How to write your own employee contract -Part 3

Welcome to part three of what you need to include in your ‘Employee Contract’. By following these steps, it will ensure that your employees know the rules and regulations that they need to follow when working for your company and will make your business easier to run.

We definitely recommend that you check out part one

and part two if you haven’t already. This is a 4 part video series and all the videos flow together.

Today we'll be discussing confidential information, data protection, company property, and the right to search.

So let dive in.

1. Confidential Information.

You want to protect your business, so you don’t want someone coming in as a trainee, being trained and then going to another company and saying this is how we were trained – this information is confidential. You also don’t want your employees sharing your customer's information with other cleaning companies or any of your documents or invoices – anything relating to your company basically. This stands whether they are an employee or an ex-employee. It is not uncommon for someone to join a company to find information and then leave, so you need to be aware and ensure that your employees are aware too.

You also need to ensure that your employees understand that if they are aware that another employee is doing this or think they might be then they MUST report it to you. All contracts and business paperwork must also be returned when they cease their employment with you.

 Do you want more customers for your cleaning business?

 2. Data Protection

This is very similar to ‘confidential information’ and your employees understanding that they cannot share, sell, give information from the business to any other person or organisation. They need to understand that all the information you have, which will likely include addresses, phone numbers, alarm codes etc. is very sensitive data and needs to be protected for your customers. You will have all this information stored on your computer and your employees need to know that this information is protected by a data law.

You also need to consider it from another point of view for your employees – if you have their information on your system, for example, health issues, criminal record data, etc. any staff that come in contact with this need to know that this is personal data and they cannot discuss or share it with anyone.

 3. Company Property

When an employee initially starts working for your company you will supply them with the standard cleaning materials and tools, such as cleaning products, a vacuum cleaner, mop and bucket, etc. They must understand that they need to use the products sparingly and look after them and return them in working order. Your company owns the products and if a cleaner takes a perfectly good vacuum and then brings it back and its damaged this is not acceptable and there will be a cost to them.

 Do you want more customers for your cleaning business?

 4. The Right to Search.

Why do I need to state the right to search in my employee contract?

This is quite simply to protect your business if a customer makes a complaint about something going missing and suspects the cleaner of taking it. The easiest way to resolve a situation like this is to simply search the employee. Hopefully, they won’t have taken anything, but rarely if someone has taken something they are very unlikely to admit to it, so you need to be able to search to conclude one way or another and resolve the issue for your customer. The right to search also applies to their vehicle.

If you ever have to do a search we recommend having a witness present to ensure yourself and your employee are protected. If an employee declines to be searched (this isn’t a good sign) you can hold them at the premises and seek the advice of police, however, if you have stated in their contract that you have the right to search this will mean it is hopefully not a shock to them.

Next week we will have part four in what to include in your employee contract and if you haven't already, remember part one and part two have already been posted.

That's it for this week guys.

I will see you next week. Same place, same time

With love,

Ilze xx