Employment Terms, Pay, Timekeeping & Retention Policy Templates
This suite of Employment Terms, Pay, Timekeeping and Retention Policies gives UK employers a clear, consistent framework for managing working arrangements, reward, attendance and staff retention. Designed for inclusion in a Staff Handbook or HR policy pack, these templates support legal compliance, transparency and employee engagement. All these templates have been drafted and maintained up-to-date by experienced HR Professionals and solicitors.
The Zero Hours Policy explains how zero-hours arrangements operate in your organisation. It defines zero-hours roles, how work is offered and accepted, expectations on availability, cancellation of shifts, timesheets, holiday and other statutory rights. This policy helps manage a flexible workforce fairly and consistently, while evidencing compliance with employment law and avoiding exploitation risks.
Download with this policy template the Zero Hours Contract.
The Notice Periods Policy sets out how notice works when employment ends, whether by resignation, dismissal, redundancy or retirement. It explains statutory and contractual notice, working or waiving notice, garden leave, pay in lieu of notice (PILON), treatment of holiday, and return of company property. This brings clarity to a sensitive stage of the employment relationship and reduces disputes over final pay.
The Remuneration Policy provides a transparent statement of how pay is set, reviewed and managed. It covers equality and non-discrimination, National Minimum Wage/National Living Wage compliance, pay structure, salary review processes, pay dates, overtime, bonuses (if applicable), and how overpayments or deductions are handled. It supports fair, consistent and legally compliant reward practices.
The Timekeeping Policy defines expectations around punctuality and attendance. It explains start and finish times, breaks, reporting procedures for lateness or unexpected absence, and how attendance is recorded (for example signing-in, clocking-in or electronic systems). It also sets out how persistent poor timekeeping will be addressed, usually via informal counselling and, if needed, disciplinary procedures.
The Severe Weather and Disruption to Public Transport Policy explains what employees should do when travel is affected by events such as snow, storms, floods, rail strikes or major road closures. It balances health and safety with operational needs, setting out reporting requirements, options to work from home, make up time, use holiday, or take unpaid leave, and how pay will be treated in different scenarios.
The Fair Allocation of Tips Policy describes how qualifying tips, gratuities and service charges are collected, allocated and paid under the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023. It explains the method used to share tips, factors considered (such as role, hours worked and performance), payment timescales, record keeping and workers’ rights to request tipping records, promoting fairness and transparency.
The Staff Retention Policy sets out the organisation’s approach to keeping valued employees. It covers recruitment, onboarding, training and development, performance management, recognition, flexible working, communication, and the use of staff surveys and exit interviews to improve retention strategy.
Used together, these policies create an integrated, searchable framework for managing employment terms, pay, timekeeping and retention, supporting consistent decision-making, stronger employee relations and reduced legal risk.
Employment Terms, Pay, Timekeeping & Retention Policy Templates is part of Employment. Just £38.50 + VAT provides unlimited downloads from Employment for 1 year.
Frequently Asked Questions
We use zero-hours workers and want a written policy to show how we manage shifts, availability and their rights. Which template covers this? +
The Zero Hours Policy is the template for this. It defines how zero-hours roles work in your organisation, how work is offered and accepted, expectations around availability, shift cancellation, timesheets and holiday. Zero-hours workers are entitled to statutory annual leave and the National Minimum Wage, and you cannot prevent them from working elsewhere. The policy helps you manage a flexible workforce consistently, evidence fair treatment and reduce exploitation risks. Download it alongside the companion Zero Hours Contract.
An employee is leaving and I am unsure what notice we both have to give. Is there a policy template that sets this out? +
Notice depends on contractual and statutory minimums, with the contract able to provide longer notice than the statutory minimum but never shorter: the Notice Periods Policy sets this out. Under the Employment Rights Act 1996 (section 86), an employer must give one week for one month to two years' service, rising by one week per year up to twelve weeks; employees must give at least one week once employed for one month. The policy also covers garden leave, pay in lieu of notice (PILON), holiday during notice and return of company property, reducing disputes at the end of employment.
I want to document how pay is set, reviewed and managed fairly across the business. Which template should I use? +
To document how pay is structured, reviewed and managed fairly, use the Remuneration Policy. It provides a transparent statement covering pay structure, when and how salaries are reviewed, pay dates, overtime, bonuses (if applicable) and how overpayments or unauthorised deductions are handled. It addresses equality and non-discrimination in pay and confirms compliance with the National Living Wage (currently £12.71 per hour for workers aged 21 and over from 1 April 2026) and National Minimum Wage. A written policy supports consistent, legally compliant pay practices and reduces the risk of equal-pay and unlawful-deduction claims.
Staff are regularly late or absent without warning. What policy can I put in place to set clear expectations and address persistent poor timekeeping? +
The Timekeeping Policy is the right template. It defines start and finish times, break entitlements, how attendance is recorded (for example by sign-in, clocking-in or electronic systems) and what employees must do if they are late or unexpectedly absent. Crucially, it sets out how persistent poor timekeeping will be addressed, starting with informal counselling and escalating to the disciplinary procedure if the problem continues. A clear written policy makes it easier to apply attendance standards consistently and defend any disciplinary outcome.
Heavy snow or a rail strike is stopping some staff getting to work. What should our policy say about pay and options in those situations? +
Use the Severe Weather and Disruption to Public Transport Policy. Where the workplace stays open but an employee cannot travel, there is no general statutory obligation to pay them unless their contract says otherwise or the employer closes the workplace, in which case normal pay is owed. The policy sets reporting requirements and options including working from home, making up time, taking annual leave or unpaid absence, and how pay is treated in each scenario. A clear written policy prevents disputes, sets consistent expectations and balances duty of care with operational needs.
We take card tips and service charges from customers. Do we legally have to pass these on to staff, and do we need a written policy? +
Yes, on the facts you describe. Card tips and service charges you take from customers are 'qualifying tips' the employer has control over, so the Act applies to them. The Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023, fully in force on 1 October 2024, requires employers to allocate qualifying tips, gratuities and service charges to workers in full without deductions (other than tax). The duties apply only to tips the employer receives or has control or significant influence over, so any tips that go directly to the worker with no employer control fall outside the Act. Where qualifying tips are received at a place of business on more than an occasional and exceptional basis, you must have a written tips policy available to all workers, including agency workers. Workers can request their tipping records and bring an employment tribunal claim if you fail to comply. The Fair Allocation of Tips Policy template provides the required policy, covering how tips are shared, the factors considered, payment timescales and record-keeping.
We are losing good people and want to put a formal strategy in place to improve retention. Is there a policy template for this? +
The Staff Retention Policy is the template for this. It sets out the organisation's approach across the full employment lifecycle: recruitment, onboarding, training and development, performance management, recognition, flexible working and internal communication. It also covers practical tools such as staff surveys and exit interviews to identify why people leave and improve the retention strategy over time. Unlike many of the other policies in this suite, the Staff Retention Policy does not create statutory obligations but provides a structured framework for better employee relations and reduced turnover.
