Toxic Work Environment - Intermediary Communicourt Employee Review

Thank you for providing feedback and suggestions, which have all been acknowledged. Just to raise a few points in response: HR - Our HR email address is now monitored by our Chief of Staff (who is the only member of the company with access to the account). It is normal practice for an internal staff member to have access to HR matters, as this allows them to take necessary measures (e.g., arranging sabbaticals, reasonable workplace adjustments or maternity leave). The account is now also externally moderated by the RCI Group, to ensure all HR matters are handled appropriately. Allocation of work - We have made many changes over the past six months to address issues with work allocation. This includes appointing a new Chief of Staff and hiring a new Service Delivery Manager to oversee bookings and operations. We are more closely monitoring of hours in order to allocate Rest Days (effectively ringfenced days off), when colleagues have had a busy period and found they are exceeding the 40 hours per week. This is to ensure intermediaries have the opportunity to rest and recharge, and don’t exceed their annual hours. It’s also important to bear in mind that that, while there are busy periods, there are also often weeks when the calendar is quieter and you will work far less than 40 hours. How you manage your time in quieter periods is up to you (as long as you have completed any urgent tasks). For example, if you had a long week the week prior, but are assigned to a morning hearing locally the next Wednesday, you are free to relax that afternoon. Sick pay - We offer Statutory Sick Pay (for the duration of sick leave - £109.40 per week), plus occupational sick pay of (50% of your current salary) for the first 10 working days of sickness (up to a maximum of 20 working days in a 12-month period). Travel - The intermediary role does require a lot of travel. Some team members enjoy this element of the job, but it is certainly not for everyone. While some weeks you may do a great deal of travel, in other weeks, you may have blank days or remote assessments / hearings which allow you to work from home. The amount of travel you will do is also somewhat dependent on where you are based. For example, intermediaries based in London often undertake less travel overall, as there is more local demand for intermediary services. All travel time you undertake is logged as part of your working hours. All travel expenses are paid using your company card. There are also subsidies for food and drink when you are away from home for 5+ hours. When you are required to stay overnight (which averages two night per month across the company), a £25 overnight Disturbance Payment is now added to your payslip and you are entitled to £26 (in addition to your daily food subsidies) for your evening meal. Mental Health - Supporting staff wellbeing is our biggest priority for 2024. We absolutely acknowledge that this is an emotionally demanding role and we take mental health extremely seriously. We are working hard to provide ever-better support for our employees. This includes a new internal wellbeing hub which ensures our staff have easy access to all available resources to support their mental, physical and financial wellbeing. Some of our long-standing resources which are now more accessible include (among other things) a confidential telephone counselling service, access to internal Mental Health First Aiders, Paycare cover for a range of health expenses (including dental care, eye care, screenings and alternative therapies) and a 24/7 remote GP service.