position to communicate to all those attending the meeting. The Directors may make whatever arrangements they consider appropriate to enable those attending a general meeting to exercise their rights to speak or vote at it including by Electronic Means. In determining attendance at a general meeting, it is immaterial whether any two or more Members attending are in the same place as each other, provided that they are able to communicate with each other.

46. The chairperson of the meeting may permit other persons who are not Members of the Society to attend and speak at general meetings, without granting any voting rights.

Adjournment

47. If a quorum is not present within half an hour of the time the general meeting was due to commence, or if during a meeting a quorum ceases to be present, the chairperson must adjourn the meeting. If within half an hour of the time the adjourned meeting was due to commence a quorum is not present, the Members present shall constitute a quorum.

48. The chairperson of a general meeting may adjourn the meeting whilst a quorum is present if:

(a) The meeting consents to that adjournment; or

(b) It appears to the chairperson that an adjournment is necessary to protect the safety of any persons attending the meeting or to ensure that the business of the meeting is conducted in an orderly manner.

49. The chairperson must adjourn the meeting if directed to do so by the meeting.

50. When adjourning a meeting the chairperson must specify the date, time and place to which it will stand adjourned or that the meeting is to continue at a date, time and place to be fixed by the Directors.

51. If the meeting is adjourned for 14 days or more, at least 7 Clear Days’ notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given in the same manner as the notice of the original meeting.

52. No business shall be transacted at an adjourned meeting other than business which could properly have been transacted at the meeting if the adjournment had not taken place.

Voting

53. A resolution put to the vote at a general meeting shall be decided on a show of hands unless a paper ballot is demanded in accordance with these Rules. A declaration by the chairperson that a resolution has on a show of hands been carried or lost with an entry to that effect recorded in the minutes of the general meeting shall be conclusive evidence of the result. Proportions or numbers of votes in favour for or against need not be recorded.

54. In the case of an equality of votes, whether on a show of hands or a poll, the chairperson shall not have a second or casting vote and the resolution shall be deemed to have been lost.

Paper Ballot

55. A paper ballot on a resolution may be demanded before or on the declaration of the result of the show of hands by three Members at a general meeting.

56. If a paper ballot is duly demanded it shall be taken in such a manner as the chairperson directs, provided that no Member shall have more than one vote, and the result of the ballot shall be deemed to be the resolution of the meeting at which the ballot was demanded.

57. The demand for a paper ballot shall not prevent the continuance of a meeting for the transaction of any other business than the question upon which a ballot has been demanded. The demand for a paper ballot may be withdrawn.

Resolutions

58. Decisions at general meetings shall be made by passing resolutions:

(a) The following decisions must be made by Extraordinary Resolution:

(i) Decisions to expel Members;

(ii) Any amendment to the Society's Rules, subject always to regulation 7 of the Community Benefit Societies (Restriction on use of Assets) Regulations 2006, which has the effect of making the ‘Application of Profits’ rule dealing with the restriction on use of assets irrevocable.

(iii) The decision to wind up the Society.

(b) All other decisions shall be made by ordinary resolution.

59. An Extraordinary Resolution is one passed by a majority of not less than 75% of votes cast at a general meeting and an ordinary resolution is one passed by a simple majority (51%) of votes cast.

60. Resolutions may be passed at general meetings or by written resolution. A written resolution may consist of several identical Documents signed by one or more Members.

1. Introduction

1.1 The purpose of the Bristol Cable’s Disciplinary Policy is to ensure that the principles of equality and fairness are applied when dealing with matters that may require disciplinary action. Employees will be made aware of the standards of conduct and performance that are required of them and will have opportunities for guidance that will enable them to meet the required standards and to understand clearly the steps that must be taken when standards are not met.

1.2 Informal discussions will be used, where possible, to resolve matters prior to any disciplinary action being taken.

1.3 This policy and procedure may be amended from time to time.

1. Disciplinary Offences

2.1 It is not practical to list all the offences which may result in formal disciplinary action. The following are examples of offences and are grouped under the three headings of Unsatisfactory Conduct or Capability; Serious Misconduct or Negligence; or Gross Misconduct or Gross Negligence.

2.2 Some acts are so serious in themselves or have such serious consequences that they may call for dismissal without notice for a first offence. A disciplinary process will be followed before dismissing for gross misconduct or gross negligence.

2.3 Unsatisfactory Conduct or Capability

• Sustained and unexplained unsatisfactory attendance record

• Sustained and unexplained poor timekeeping

• Unauthorised absence

• Minor violations of safety practices

• Initial refusal to follow policies and procedures of the organisation.

2.4 Serious Misconduct or Negligence

• Incapacity to work owing to intoxicants or drugs

• Serious or continued unsatisfactory performance/lack of capability

• Serious breach of safety rules or procedures

• Subsequent refusal to follow policies and procedures of the organisation

• Breach of confidentiality relating to The Bristol Cable, its staff or members

• Deliberate or reckless damage to Bristol Cable property

• Falsification of a qualification which is a stated requirement of employment

• Conduct which brings The Bristol Cable into disrepute.

2.5 Gross Misconduct or Gross Negligence

• Any form of dishonesty, including theft or fraud

• Gross negligence in the performance of duty

• Physical violence (actual or threatened)

• Discrimination or harassment.

3. Procedure

Informal discussions

3.1 Where issues of conduct become apparent, informal discussions will normally take place in the first instance to attempt to correct the situation without having to use the formal disciplinary procedure. Where improvement is required, the employee will be given clear guidelines as to what is expected of them. Failure to improve may result in formal disciplinary action.

3.2 The Lead of the People Circle will keep a record of the informal discussions and recommendations with the employee.

Formal procedure

3.3 The following procedure will be followed before disciplinary warnings are given or a member of staff dismissed.

3.4 The process can be suspended if any of the involved parties are off sick.

Step 1: Investigation and suspension

3.5 The Disciplinary Chair will normally be the Lead of the People Circle, unless there is a reason why this would not be appropriate, for example, a conflict of interest.

3.6 If a reasonable concern is raised why they should not be the Chair, a Board representative, should assess this claim and, if deemed a legitimate concern, appoint an alternate chair from within the staff team who they deem able to conduct the process.

3.7 The Chair will carry out any necessary investigations of potential disciplinary matters without unreasonable delay, to establish the facts of the case. The purpose of the investigation is to find out if there is a disciplinary case to answer.

3.8 In some cases this will require the holding of an investigatory meeting with the employee before proceeding to any disciplinary hearing. In others, the investigatory stage will be the collation of evidence by the employer for use at any disciplinary hearing.

3.9 The Chair will appoint additional member(s) from either the People Circle or the Board of Directors to sit on the disciplinary panel.

3.10 The Bristol Cable reserves the right to suspend the employee as a neutral act on full pay for no longer than two weeks while any allegations are fully investigated. This is not a form of disciplinary action and should not be seen as a suggestion of guilt.

Step 2: Written notice of Disciplinary Hearing

3.11 If it is decided that there is going to be disciplinary action taken, the employee will be notified of this in writing. This notification will contain sufficient information about the alleged misconduct or performance failing and its possible consequences to enable the employee to either respond to a written warning or prepare to answer the case at a disciplinary meeting. It will normally be appropriate to provide copies of any written evidence, which may include any witness statements, with the notification.

3.12 The notification will also give details of the time and venue for the disciplinary meeting and advise the employee of their right to be accompanied at the meeting by a colleague or trade union representative.

3.13 We will give the employee one week’s notice of this meeting.

Step 3: Disciplinary Hearing

3.14 The Disciplinary Chair will chair the hearing. The employee will be allowed to set out their case. The employee will also be given a reasonable opportunity to ask questions, present evidence and call relevant witnesses. They will also be given an opportunity to raise points about any information provided by witnesses.

3.15 Where an employer or employee intends to call relevant witnesses they will give advance notice to the other party that they intend to do this.

3.16 The employee, and anyone accompanying them, including witnesses, must not make electronic recordings of any meetings or hearings conducted under this procedure.

Step 4: Decision

3.17 The decision will be sent to the employee in writing within five working days.

3.18 A first or final written warning will set out the nature of the misconduct or poor performance and the change in behaviour or improvement in performance required (with timescale). The employee will be told how long the warning will remain current. The employee will be informed of the consequences of further misconduct, or failure to improve performance, within the period stated by the panel following a final warning.

3.19 Where improvement is required, the employee will be given clear, written guidelines as to what is expected of them. The employee will be informed in writing, where appropriate, that failure to improve may result in further formal disciplinary action.

3.20 A record will be kept of all written warnings. The warnings themselves will be disregarded for disciplinary purposes after a period of time, usually six months for each warning.

3.21 A decision to dismiss, with or without notice, will be taken only with the approval of the People and Governance subgroup.

3.22 The employee will be informed of the reasons for the dismissal, the date on which the employment contract will end, the appropriate period of paid notice, if any, and their right of appeal.

Step 5: Appeal

3.23 When the employee is sent a written notice of the decision of the Disciplinary Panel, they will be informed of their right to appeal. If the employee wishes to appeal they must do so within five working days. Appeals will only be granted on the grounds that the original process was flawed, or new information coming to light that could not reasonably have been surfaced originally.

3.24 The Appeal will be chaired by an Appeals Chair, who will normally be a Board Director. The Appeals Chair may appoint additional member(s) from the People Circle, the wider staff team or the Board of Directors to sit on the appeals panel. At least one of the members of the Appeals panel must be from the staff team.

3.25 Employees have the right to be accompanied to an appeal hearing, as above.

3.26 The employee will be notified of the decision of the Appeal Panel no more than five working days after the date of the appeal hearing.

Dealing with cases of overlapping discipline and grievance

3.27 If an employee brings a grievance about any circumstances relating to a course of disciplinary action being taken against them, the Bristol Cable will suspend the disciplinary procedure for a defined period whilst the grievance is dealt with. Depending on the nature of the grievance, the Bristol Cable may choose to bring in a Board member to conduct or oversee the disciplinary process.

Authorisation and revisions

Created March 2018

Revised by: Hannah Vickers, Julia Beasley, July 2021

Authorised by staff team: November 2021

Authorised by Directors: December 2021

Minor amendments made by Cait: December 2023

Authorised by Directors: March 2024

Authorised by Coordinators:

Policies should be reviewed every 2 years, unless:

• We approve a proposal that changes the policy

• There’s a change to the organisation that will change the policy

• There’s a change in the law that affects the policy

The Bristol Cable is committed to creating a progressive, supportive workplace and we want our policies to reflect that. We’d like the way we work to actively challenge the power structures that reproduce inequality and injustice, and consciously choose to work in ways that are liberatory, or anti-oppressive.

Our policies have been written with these principles in mind and signed off by the entire staff team, who collectively run our Co-op.

1. Introduction

   1. The aim of this policy is to inform employees of their employment rights relating to sick leave and pay.

   2. The Bristol Cable recognises the importance of managing attendance at work and sickness-related absences effectively; and the importance of supporting employees through any periods of absence and their subsequent return to work. The Policy is designed to enable the management of sickness absence and pay and the identification of any issues affecting employee morale and other problems employees may be facing which affects their attendance at work.

   3. This policy aims to

      1. Strike a balance between the business requirements of the Bristol Cable and the needs of an employee at a time of illness, so that as far as possible staff have security of employment during periods of illness or injury subject to operational requirements;

      2. Expedite a prompt and thoughtful response to requests from employees in the interests of maintaining good working relationships and retaining staff;

      3. Set out the respective responsibilities of staff and the Bristol Cable.

   4. If you are ill, in the first instance you must contact a member of your home circle or the People Circle. Please see the procedure for requesting sick leave, below.

2. Remit and scope of policy

   2. If the absence relates to potentially contagious illness, the employee should refer to any updated government guidance on safer office working including isolation and symptoms reporting protocols.

   3. This policy applies to everyone employed at the Bristol Cable. The People Circle is responsible for maintaining this policy although it is the responsibility of all Coordinators to follow and implement the policy in practice.

3. Access to medical records and occupational health referrals

   1. The Bristol Cable retains the right to require an employee to supply details from medical practitioners. Refusal to allow access to a medical report, or to attend occupational health, may result in the Bristol Cable having to make decisions about the employee’s employment on the information available.

4. Entitlement

   1. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)

An employee is entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), which at the time of writing from (and including) their fourth day of illness if they are too ill to work. SSP can be paid for up to 28 weeks. The Bristol Cable is responsible for paying SSP direct to the employee.

1. 1. To qualify for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) an employee must:

      1. Be classed as an employee of the Bristol Cable;

      2. Have been ill for at least four days in a row (including non-working days);

      3. Earn a minimum amount of pay (which may vary from time to time and is set by law);

      4. Within 28 days of the beginning of sickness absence, provide the People Circle with a fit note issued by a GP or hospital doctor or, if you are self isolating and cannot work because of COVID-19, an isolation note from NHS 111.

   2. Additional Sick Pay

      1. Employees who have passed their probation will be paid full pay for up to 15 days (pro rata) of sick leave per year. Thereafter they will be paid Additional Sick Pay. This is an additional sum paid in addition to the SSP to augment it up to the level of the employee’s normal pay.

      2. Longer-term sick leave will be covered by SSP for as long as it is available.

      3. Employees will forfeit entitlement to Additional Sick Pay and any payments will be re-claimed if they:

         1. Fail to comply with the notification and recording procedure in this policy;

         2. Make or produce any misleading or untrue statement or document concerning their fitness to work.

2. Procedure for requesting Sick Leave, and subsequent responsibilities

   1. If the employee is unable to attend work for any medical reason, they should inform the People Circle of the absence and reasons by 10am on the first day of absence.

   2. The employee should indicate the reason for their absence, its likely duration and when the illness started.

   3. If the employee is too ill to notify the Bristol Cable themselves, someone with the relevant information may make the necessary contact on their behalf.

   4. In the event that the absence continues for a number of days or weeks, they must maintain regular contact with the Bristol Cable, via the appointed People Circle contact, to keep the team informed of the reasons for their ongoing absence and the date when they expect to return to work. In such cases, the employee may state a preference for how they would like to be contacted during their absence.

   5. In the event of repeated instances of absence through sickness, the employee may be required to meet with the People Circle lead to explain the reason for the absence and discuss what support, if any, they might need in order to return to work

   6. Recording sick leave

      2. For sickness absences of up to seven calendar days, the leave log should be completed by the employee on their return to work.

      3. For sickness absences of more than seven or more calendar days, the employee must also provide supporting medical evidence.

3. Contact during Sick Leave and return to work

   1. A member of the People Circle will contact the employee from time to time during the employee’s sickness absence in order to enquire supportively about their wellbeing, expected length of absence from work and any work that requires attention. Such contact will be kept to a reasonable minimum.

   2. During or following any absence owing to sickness, the People Circle will assess with the employee whether any actions are required to facilitate their return to work and to maintain their health.

4. Effects of specific circumstances on Sick Leave policy

   1. Disability related sickness

      1. We are committed to having a representative workforce and will take reasonable steps to support the attendance of Disabled employees, making reasonable adjustments as necessary to help Disabled employees to remain in the workplace.

      2. In the event of a Disabled employee taking absence as a result of impairment related sickness, the appointed People Circle contact should record this absence as sickness related to impairment. This will be taken into account in any absence-related disciplinary process.

   2. Sickness during annual leave

      1. If an employee is ill or injured during a period of pre-arranged annual leave, they may choose to treat the days as sickness absence instead of annual leave. The employee must inform the appointed People Circle contact of their incapacity and its likely duration as soon as possible, even if they are abroad. They will receive sick pay only if they are able to provide a medical certificate for the full period of incapacity.

Authorisation and revisions

Adopted May 2018

Revised by: Hannah Vickers, Julia Beasley Sep 2021

Authorised by Coordinators: Dec 2021

Authorised by Directors: Jan 2022

Revised by: Maya Kaufman, Jan 2024

Authorised by Coordinators: April 2024

Authorised by Directors: March 2024

Policies should be reviewed every 2 years, unless:

• We approve a proposal that changes the policy

• There’s a change to the organisation that will change the policy

• There’s a change in the law that affects the policy

MEMBERS

13. The first Members of the Society will be the Founder Members. The Board may at its discretion admit to membership any individual, corporate body or nominee of an unincorporated body, firm or partnership who supports the objects of the Society and who has paid or agreed to pay any subscription or other sum due in respect of membership for the time being in force.

Applications for Membership

14. No natural person shall be admitted into membership of the Society unless they have attained the age of 16. All those wishing to become a Member must support the objects of the Society and complete an application for membership which shall include an application for at least one share in the Society. Such an application form must be approved by the Directors and the Directors must approve each application for membership.

15. A corporate body which is a Member shall by resolution of its governing body appoint a representative who may during the continuance of her/his appointment be entitled to exercise all such rights and powers as the corporate body would exercise if it were an individual person. Each such corporate body Member shall supply notification in Writing to the Society of its choice of representative.

Member Commitment

16. All Members agree to participate in general meetings and take an active interest in the operation and development of the Society and its business. Members have a duty to respect the confidential nature of the business decisions of the Society.

Termination of Membership

17. A Member shall cease to be a Member of the Society immediately that they:

(a) Fail to hold the minimum shareholding; or

(b) Fail to pay the annual subscription (if any) within 3 months of it falling due; or

(c) Resign in Writing to the Secretary; or

(d) Are expelled from membership in accordance with these Rules; or

(e) Die, are wound up or go into liquidation.

Expulsion from Membership

18. A Member may be expelled for conduct prejudicial to the Society by an Extraordinary Resolution, provided that the grounds for expulsion have been specified in the notices calling the meeting and that the Member whose expulsion is to be considered shall be given the opportunity to make representations to the meeting or, at the option of the Member, an individual who is there to represent them (who need not be a Member of the Society) has been allowed to make representations to the general meeting.

19. If on due notice having been served the Member fails to attend the meeting the meeting may proceed in the Member's absence.

(a) An expelled Member shall be paid the nominal value of shares held by them at the time of expulsion;

(b) No Member expelled from membership shall be readmitted except by an Extraordinary Resolution.

PROCEEDINGS ON DEATH OR BANKRUPTCY OF A MEMBER

20. Upon a claim being made by:

(a) The personal representative of a deceased Member; or

(b) The trustee in bankruptcy of a Member who is bankrupt; or

(c) The Office Holder to any property in the Society belonging to such a Member, the Society shall transfer or pay property to which the Office Holder has become entitled as the Office Holder may direct them.

21. A Member may in accordance with the Act nominate any individual or individuals to whom any of her/his property in the Society at the time of her/his death shall be transferred, but such nomination shall only be valid to the extent of the amount for the time being allowed in the Act. On receiving a satisfactory proof of death of a Member who has made a nomination the Society shall, in accordance with the Act, either transfer or pay the full value of the property comprised in the nomination to the individual or individuals entitled thereunder.

Share Capital

22. The shares of the Society shall be of the nominal value of £1. The minimum shareholding required of a Member shall be defined as such number of fully paid shares as the Board may determine subject to the Act, or as may be required by a particular offer of shares, or, failing such determination or requirement, shall be one share.

23. A Member may apply for shares in tranches of shares which are smaller in number than the minimum shareholding, provided that any Member who does not achieve the minimum shareholding within 12 months of their first payment may, at the discretion of the Board, cease to be a Member. Any person ceasing to be a Member under this rule shall have the value of their shares as at the date on which they ceased to be a Member returned to them and the relevant shares shall be cancelled.

24. Applications for shares shall be made to the Board of the Society who shall allot to Members, upon their admission, the share or shares for which they have applied provided that the total number of shares allotted to any Member shall not exceed the maximum shareholding permitted by law. Shares shall be paid for in full on allotment.

25. If a Member who is required to withdraw from membership under these Rules is unable to transfer their shares and the right to withdraw shares has been suspended, then the nominal value of their share capital shall be converted into loan stock upon such terms as may be agreed between the Board and the Member, or their personal representative, trustee in bankruptcy, or Office Holder provided that such agreement shall require the repayment of the loan within a period not exceeding three years.

26. Shares shall be Withdrawable only in accordance with the provisions of these Rules.

Shares shall be non-Transferable except:

(a) on death or bankruptcy; or

(b) (in the case of an unincorporated organisation or partnership), on a change of nominee(s) and only to the new nominee(s).

1 Withdrawal of share capital

27. Shares may be withdrawn by Members upon giving three months' notice to the Society (though the Board retain sole discretion to return money paid for them), provided that:

(a) All withdrawals shall be paid in the order in which the notices were received by the Society;

(b) A Member shall not be entitled to withdraw shares which would leave them with less than the minimum shareholding, unless they intend to terminate their membership of the Society;

(c) The Board may waive the notice required for a withdrawal and may direct payment to be made without notice or on such shorter notice as they consider fit;

(d) The Board may, at their sole discretion, suspend the right to withdraw either wholly or partially, and either indefinitely or for a fixed period. The suspension shall extend and apply to all notices of withdrawal which have been received and remain unpaid at the time the Board suspends the right to withdraw. Where the suspension is for a fixed period, such period may be extended from time to time by the Board;

(e) During any period when the right of withdrawal has been suspended under the provision immediately above, the shares of deceased Members may, if the Board agree, be withdrawn by their personal representatives upon giving such notice as the Board may require;

(f) The amount to be paid to a Member on withdrawal shall be the amount paid up or credited on the shares to be withdrawn, except where the shares are subject to a reduction in their value in accordance with the provisions of these Rules;

(g) Interest shall be payable on any share in respect of which a notice of repayment has been given until the date of repayment.

28. Any share withdrawn in accordance with these Rules shall be cancelled.

29. Members may withdraw from the Society by withdrawing all their shares in the Society in accordance with these Rules or, if the right to withdraw has been suspended, by surrendering all their shares to the Society. Upon such surrender the Board may at their discretion pay to the withdrawing Member the amount paid up or credited on the shares surrendered.

30. The Society may deduct such reasonable sum to cover any administrative costs of withdrawal from the monies payable to a Member on the withdrawal of shares in the Society.

Reduction in Share Values

31. If the Society’s Auditors (or any independent qualified accountants appointed for this purpose by the Board) certify at any time that the aggregate of the Society’s liabilities plus the amount of its issued share capital exceeds its assets, then (unless in the meantime the excess has been removed) the Board may determine that the amount of this excess, or part of it, shall be apportioned among the Members in proportion to (but not beyond) the amount of the nominal value of the shares paid up and held by each Member. This apportionment shall be based on the value of the shares paid up and held by each Member at the close of business on the date of such determination. The value of shares held by each Member shall be reduced accordingly for the purposes of withdrawal of shares, provided that the value of shares held by any Member shall not be reduced below the minimum shareholding as specified in these Rules.

Lien on Shares and Right of Offset

32. The Society shall have a lien on the shares of a Member for any debt due to it by the Member and may offset any sum standing to the Member's credit with the Society in or towards payment of such debt.

First a word on security

The most common ways of phishing for passwords is the suggestion in an email that you need to upgrade, clean out, confirm or otherwise login to page to access your emails. You will get *a lot* of these but unless Mat specifically tells you (probably on slack) to change any thing then just don't. And if you are ever ever unsure pick up the phone and ask Mat or another colleague.

Krystal's webmail server

TLDR;

if its another mail client that asks for an imap/smtp its mail.thebristolcable.org

Full webmail description

You want to press the left one and if that don't work press the right one, the firewall one is basically only useful in hotels and on public wifi's when the first doesn't work.

You then will have various options for showing you setup info, setting up autoresponders for holidays etc.

you probably 97% of the time wanna click the blue open button

Exporting/importing your address book

If you have made use of the address book then you can export that by going to the old round cube and click contacts:

then press this green down arrow and save the contacts vcf file.

Then you get a dialogue box that has a few options but you can just click browse then import

Then hopefully you have email addresses.

Adding your name and signature to emails

To change what in the jargon is called your identity first click here:

Then click your email address on the left:

You can then add in a display name and organisation, this can be anything you like but probably useful to make it your name.

You can add in your signature into the box below. then once you press save you have your emails set up.

Password change

Login with your email address like usual then you have an option to set a password.

If you get stuck Mat can change your password too.

Other guides

or for a specific mail client

General (i.e. on your phone or in mac mail)

Incoming Server Settings

• Server name : mail.thebristolcable.org

• Server type: IMAP

• Connection security: SSL/TLS

• Authentication method: Encrypted password (plain and Cram MD5 also supported)

• Port: 993

• User: full email address

• Password: Your email password

Outgoing (SMTP) server settings

• Server name : mail.thebristolcable.org

• Connection security: SSL/TLS

• Authentication method: Encrypted password (plain and Cram MD5 also supported)

• Port: 587

• User: full email address

• Password: Your email password

Background

The Bristol Cable is committed to creating a progressive, supportive workplace and we want our policies to reflect that. We’d like the way we work to actively challenge the power structures that reproduce inequality and injustice, and consciously choose to work in ways that are liberatory, or anti-oppressive.

Our policies have been written with these principles in mind and signed off by the entire staff team, who collectively run our Co-op.

1. Principle

Time away from work can be really important for health, wellbeing and motivation. It’s important for all of us that we take adequate time off work.

The provisions regarding time off regular working patterns should be approached flexibly and in a comradely fashion, to accommodate people's needs and The Bristol Cable’s general interests.

Cable Staff are trusted to keep an accurate log of leave taken and to communicate with the People Circle accordingly.

1. Remit and scope of policy

This policy applies to all Bristol Cable employees, including full-time, part-time, fixed-term, and temporary workers.The People Circle is responsible for implementing this policy.

1. Annual leave entitlement

2. 1. The Bristol Cable’s holiday year runs from 1 April to 31 March.

   2. At the beginning of the holiday year, the annual leave entitlements resets. Unless the law provides otherwise, a maximum of five days may be carried over from one holiday year to the next and must be used within the first three months of that annual leave year.

   3. Holiday that isn’t used because of sickness can be carried over into the next leave year.

   4. Full-time employees (5 days a week) are entitled to take 28 days paid annual leave in the financial year, with part-time employees taking the pro-rata equivalent.

   5. Bank holidays can be taken in addition to paid annual leave entitlements on a pro rata basis. If a bank holiday falls on your day off (e.g. because you’re taking annual leave on a Monday) you can move the bank holiday to the next working day.

   6. All staff will be granted additional leave over Christmas week, on a pro rata basis. Exact dates will be decided in a coordinator meeting beforehand. staff who need to work over this period are entitled to the time back as time off in lieu (TOIL). A request must be made in advance of the Christmas period, where possible, and approved via the coordinator team.
3. Additional unpaid leave

4. 1. Employees are also entitled to request 15 days additional unpaid leave, on a pro rata basis. Additional unpaid annual leave will need to be approved by the People Lead, with consultation for those other staff who will be most directly affected.

   2. When reviewing requests for additional unpaid leave, The People Lead will evaluate the impact on the organisation and the team and whether arrangements can be made to ensure organisational duties are fulfilled. It is the employee’s responsibility to make sure that leave is communicated to others in the organistaion as soon as possible. The People Lead will assist where possible.

   3. Amount of pay equivalent to leave taken will be deducted from the employee's monthly payment on a pro rata basis.

1. Procedure for requesting and taking Annual Leave

5.1: Make requests for Annual Leave as early as you can and at least a month in advance, where possible. Requests should go to your home circle in the first instance.

5.2: The relevant Circle lead (or People lead) will grant leave if there are no substantial clashes of requests. Priority will be given to the first requester.

5.3: Any requests for over 10 working days, on a pro rata basis should be reviewed in advance by the Coordinator Circle.

5.4: It is the responsibility of the requesting employee to inform all relevant parties (internal and external) of planned annual leave and absences. Additionally, it is your responsibility to make sure your responsibilities are covered while you’re on annual or unpaid leave.

1. Effects of specific circumstances on Annual Leave entitlement

2. 1. Parental and Adoption Leave - Employees build up (‘accrue’) holiday entitlement during parental and adoption leave

   2. Sick leave

   3. 1. Employees build up (‘accrue’) holiday entitlement while off on sick leave.

      3. If an employee is sick during a holiday, they can request to take that time as sick leave instead, as long as they are in line with the Sickness Policy. However, if they don’t qualify for sick pay, they can request to take their annual paid holiday entitlement instead of sick leave, if they prefer.

   4. Working on behalf of the Cable

   5. 1. Time taken away from normal Cable responsibilities to work on behalf of the Cable, out of office - eg. workshop facilitation, giving a talk or festival work - will not be considered as annual leave.
3. Employees leaving the company

4. 1. If an employee leaving the organisation has taken more of their entitlement of leave than they have accrued, the excess holiday will be treated as unpaid leave, and their final pay package will be adjusted accordingly. Such a deduction will be a ‘contractually authorised deduction’.

   2. Employees leaving the organisation are required to use up their remaining annual leave, unless otherwise agreed

   3. If you are on a fixed term contract that is due to end at a pre-arranged date, you must use your leave before your contract ends. Outstanding leave will not be converted into a payment in lieu.

Authorisation and revisions

Authorised by Directors: March 2024

Authorised by staff: April 2024

Revised by: Cait Crosse, October 2023, Maya Kaufman, Jan 2024

Revised by: Hannah Vickers, Julia Beasley and Lucas Batt, May 2021

Authorised by Coordinator team: May 2021

Authorised by Directors: June 2021

Policies should be reviewed every 2 years, unless:

• We approve a proposal that changes the policy

• There’s a change to the organisation that will change the policy

• There’s a change in the law that affects the policy

Further resources

Overview of the scheme

The aims of the peer-to-peer scheme is to answer the need for more support around personal development, accessing training and getting the best parts of management (support, coaching and accountability). It’s circular because we want to distribute the burden of care work in the organisation and build the capacity of all staff to listen empathically and look out for each other across teams and bonds of friendships.

Acting as an effective peer is part of our responsibilities as staff and is an important part of our work. We will prioritise time for this strategically and in capacity planning.

The main obligations as a peer are to meet your peer monthly and to look out for them in between.

There are some specific things you need to do at each monthly meeting and at a separate meeting with your peer that will happen around the end of each strategy cycle. More details on this can be found below.

In terms of how to use your peer - they are your first port of call when it comes to difficulties: overwork, stress, conflict etc. However, in the case of illness or sick leave or a situation where you feel unable to talk to your peer, contact the people circle directly.

Other details:

• Peers are rotated every 6 months

• Peers are assigned by the people circle based on a) who hasn’t been matched together before b) matching people on relatively similar hours

• Peer relationships are mutual (i.e. you are each other’s peer mentors) In your probation period the peer system goes one way - you will get a peer but you won’t peer anyone

• The people circle will monitor that peers are meeting and give prompts to encourage people to meet and carry out quarterly goal setting sessions.

• We have been trained in the GROW approach to coaching and use this, where appropriate, in our peer to peer sessions to support our peers. Details in the coaching guide.

Your responsibilities as a peer mentor:

1) Meet your peer min. monthly

• Agree with your peer how often you will meet (minimum monthly but could be more regular)

• Set up regular meeting times and meet with your peer as agreed

2) Record the meetings in 2 ways

• Record that you have booked the meeting by booking it in the public Bristol Cable google calendar. The people circle will look over the calendar to check that you have the meetings booked in.

• After you meet, record the meeting through the Peer to Peer record form, where you can flag any difficulties that have been mentioned

3) Confidentiality

Apart from what is fed back to the people circle (which will be kept in confidence) keep the rest of your conversation with your peer confidential, unless you explicitly ask them if you can share / pass on something they’ve said

4) Try to meet up outside face to face and outside the office if possible

There is budget for you to buy teas / coffees / refreshments on the Cable!

5) Look out for your peer in between meetings

• Have a cup of tea or say hello on slack and ask they how they’re doing each week

• If they seem stressed or upset in a check-in, approach them

• If you hear anything else about their wellbeing that causes them concern then be proactive about reaching out to them

• Celebrate their successes with them if you hear about something they’ve done well or been involved in

• Escalate to (i.e. get in contact with) the people circle if you need support or if your peer lets you know they are: - Overworked - Stressed - Need support - Struggling - In conflict with a colleague

6) Hold a goal-setting session with your peer each quarter, at the beginning of the strategy cycle [we will guide you through this at the end of the strategy cycle]

See checklist further down below for a full list of what to cover

• Organise an extended meeting or meetings each quarter (2 x one hour meetings or a two hour meeting).

• Record this meeting using this separate form, rather than the usual peer-to-peer form.

• Support your peer to fill out a personal goals template, setting goals for the next quarter

• These goals can be shared with other members of the team or kept private

• Ask your peer if they want to keep their goals private from the rest of the team, and if so respect their confidentiality

• Identify training needs with your peer as part of the conversation on goals. Make a record of what training needs have been identified when you fill out the form.

• Look over your peer’s capacity plans with them and work with them to reduce capacity to 80% for the forthcoming six weeks. If necessary offer to approach the development circle or support them to approach the development circle if their capacity is looking overstretched.

Feedback system for the peer to peer scheme:

• Make space for a 5 minute check out at the end of each peer to peer meeting where you can offer constructive feedback on what was helpful and not helpful in relation to your aims as a peer

• Each quarter, you may wish to hold a retrospective on your peer relationship so far

• The people circle will initiate opportunities to reflect and feedback on how the relationship and scheme is working so far

• If you are having difficulties with your peer, or the pairing is not proving supportive, please contact the people circle directly.

Things that can contribute to great peer-to-peer meetings:

• Clear meeting times

• Google cal so you both have a record

• Make the length clear if you have to leave (~30 mins each is a good minimum?)

• Clear changes between whose ‘turn’ it is to be coached/supported and to coach/support

• Make them one-on-one, and in person (where possible)

• When you’re in the supporting role, listen more than you talk

• Ask how you can support before suggesting a solution

• Clear outcomes

• Agree who will keep a record of any action points or things to remember for you/your peer

• You could agree to send a summary of action points/ goals/ things to check in on later (no pressure)

Opening up a new peer-to-peer relationship

In addition to above, you could ask what are your expectations for being mentored by your peer, how do you think it might support you?

• How have you found working with teams like this in the past?

• What has it been like for you to engage on the technology platforms for communication? And to take part in sociocratic decision making?

• Are you feeling comfortable about your place in this group / org / team?

• Is there anything you’re worried about?

Safety and Communication

Peers aren’t counsellors but they can support their listened-to peers to talk through challenging feelings, about anything they feel comfortable with. Talk with your peer to identify how confidential the things they share with you are. In small orgs it’s easy for a harsh comment to travel around a group even though it was part of a normal venting process that was never meant to be passed on.

TOP TIP

If you notice your coachee is waiting for you to ask the next question, then you have

control of the baton and thereby control of the exchange. You will be doing most of the

work and the coachee will be passive. Ideally, the coachee should have the baton and be actively doing most of the work. Give it back

THE GROW COACHING MODEL

Further Reading

Folder of resoureces

COACHING SKILLS FOR LEADERSHIP manual.pdf

Some slides from the video that is here

So turning:

In to:

1. Introduction

1.1: This policy sets out the parameters within which The Bristol Cable employees can consider working flexibly, and the process for making a flexible working request.

1.2: The Bristol Cable believes that flexible working arrangements can benefit both employees and the organisation. It can also support us in our important roles outside paid work such as carers and parents.

This policy has been written to explain the process which we will use to respond to requests by staff to vary their hours, pattern or place of work. The organisation is committed to agreeing any flexible working arrangements, provided that the law and the needs and objectives of both the organisation and the employee can be met.

1.3: It is The Bristol Cable’s policy to encourage open discussion with employees. Employees who think they may benefit from flexible working are encouraged to contact the People Circle to arrange an informal discussion about the options.

All staff have the right to request flexible working. These requests will be handled fairly, free from discrimination, and that employees will not be treated detrimentally because they have asked for flexible working arrangements.

1.5: Exceptional circumstances (e.g. a pandemic) may mean that The Bristol Cable staff are required, or requested, to change working arrangements temporarily. In such instances, changes will be ratified by the co-ordinators and where relevant by the Board of directors and outlined in additional policy documents and agreements. Any proposed changes that may impact on the agreed annual budget must be approved by the Resources Circle.

1.6: An informal arrangement may be preferable for minor or short-term changes to working patterns. To do this, employees should contact the People Circle to discuss. If such a change is agreed, it is the responsibility of employees to communicate their informal arrangements to colleagues where relevant.

1.7: The remainder of this policy is concerned with making a flexible working request for a permanent change to contractual hours of work. This policy does not cover requests to increase hours.

1.8: This policy is not contractually binding. The Bristol Cable reserves the right to change the policy whenever necessary.

2. What is flexible working?

2. 1: Flexible working is any type of working arrangement that gives some degree of flexibility on how long, where and when an employee works.

2. 2: The following flexible working options are considered to be the typical arrangements that employees will request but the organisation recognises that there may be alternatives or a combination of options which are suitable to both the organisation and the employee:

• Compressed hours: where an employee works their usual full-time hours in fewer days by working longer blocks meaning that there is no reduction in their pay. For example, a five-day week is compressed into four days, or a 10-day fortnight into nine days.

• Flexitime: allows an employee to choose, within The Bristol Cable’s core hours, which are 10am - 4pm, and must work an agreed number of hours during the accounting period of four weeks. It is the responsibility of the employee to record their own hours.

• Remote working is similar to home working in that it refers to when an employee regularly carries out all, or part, of their duties offsite rather than from the employer’s premises. This could include working from a co-working space, a cafe, or temporary accommodation. Like with home working, if an employee chooses to work remotely on an ad hoc or regular basis, it is their responsibility to ensure the remote working environment is adequate and conducive to productive working.

• Job-sharing: is an arrangement where a full-time post is divided into two part-time roles. The two job holders then share their posts’ overall duties and responsibilities. Their skills and the hours each employee wishes to work must be compatible, and meet the needs of the organisation. Pay and benefits are shared in proportion to the hours each works. Job sharing can be considered where the creation of a single part-time post is difficult, or where two individuals wish to work part-time.

• Part-time working covers any arrangement where an employee is contracted to work anything less than full-time hours, i.e. 37.5 hours per week at the Cable, for the type of work in question, for example an employee who works only Monday to Wednesday. The organisation believes that all full-time posts will be available on a part-time basis, except where a critical examination by the staff team proves this to be impracticable. The suitability of posts for part-time working will be stated in any internal or external advertisements.

• Annualised hours: Contractual working hours are calculated as the total number of hours to be worked over the year, allowing flexible working patterns to be worked throughout the year.

• Short term changes: You may request an informal change for a short period, for instance to pursue a short course of study, before reverting back to your previous conditions.

3. Entitlement

3.1 You have a statutory right to request a change to your working hours every 12 months. However you can still ask even without the statutory right. We’ll try to accommodate changes where possible.

4. The needs of the organisation

4. 1: The organisation is committed to providing a range of appropriate working patterns. However employees need to recognise that not all flexible working options will be appropriate for all roles.

4. 2: Where a flexible working arrangement is proposed, the organisation will need to take into account a number of criteria including (but not limited to) the following:

• Costs associated with the proposed arrangement

• Availability of staff resources

• Effect of the proposed arrangement on other staff

• Need for, and effect on, peer supervision

• Existing structure of the team or organisation

• Details of the tasks specific to the role

• Workload of the role

• Whether it is a request for a reasonable adjustment related to a disability

• Health and safety issues, such as lone working.

5. How to make a request

5. 1: If you’re thinking of making a request, you’re encouraged to chat to a member of the People Circle in order to anticipate any issues in terms of the needs of the organisation.

Formally making the request

5.2: You can then write to the People Circle Lead making your request. Please include:

1. The date of the request

2. The changes that you are seeking to your terms and conditions

3. The date you want the proposed change to come into effect

4. What effect the employee thinks the proposed change will have on The Bristol Cable

5. How in your view such effect could be dealt with

6. Whether this is a statutory request

7. Whether previous requests for flexible working have been made, and the dates.

5.3: If writing such a request is a barrier, you can discuss your request in a meeting with the People Circle Lead and they can write it up on your behalf. Just confirm with them that you are formally making a request.

6. Flexible working meeting

6.1: If the change can be agreed without a meeting, the decision can be made and an email will be sent to confirm.

6.2: Once they’ve got your request, the People Circle will arrange a meeting to discuss your request. This should be within 28 days unless agreed otherwise.

6.3: You have a right to be accompanied at the meeting by a colleague or trade union representative if you want.

7. Responding to a flexible working request

7.1: The People Circle will consider the proposed flexible working arrangements, looking at the potential benefits and adverse effects, both to the employee and to the Co-op.

7.2: Each request will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Agreeing to one request will not set a precedent for another employee to be granted a similar change to their working pattern.

7.3: There are some legally acceptable reasons that Cable can reject a request:

• the burden of additional costs to the organisation;

• an inability to reorganise work among existing staff;

• an inability to recruit additional staff;

• a detrimental impact on quality;

• a detrimental impact on performance;

• a detrimental effect on ability to meet customer demand;

• insufficient work for the periods the employee proposes to work; and

• a planned structural change to the business.

7.4: The request may be granted in full, in part or refused. The organisation may propose a modified version of the proposed arrangement, the request may be granted on a temporary basis, or the employee may be offered the flexible working arrangement for a trial period.

7.5: A member of the People Circle and/or your Circle Lead may contact you to discuss other options or compromises before coming to a decision.

7.6: If your request is turned down then we’ll explain why. The outcome of the meeting will also be sent to you in writing.

8. Trial period

8.1: If a flexible working arrangement is agreed in principle, it may be subject to a trial period, with a commitment to review at the end. The length of the trial may depend on the type of change and can be determined by mutual agreement.

8.2: This can also give the opportunity to try different solutions for managing any difficulties posed by the new arrangement.

8.3: Trial periods will normally last between two and six months, during which time

• we will monitor how the arrangement is working out and discuss this with you

• we will make a final decision towards the end of the trial period, unless the arrangement is clearly not working, in which case it may be necessary to end the trial period early.

• your terms and conditions of employment will change on a temporary basis.

9. Right to appeal decision

9.1 You have the right to appeal the decision on your flexible working request if their request is refused or is agreed only in part.

The appeal must be made within 14 days of receiving the decision and must clearly state the grounds of appeal. The appeal will be responded to by another member of the People Circle or the Board.

10. Varying an employee’s contract

10.1: Any change in your hours or pattern of work will normally be a permanent change to your contractual terms and conditions. This means that you will not automatically be able to revert back to the previous working pattern (unless otherwise agreed). So, for example, if your new flexible working pattern involves working reduced hours, you will not automatically be able to revert to working full time hours.

10.2: Changes to your working pattern may affect other terms and conditions of employment. For example, reducing your hours of work will mean that your pay and leave will be pro-rated accordingly. Your pension may also be affected.

10.3: Any formal changes to your terms and conditions as a result of a change to your working pattern will be confirmed in your decision letter and a new contract of employment will be sent to you within 28 days of the changes being confirmed.

10.4: However if you have further queries about how a proposed change to your pattern of work might affect your terms and conditions please speak to the People Circle Lead.

10.5: Where a trial period has been arranged the organisation will provide you with a document that details their new working pattern and makes clear that it is only a temporary variation to the terms of your contract. You will be informed in writing of the start and end dates of the trial period (although the organisation may reduce or lengthen the trial period where necessary with the agreement of the employee). The organisation reserves the right, at the end of the agreed trial period, to require the employee to revert to their previous working arrangement and contract.

11. Complaints and further information

11.1 The Cable is strongly opposed to any form of victimisation of individuals who work, or request to work, with flexible working arrangements.

11.2 If an employee thinks that they have been treated unfairly or are dissatisfied with any stage of the process, they should raise their concerns with the People Circle; or with a member of the Board of Directors if the concern relates to the actions of the People Circle.

11.3 If informal discussions do not resolve the matter to an employee's satisfaction, they should raise a grievance under the organisation's grievance procedure.

Authorisation and revisions

Created March 2018

Revised by: Hannah Vickers and Julia Beasley, May 2021

Authorised by Coordinators: August 2021

Authorised by Directors: September 2021

Draft updated by Cait Crosse: October 2023, Maya Kaufman: Jan 2024

Authorised by Directors: March 2024

Authorised by Coordinators: April 2024

Policies should be reviewed every 2 years, unless:

• We approve a proposal that changes the policy

• There’s a change to the organisation that will change the policy

• There’s a change in the law that affects the policy.

Archived policy here

Principles and Purpose

The Bristol Cable (in the following: Cable) aims to ensure legal compliance, financial solvency, and operational reliability by maintaining transparent, accountable and sustainable finance procedures. This policy aims to set out these procedures and the responsibilities of those involved in financial management.

Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of all co-ordinators to:

• Participate in decision making regarding budget and spend;

• Utilise the budget allocated to the circle they are leading in a responsible manner over the course of the financial year; including:

• • doing reasonable research to find the best value for money

  • spending ethically if possible

• To liaise with the Workplace Co-ordinator about spending in a proactive manner;

• Submit all expenses in line with the procedure outlined below;

• Check (against our invoice template and agreed fee) and forward invoices from freelancers to the finance inbox ([email protected]) for the attention of the Workplace Co-ordinator;

• Follow all financial procedures.

It is the responsibility of the Workplace Co-ordinator (see Role Brief here) to:

• Ensure all aspects of our financial administration (including banking administration and managing the finance inbox of the Cable) are well managed.

• Monitor spending and budget variance, support other co-ordinators with budget management and finances and liaise with Circle leads about over/underspending in their budget areas.

• Work closely with the Cable’s accountant and bookkeeper to ensure invoices and expenses are processed, queries answered, and payroll is up-to-date.

• With the Cable’s accountant and bookkeeper ensure the timely production of the annual accounts.

• Submit the signed annual accounts to the FCA.

• Prepare finance reports for every second team meeting.

• Prepare quarterly accounts reports for the Directors’ meeting.

• Liaise with the co-ordinator team to organise budgeting and strategise medium/long term financial planning.

• Develop and manage organisational and grant budgets, support funding and grant finance reports.

It is the responsibility of the Cable’s accountant to:

• Check for incoming invoices on a regular basis; process all purchase invoices using Xero (accounting system) and keep orderly and accurate records of all financial transactions.

• Ensure outgoing payments are scheduled and paid in good time, and that Accounts Payable are in good order.

• Import and reconcile bank account transactions using Xero, and ensure all payments are documented and accounted for.

• Maintain credit control: keep track of incoming payments and follow up overdue Accounts Receivable.

• Ensure the Chart of Accounts is fit for purpose and in good order.

• Coordinate with the Workplace Co-ordinator and bookkeeper for the production of annual accounts.

• Process and file payroll, pay salaries and HMRC on time, and process pension information.

It is the responsibility of the Cable’s bookkeeper to:

• Prepare and finalise the annual accounts with the support of the Workplace Co-ordinator and the accountant.

It is the responsibility of the Board of Directors to:

• To agree and sign off the annual accounts

• Oversee, scrutinise and sign off the budget

• Appoint a Treasurer and assume responsibility for sign off and signature of accounts.

It is the responsibility of the Treasurer to:

• Make sure that it operates within the legal and financial guidelines set out in current legislation and its own financial procedures.

• Monitor the finances and make sure the co-op keeps proper financial records.

• Make sure the board have all the information they need to make decisions on financial matters.

• Review the co-op’s bookkeeping and financial controls and procedures with the Workplace Co-cordinator.

• Ensure that investments, grants and other funds received for specific purposes are appropriately spent.

• Ensure that the organisation's reserves policy is maintained.

• Work with and support the Workplace Co-ordinator to create annual budgets & financial forecasts.

• Ensure that sound financial advice is provided to the Board of Trustees particularly in relation to long term planning and the production of business plans.

• Ensure preparation and disclosure of accounts as required by statutory bodies and by funders.