SECTION A SECTION B SECTION C SECTION D SECTION E

Employee Handbook 2016

GREAT BRITAIN

SEPTEMBER 2016

CONTENTS A-Z INDEX STAFF HANDBOOK 1

 SECTION A SECTION B
CONTENTS
SECTION A – INTRODUCTION
1. Welcome to Primark 5
2. Company Background 5
3. About Your Handbook 6
SECTION B – TERMS AND
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
1. Commencement of Employment 8
2. Changes in Personal Details 8
3. Contract of Employment 8
• Explanation
• Amendments
4. Right to Work 8
5. References 9
6. Probationary Period 9
7. Working Hours 9
• Hours of Work
• Time and Attendance
• Breaks
• Overtime
• Employment
• Children and Young Persons
8. Pay Arrangements 10
• Method of Payment
• Overtime
• Payslip
• Deductions
9. Holidays 11
• Annual Leave
• Public Holidays
CONTENTS A-Z INDEX
SECTION C SECTION D SECTION E
SECTION C – POLICIES AND • Purpose and Scope
PROCEDURES – PEOPLE & CULTURE • Introduction
• What is Malpractice?
1. Training Policy 13
• Your Protection and Confidence
2. Sickness and Absence Policy 13
• Personal Data
• Notification
• Statutory Sick Pay
• How to Raise Concerns
• Company Sick Pay
• What Will Happen Next?
• Summary
• Return to Work
• Alternative Internal Contact Details
• Medical Examination
10. Security Policy 28
• Long-term Absence
• CCTV
3. Substance Abuse Policy 15
• Lockers
4. Notice Periods 15
• Right of Search
5. Grievance Procedure 16
• Confidentiality
6. Disciplinary Procedure 16
• Suspicious Behaviour
• Purpose
• Company Property
• Principles
11. Anti-Fraud Policy 29
• The Procedure
• Definition
• Unsatisfactory Performance or Misconduct
• Policy
• Gross Misconduct
12 Bribery and Corruption 29
• Appeals
13. Maternity Policy 31
7. Dignity and Respect at Work Policy and • Antenatal Appointments
Procedures 20 • Maternity Pay
• Introduction • Whilst on Maternity Leave
• Legislation • Returning to Work
• Harassment Policy • General
• Types of Harassment 14. Paternity Policy 34
• Harassment Complaints Procedure • Notification
8. Equal Opportunities Policy 24 • Antenatal Appointments
9. Whistleblowing Policy 24 • Paternity Leave and Pay
STAFF HANDBOOK 2
 SECTION A SECTION B SECTION C SECTION D SECTION E

15. Flexible Working Policy 34 SECTION D – POLICIES AND SECTION E – GENERAL

• Eligibility PROCEDURES – OPERATIONS INFORMATION
• Application Procedure
1. Health and Safety at Work 44 1. Communication 52
16. Childcare Vouchers 35
• Health and Safety Policy Statement 2. Customer promise 52
17. Ordinary Parental Leave Policy 36 3. Primark Jargon 52
• Environmental Policy Statement
• Eligibility
• Evacuation Procedures
• Abuse of Leave A-Z INDEX 54
• Smoking
• Notification to Company
• First Aid ACCEPTANCE OF STAFF HANDBOOK 55
• Postponement by the Company
• Manual Handling
• Return to Work
• Accident Reporting
18. Shared Parental Leave Policy 37
• Reporting of Infectious Illnesses
19. Dependants’ Leave 39
2. Staff Purchase Procedure 46
• Entitlement to Time Off for Dependents
3. Lost Property 46
• Notification to Company
4. Telephone Calls/Mobile Phones 46
• Maintenance of Employment Rights
5. Information Security Policy 46
• Abuse of Leave
• Information Security
20. Compassionate Leave 39
• Acceptable Use of E-Mail
21. Career Break Policy 40
• Unacceptable Use of E-Mail
22. Grooming and Appearance 40
• Acceptable Use of the Internet
23. Trade Union Membership 41
• Unacceptable Use of the Internet
24. Pension 41
6. Social Networking Policy 49
25. Jury Service 41
• General
26. Data Protection 41
• Personal Use of the Internet
• Personal Conduct
• Security and Identity Theft
• Monitoring
• Disciplinary Action

CONTENTS A-Z INDEX STAFF HANDBOOK 3

SECTION A SECTION B SECTION C SECTION D SECTION E

SECTION A
Introduction

CONTENTS A-Z INDEX STAFF HANDBOOK 4

 SECTION A SECTION B
1. WELCOME TO PRIMARK
You have now joined a company whose core business
is buying, selling and providing customers with up-to-
date fashion at affordable prices. Our culture and ethos
are key to our success. Primark is dynamic, fast paced,
commercial and customer- focused. The business is
driven by people who have an absolute passion for
retail, are enthusiastic, dedicated and committed to
delivering results and excellence in all their activities.
Working for Primark you will enjoy a fast pace, fast
fashion and great opportunities. Primark can offer
you a challenging career in a lively environment where
you can use your skills and experience to motivate
your colleagues, inspire the highest standards and
help create the lively atmosphere that makes Primark
different.
Our success is built by creative, productive employees
who play an essential part in contributing to the
success of Primark and in delivering satisfaction to our
customers.
You should use this handbook as a reference guide as
you pursue your career with Primark. Should you have
any comments or queries regarding the information in
this handbook, please speak to your Manager.
We hope you enjoy working with us and wish you a
long and successful career with Primark.
CONTENTS A-Z INDEX
SECTION C
2. COMPANY BACKGROUND
Primark is a retail fashion group in the value sector and
was first established in Dublin in 1969. It is a subsidiary
of Associated British Foods (ABF) which is a diversified
international food, ingredients and retail group with
global sales and employees in 44 countries.
Since 1969, the Company has expanded rapidly and
Primark now operates in more than 300 stores in
eleven countries: Ireland, Spain, The Netherlands,
Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Austria, France, the UK,
the US and Italy, and employs approximately 60,000
people. Primark’s first US store opened in Boston in
September 2015 and the first store in Italy opened
in April 2016. In September 2015, Primark opened its
redeveloped international headquarters in Arthur Ryan
House, Dublin, with facilities for over 600 staff. Primark
offers high quality commercial fashion at value for
money prices, put simply, “Amazing Fashion, Amazing
Prices”.Primark is successful because it offers:
• Super-competitive prices (the result of technology,
efficient distribution, supply and volume buying)
• Mainstream market product quality
• High Street locations
• Superior store fit
• Clear focus on the target market.
SECTION D SECTION E
ETHICAL TRADE
Primark is a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative
(ETI). This is an alliance of companies, trade unions
and non-profit organisations that aims to promote
respect for the rights of people in factories and farms
worldwide. As a member of ETI, Primark has committed
to monitoring and progressively improving working
conditions in the factories that supply Primark’s
merchandise.
ENVIRONMENT
Primark recognises the impact that the business has
on the environment and all new stores (and 95% of
all stores) have a building management system which
ensures that energy is used efficiently. Primark recycles
almost all the store waste from its UK stores, including
cardboard, plastic and hangers, through a centralised
recycling plant, effectively making its UK distribution
network carbon neutral.
STAFF HANDBOOK 5
 SECTION A SECTION B SECTION C SECTION D SECTION E

PRIMARK.COM Primark Tiendas S.L.

The site has five key areas: 355 Centro Commercial y de Ocio
“Parque Corredor“
1. Features – a fresh feed of new product and Unidad 28/4 – Terrejon De Ardoz
trend stories 28850 Madrid
2. Products – where visitors can browse all Tel 00-34-916-600186
departments and create ‘wish lists’ for when
they visit our stores More information can be found on the Company
3. Primania – an interactive platform for Primark website at www.primark.co.uk
fans to share their outfits with our international
audience and win prizes 3. ABOUT YOUR HANDBOOK
4. Stores – an easy resource to find the nearest This handbook is your guide to working
store, trading times and in store features with Primark Stores Ltd. Its aim is to advise you
5. Our Ethics. of the Company’s policies and procedures and to
provide further information relating to certain terms
Primark’s Administrative Offices are located at: and conditions of your employment.
Primark House
41 West Street Some of the language used in the Handbook
Reading is formal because it is necessary for us to
RG1 1TZ communicate your rights, benefits and privileges in
Tel 00-44-118-9606300 a clear and concise way.

22-24 Arthur Ryan House Further sources of information on policies,

Parnell St procedures and your terms and conditions of
Dublin 1 employment can be found on noticeboards.
Tel: 00-353-1-8880500
If you have any questions regarding any aspect of
your employment, please speak to your Manager.

CONTENTS A-Z INDEX STAFF HANDBOOK 6

SECTION A SECTION B SECTION C SECTION D SECTION E

SECTION B
Terms and Conditions
of Employment

CONTENTS A-Z INDEX STAFF HANDBOOK 7

 SECTION A SECTION B
1. COMMENCEMENT OF When you join us you will be asked to submit your
EMPLOYMENT
Certain documents and information are required on
your first day of employment. These include your bank
details, P45 and National Insurance number.
If you do not have a P45, ask your Manager for an
HMRC Starter Checklist.
The Company’s tax office address is:
HMRC
Kent Area Tax Office
Medvale House, Mote Road, Maidstone ME15 6AE
Tel: 0300 200 3300
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/
Reference number: 577/RP1269
If you do not have a National Insurance number, you
will need to go to the nearest Benefits Agency office
with some proof of identification, to request one.
CONTENTS
SECTION C
information on our people system – My Workday. This
self-service portal allows us to capture all the personal
information we need about our employees and enables
us to hold all employee data in one secure place. My
Workday is a cloud-based platform which means you
can access it at work, at home or via a mobile device
when you are on the move. If you need to access
the system during working hours, this is permitted.
Ask your line manager who will make the necessary
arrangements.
Alongside your other personal information, it is very
important that you submit your bank details to My
Workday. Please make sure that these details are
correct. Wage payments cannot be made without the
provision of bank details and if these are not produced
at induction you will not be permitted to commence
employment.
2. CHANGES IN PERSONAL DETAILS
It is important that you update any changes to your
personal details on the My Workday system – e.g.
whenever you change your residential address, your
marital status or if the name and address of your next
of kin changes.
If you fail to update My Workday with your change of
address, the Company will not be responsible for any
post (e.g. Payslips, P60 etc.) sent to your old address.
A-Z INDEX
SECTION D SECTION E
3. CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT
EXPLANATION
This will be issued to you on the commencement of
your employment. The Contract is signed by both
parties, dated and the daily shift pattern confirmed in
the space provided. The Contract confirms your Terms
and Conditions and also refers to the contents of this
handbook which specifies in detail, every aspect of the
employment guidelines you need to know. Where a
shift pattern, number of hours worked, or job status
is altered from the current Contract, a new updated
Contract will be issued to you by the People & Culture
Department in store or your Line Manager. You should
retain a copy of your contract for safekeeping.
AMENDMENTS
If any changes occur within the Company which affect
you, we will notify you as soon as possible. For example,
some of the details and/or regulations contained in the
handbook may be revised in future to accommodate
changing conditions or legislation. If this occurs, you will
receive reasonable notice.
4. RIGHT TO WORK
You must provide documentary evidence of
your current right to work in the UK; copies of
documentation evidencing your right to work are taken
at interview stage and held in your personnel file during
and after your employment.
STAFF HANDBOOK 8
 SECTION A SECTION B
If you are an overseas student with a student visa,
you are restricted to working no more than 10 or 20
hours per week (depending on your course) during
term time. It is your responsibility to make sure you
adhere to the conditions of your visa. Please note,
you will be required to provide the Company with
an official letter from your education provider to
confirm your term times and exam dates.
If you present identification with an expiry date or
a limit to the duration of employment, then your
employment may be terminated unless satisfactory
evidence can be provided that an application to
extend or remain in the UK has been made and
a positive verification notice is received from the
Home Office following an Employer Checking Service
application.
Failure to provide or maintain acceptable
documentation evidencing your legal right to work in
the UK may result in dismissal with immediate effect.
5. REFERENCES
Any offer of employment made by the Company
to you is subject to the receipt of satisfactory
references. Inability to obtain satisfactory references
may result in the offer of employment being
withdrawn. This applies to all references whether
they are obtained by the Company prior to or during
employment.
CONTENTS A-Z INDEX
SECTION C
References may be requested from any or all of your
previous employers as listed on your application
form. It is important that you disclose all previous
employment.
6. PROBATIONARY PERIOD
Your initial employment is subject to a three-month
probationary period, within which, the Company
reserves the right to terminate your employment at
any time (subject to statutory notice). This period
also allows you to assess your own suitability to the
business. During your probationary period you will
receive reviews with your Line Manager in which your
performance and conduct will be discussed.
7. WORKING HOURS
A) HOURS OF WORK
Your hours of work are as set out in your contract of
employment.
Please make sure you are at your appointed place of
work at the beginning of your shift. If you are late for
work, you should report to your Supervisor or Line
Manager on arrival.
It is not always possible to finish work exactly on time
and you will, therefore, be expected to complete,
within reason, whatever essential duties are required.
SECTION D SECTION E
B) TIME AND ATTENDANCE
You are required personally to clock in and out when
starting and finishing your shift and when going to and
coming from all breaks. Do not clock in until you are
ready to commence your shift, i.e. after you have put
your belongings in the locker room etc. Similarly, you
should clock out immediately when you finish your
shift, i.e. before you go to the locker room, canteen etc.
Abuse of the clocking in/out procedure is considered to
be gross misconduct.
C) BREAKS
Entitlements to breaks will be explained at your
induction. Please note that all breaks are unpaid.
In order to maximise security, safety and service, a well-
planned rota is essential. Such rotas are administered
by Management and are liable to change at any time.
D) OVERTIME
At busy times, and particularly for extra trading
and stocktaking, the Company may require you to
work overtime. You will normally be given advance
notice of such extra hours and you will be expected
to attend when requested. It is important that you
keep Management informed of your up-to-date
availability for extra hours. You should also consult the
noticeboards regularly for rota information.
STAFF HANDBOOK 9
 SECTION A SECTION B SECTION C SECTION D SECTION E

E) SECONDARY EMPLOYMENT If you are aged 16 – 17 (and are not a ‘child’ as defined may collect your payslip on your behalf providing the
above), then you are classed as a ‘young person’ and must person has a signed letter from you, and the People &
If you have a second job or source of income, it only work as follows:
cannot interfere with the efficient and satisfactory • No more than 40 hours per week
Culture Department in store or your Line Manager has
performance of your duties in the store. In order • No more than 5 days a week authorised the collection of the pay slip.
for the Company to comply with the Working Time • No more than 8 hours per day
• Not before 6am The pay slip contains information with regard to your
Regulations, it is necessary for you to provide us
• Not after 10pm Personal Tax and National Insurance details, your
with details of any other employment that you may
current period’s pay calculation and deductions to
be engaged in, at present or at a future date, whilst
still employed by the Company. 8. PAY ARRANGEMENTS date for the current tax year. Once received, the pay
slip should be verified and any queries referred to the
F) CHILDREN AND YOUNG PERSONS A) METHOD OF PAYMENT People & Culture Department in store or your Line
Wages are paid on a four weekly basis directly into your Manager without delay.
If you have turned 16 since the beginning of the
current school year (i.e. 1st September) you are designated bank or building society account.
It is advisable to retain all payslips, P60s and any Tax
classed as a ‘child’ until the end of the current Office or National Insurance documents you may
You will be informed at your induction of the date
school year (i.e. the last Friday in June) and must receive.
of your first payment and the payment schedule
only work as follows:
thereafter.
Your tax code is decided by your Tax Office, not by the
During School Term: During School Holidays: Company. Any queries should be directed to that office
B) OVERTIME
• No more than 12 hours • No more than 35 hours
per week per week Overtime Rates will apply for hours worked in excess of whose address and reference number are on the Store
• No more than 8 hours on • No more than 8 hours normal full time working hours, in any calendar week. Noticeboard and on page 10 of this handbook.
a Saturday per day Monday to
• No more than 2 hours on Saturday
a Sunday • No more than 2 hours on C) PAYSLIP D) DEDUCTIONS
• No more than 2 hours a Sunday The following deductions are made from gross wages
after school • Not before 7am A payslip is issued for each four weekly pay period and
is normally available for collection on the last Friday of – National Insurance, Tax, Union contributions (if
• Not before 7am • Not after 7pm
• Not after 7pm each pay period. It is very important that you collect applicable), Pension contributions (if applicable) and
your pay slip to enable you to check that your payment sickness (if applicable).
is correct.
The Company may, in certain circumstances, make
In cases of illness or absence, a designated person deductions in respect of a reimbursement for an over-
payment of wages.

CONTENTS A-Z INDEX STAFF HANDBOOK 10

 SECTION A SECTION B
9. HOLIDAYS
ANNUAL LEAVE
The holiday year is in line with the Company’s
Financial year (e.g. in 2016/17 it commenced on 18th
September 2016 and ends on 16th September 2017).
Your paid annual leave entitlement is specified in
your contract of employment.
Please note, part-time workers’ holiday pay will be
calculated as 5.6 weeks per year pro-rata or in line
with your contract of employment.
You accrue entitlement to paid annual leave to be
taken in the current year and for the first year of
your employment this will be pro rata depending on
your start date. You start to accrue entitlement to
annual leave from the first day of your employment.
Should you change your contracted days during
the year, then your annual leave entitlement will
be amended accordingly. Annual leave entitlement
for one year may not be carried forward into the
following year, nor can any payment be made in lieu
of annual leave not taken. It is your responsibility
to make sure that you use your annual leave
entitlement in any given holiday year (subject to
the holiday booking procedures outlined below and
booked via My Workday).
Annual leave is normally taken in blocks of one or
two weeks. However, you may use a maximum of
CONTENTS
SECTION C
one week of your entitlement in odd days if required.
Requests for holidays of longer than two weeks must
receive special authorisation – please request in
writing to your Line Manager detailing the reason.
Annual leave is restricted in the months of November
and December. For certain religious festivals, a
limited number of employees, determined according
to the operational needs of the store/department,
will be allowed to take annual leave at this time,
subject to having sufficient holiday entitlement and
on a first come first served basis.
Annual leave must be arranged via the My Workday
Self Service Portal as far in advance as possible. You
should also be aware that it may be necessary to
limit the number of employees taking annual leave
at any one time. In order to avoid disappointment,
you should not make any commitments to holiday
arrangements until the necessary authorisation
has been obtained (which you will receive via My
Workday).
If you fall ill whilst on holiday, the absence will be
recorded as sickness, subject to a medical certificate
and provided that the sickness falls within SSP
regulations. Such sickness must be notified to your
People & Culture Department in store/Line Manager
according to normal procedures, i.e. on the first day
of your absence.
A-Z INDEX
SECTION D SECTION E
If you terminate your employment or your
employment is terminated by the Company, for
whatever reason, your entitlement to accrued
holiday pay shall be in direct proportion to your
length of service in the current holiday year, less any
holidays already paid in that year. Any outstanding
holiday entitlement owed from the current holiday
year will be paid in your final salary. If holidays taken
exceed the leave accrued, your final payment will be
deducted accordingly.
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
There are normally 8 Public holidays as follows:
• New Year’s Day – 1st January
• Good Friday
• Easter Monday
• First Monday in May
• Last Monday in May
• Last Monday in August
• Christmas Day – 25th December
• Boxing Day – 26th December
Note: Different public holiday dates apply in
Scotland.
Weekend employees have a contractual liability to
work on Public holidays.
STAFF HANDBOOK 11
SECTION A SECTION B SECTION C SECTION D SECTION E

SECTION C
Policies and Procedures
– People & Culture

CONTENTS A-Z INDEX STAFF HANDBOOK 12

 SECTION A SECTION B
1. TRAINING POLICY
The Company is committed to a policy of training all
employees to achieve efficiency and effectiveness
and to develop the potential of employees to the
mutual benefit of both themselves and the Company.
To this end it is our aim that:
If you are new to the Company you will receive a
thorough induction. You will undergo a probationary
training period until you achieve a pre-determined
level of efficiency acceptable to the Company.
Prior to or immediately following promotion or
transfer, appropriate training will be given to you.
Training needs will be satisfied by the appropriate
training either on or off the job.
Periodic reviews will be made of our training to
review its continued relevance to the needs of
the business.
Promotions will be made on the basis of ability and
aptitude and will not depend on the length of service.
As part of our commitment to training and
development, we work in partnership with Protocol
Skills to deliver Non Vocational Qualification (NVQ)
programmes in the following four areas:
CONTENTS
SECTION C
• Retail/Customer Service
• Administration
• Team Leading
• Management
2. SICKNESS AND ABSENCE POLICY
A) NOTIFICATION
Should you be unable to attend work, due to illness
or for any other reason, you must personally notify
your Line Manager by calling the Store Absence Line
(the number will be given to you at your induction)
and explaining the reason for your absence no later
than one hour prior to your normal starting time
on the first day of your absence, unless exceptional
circumstances prevent you from doing so. You must
also contact your Line Manager via the Store Absence
Line on a daily basis during your absence (unless you
have provided a medical certificate). Please note that
notification of absence via text messaging, social
media or email will not be accepted.
Failure to follow the procedures regarding absence
notification as outlined above is considered to be
gross misconduct and you may be regarded as having
terminated your employment without notice.
Absence for reasons other than illness or
bereavement is not normally allowed unless agreed
by your Line Manager or People & Culture Manager.
If for a particular reason, you require time off, you
A-Z INDEX
SECTION D SECTION E
may only do so with the agreement of your Line
Manager or People & Culture Manager so that
necessary ‘cover’ can be arranged. Such time off will
be at your own expense. The procedure for antenatal
appointments is explained in the Company Maternity
Policy, which can be found on page 31.
If you are sick for 7 calendar days or less, a Company
self-certification form must be filled in. This form can
be obtained from your Line Manager or People &
Culture Manager and must be submitted within
7 days of returning to work. It is your responsibility
to obtain, complete and submit this self-certification
form within the required time.
If you are sick for 8 calendar days or more a medical
certificate is required. Please submit all medical
certificates in good time and keep in regular
telephone contact with your Line Manager whilst
signed off work. Medical certificates must continue
to be submitted, even if your entitlement to sick pay
has been exhausted.
If you fall ill whilst on holiday, the absence will be
recorded as sickness, subject to a medical certificate
and provided that the sickness falls within SSP
regulations. Such sickness must be notified to your
People & Culture Department in store/Line Manager
according to normal procedures, i.e. on the first day
of your absence.
STAFF HANDBOOK 13
 SECTION A SECTION B
If your self-certification form/medical certificate
is not produced to schedule, your payment may
be affected. Furthermore, if you do not follow the
above absence notification procedure, Company Sick
Pay will not be paid for that period of absence.
Where your attendance falls below a satisfactory
level then an investigation will take place which
may lead to disciplinary action. Attendance
may be deemed unsatisfactory in the following
circumstances:
• 3 or more instances of absence over a 26 week
period
• Your absence % has exceeded average absence
% for the retail industry.
B) STATUTORY SICK PAY (SSP)
For the purposes of sick pay, the financial year runs
from 1st April to 31st March. Your entitlement to SSP
will be in accordance with the legislation currently in
force and will be itemised on your payslip.
You are eligible for SSP provided your earnings are
on or above the lower earnings limit, based on your
average gross pay over the previous 8 weeks. SSP will
be paid for a maximum of 28 weeks for any period of
sickness.
There is no service qualification for SSP eligibility.
CONTENTS
SECTION C
SSP is payable on the fourth consecutive day of a
period of incapacity to work. The first three days are
called waiting days and no payment is due.
If you do not qualify for SSP or if your entitlement
has been used, you will receive an SSP1 form to
enable you to apply for Sickness Benefit from the
Benefits Agency.
C) COMPANY SICK PAY
Eligibility for Company paid sickness is based on your
length of service. This will be explained to you during
your induction.
Company paid sickness means that if you are eligible
and you are away from work through genuine
sickness or injury, the Company may continue to pay
you in accordance with the paid sickness entitlement
explained to you at your induction. If you are absent
from work through sickness at the beginning of the
year (i.e. 1st April), you must return to work for a
continuous period of 8 weeks in order to become
eligible for Company paid sickness for the new year.
There is no pay for the first 3 days of any illness;
sick pay only accrues from the 4th day of absence.
Company Sick Pay is based on contracted hours only.
Each week the Company will deduct the appropriate
rate of SSP or other Government
A-Z INDEX
SECTION D SECTION E
Benefit, even though such benefit may not be
payable, either because you do not qualify or
because your entitlement to it may already have
been used up.
The Company may refuse or terminate your
Company Sick Pay if:
• The absence is attributed to your own
negligence or misconduct
• The absence is not genuinely caused by sickness
or injury
• The absence is caused by an accident or
illness arising out of your pursuit of another or
secondary occupation
• You have not followed the absence notification
procedures outlined in this handbook.
D) RETURN TO WORK
On your return to work, your Manager/Supervisor
will discuss your absence with you in a ‘return to
work’ meeting and you will also be required to
complete a self-certification form for any absences
which are of 1 day or more (if you have not provided
a medical certificate).
E) MEDICAL EXAMINATION
In cases of prolonged or persistent absences due
to sickness or injury, your capability to continue
working may be questioned. In such cases the
STAFF HANDBOOK 14
 SECTION A SECTION B
Company may require additional medical opinion
from its own or an independent adviser.
The Company may require you to undergo a medical
examination or Occupational Health referral at
any time prior to or during your employment. The
results of any such examination will, of course, be
confidential and the Company will meet any cost.
F) LONG-TERM ABSENCE
Please appreciate, that it will not be possible for your
Manager to keep your position open indefinitely
in cases of long-term absence. Your Manager will
contact you before any decision is made concerning
your employment in these circumstances. You can
therefore expect to receive letters and/or phone
calls and a visit at home, on a periodic basis from
a member of Management and/or the People &
Culture Department in store. You may be asked
to submit a medical report from your Doctor/
Specialist or to participate in a telephone or face-
to-face consultation with an Occupational Health
Professional or Doctor/Specialist nominated by the
Company.
Failure to co-operate with the above will be taken
into account in making any decision concerning your
employment.
CONTENTS A-Z INDEX
SECTION C
3. SUBSTANCE ABUSE POLICY
Substance abuse may be defined as ‘the use of
illegal drugs, and the misuse, whether deliberate or
unintentional, of prescribed drugs and substances
such as solvents or alcohol’.
The Company is committed to providing help and
support for any employee who has a substance
abuse problem and seeks help. Substance abuse
can harm the abuser both physically and mentally
and, through the abuser’s actions, other people and
the environment. As a Company we have a moral
and legal responsibility to take measures to combat
substance abuse in the workplace and to protect the
health and safety of our employees.
1. Employees with a substance abuse related
problem are asked to seek help voluntarily
through their People & Culture Department in
store or Line Manager.
2. The Company will endeavour to provide or
arrange the necessary help or advice.
3. All related discussions and subsequent treatment
will be dealt with as confidentially as possible.
4. Any absence for treatment and rehabilitation
taken by employees will be regarded as
normal sickness and, as such, will be covered
by the normal sick pay scheme. The Company
understands that relapses may occur. After
treatment the employee has the right to return
SECTION D SECTION E
to work to the same job or, where this is not
feasible or advisable, the Company will try to
provide suitable alternative employment.
5. Disciplinary action may result if help is refused,
performance is impaired and/or the safety of the
employee or other employees is at risk.
6. Substance dependency will not be accepted as
an excuse for acts of gross misconduct which
must be dealt with through the disciplinary
procedure in the normal way and with due
regard to employment law.
The supply or possession of illegal drugs is a criminal
offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Such
acts on Company premises or whilst on Company
business will be treated as gross misconduct and will
be reported to the police.
4. NOTICE PERIODS
If you decide to leave the Company, you are required
to submit notice in writing to your Line Manager,
as per the terms of your contract of employment.
Failure to submit the required length of notice could
affect your final payment.
If you leave, your final wage payment can only
be authorised if you have returned all Company
property in your possession. Unless property is
returned in good order, the Company may seek
compensation.
STAFF HANDBOOK 15
 SECTION A SECTION B
In cases of dismissal by the Company (other than for
reasons of gross misconduct) the minimum periods
of notice are as follows:
Length of Continuous Service Minimum Notice
Over 4 weeks up to 2 years 1 Week
Over 2 years and under 3 years 2 Weeks
Over 3 years and under 4 years 3 Weeks
Over 4 years and under 5 years 4 Weeks
Over 5 years and under 6 years 5 Weeks
Over 6 years and under 7 years 6 Weeks
Over 7 years and under 8 years 7 Weeks
Over 8 years and under 9 years 8 Weeks
Over 9 years and under 10 years 9 Weeks
Over 10 years and under 11 years 10 Weeks
Over 11 years and under 12 years 11 Weeks
12 years and over 12 Weeks
The Company, at its own discretion, has the right
to dispense with such period of notice by paying a
sum equal to the salary that would be earned by the
employee during the period of notice.
5. GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
It is recognised that grievances can occur in any working
environment and that it is in the mutual interest of
the Company and its employees to have a procedure
whereby any such grievances can be settled at the
lowest possible level, speedily and amicably.
CONTENTS
SECTION C
You are encouraged to discuss complaints of a
minor nature informally with your direct Supervisor/
Line Manager with a view to reaching an amicable
resolution.
In circumstances where the above informal approach
has failed or where the complaint is of a serious
nature then the formal grievance procedure should
be adopted as follows:
• You should submit the grievance in writing
to management. An appropriate member of
management will be designated as responsible
for hearing and responding to the grievance. You
will be notified in writing of a date for a grievance
hearing, which will be arranged in a timely
manner.
• You are entitled to be accompanied by a
representative at all stages of the grievance
procedure.
• You will be invited to explain your grievance and
how you think it should be resolved.
• An appropriate note taker will also be present at
all stages of the grievance procedure.
• A full investigation will be carried out following
the grievance hearing to determine appropriate
action.
• A formal written grievance response will be
issued to you.
• You will be offered the right of appeal.
A-Z INDEX
SECTION D SECTION E
• If you raise a grievance during a disciplinary
process, the disciplinary process may be
temporarily suspended in order to deal with the
grievance. Where the grievance and disciplinary
cases are related it may be appropriate to deal
with both issues concurrently.
6. DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE
PURPOSE
This procedure is designed to help and encourage
all employees to achieve and maintain standards
of conduct, attendance and job performance.
It is the Company’s responsibility to ensure that
disciplinary practices and procedures are effective,
fair, well understood and consistently applied.
Proper procedures are an aid to good management
and should not be viewed primarily as a means
of imposing a disciplinary penalty or necessarily
leading to dismissal.
Where standards of conduct, attendance and job
performance are not met during an employee’s
probationary period, the Company reserves the
right to terminate his/her employment at any time,
subject to statutory notice. As such, the principles
and procedures outlined below may not be applied
in full.
STAFF HANDBOOK 16
 SECTION A SECTION B
PRINCIPLES
1. Counselling will be offered, where appropriate,
to resolve problems prior to instigating the
disciplinary procedure.
2. No disciplinary action will be taken against you
until the case has been fully investigated.
3. At every stage of the procedure you will be advised
of the nature of the complaint against you and will
be given the opportunity to state your case before
any decision is made.
4. You have the right to be accompanied at the
disciplinary meeting.
5. No employee will be dismissed for a first breach of
discipline, except in the case of gross misconduct,
when the penalty may be dismissal without notice
or payment in lieu of notice, or some other action
short of dismissal such as demotion or transfer.
6. You will have the right to appeal against any
discipline imposed.
7. The procedure may be initiated at any stage of the
process if the alleged misconduct warrants such
action.
a) The Investigation
The investigating Manager will gather the facts in order
to clarify what the problem is and gather information.
You will be interviewed and, where necessary,
statements will be obtained from you and from any
witnesses, and information will be gathered from any
appropriate records/documents.
CONTENTS A-Z INDEX
SECTION C SECTION D SECTION E
b) Suspension with Pay • The disciplinary meeting will be conducted by
Where there appears to be serious misconduct, a member of Management not involved in the
or risk to property or other people, a period of investigation.
suspension with pay will be considered while the • A suitable note taker will be appointed to record
case is being investigated. Suspension does not the proceedings.
presume that you are guilty of the offence. It merely • You will also be allowed to ask questions, present
provides Management the opportunity to fully evidence, call witnesses (which should be arranged
investigate and establish the facts. in advance) and be given an opportunity to raise
points about any information provided by the
c) Action witnesses.
Having gathered all the facts, the investigating • The meeting will be adjourned before a decision is
Manager will decide whether to: taken.
• You will be given written details of any disciplinary
1. Take no further action. action and your right to appeal.
2. Arrange counselling or take informal action
such as additional training, coaching and advice.
3. Arrange a disciplinary meeting – this will be
necessary when the matter is considered
serious enough to require disciplinary action.
d) The Disciplinary Meeting
• You will be notified in writing of what is being
alleged and of the right to be accompanied at
the disciplinary meeting, with a minimum of 48
hours’ notice.
• Copies of any relevant statements, records and
documents will be disclosed to you prior to the
disciplinary meeting.
STAFF HANDBOOK 17
 SECTION A SECTION B SECTION C SECTION D SECTION E

STAGES OF THE PROCEDURE Unsatisfactory Misconduct • Use of unauthorised exits.

Unsatisfactory Misconduct Performance • Being of untidy appearance or failing to observe
Performance Stage Final Written Warning: Given if the offence the Company’s Work Wear Policy.
Three is sufficiently serious, or if there is a failure to • Eating or drinking in areas not designated for
Stage Improvement Note: Verbal Warning: improve during the timescale set previously. Will
One Given if performance Given if conduct does set out the performance problem/nature of the that purpose.
does not meet not meet acceptable misconduct, the improvement that is required, • External factors conflicting with either job
acceptable standards. standards. Will set the timescale and any help that may be given. It
Will set out the out the nature of the will also warn that failure to improve may lead to performance and/or the interests of the
performance issue, the misconduct and the dismissal or other sanction.
improvement that is change in behaviour Company.
required, the timescale required. Individual Stage Dismissal or Other Sanction: If the offence is • Indulging in harmful practical jokes or horseplay
and any additional will be informed that a Four sufficiently serious, or if there is still a failure
training that may be written warning may be to improve, the final step in the procedure during working hours, on Company property, or
given. Individual will considered if there is no may be dismissal or some other action short of at Company functions, seminars, etc.
be informed that it sustained satisfactory dismissal such as demotion or transfer. You will
constitutes the first improvement or be provided, as soon as reasonably practicable, • Betting and games of chance on Company
stage of the formal change. with written reasons for dismissal, the date on
which the employment will terminate, and details premises.
procedure. A record
will be kept for a of the right of appeal. The decision to dismiss will • Misuse of Company facilities.
specified period, but be confirmed in writing.
will then be considered
• Breach of Company policy on telephone calls/
spent – subject Note: In cases of theft, it is Company policy to mobile phones.
to achieving and prosecute all employees. • Failure to maintain a safe and tidy workplace.
sustaining satisfactory
performance. • Taking personal belongings into the stockroom
UNSATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE OR or onto the sales-floor (see section relating to
Stage Second Improvement Written Warning: MISCONDUCT Lockers).
Two Note: Given if Given if conduct
performance continues continues to be Some examples of what the Company considers • The use of foul or abusive language.
to be unacceptable. unacceptable. Will set • Conflict of interests (that is, where your
Will set out the out the nature of the to constitute unsatisfactory performance or
performance problem, misconduct and the misconduct are listed below. It should be noted that own interests conflict with our interests as a
the improvement change in behaviour
that is required, the required. Individual this list is not exclusive or exhaustive. Company).
timescale and any will be informed that a • Any breach of Company procedures, rules or
help that may be final written warning • Consistent failure to achieve the required
given. Individual will may be considered if terms and conditions as set out in the handbook
be informed that a there is no sustained standard of work performance. and as outlined in your Contract of Employment.
final written warning improvement.
may be considered if • Poor timekeeping.
there is no sustained • Poor attendance (as defined in the Company
improvement.
absence policy).

CONTENTS A-Z INDEX STAFF HANDBOOK 18

 SECTION A SECTION B
GROSS MISCONDUCT
This is misconduct that is so serious that it may
justify dismissal without notice. Some examples of
what the Company considers gross misconduct are
listed below. It should be noted that this list is not
exclusive or exhaustive. Any other action which the
Company constitutes as being, on a common-sense
interpretation, a serious infringement of normal
commercial practice, will be considered to be gross
misconduct.
• Theft, fraud or collusion with a third party.
• Failure to record a sale through a till.
• Failure to adequately secure or account for cash,
stock or property.
• Falsification of Company documentation.
• Conviction by a court of law for any criminal offence
involving dishonesty or that may affect the safety
and well-being of our customers and/or employees.
• Absence from work without leave or failure to
follow absence notification procedures.
• Leaving your place of work without properly
informing your Supervisor/Manager.
• Abuse of the clocking in or out procedures.
• Serious insubordination.
• Unreasonable refusal of a legitimate instruction
given by a Superior.
• Rudeness or conduct likely to give offence to
customers or fellow employees.
• Possession of illegal drugs, drugs paraphernalia or
CONTENTS
SECTION C
prohibited items (such as weapons) on Company
property.
• Reporting for work under the influence of alcohol
or drugs.
• Misuse of the Company’s property or name.
• Bringing the Company into serious disrepute by
actions either inside or outside of work.
• Wilful destruction of Company property, data or
systems.
• Failure to observe the Company’s sales procedures,
administration procedures or policy statements.
• Serious breach of confidence (subject to the Public
Interest Disclosure Act 1998).
• Breach of trust.
• Serious negligence which causes or might cause
unacceptable loss, damage or injury.
• Making false allegations of personal accidents/injury
at work.
• Serious acts of aggressive, threatening or violent
behaviour/physical assault.
• Breach of Company policies and procedures,
including, but not limited to:
– Security Policy
– Equal Opportunities Policy
– Dignity and Respect at Work Policy
– Health and Safety policies
– Staff Purchase Procedure
– Information Security Policy
– Company Sales Procedure
– Social Media Policy.
A-Z INDEX
SECTION D SECTION E
Breaches of Company Sales Procedure
You will be trained and signed off before you are
requested to work on a cash register. However, if you
are in doubt about any aspect of these procedures
you must ask your trainer or Line Manager during
your training or at any time during your employment.
Breaches of Company sales procedure constitutes
gross misconduct and may result in your dismissal.
The following are examples of what are considered
to be breaches of Company sales procedure and
therefore gross misconduct:
• Breach of register security procedures
• Using another employee’s login details to operate
the register
• Disclosing your login to another employee
• Failure to sign off your register
• Leaving the cash register open
• Serving a friend or relative
• Processing your own sales
• Serving a member of staff without following the
Company staff purchase procedure
• Misuse of the void procedure
• Deliberately inputting the wrong price or giving
the wrong change
• Failure to scan all merchandise presented
for purchase
• Swapping monies between registers
• Asking a customer for the price of an item
STAFF HANDBOOK 19
 SECTION A SECTION B
• Failure to identify, prevent or report transactions
that may prove to be fraudulent
• Processing a transaction without due care and
attention leading to possibility of loss of monies
due to negligence
• Breach of any returns procedures.
Incorrect procedures will lead to cash discrepancies
when your cash register is checked.
APPEALS
If you do not agree with the decision, you should
submit your appeal in writing within seven days of
being given the decision. In your letter it is important
that you explain your reason for the appeal.
THE APPEAL MEETING
The person hearing your appeal will not have been
involved in the previous steps of the Disciplinary
Procedure, so will be able to take an independent
view of the facts. They may be of the same grade,
or higher, than the Manager who was previously
involved. There will also be a suitable person there to
take notes.
The Outcome
We will give you the decision on the appeal in writing.
The decision on the appeal is final.
CONTENTS A-Z INDEX
SECTION C
7. DIGNITY AND RESPECT AT WORK Harassment on the part of any employee will be
POLICY AND PROCEDURES
1: INTRODUCTION
Primark is committed to providing a work
environment for all employees which is free from
harassment, threat and intimidation. The Company
respects the individual dignity of all its employees.
For their part, employees are expected to show
respect and courtesy to each other at all times.
2: LEGISLATION
The following legislation covers the area of
harassment in the United Kingdom:
Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation)
Act 1992, Employment Rights Act 1996, Protection
from Harassment Act 1997, Human Rights Act 1998
and Equality Act 2010.
3: HARASSMENT POLICY
The policy applies to employees both in the
workplace, on social media platforms and at work
associated events such as meetings, conferences
and office parties, whether on the premises or off
site. The policy applies to harassment not only by
fellow employees but also by a client, customer or
other business contact to which an employee might
reasonably expect to come into contact with in the
course of their employment.
SECTION D SECTION E
treated as serious misconduct and as such the
Company disciplinary procedure will be enforced
immediately. The magnitude of the misconduct
will be governed by the seriousness of the
misbehaviour and the disciplinary action taken
will vary accordingly. For very serious incidents of
harassment or repeated harassment after warnings,
dismissal will apply.
The Company undertakes that all allegations
of harassment will be dealt with seriously and
with as much confidentiality as is possible in the
circumstances. Where it is necessary to interview
witnesses, the importance of confidentiality will be
stressed to them.
Where it is established that there is a case to be
answered, a fair investigation will be carried out
in accordance with normal procedures before any
disciplinary action is taken.
Any employee subject to harassment may report the
matter to their Supervisor, Line Manager or Store
Manager. If this is inappropriate, then the employee
should contact a member of the People & Culture
Department in store or their Area Manager. The
Company will ensure that employees are protected
against victimisation if involved in a complaint of this
nature.
STAFF HANDBOOK 20
 SECTION A SECTION B
Each employee carries the responsibility for his/
her own behaviour under this policy and has a
responsibility to comply with the policy and treat all
colleagues with respect and dignity.
Claims must be referred within 3 months of the
last occurrence of the discriminatory act. However,
in exceptional circumstances this period may be
extended to 6 months.
Any false allegation of harassment on the part of
any employee against another employee will be
treated as serious misconduct and as such the
Company’s disciplinary procedure will be enforced.
4: TYPES OF HARASSMENT
There are various types of harassment that can take
place. Some of the principal forms of harassment
are: sexual harassment, bullying, disability
harassment, racial harassment, harassment on the
grounds of sexual orientation and victimisation.
a) Sexual Harassment Definition
Sexual harassment may be defined as conduct
towards another person which is sexual in nature or
which has a sexual dimension and is unwelcome to
the recipient. Sexual harassment can occur even if
there is no intention to harass.
CONTENTS A-Z INDEX
SECTION C
Examples
Examples of what Primark consider to constitute
sexual harassment include:
• Verbal or written harassment through jokes,
offensive language, gossip, slander, whistles,
threats, insults, propositions, or any requests or
demands with sexual connotations or overtones
• Non-verbal harassment through posters, VDUs,
photographs, graffiti, staring, obscene gestures
• Physical contact ranging from touching,
pinching, grabbing, patting etc. to indecent
exposure, serious assault and any form of sexual
assault.
Note: The above list is not exclusive or exhaustive.
b) Bullying Definition
Workplace bullying is repeated inappropriate
behaviour, direct or indirect, whether verbal,
physical or otherwise, conducted by one or more
persons against another or others, at the place of
work and/or in the course of employment, which
could reasonably be regarded as undermining the
individual’s right to dignity at work. An isolated
incident of the behaviour described in this definition
may be an affront to dignity at work but, as a one
off incident, is not considered to be bullying.
SECTION D SECTION E
Examples
Examples of what Primark consider to constitute
bullying include:
• Verbal harassment through personal insults and
name calling and/or persistent criticism and
sarcasm
• Non-verbal harassment including aggressive
behaviour by a Manager, Supervisor or
Colleague, public humiliation and unfair
delegation of duties and responsibilities
• Physical contact ranging from assault to pushing
or jostling of an individual.
Note: The above list is not exclusive or exhaustive.
c) Disability Harassment Definition
A disability is defined as a physical or mental
impairment, which has a substantial and long-term
adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out
normal day to day activities.
Harassment of people with disabilities is often based
on lack of information and understanding, and
undermines the position of disabled people in the
workplace.
STAFF HANDBOOK 21
 SECTION A SECTION B
Examples
Examples of what Primark consider to constitute
disability harassment include:
• Verbal harassment including asking intrusive
questions about a person’s disability and the use of
offensive language
• Non-verbal harassment through the assumption
that physical disability equals mental disability,
through exclusion from workplace social events and
speaking to colleagues rather than directly to the
person with the disability
• Physical contact ranging from assault to pushing or
jostling of an individual.
Note: The above list is not exclusive or exhaustive.
d) Racial Harassment Definition
Racial harassment is unwanted conduct against another
person on the grounds of their race, ethnic or national
origin where the purpose or effect of the conduct
either violates that person’s dignity or creates an
intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive
environment.
Examples
Examples of what Primark consider to constitute racial
harassment include:
• Verbal harassment through language, mockery and
racist jokes, racial name-calling and verbal threats
CONTENTS A-Z INDEX
SECTION C
• Non-verbal harassment including offensive
gestures, racist graffiti and display or circulation
of racially offensive material
• Physical contact ranging from assault to pushing
or jostling of an individual.
Note: The above list is not exclusive or exhaustive.
e) Harassment due to Sexual Orientation Definition
Inappropriate behaviour/unwanted conduct
toward another person on the grounds of their
sexual orientation, where the purpose or effect of
the conduct either violates that person’s dignity
or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading,
humiliating or offensive environment.
Examples
Examples of what Primark consider to constitute
harassment due to sexual orientation include:
• Verbal harassment through asking intimate details
about a person’s personal and sexual life
• Non-verbal harassment ranging from exclusion
from normal conversation to displaying or
circulating offensive materials and sneering or
whispering
• Physical contact ranging from assault to pushing
or jostling of an individual.
Note: The above list is not exclusive or exhaustive.
SECTION D SECTION E
f) Victimisation Definition
Where a person is treated less favourably than
another because he/she has brought proceedings,
given evidence, or complained about the behaviour
of someone who has been harassing or discriminating
against them.
Examples
Examples of what Primark consider to constitute
victimisation include:
• Verbal harassment including enquiring about the
proceedings, gossip, whispering, threats
and insults
• Non-verbal harassment including isolation,
exclusion, sneering and circulation of offensive
material
• Physical contact ranging from assault to pushing
or jostling of an individual.
Note: The above list is not exclusive or exhaustive.
5: HARASSMENT COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
Employees have the right to be treated with respect
and dignity in the workplace. All forms of harassment
as outlined above violate this right. There is both an
informal and formal procedure to deal with the issue
of harassment in the workplace.
STAFF HANDBOOK 22
 SECTION A SECTION B
6: INFORMAL PROCEDURE
The informal procedure is appropriate where the
employee simply wants the behaviour to stop,
where the harassment is not serious or where it is
not repeated. The objective of this approach is to
resolve the difficulty with the minimum of conflict
and stress for the individuals involved.
The informal procedure is preferable in most cases,
as it is likely to produce solutions which are speedy,
effective and which minimise embarrassment and
the risk of breaching confidentiality.
Many incidents of harassment can be dealt with
effectively by the informal procedure since, in many
cases; the harasser may be genuinely unaware of
the impact of his/her behaviour on others.
The following outlines the informal procedure:
The complainant is advised to firstly inform
the alleged harasser that his/her behaviour is
unwelcome and unacceptable. If the alleged
harasser is unresponsive, the complainant should
remind him/her that if the behaviour does not stop,
the matter will be reported to Management.
Where the claimant finds it difficult to approach
the alleged harasser directly, he or she should seek
help and advice on a strictly confidential basis from
a contact person (i.e. Supervisor or Line Manager).
CONTENTS
SECTION C
Management will contact the alleged harasser
on an informal basis with a view to resolution
without formal action. The alleged harasser would
be entitled to representation at this meeting. The
meeting will take the format of a confidential, non-
confrontational discussion with a view to resolving
the issue in an informal and low-key manner.
All discussions relating to any allegation
of harassment will be held in confidence.
Confidentiality is required of the complainant when
bringing a claim. The complainant has a right to have
a representative present at any stage in the informal
procedure.
A written record of any action taken will be made to
assist with any formal proceedings which may arise
if the behaviour does not stop.
If the above informal procedure does not lead to
a cessation of the harassment or where a more
serious incident has arisen the employee should use
the formal procedure as outlined below.
7: FORMAL PROCEDURE
If the informal approach is inappropriate or if after
the informal stage, the harassment persists, the
following formal procedures should be invoked:
The complainant should make a formal complaint in
writing to his/her immediate supervisor/manager.
A-Z INDEX
SECTION D SECTION E
The complaint should be confined to precise details
of the actual incidents of harassment.
The alleged harasser should be notified that an
allegation of harassment has been made against
him/her. He/she should be given a copy of the
complainant’s statement and advised that he/she
will be afforded a fair opportunity to respond to the
allegations in an investigatory meeting.
The alleged harasser and complainant have the right
to representation throughout the whole process.
Investigatory interviews must be carried out with
both the complainant and the alleged harasser.
Any witnesses or relevant persons will be
interviewed on a confidential basis with a view to
establishing the facts surrounding the allegation.
Every effort should be made to carry out and
complete the investigation as quickly as possible.
Both parties will be given the opportunity to
comment on the findings before any action is
decided upon.
If the matter is not resolved internally, the issue may
be referred to a third party.
STAFF HANDBOOK 23
 SECTION A SECTION B
Confidentiality
All individuals involved in the procedures referred to
above should maintain absolute confidentiality on the
subject.
8. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLICY
Primark Stores Ltd is an equal opportunities employer.
The purpose of this policy is to demonstrate the
Company’s commitment to an environment of equal
opportunities to both employees and potential
employees.
The Company does not permit unlawful discrimination
of any kind against any person for any grounds including
age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage and civil
partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or
belief; sex; and sexual orientation.
All the Company’s personnel policies are based on
equal opportunities and fair treatment, ensuring the
promotion and practice of equality of opportunity
for all. The Company will ensure that the policy is
understood by all employees.
The Company will take appropriate disciplinary
action towards any employee who fails to follow the
Company’s Equal Opportunities Policy.
Any employee who feels that they have been treated
unfairly in terms of recruitment, conditions of
CONTENTS A-Z INDEX
SECTION C
employment, training, work experience or promotion
should follow and apply the Company’s grievance
procedure which is clearly outlined in this Employee
Handbook.
The Company will ensure that all employees involved in
making employment-related decisions will be provided
with training and guidance to ensure that they comply
with the Company Policy and legal requirements.
9. WHISTLEBLOWING POLICY
PURPOSE AND SCOPE
To protect people raising matters of public interest to
stop malpractice and wrongdoing.
This policy applies to all individuals working at all
levels of the organisation, including senior managers,
officers, directors, employees, consultants, contractors,
trainees, part-time and fixed-term workers, casual and
agency staff. This policy and procedure is voluntary
and does not form part of any employee’s Contract of
Employment and it may be amended at any time.
This policy should be read in conjunction with the
following suite of governance policies:
• Primark’s Code of Conduct
• Primark’s Anti-Fraud Policy
• Primark’s Anti-Bribery Policy.
SECTION D SECTION E
INTRODUCTION
Whistleblowing is where an employee raises
concerns about misconduct or illegal practices
within an organisation or an associated organisation.
Primark’s policy is to operate within the country’s
laws and regulations and all employees are expected
to co-operate in this by adhering to all laws,
regulations, policies and procedures.
Primark encourages an open culture in all its
dealings between employees and people with
whom it comes in contact. Effective and honest
communication is essential if malpractice and
wrongdoing is to be effectively dealt with.
The procedure below provides guidelines for
individuals who feel they need to raise certain issues
to Primark, in confidence (‘WHISTLEBLOWING’),
and is designed to protect those raising a genuine
concern from any detriment.
Usually concerns about issues at work can be
easily resolved. However, when the concerns are
about breaches of the law or regulations; serious
misconduct by another person; health and safety
matters; or financial malpractice it can be more
difficult to know what to do. Individuals who have a
reasonable belief that malpractice is occurring have
a responsibility to speak out, in the confidence that
they are supported by the Company.
STAFF HANDBOOK 24
 SECTION A SECTION B
By the end of this policy you should be able to
understand:
• What constitutes malpractice or wrongdoing as
covered by this policy
• How to go about raising a concern
• When you believe malpractice or wrongdoing is
occurring
• Related policies and procedures/sources of
support.
WHAT IS MALPRACTICE?
The aim of this policy is to provide a mechanism
for reporting, investigating and remedying any
malpractice in the workplace. The policy is designed
to deter activities or behaviours posing a real
and significant risk to the Company, members of
its workforce or the public at large. Malpractice
is where an area of the Company, a team or an
individual is undertaking activity which is wrong for
one or more of the following reasons:
• Against the law, or in breach of operating
regulations
• An act of fraud, usually for personal gain, in
breach of the Company’s Anti-Fraud Policy
• Where a person is failing or has failed to comply
with legal obligations
• Where a miscarriage of justice has or is
occurring
CONTENTS A-Z INDEX
SECTION C
• Where the health and safety of an individual has
or is likely to be endangered
• Where there has been damage to the
environment
• An act that is against Company policy, e.g.
acceptance of bribes etc
• Likely to damage the reputation of the Company
• Where information tending to show any matter
falling within the matters above has been or is
likely to be concealed
• Serious irregularities, including those in relation
to the following:
- Accounting
- Internal accounting control
- Auditing
- Bribery
- Banking and financial crimes
- Infringement of intellectual property rights
- Confidentiality
- Conflicts of interest
- Discrimination
- Sexual or psychological harassment
- The life and health or the physical or moral
integrity of individuals, or the Company’s vital
interests.
This is not an exhaustive list, therefore if there is
anything else that you think the Company should be
aware of please use the procedure outlined in this
policy. By knowing about malpractice at an early
SECTION D SECTION E
stage we can take the necessary steps to safeguard
the interests of everyone and our organisation.
This procedure is not a substitute for the normal
grievance procedure or other relevant policies.
The procedure is not a channel for raising matters
in relation to your personal circumstances such as
your terms and conditions of employment or your
treatment at work. If you are uncertain whether
something is within the scope of this policy, you
should seek advice from any of the Alternative
Contacts identified at the end of this policy.
YOUR PROTECTION AND CONFIDENCE
It is natural to worry that by reporting issues that
concern you at work you will be opening yourself
up to victimisation or risking your job security. The
Company’s strong commitment to this policy means
you can raise concerns about malpractice and be
sure that you will be supported and protected from
repercussions. Provided you have a reasonable
belief that malpractice is occurring or is likely to
occur, it doesn’t matter if you are mistaken. There is
no question of you having to prove anything.
Employees should not pursue their own
investigations, however well-intended, as flawed
or improper investigation could compromise the
Company’s ability to take effective remedial or
disciplinary action. Primark will not tolerate the
STAFF HANDBOOK 25
 SECTION A SECTION B
victimisation of anyone raising a genuine concern
and anyone responsible for such conduct will be
subject to disciplinary action.
Having raised your concern, the person to whom
the disclosure has been made will, unless otherwise
advised, act as your point of contact in the matter.
They will be responsible for dealing with any
instances of victimisation arising out of you raising
your concern. Should you feel that there is any
detriment to you, or your career, as a result of raising
the concern this should be reported immediately to
the person to whom the disclosure was made. If you
reasonably believe that you are unable to discuss the
detriment with that person you should bring it to the
attention of one of the other contacts listed in the
section Alternative Contact Details.
We hope you feel able to voice any concerns openly
under this policy. However, if you want to raise a
concern confidentially the Company will make every
effort to keep your identity secret. If it is necessary
for anyone investigating your concern to know your
identity, we will discuss this with you.
The Company does not encourage employees to
make disclosures anonymously.
Proper investigation may be more difficult or
impossible if the Company cannot obtain further
information from you. It is also more difficult to
CONTENTS A-Z INDEX
SECTION C
establish whether any allegations are credible. If
you are concerned about possible reprisals if your
identity is revealed, you should come forward to any
of the individuals identified in the section Alternative
Contact Details and appropriate measures can then
be taken to preserve confidentiality.
If you are in any doubt you can seek advice from our
confidential external whistleblowing hotline, Expolink
(contact details in the section Alternative Contact
Details on page 28).
Should you raise a concern under this policy you will
be consulted on the outcome you wish to achieve.
However, there is a responsibility on your part. It is a
disciplinary offence to raise an allegation maliciously.
If the person making the disclosure is involved in
malpractice the disclosure will not protect them
from disciplinary action, where appropriate, but the
disclosure will be taken into account regarding the
penalty. Any deliberate false or malicious allegations
will be taken very seriously and appropriate
disciplinary action will be taken. Where an employee
acts in a malicious way, the protection outlined
above will not apply and the employee will be
subject to disciplinary action which could result in
summary dismissal for gross misconduct.
SECTION D SECTION E
PERSONAL DATA
You agree and consent to any use of your personal
data in accordance with, and for the correct and
proper operation of, this policy; including, for the
avoidance of doubt, the use of any personal data
in any confidentially or anonymously brought
procedure under this policy. Save as otherwise set
out in this policy, all personal data collected and
processed in relation to the operation of this policy,
shall be used and processed in accordance with our
Data Protection Policy.
We will endeavour to:
• Inform any affected individuals or parties
promptly whenever a complaint has been
lodged attributing wrongdoing or improper
conduct to them, unless doing so might
jeopardise an investigation.
• Allow affected employees, where feasible, to
learn the basic facts surrounding the complaint
and to exercise their rights of access and
correction.
STAFF HANDBOOK 26
 SECTION A SECTION B
HOW TO RAISE YOUR WHISTLEBLOWING
CONCERN INTERNALLY
Step 1: Tell your Line Manager
If you are concerned about any form of malpractice
you should feel able to raise it first with your Line
Manager. This is the normal way in which you should
first raise the issue. There is no special procedure for
doing this – you can tell him/her about the problem
or put it in writing if you prefer.
Step 2: Alternative Internal Contacts
If you feel you are unable to raise the matter with
someone in your immediate line management,
for whatever reason, or if you feel that your
Line Manager has not addressed your concern,
please bring the issue to the attention of one of
the alternative contacts identified in the section
Alternative Contact Details or our confidential
external whistleblowing hotline, Expolink (contact
details in the section Alternative Contact Details).
If you have reasonable grounds for believing that the
Board of Directors of Primark or that the Associated
British Foods (ABF) Board of Directors may be
involved or condoning the activity, you should first
contact the Director of Legal Services and Company
Secretary of ABF whose contact details appear in the
section Alternative Contact Details.
Only if the nature of the matter is such that you
CONTENTS
SECTION C
cannot raise it with any of the contacts identified,
or if you have followed the internal channels listed
in Steps 1 and 2, and you still have concerns should
you contact an external enforcement agency; usually
a regulatory body or the police. Before you report a
concern to anyone external we strongly encourage
you to seek advice from the individuals listed in
the Alternative Contact Details or our confidential
external whistleblowing hotline, Expolink.
Concerns about malpractice usually relate to the
conduct of the Company’s employees, but they may
sometimes relate to the actions of a third party, such
as a customer, supplier or service provider. In some
circumstances the law will protect you if you raise
the matter with the third party directly. However,
we encourage you to report such concerns internally
first. You should contact one of the individuals
identified in the section Alternative Contact Details
for guidance.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT?
Once you have reported your concern, you will
receive an acknowledgement within 5 working days
and the person to whom it has been raised will
make any appropriate initial enquiries and carry
out an initial assessment of how to proceed. This
assessment will be undertaken as quickly as possible,
usually within 28 working days. As part of this initial
assessment you may be asked to attend a meeting to
A-Z INDEX
SECTION D SECTION E
explain your concerns. If so, you will be able to bring
a colleague and written notes of the meeting will be
provided to you after the meeting. Your companion
must respect the confidentiality of your disclosure
and any subsequent investigation.
The initial assessment will often lead to a formal
investigation, which depending on what is found will
determine the action to be taken and the timescales
involved. Your contact will keep you up-to-date on
the outcome of any enquiries and investigations
carried out and any actions taken, where it does not
impact on the Company’s duty of confidentiality to
others. If your concern falls more properly within
other policies (discipline and grievance etc.) your
contact will tell you.
If you are unhappy with the response you receive,
remember you can go to other levels detailed in this
policy. The Company is committed to ensuring any
such issues are handled fairly and properly. By using
this policy you will help us to achieve this.
SUMMARY
The main purpose of this policy is to give you the
opportunity and protection you need to raise your
concerns internally. In almost every case, raising
concerns internally will be the most appropriate
action for you to take.
STAFF HANDBOOK 27
 SECTION A SECTION B
This procedure is not a substitute for the normal
Grievance Procedure or other relevant policies.
The procedure is not a channel for raising matters
in relation to an employee’s terms and conditions
of employment.
ALTERNATIVE CONTACT DETAILS:
Expolink Whistleblowing Hotline
An anonymous, confidential and free telephone
service that enables you to report your concerns
about theft, fraud or other wrongdoing in your
workplace.
Call free 24/7 on 0800 374199
Director of People & Culture, Retail
Dave Bradley
Director of People & Culture, Retail
Primark House, 41 West Street Reading
Berkshire RG1 1TZ
Email: dbradley@primark.co.uk
Director of People & Culture, Buying,
Merchandising and Central Functions
Lorraine Culligan
Director of People & Culture, Central Functions (ROI)
Penneys, 47 Mary St.
Dublin 1
Email: lculligan@primark.ie
CONTENTS A-Z INDEX
SECTION C SECTION D SECTION E
Chief Accountant evidence that may have been recorded during the
Eamon Connolly, Chief Accountant normal operation of the system to substantiate
Primark Stores ltd. allegations of misconduct. During your induction you
47 Mary St. will be shown the location of the CCTV cameras and
Dublin 1 given an overview of how the system operates in
Email: econnolly@primark.ie your store.
Group Director, People & Culture B) LOCKERS
Joanne Ferris Every effort is made by the Company to provide
Primark adequate and secure facilities for your personal
47 Mary St. possessions during working hours.
Dublin 1
Email: jferris@primark.ie The Company however, expects you to take
necessary steps not to leave valuables unattended
Company Secretary of ABF and unsecured at any time.
Paul Lister
You are not permitted to take any personal
Associated British Foods plc
belongings into the stockroom or onto the sales
Weston Centre
floor.
10 Grosvenor Street
London, W1K 4QY
You will be given access to a locker in which to keep
10. SECURITY POLICY your personal belongings. You will not be allocated
your own personal locker, but should use any
A) CCTV
available locker.
Your store may be monitored by a closed-circuit
television recording system 24 hours a day. The In the unlikely event of there being no lockers
Company operates CCTV video recording for the available, please report this to a member of
purposes of security, safety and good management. Management who will make arrangements for
It is not Company policy to use this system to your personal belongings to be stored safely. It is
monitor the performance of its staff. However, prohibited to share lockers with any other employee.
the Company reserves the right to submit video
STAFF HANDBOOK 28
 SECTION A SECTION B
You are required to remove your belongings from
the locker at the end of your shift and leave the
locker empty with the key available, or the padlock
removed. Any personal possessions left in the
locker or locker room overnight will be removed.
The Company will not be responsible for any loss or
damage to personal belongings that may occur on
the premises.
C) RIGHT OF SEARCH
It is the practice of the Company to carry out
regular searches of employees’ bags, lockers or
personal possessions at work. It is a condition of
your employment that you agree to such a search
being made by an appropriate representative of
the Company. In doing so, you must understand
that no accusation or suspicion of dishonesty is
made or implied. If you so wish, you may ask to be
accompanied by a colleague and to have the search
conducted in private.
D) CONFIDENTIALITY
All matters relating to the business of the Company,
its associated companies and its suppliers, are
confidential. Such matters are not to be imparted
to any person or body without the Company’s
prior written consent, whether during or after
termination of your employment.
CONTENTS A-Z INDEX
SECTION C
E) SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOUR
In the interest of security, if you see either a
customer or a colleague acting in a suspicious
manner, you must report it at once to your
Supervisor, Line Manager or a member of the
Security Team.
F) COMPANY PROPERTY
No Company property may be removed from
Company premises or consumed unless you have
written authorisation from the Store Manager.
11. ANTI-FRAUD POLICY
DEFINITION
Fraud is the act of deliberate deception,
misstatement or omission, usually for the purpose
of personal gain, to the loss or damage of another
party. This may include the distortion, suppression
or falsification of financial records.
POLICY
Primark regards actual or attempted fraud against
Company business very seriously, and its policy is:
• To take all appropriate measures, including the
group’s whistleblowing policy, to deter fraud
• To maintain necessary procedures to prevent
and detect fraud
SECTION D SECTION E
• To encourage employees to report immediately
any suspicion of fraud to the Company Financial
Director, Chief Accountant or Head of Security
• To investigate vigorously all instances of
suspected fraud
• To report all suspected frauds to the appropriate
authorities, with the intention of pursing
criminal prosecution and/or civil litigation
• To assist the police and other law enforcement
bodies in the investigation and prosecution of
suspected fraudsters
• To recover from fraudsters any assets wrongfully
obtained
• To make clear that all employees have a
responsibility for fraud prevention and detection
• To communicate the Group Anti-Fraud Policy
to all employees via induction programmes,
handbooks, etc.
12. BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION
A) INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
Primark is committed to acting professionally, fairly
and with integrity in all its business dealings. As part
of its commitment to ethical trading and business
practices, Primark will not tolerate any form of
bribery or corruption. This Anti-Bribery Policy
outlines the behaviour and principles required to
support this commitment.
STAFF HANDBOOK 29
 SECTION A SECTION B
B) POLICY SUMMARY
All Primark employees, officers and directors,
and all those acting for or on Primark’s behalf are
strictly prohibited from offering, paying, soliciting
or accepting bribes or kick-backs, including
facilitation payments. Given the serious nature
of a breach, an employee’s failure to comply with
this Policy, whether intentionally or by an act of
negligence, may lead to disciplinary action being
taken that could ultimately result in termination of
employment.
C) WHAT ARE BRIBES AND FACILITATION
PAYMENTS?
Bribery usually involves giving or offering money,
a gift or something else of value to someone in
business or government in order to obtain or retain
a commercial advantage or to induce or reward the
recipient for acting improperly or where it would
be improper for the recipient to accept the benefit.
Bribery can also take place where the offer or giving
of a bribe is made by or through a third party, i.e. an
agent, representative or intermediary.
D) PRIMARK PROCEDURES
Gifts and hospitality
Employees must not request, accept, offer or
provide gifts, hospitality or entertainment designed
to induce, support or reward improper conduct
CONTENTS
SECTION C
including in connection with any business or
anticipated future business involving Primark (e.g.
where they might be seen to compromise the
receiver’s judgment and integrity).
E) WHAT CONSTITUTES A GIFT OR
HOSPITALITY FOR THE PURPOSES OF
THIS POLICY?
Anything of value – examples include tickets to
a sporting/cultural event, gift certificates, prizes,
discounts, loans, travel expenses, stock or other
securities and use of facilities e.g. a holiday home.
F) WHEN ARE GIFTS OR HOSPITALITY
ACCEPTABLE?
You should use your own judgment to assess what
is acceptable, taking into account this Policy and the
approval requirements below.
Modest gifts and hospitality may usually be offered
or accepted provided there is no expectation or
belief that something will be given or received in
return.
Examples of modest gifts and hospitality may
include:
• Small gifts, including gifts of nominal value
such as pens, calendars, diaries and other small
promotional items such as samples
A-Z INDEX
SECTION D SECTION E
There are certain cases where gifts and hospitality
are never acceptable, namely:
• Gifts of cash, loans, shares or share options
• Indecent or inappropriate gifts or hospitality
which may damage Primark’s reputation or
integrity
• Gifts or hospitality that breach any local laws or
regulations
• Gifts or hospitality that the recipient is not
permitted to receive by their employer/principal.
G) APPROVAL OF AND THRESHOLDS FOR
GIFTS AND HOSPITALITY
Where gifts or hospitality do not fall into the above
categories, or you are unsure whether it is appropriate,
you must seek prior approval from your line manager
or an Anti-Bribery & Corruption (ABC) Officer prior to
providing or accepting the gift or hospitality.
You must always seek prior approval for:
• Any gift whose value exceeds €60 or £50
• Entertainment/hospitality (e.g. a meal, invitation to
a show or sporting event, business trip expenses or
a combination of these activities) that exceeds €120
or, £100
For the avoidance of doubt, common courtesies such as
drinks, sandwiches or modest refreshments provided
at Primark or third party premises in connection with
STAFF HANDBOOK 30
 SECTION A SECTION B SECTION C SECTION D SECTION E

a legitimate business meeting do not require prior
approval.
If you are the recipient of an unexpected level of gifts or
hospitality which appear to exceed the approval limits,
you must declare the item to your line manager or an
ABC Officer after the event. If a gift is not considered
appropriate to retain, you may be required to return
it, surrender it to Primark or give it to charity. You
must also consider the appropriateness of any gift or
hospitality where the value does not exceed the above
thresholds.
H) REPORTING ISSUES INTERNALLY
All Primark employees are required to assist in tackling
fraud, corruption and other malpractice within the
organisation. If you are aware of, or suspect that
bribery may be taking place within Primark, you should
report your suspicions to an appropriate person (which
will usually be an ABC Officer). If you are in doubt that
your concerns have been or will be dealt with properly,
you should raise the matter directly with any Senior
Company Officer or one of the contacts provided
through Primark’s whistleblowing procedures. This will
enable Primark to investigate swiftly. It will not normally
be appropriate to disclose your concerns outside the
Company or to a third party before Primark has had a
chance to deal with the issue. If you ask for your identity
to be protected, Primark will do its best to ensure this.
No employee will ever suffer if Primark loses business as
a result of his/her decision not to pay bribes or engage
in corrupt activities. In addition, if you genuinely believe
that there is some form of malpractice occurring and
raise a concern in good faith and without malicious
intent, Primark will ensure that you do not suffer any
disadvantage in the workplace as a result of speaking
up, whatever the outcome of the investigation.
I) COMPLIANCE AND OVERSIGHT
Every Primark employee is responsible for compliance
with this Policy.
Responsibility for oversight of the Policy has been
assigned to the ABC Officers. Ultimate responsibility for
the Policy is taken by the Associated British Foods (ABF)
ABC Officer. Adherence to the Policy will be subject to
regular review by Internal Audit.
All employees whose day-to-day activities may be
affected by this Policy will receive appropriate training
within a reasonable time of the effective date of this
Policy and will certify that they have received a copy
of this Policy and will comply with the Policy and all
associated laws and procedures.
J) ABC OFFICERS
The ABC Officers for the Primark Group are:
• Eamon Connolly
• John Lyttle
• Peter Franks
• Nicola Walsh
13. MATERNITY POLICY
Please note that entitlements change from time to time
in accordance with legislation.
The entitlements detailed below are as in place at time
of writing (October 2016).
A) ANTENATAL APPOINTMENTS
Pregnant employees are entitled to reasonable time
off with pay for antenatal care made on the advice of
a registered medical practitioner. Except for the first
appointment, employees should show the employer (if
requested), an appointment card or other documents
showing that an appointment has been made.
B) MATERNITY LEAVE
You are entitled to paid time off for antenatal care.
You need to produce an appointment card or other
document showing that the appointment has been
made. You are entitled to 52 weeks’ maternity leave
(26 weeks’ Ordinary Maternity leave and 26 weeks’
Additional Maternity leave).

CONTENTS A-Z INDEX STAFF HANDBOOK 31

 SECTION A SECTION B
While it is up to you to decide how much maternity
leave you wish to take, up to the 52 weeks
maximum, the law requires that a minimum of
2 weeks’ leave must be taken. This is known as
compulsory maternity leave.
You can start your maternity leave at any time
after the 11th week prior to the expected week of
childbirth. You can change the date you start your
maternity leave as long as you give 28 days’ notice.
To take maternity leave you should inform your Line
Manager or People & Culture Manager no later than
the end of the 15th week before the week the baby
is due (or as soon as is reasonably practicable) that:
• You are pregnant
• When the expected week of childbirth is
(original MAT B1)
• When you want your maternity leave to start.
Your Manager will write to you informing you of the
end date of your maternity leave and of your rights
to Maternity Pay – this will be done within 28 days
of receiving your notification that you are pregnant.
If you are absent from work due to illness you
will normally be able to take sick leave until you
start maternity leave on the date notified to your
Manager. However, if the illness is related to your
pregnancy, the maternity leave period starts
CONTENTS
SECTION C
automatically on the day after the first day of
absence following the beginning of the fourth week
before the expected week of childbirth.
If childbirth occurs before the date you have
notified (or before you have notified any date) the
maternity leave period starts automatically on the
day after the date of the birth.
C) MATERNITY PAY
If you meet qualifying conditions based on length of
service and average earnings (see below) you will be
entitled to up to 39 weeks’ Statutory Maternity Pay
(SMP).
A-Z INDEX
SECTION D SECTION E
Less than 26 Not entitled to SMP
weeks continuous
service by the end May qualify for Maternity Allowance
of the 15th week (MA) if you have paid at least 26 weeks
before the week standard rate NI contributions in the
66 weeks before the week in which
in which you are
expecting your your child is expected to be born.
child. You will need to claim MA directly from
the Department for Work and Pensions
(DWP) via Jobcentre Plus.
How does this work?
Once you have provided your MAT
B1 Form, the Payroll Department will
issue you with a Statutory Maternity
Pay 1 Form (SMP1) for you to send to
Jobcentre Plus with your MAT B1 Form.
MA is paid directly by the DWP and is
subject to deductions for tax and NI
contributions.
MA is only payable once you have
stopped work, however you will be
allowed a maximum of 10 keeping-in-
touch days – please see section 10 for
more details.
STAFF HANDBOOK 32
 SECTION A SECTION B
More than 26 You may be entitled to a maximum
weeks continuous of 39 weeks SMP if you are earning
service by the end on average an amount which at least
of the 15th week equals the Lower Earnings Limit which
before the week applies on the Saturday at the end of
in which you are your qualifying week.
expecting your
child. SMP is made up as follows:
• 6 weeks at 90% of your average
weekly pay, less tax and NI
contributions; plus
• the remaining 33 weeks will
be paid at either the current
SMP rate or 90% of your
average earnings in the 8
weeks prior to the 15th week
before your expected week of
childbirth (EWC), less tax and NI
contributions, whichever is the
lesser amount
SMP is only payable once you have
stopped work, however you will be
allowed a maximum of 10 keeping-in-
touch days – please see section 10 for
more details
To qualify for SMP you must be:
• Employed into the qualifying week which is the
15th week before the week the baby is due
• Employed without a break for at least 26 weeks
into the 15th week before the week the baby is
due. Part weeks count as full weeks
• Earning the lower earnings limit for National
Insurance Contributions (NI) before tax (during
the qualifying period).
CONTENTS
SECTION C
D) WHILST ON MATERNITY LEAVE
Your Manager may make reasonable contact with you
on maternity leave for a number of reasons, such as to
discuss arrangements for your return to work.
You may undertake up to 10 ‘Keeping in Touch Days’
during your maternity leave allowing you to work under
your contract of employment, for which you will be
paid by agreement with your Manager.
Any work done on any day during the maternity pay or
maternity leave period will count as a whole ‘Keeping in
Touch Day’, up to the 10-day maximum. In other words,
if you come in for a one-hour training session and do
no other work that day, you will have used one of your
Keeping in Touch days and will be paid for the time that
you worked during that day.
If you are in the pension scheme, please speak to your
Store Manager about what happens regarding pension
contributions during maternity leave.
On receipt of a confirmed return to work date, your
Manager will write to you confirming your return. If
no date has been received, your Manager will write
this letter 28 days prior to the expiration of 52 weeks’
maternity leave.
A-Z INDEX
SECTION D SECTION E
E) RETURN TO WORK
You have a right to return to the same job after
maternity leave. There may be some exceptions to this
if you take more than 26 weeks’ maternity leave and if
it is not reasonably practicable for your job to be held
open, but you will still be offered a job that is suitable
for you and the terms and conditions will be no less
favourable.
If you wish to return to work either earlier or later
than agreed with your Manager, you should provide
8 weeks’ notice, unless your Manager agrees to less
notice being given.
F) GENERAL
Prior to going on maternity leave, you should check that
there is a plan in place for you to take all of your annual
leave entitlement for the current holiday year as there
is no provision to carry this over into the next holiday
year.
Whilst pregnant and whilst on maternity leave you
are protected under sex discrimination legislation
which outlaws unfair treatment, including dismissal, on
grounds of sex, pregnancy or maternity leave.
Your Manager is required to protect your health and
safety whilst you are pregnant, when you have recently
given birth, or if you are breast-feeding. A specific risk
assessment must be carried out once your Manager
STAFF HANDBOOK 33
 SECTION A SECTION B
has been informed that you are pregnant, have recently
given birth or are breastfeeding.
14. PATERNITY POLICY
A) NOTIFICATION
You must notify your Manager by the 15th week
before the expected week of childbirth that you
intend to take paternity leave as well as completing
a Company self-certificate which you can obtain
from your Manager.
B) ANTENATAL APPOINTMENTS
Fathers and partners of pregnant women are
entitled to unpaid time off to attend two antenatal
appointments (time off is capped at six and a half
hours for each appointment).
C) PATERNITY LEAVE AND PAY
Your entitlements with regard to Paternity leave
and Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) are governed
by statutory legislation, not by the Company, and
as such are subject to change. The entitlements
detailed below are as in place at the time of writing
(October 2016).
CONTENTS A-Z INDEX
SECTION C SECTION D SECTION E
You qualify for Statutory Paternity leave on the birth is subject to review every April. As with SMP, your
of a baby if you: earnings must be above the lower earnings limit for
National Insurance Contributions.
• Have, or expect to have, responsibility for the
baby’s upbringing 15. FLEXIBLE WORKING POLICY
• Are the biological father of the baby and/or the This section sets out Primark’s policy and procedure
mother’s husband or partner on flexible working.
• Have at least 26 weeks’ continuous employment
ending with the 15th week before the expected You may make one Flexible Working Application
week of childbirth. per year, starting with the date on which your
application is received.
Eligible employees can take either one week or two
consecutive weeks’ paternity leave (not odd days). The consideration process may take up to 3 months
to complete from first receiving your request
An employee can choose to start their leave either: (including any appeal).
• From the date of the child’s birth; or A) ELIGIBILITY
• From a chosen number of days; or weeks after the
To be able to make a request you must:
date of the child’s birth; or
• From a specified date leave can start on any day
Have been continuously Not have made another such
of the week on or following the child’s birth. employed with Primark for application to vary your
a period of not less than contract of employment
26 weeks at the date the during the past twelve
Leave must be completed within 56 days of the actual application is made. months.
date of the birth of the child (or, if the child is born early,
leave must be completed within the period from the
actual date of birth up to 56 days after the expected
week of birth).
Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) is the same as Statutory
Maternity Pay (SMP) i.e. the lesser of a flat rate of SMP
or 90% of your average weekly earnings. The flat rate
STAFF HANDBOOK 34
 SECTION A SECTION B
B) APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Before making an application, it is important that you
realise that if your application is accepted it will mean
a permanent change to your terms and conditions of
employment. This means that at a future date you will
not have the right to revert to your previous terms and
conditions of employment. You should therefore give
careful consideration to which working pattern will best
support your needs and any financial implications it
might have on you if this will entail a reduction in salary.
If you are still happy to make the application, then:
1. Please complete the Flexible Working
Application Form (available from the People
& Culture Department in store or your Line
Manager). To enable us to consider your
application please give as much relevant
information as possible. You should submit your
application to your Line Manager.
2. Your line manager will arrange to meet with you
after receiving your application at a mutually
convenient time and place (unless, of course,
your application is agreed in writing).
The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss
how best your desired work pattern might be
accommodated and, where appropriate, to
consider other alternative working patterns.
You may request to be accompanied by another
Primark colleague or trade union representative.
CONTENTS
SECTION C
3. Your line manager will write to you following the
meeting (where a meeting takes place) to inform
you of their decision on your application.
4. Please be aware that Primark reserves the
right to consider any flexible working pattern
on a trial basis and to revert to the original
working pattern should the trial prove
unsuccessful. Should a trial period be agreed
then the specific details of the trial period
will be communicated to you as part of the
written outcome of your meeting.
C) APPEAL PROCEDURE
The Appeal Procedure is as follows:
1. If you wish to appeal, you should write to the Line
Manager of the decision maker within 14 days
after being notified of the decision, setting out the
grounds of your appeal.
2. After receipt of your appeal letter, a meeting will be
held between yourself and an appropriate member
of the Primark Management Team, to discuss
the appeal. You may request to be accompanied
by another Primark colleague or trade union
representative.
3. The Appeal Hearing Manager will write to you to
let you know of their decision in respect of your
appeal.
A-Z INDEX
SECTION D SECTION E
D) WITHDRAWAL OF YOUR APPLICATION
Your application may be treated as withdrawn by
Primark if:
• You notify your line manager either orally or in
writing that you wish to withdraw your application
• You fail to attend any of the meetings referred
to in sections 5 and 6 more than once, without
reasonable cause
• You refuse to supply your line manager with any
information that Primark requires in order to assess
whether the contract variation you have applied for
should be agreed.
We will confirm the withdrawal of your application in
writing, unless you have withdrawn the application by
giving us written notice.
16. CHILDCARE VOUCHERS
Primark currently offers a Childcare Voucher scheme.
This is open to all employees who pay for registered
Childcare – mothers and fathers.
By signing up to the scheme, you could save tax and
national insurance on part of your salary.
For more information please speak to the People &
Culture Department in store or your Line Manager, and
go to www.kiddivouchers.com or phone 0800 6129015
quoting our scheme reference number (S467462B).
STAFF HANDBOOK 35
 SECTION A SECTION B
17. O RDINARY PARENTAL LEAVE
POLICY
INTRODUCTION
This policy covers all employees provided they meet the
conditions outlined below.
Parental leave is available to both men and women, to
facilitate the reconciliation of parental and professional
responsibilities for working parents. The entitlement of
parental leave is subject to the condition that it is used
to take care of the child concerned.
Information
• Parental leave is unpaid. You’re entitled to
18 weeks’ leave for each child and adopted child,
up to their 18th birthday.
• The limit on how much parental leave each parent
can take in a year is 4 weeks for each child (unless
your Manager agrees otherwise).
• You must take parental leave as whole weeks (e.g.
1 week or 2 weeks) rather than individual days,
unless your Manager agrees otherwise or if your
child is disabled. You don’t have to take all the leave
at once.
ELIGIBILITY
Before an employee is entitled to take parental leave
he/she must have one year’s continuous service on the
date he/she proposes to start his/her leave.
CONTENTS A-Z INDEX
SECTION C
Parental leave is available to any employee who is:
• A parent named on the child’s birth certificate; or
• Named on the child’s adoption certificate; or
• Has legal parental responsibility for a child under
five (18 if disabled).
The employee must have parental responsibility for the
child.
ABUSE OF LEAVE
Parental leave is granted solely for the purpose of
taking care of the child concerned. This leave may
be terminated if it is not used for this purpose, and
an employee may be subject to disciplinary action,
up to and including dismissal.
NOTIFICATION TO COMPANY
Adoption: employees wanting leave starting when
a child is placed with them for adoption should
give notice at least 21 days before the beginning
of the week of the expected placement, specifying
the week in which placement is expected and
the amount of leave to be taken. Where it is not
reasonably practicable to give 21 days’ notice, the
parent must give notice as soon as is reasonably
practicable.
SECTION D SECTION E
All other cases: The employee must give notice at
least 21 days prior to the day they specify as the start
of the leave, stating the amount of leave to be taken.
Where requested employees must provide certain
evidence of their entitlement, the age of a child,
and of parental responsibility for the child (e.g. birth
certificate, MAT B1 etc.)
Notification can be effected by completing the
relevant form and submitting it to Store/Line Manager
who will respond to you not later than 1 week (7 days)
before the commencement of the parental leave
confirming agreement to the leave dates.
POSTPONEMENT BY THE COMPANY
Leave cannot be postponed for fathers wishing to
be present at the birth/adoption of their child or
immediately afterwards. The Company may postpone
the parental leave if the management is satisfied
that the operation of the business would be unduly
disrupted.
The postponement must be advised, using the
relevant forms within 7 days of the employee’s notice.
It must:
• State the reason for the postponement
• Defer leave by no longer than 6 months; and
• Specify the start and finish dates for the leave of
the same length as had been requested.
STAFF HANDBOOK 36
 SECTION A SECTION B
MAINTENANCE OF EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS
The entitlement to accrue annual leave or time off in
lieu for public holidays does not necessarily accrue
during the period of parental leave, although the
minimum entitlement of 4 weeks’ paid annual leave
in any financial year will apply.
An employee shall, while on parental leave, be
regarded for all purposes relating to his or her
employment (other than the right to remuneration
or superannuation benefits or any obligation to pay
contributions in or in respect of the employment) as
still working in the employment and none of his or
her other rights relating to the employment shall be
affected by the leave.
Absence from employment while on parental leave
shall not be treated as part of any other leave from
employment to which the employee concerned is
entitled.
RETURN TO WORK
On expiry of a period of parental leave, the employee
has the right to return to the job in which they were
employed before their leave, except where leave
directly follows Additional Maternity Leave (AML).
In this case, the employee has the right to return to
their job unless it is not reasonably practicable for
the employer to permit this, in which case they are to
CONTENTS
SECTION C
return to a job which is both suitable and appropriate
for them to do in the circumstances.
18. SHARED PARENTAL LEAVE
POLICY
The rules surrounding shared parental leave (SPL)
and pay are often quite complex and so, once you
have read through this document, please feel free
to discuss any questions you have with your Line
Manager or People & Culture Department in store
(where applicable).
Primark is committed to equality of opportunity in
employment for all employees and to developing
work practices and People & Culture policies that
support work-life balance. This policy applies to all
UK retail employees, whether they are the mother
or the partner.
If you are the mother and are employed by Primark,
your partner must (where relevant) submit any
notifications to take SPL set out in this policy to his/her
own employer, which should have its own SPL policy in
place, if he/she wants to take a period of SPL.
Similarly, if you are the partner and are employed by
Primark, the mother must (where relevant) submit any
notifications to take SPL to her own employer.
A-Z INDEX
SECTION D SECTION E
The mother and the partner should make certain that
they are each liaising with their own employer so that
requests for SPL are handled as smoothly as possible.
Adopters will also be able to qualify for SPL under this
policy, provided they satisfy the qualifying conditions.
In this policy we use the language of birth parents
for ease of reference, however, very similar rules will
apply to eligible adopters.
SHARED PARENTAL LEAVE (SPL)
What is SPL?
SPL enables mothers to commit to ending their
maternity leave and pay at a future date, and to
share the untaken balance of leave and pay as shared
parental leave and pay with their partner, or to return
to work early from maternity leave and opt in to
shared parental leave and pay at a later date.
SPL should not be confused with ordinary parental
leave, which is unaffected by SPL. Ordinary parental
leave is the entitlement to up to 18 weeks’ unpaid
leave. If you require further information on ordinary
parental leave, please refer to Section C, item 18 in
this document.
STAFF HANDBOOK 37
 SECTION A SECTION B
How much SPL is available?
The amount of SPL to which an individual is entitled
will depend on when the mother brings her
maternity leave period to an end and the amount of
leave that the other parent takes in respect of the
child. SPL must be taken in blocks of at least one
week.
An employee can request to take SPL in one
continuous block (in which case Primark is required
to accept the request as long as the employee
meets the eligibility and notice requirements), or as
a number of discontinuous blocks of leave (in which
case the employee needs their Line Manager’s
agreement). A maximum of three requests for
leave per pregnancy can normally be made by each
parent.
The first two weeks following birth are the
compulsory maternity leave period and are reserved
for the mother. This means that the maximum
period that the parents could take as SPL is 50
weeks between them (although it will normally be
less than this because of the maternity leave that
mothers usually take before the birth).
However, the mother’s partner can begin a period of
SPL at any time (once the mother has curtailed her
maternity leave) from the date of the child’s birth
(but the partner should bear in mind that he/she is
CONTENTS A-Z INDEX
SECTION C SECTION D SECTION E
entitled to take up to two weeks’ ordinary paternity Condition Mother Partner
leave following the birth of his/her child, which he/ Continuously employed for at least y y
she will lose if SPL is taken first). 26 weeks by the end of the 15th
week before the Expected Week
of Childbirth (EWC) (continuity of
The mother and partner must take any SPL within 52 employment test)
weeks of the birth. The other parent must have been y y
employed (or a self-employed earner)
Who is eligible for SPL? for 26 out of 66 weeks preceding the
EWC and have earned average weekly
A mother will only be able to take SPL where the earnings of £30 per week in 13 out of
leave is to be shared with a qualifying partner. It can those 66 weeks in relation to the year
before the tax year in which the EWC
be shared with one of the following: falls (employment and earnings test)*
Mother is entitled to statutory y Y
• Child’s biological father maternity leave in respect of the child (or pay/
allowance)
• Mother’s spouse
• Mother’s civil partner Mother has curtailed maternity leave y Y
or returned to work (or pay/
• Mother’s partner (including same sex partners). allowance)
Has or expects to have main y y
It cannot be shared with a parent, grandparent, responsibility for the child*
child, sibling, aunt, uncle or nephew. SPL cannot be
The other parent has or expects to y y
shared with more than one partner, i.e. you cannot have main responsibility for the child*
change nominated partner part way through and Complies with the relevant maternity y y
you cannot share the leave with multiple partners. leave curtailment / SPL notice and
evidence requirements
In addition to the above, each parent must meet
Provided the employee satisfies all of the criteria in
certain eligibility requirements in order to qualify.
their own column above, they will be able to take
SPL, even if the other parent does not fulfil all the
criteria in their column.
*However, the criteria that the employee will need
the other parent to fulfil, without exception, are:
STAFF HANDBOOK 38
 SECTION A SECTION B
• Have, or expect to have, main responsibility for
the care of the child; and
• Satisfy the employment and earnings test.
SHARED PARENTAL PAY (SHPP)
Statutory ShPP is available for eligible parents to
share between them while on SPL, where they
satisfy the qualifying requirements for SPL and they
have earned an average salary of at least the lower
earnings limit (LEL) for the 8 weeks prior to the week
before the EWC.
The number of weeks’ statutory ShPP available to
the parents will depend on how much statutory
maternity pay (SMP) or maternity allowance (MA)
the mother has been paid when her maternity leave
or pay period ends.
A total of 39 weeks’ SMP or MA is available to the
mother. As there is a compulsory maternity leave
period of two weeks, this means that a mother who
ends her maternity leave at the earliest opportunity
could share up to 37 weeks’ statutory ShPP with her
partner (although it will normally be less than this
because of the maternity leave that mothers usually
take before the birth).
Any statutory ShPP due during SPL will be paid
at a rate set by the Government for the relevant
tax year, or at 90% of the employee’s average
CONTENTS A-Z INDEX
SECTION C
weekly earnings, if this figure is lower than the
Government’s set weekly rate.
It is up to the parents as to who is paid the statutory
ShPP and how it is apportioned between them.
19. DEPENDANTS’ LEAVE
ENTITLEMENT TO TIME OFF FOR
DEPENDANTS
An employee shall be entitled to ‘reasonable’ unpaid
leave in the following circumstances:
• For the birth, sickness, injury or death of a
dependant
• To make arrangements for the care of a sick or
injured dependent, or to deal with a disruption
in normal care arrangements
• To deal with an unexpected educational problem
arising while the child is in the care of a school.
Dependants are defined as spouse, child, parent
or person living in an employee’s household (other
than as an employee, tenant or lodger).
NOTIFICATION
When an employee takes time off for dependents,
he or she shall, as soon as reasonably practicable
thereafter, by notice given to the People & Culture
Department in store or the Line Manager, confirm
that he or she has taken such leave and confirm the
SECTION D SECTION E
reason for the absence and for how long he/she will
be absent.
MAINTENANCE OF EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS
An employee on time off for dependents shall
be regarded for all purposes relating to their
employment as still working for the Company.
Employment rights shall not be affected by the leave.
Time off for dependents shall not be treated as part
of any other leave from employment.
ABUSE OF LEAVE
Leave must be taken for one of the three reasons
set out above. Where it is discovered that the leave
has been taken for any other reason, the employee
may be subject to disciplinary action up to and
including dismissal.
20. COMPASSIONATE LEAVE
Paid compassionate leave is available when a death
of a family member occurs as follows:
• Up to 5 days for a direct family member, i.e.
parent, sister/brother, spouse, son/daughter
• Up to 2 days for a grandparent
• In respect of the death of other family members,
compassionate leave may be considered
depending on individual circumstances.
STAFF HANDBOOK 39
 SECTION A SECTION B
21. CAREER BREAK POLICY
A career break facilitates employees to have time
off work to allow for travel abroad, domestic
responsibilities, further education or other reasons
approved by management in writing.
A career break is not allowed for the purpose of
taking up alternative employment with competitors
in the UK.
STRUCTURE OF CAREER BREAK
A career break consists of special leave without pay
for a period of 6 months or 12 months. The time
period will be agreed in advance with management.
ELIGIBILITY
• You will be eligible if you are permanent and
have completed at least 2 years’ continuous
service.
• Acceptance of each application is subject to
the Store Manager’s discretion. Operational
requirements may result in refusal of some
applications, but you will be facilitated as far
as possible.
APPLICATION
• Applications must be submitted in writing to
your Store Manager at least 4 weeks in advance
of the desired effective date. Management
CONTENTS
SECTION C
Applications up to Assistant Manager level
must be submitted to the Store Manager at
least 8 weeks in advance of the desired effective
date. All other career breaks will be considered
on an individual basis.
• On approval of your career break leave, you will
complete a Career Break Acceptance form and
return it to your Store Manager.
CONDITIONS
• A career break will not count as service for the
purpose of calculating bonus entitlement. For
the purpose of notice periods, maternity leave
and redundancy payments; employment will
be deemed to continue during any period of
approved special leave.
• If you are a member of the Pension Scheme you
have the option to either:
- Pay back contributions when you return
to work in order to maintain continuous
pensionable service.
- Return to paying normal contributions and the
period of absence would be deducted from
your pensionable service. (Maximum ‘time
out’ that can be taken out of this scheme is
2 years. Life assurance will be maintained up
to a maximum of 2 years’ absence. Thereafter
life assurance cover ceases).
• National Insurance will not be payable for the
duration of the career break.
A-Z INDEX
SECTION D SECTION E
RETURN TO WORK
If you intend to return to work following your career
break you must contact your Store Manager
4 weeks in advance of your career break termination
date. If you do not return and do not provide the
required notice of your intention to resign, your
absence may be considered as unauthorised and
could result in disciplinary action up to and including
dismissal.
22. GROOMING AND APPEARANCE
Grooming and appearance are very important in a
business that is customer facing. Primark’s reputation
as one of the foremost retail outlets is reflected by
the high standard we set for dress and grooming. All
employees must take personal pride and responsibility
for their appearance and must be clean, neat, tidy and
well groomed at all times.
The Workwear policy will be explained at induction
and the Primark Workwear Portal containing all of the
relevant information is accessible through My Workday.
Any ethnic/religious dress requirements must
co-ordinate with the Workwear Guidelines. Please
speak to your Manager for clarification.
STAFF HANDBOOK 40
 SECTION A SECTION B
LANYARD
Your lanyard must be worn at all times while at work.
Lanyards should be returned to the People & Culture
Department in store or your Line Manager on
termination of employment.
HYGIENE
At work you will be in close contact with the general
public as a representative of the Company, and
therefore the highest standard of personal hygiene is
required i.e. regular washing and use of deodorant is
essential.
23. TRADE UNION MEMBERSHIP
The Company recognises the Union of Shop Distributive
and Allied Workers (USDAW) and membership is
voluntary.
24. PENSION
As an employee of ABF, you have the option to join the
Associated British Foods (ABF) Pension Scheme.
The Scheme is set up to help you save for retirement
and the Company supports you with this by matching
what you pay in up to a certain amount. The section of
the Scheme that you can still join is called the Defined
Contribution (DC) section.
CONTENTS
SECTION C
Depending on certain criteria, you may be automatically
enrolled into this Scheme without needing to make any
decisions. This is called Auto Enrolment. The pensions
website (www.abfpensions.com) explains how Auto
Enrolment impacts upon you, as well as explaining what
will happen if you have opted out.
If you are just looking for more information about the
Pension Scheme then visit www.abfpensions.com.
Please remember that no one from the Company is
able to give you financial advice. If you want to take
financial advice you should speak to an independent
financial advisor.
25. JURY SERVICE
If you receive a jury summons you should at once
inform the People & Culture Department in store or
your Line Manager by showing the summons so that
cover can be arranged during your absence.
You will be given leave of absence for as long as you
are required and the Company will continue to make
good the difference between your net weekly wages
and what you claim each week in loss of wages from
the court.
In order that this can be done, for each week or
part of a week you are on jury service you need to
obtain from the clerk of the court a statement of
attendance and payments made and bring it in to
A-Z INDEX
SECTION D SECTION E
the Store Manager to make the necessary payroll
adjustments.
If you attend for court but are not actually called for
jury service, you are required to attend for work as
soon as is practicable after you are released.
26. DATA PROTECTION
Under the Data Protection Act 1998, the Company
must ensure that:
• All information collected will be processed fairly
and lawfully
• The data will only be held for the purposes
which have been registered under the Act
• The data will be accurate and relevant to those
purposes
• The data will be held no longer than is necessary
for the stated purpose
• Data held in respect of an individual will be
made available to them if requested
• Appropriate security is applied to all data held.
By accepting the terms as laid out in the handbook,
you are giving your explicit consent for the Company
to hold, use and process personal data and in
particular the sensitive personal data as described
below for the reasons set out in the following table.
STAFF HANDBOOK 41
 SECTION A SECTION B SECTION C SECTION D SECTION E

Type of Data Reason

Trade Union For the purpose of Trade Union
membership recognition and deducting Trade
Union membership subscriptions

Physical or mental In order to help comply with the

health conditions Equality Act 2010 and deal with
capability issues in a reasonable
manner
Commission or For disciplinary purposes and the
alleged commission enforcement of Attachment of
of offences (except earnings Orders
as provided for under
the Rehabilitation of
Offenders Act 1974)
and sentence

CONTENTS A-Z INDEX STAFF HANDBOOK 42

SECTION A SECTION B SECTION C SECTION D SECTION E

SECTION D
Policies and Procedures
– Operations

CONTENTS A-Z INDEX STAFF HANDBOOK 43

 SECTION A SECTION B
1. HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK
HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY STATEMENT
Primark will, as an absolute minimum, work
in compliance with legislation and associated
regulations in the jurisdictions in which it operates.
Health and Safety is considered of equal importance
to any other business function or objective.
In order to comply with current health and safety
legislation and best practice, Primark management
is committed to:
• Identify hazards in the workplace and to remove
hazards when possible
• Carry out risk assessments for all activities
that may pose a risk to the health, safety or
welfare of our employees, customers or others
connected with our operations; where hazards
remain, controls will be put in place to lower and
manage the risk
• Provide and maintain a safe working
environment and work equipment.
• Provide appropriate training to all employees
• Provide required resources to promote,
implement and monitor the effectiveness of the
health and safety programme.
In support of the Company’s efforts as stated above,
all levels of management and supervisory staff
are required to carry out their duties and direct
employees in alignment with these measures so that
CONTENTS A-Z INDEX
SECTION C
injury and ill health can be prevented. In addition,
all contractors must comply with these measures;
as well as taking directions given to them by Primark
regarding Health, Safety or Welfare.
Additional guidelines and support for management,
supervisors and staff have been set out in the
Group Safety Statement Manual. In the event of
any difficulty, arising in the implementation of
this Policy, the matter should be referred to the
Environmental Health & Safety Executive.
Consultation between management and employees
is required to ensure effective implementation of
this policy.
All employees are expected to co-operate with the
Management Team to ensure a high standard of
health and safety is achieved. All employees are
reminded of their own legal responsibilities and duty
to:
• Take reasonable care of their own safety and
that of other staff, and customers
• Attend scheduled training and adhere to
Company safety rules and requirements
• Report any dangerous incident/accident which
causes, or defects which may cause, a personal
injury or property damage.
Finally, this policy, together with the arrangements
SECTION D SECTION E
for its implementation, will be kept available at each
store for employee information.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY STATEMENT
Primark will use the best practicable methods to
ensure compliance with environmental legislation
and associated regulations in the jurisdictions in
which it operates.
In order to comply with current environmental
legislation, Primark is committed to:
• Carry out impact assessments for activities that
may pose a risk to air, water or land
• Develop internal procedures and programmes
to address identified concerns and assign
responsibility within the organisation
• Provide and maintain facilities, plant and
equipment in a condition which prevents
adverse environmental effects
• Develop procedures to monitor our energy use
and waste generation
• Make sure goods are transported efficiently to
minimise fuel usage
• Safeguard against accidents so far as is
reasonably practical
• Develop procedures to ensure the reduce,
reuse and recycle philosophy is implemented
whenever possible
STAFF HANDBOOK 44
 SECTION A SECTION B
• Develop emergency procedures to minimise the
impact of any foreseeable incidents
• Provide training to all employees on
environmental procedures commensurate with
their position within the organisation
• Evaluate all aspects of Primark’s Environmental
Protection Programme on an annual basis to
ensure continuous improvement.
We expect employees to support us in these efforts
and to carry out their duties in the full knowledge
that environmental protection procedures are
necessary to fulfil legislated requirements.
Contractors are reminded of their responsibility to
comply with Primark’s environmental procedures
and to ensure their employees have been informed
and receive adequate training.
In the event of any difficulty, arising in the
implementation of this policy, the matter should
be referred to the Environmental Health & Safety
Executive. This Policy Statement and associated
procedures will be kept available at each store for
employee information.
EVACUATION PROCEDURES
During your training you will be made aware of the
Company’s fire regulations.
Copies of the procedure to adopt in the event of
a fire, and the evacuation drill to be followed, are
CONTENTS
SECTION C
posted on the staff notice board. It is essential that
you familiarise yourself with the procedure and
strictly adhere to it.
You should never leave your workstation without
informing your Store Manager or your Supervisor of
your whereabouts.
SMOKING
Primark is a Smoke-Free environment. Employees
are not permitted to smoke in any part of the
premises. This also includes vaping, e-cigarettes or
any other smoking related devices.
Employees are not permitted to leave the premises
during working hours to smoke in another location.
A breach of this regulation is considered gross
misconduct.
Employees cannot smoke outside any entrance
or exit to the building or within 1 metre of any
entrance or exit to the building.
This policy applies to all persons employed by the
Company and also to contractors and visitors while
on Company property.
All employees should be aware that breach of the
Company smoking regulations will be subject to
disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.
A-Z INDEX
SECTION D SECTION E
FIRST AID
Please make sure you are aware of the location of
the first aid box in your store and the names of the
appointed first aiders. This information is posted on
the staff noticeboard.
MANUAL HANDLING
You will receive Manual Handling training during
your induction. It is your responsibility to adhere to
the guidelines given to you and speak to your Line
Manager if you are unsure.
ACCIDENT REPORTING
Every accident, however trivial it seems, must be
reported to your supervisor or Store Manager who
will then be responsible for making an entry in the
accident book. The Store Manager is responsible, in
the case of more serious occurrences, for notifying
the details to the Environmental Health & Safety
Executive, as well as any applicable enforcement
authorities.
REPORTING OF INFECTIOUS ILLNESSES
You must immediately notify your Manager if you
contract a serious infectious illness.
STAFF HANDBOOK 45
 SECTION A SECTION B
2. STAFF PURCHASE PROCEDURE
All staff purchases must be administered and
controlled in the following way:
1. An employee who wishes to make a purchase
can do so at any manned till in the store
2. The purchase can be made within the existing
time conditions for the store. Normally
purchases can only be made outside working
hours
3. The employee should make the till operator
aware they are an employee. This is done by
giving their employee number
4. Employees must retain the receipt
5. Ideally purchases should be made at the end of
a shift as this will make it easy for the employee
6. When a purchase is made during the
employee’s shift, the purchase should be
retained in the existing stores holding area
7. To facilitate reclaiming the purchase at the end
of shift a name or initials should be written on
the bag(s)
8. Bag checks will continue as normal
9. Refunds and Exchanges are to be made at the
Customer Service Desk
10. A Refund or Exchange transaction is actioned in
line with our existing customer policy.
11. No additional supervision of the transaction is
required.
CONTENTS
SECTION C
3. LOST PROPERTY
A lost property book is kept in the Store. Items
found must be handed to the person responsible
who will enter details into the lost property book.
4. TELEPHONE CALLS/MOBILE procedures. In effect, this means that the
PHONES
No personal mobiles or other devices are to be
taken onto the sales floor or used during your shift
times. In the event of an emergency, please speak
with your Line Manager to gain permission to make
or receive a call.
5. INFORMATION SECURITY POLICY
Primark recognises the need to keep its information
secure. In doing so, it will comply with all relevant
legislation and professional codes of ethics. In
support of this objective it will ensure that those
responsible for information are aware of their
responsibilities, provide appropriate training and put
in place appropriate security procedures.
The purpose of the Information Security Policy is to:
• Safeguard the organisation’s information and
equipment
• stablish and support standards and controls
• Allocate responsibility.
A-Z INDEX
SECTION D SECTION E
Whilst management is responsible for ensuring
that information security is exercised, all those
responsible for systems development, operation,
use and maintenance will be considered responsible
through their compliance with the appropriate
requirements of the Information Security Policy
apply to all Primark employees, whether full or part-
time, permanent or temporary.
This section of the staff handbook is intended to
introduce the basic concepts of information security
to help you understand the need for awareness and
vigilance. You are encouraged to become familiar
with the terms of the policy, especially if your
job involves working with personal or otherwise
confidential information.
Violation of the Primark Information Security Policy
will result in disciplinary action, up to and including
termination of employment and/or legal action if
warranted.
The full text of the policy is available from your
People & Culture Department in store or your Line
Manager. Set out below is a summary of the key
points:
STAFF HANDBOOK 46
 SECTION A SECTION B
INFORMATION SECURITY
Do
• Understand the data you work with, its
classification and proper treatment. If you are
uncertain of the sensitivity of a particular piece
of information, contact your manager
• Look after your physical access badge and
notify the ICT help-desk (Dublin)/General Office
(Reading) if you lose it
• Clear your desk of all documents at the end of
each working day
• Lock your workstation if left unattended
• Log off your workstation at the end of each
working day
• Activate wireless, Bluetooth and/or infra-red
services on your portable PC only when required
• Remember to disable these services when you
have finished with them
• Make sure you are aware of, and abide by,
the standards relating to the use of computer
systems, including the use of passwords
• Contact the help-desk if you suspect your
password has been compromised
• Backup/store all Primark data to appropriate
central servers on a regular basis
• Check any removable device for viruses before
using it if it has been handled by others or
connected to any system not under Primark’s
control
CONTENTS
SECTION C
• Dispose of any removable media device securely;
contact the help-desk for further information
• Report any security incidents immediately to
your line manager
• Immediately report any breaches, suspected or
otherwise, of the information security policy.
Don’t
• Store Company information classified as Primark
Confidential or above on removable storage
media, even if the storage device is issued to you
by Primark and is an encrypted device
• Allow others to follow (or “tailgate”) you into
Primark secure premises or environments
• Share or lend your physical access badge to
others
• Allow non-Primark equipment to be connected
to the Primark network
• Leave portable PCs unattended in public places,
in cars, or hotel rooms
• Leave login details or tokens with your portable
PC
• Look at or write to any documents classified as
Primark Restricted Confidential in a public place
• Surf the Internet directly from a portable PC;
always connect to the Primark network first
• Disclose your password to anyone
• Pick easily guessable passwords
• Leave any removable storage devices lying
around; secure them.
A-Z INDEX
SECTION D SECTION E
ACCEPTABLE USE OF E-MAIL
• When composing e-mail in a business context it
should be no less formal than any other form of
communication with the intended recipient.
• If the subject is sensitive, consider whether it should
be sent using e-mail; if the subject is confidential
then mark it accordingly.
• Check e-mail before sending – you would not send
a letter or fax without first checking the contents.
• E-mail can be legally binding and can be used
to conclude contracts, therefore when sending
external e-mail, you must “sign it” with your full
name and job title
• Please pay particular attention to addressing e-mail
and only send to those recipients who may find it
relevant. Sending information to the wrong party
could be a security breach, be careful
• Use of the “everyone” group should be limited.
• Prior to sending e-mail double-check that the
recipient list is correct.
• If you’re away from your normal work environment,
use Out-of-Office Assistant and give a contact
name that is available in your absence.
STAFF HANDBOOK 47
 SECTION A SECTION B
• E-mail should be deleted regularly and should not
be used to keep permanent records. If a permanent
record is required, copy the message text or file
attachment to another application.
UNACCEPTABLE USE OF E-MAIL
• For the transmission of credit card information.
• You may not use the Company’s e-mail system
in any way that may be seen as harassing,
threatening or intimating by other persons.
Examples of forbidden transmissions include,
but are not limited to:
- Sexual harassment
- Bullying
- Disability harassment
- Racial harassment
- Harassment due to sexual orientation
- Victimisation.
• Any e-mail that is potentially libellous, or can be
construed as defamation, is strictly forbidden
• You are not permitted to use the Company
e-mail for such purposes as soliciting or
promoting of commercial ventures, religious
or personal causes or outside organisations, or
other similar non job-related solicitations.
• You must not encourage or promote unlawful
activities or use the Company e-mail to engage
in illegal activities.
CONTENTS
SECTION C
• Users are not permitted to set Company
e-mail accounts to forward mail to other
external e-mail accounts (e.g. Hotmail, etc.)
due to potential confidentiality risks with the
information forwarded.
• Employees are not allowed to use passwords
or encryption keys of other employees to gain
access to their e-mail messages
ACCEPTABLE USE OF THE INTERNET
Access to the Internet is granted by Primark
management, based on justifiable business reasons
only. As such it can be withdrawn at any time.
• Communications should be for professional
reasons.
• Internet use must be effective, ethical and
lawful.
• Bulletin boards and newsgroups may be used,
providing they are for legitimate business
purposes. When using such services however,
you must not identify Primark in any way and
must not use Primark logins or passwords.
A-Z INDEX
SECTION D SECTION E
UNACCEPTABLE USE OF THE INTERNET
• The Internet should not be used to carry out
illegal acts, promote activities that may be
unlawful, sell services or products for personal
gain, or to advance individual views.
• Using the Internet for fraudulent, harassing or
obscene messages is prohibited
• Information published on the Internet should
not violate or infringe upon the rights of others.
• Certain categories of web sites and services
are not permitted for access from the Primark
network. For the current list of these categories
please see the Appendix to the full policy.
• It is acknowledged that in some circumstances
certain users may need access to site(s) in these
categories for a legitimate business purpose.
Where this is required access must be requested
via MyServiceDesk.
• Use of the Internet must not disrupt the
operation of the Company network or the
networks of other users. Downloading material
from the Internet may have an impact on the
Company network and cause delays for others.
If it is necessary to download large volumes of
material discuss with the ICT Department to
determine the best time and way to do it.
• Use of the Internet must not interfere with your
productivity.
STAFF HANDBOOK 48
SECTION A SECTION B
• It is forbidden to represent yourself as another
person and to do anything that could damage the
name and/or reputation of the Company.
• The use of peer to peer file sharing software
(often used to swap music, videos and other
software over the Internet) is not permitted
due to the increased risk of Viruses, Worms and
Trojans and the copyright of material provided by
such services.
• The use of Instant Messaging services (e.g. MSN
Messenger, Yahoo Messenger) to connect to
users on the Internet is not permitted. Such use
poses a high risk to the security of the Company
network, due to the increased risk of information
theft and Viruses that these systems carry.
• It is forbidden to download and install any
form of software from the Internet without
prior permission from the ICT Department.
This includes freeware, shareware or any trial
software. Before installation the software must
be tested by ICT to make certain it will not have
an adverse effect on the Primark network or
systems. Such software must also be checked
to ensure it is appropriately licensed before
installation.
• Material on the Internet is subject to the
same restrictions as written material in books,
magazines or other paper materials, with respect
to copyright and intellectual property rights. You
are required to seek permission from the relevant
CONTENTS A-Z INDEX
SECTION C SECTION D SECTION E
parties to use any material not owned by Primark. The purpose of this policy is to outline the
• It is forbidden to use any method to mask responsibilities of employees accessing social
Internet activity and circumvent monitoring by networking websites where Primark, its business or
Primark. employees are specifically being discussed or where
• The Internet must not be used to transmit they could easily be identified as Primark employees.
confidential information unless it is appropriately
encrypted. Contact MyServiceDesk if you require PERSONAL USE OF THE INTERNET
assistance with this. As employees are aware, access to the Internet is
permitted by Primark management, on the grounds
6. SOCIAL NETWORKING POLICY of justifiable business reasons only.
GENERAL
The Company prohibits access to social networking
This policy on social networking websites is in
websites from its computers at any time. It has added
addition to the Company’s existing Information
this type of website to the Company’s list of restricted
Security Policy.
websites.
In recent years, the use of social networking sites
Anyone accessing such sites in their own time
as a communication tool has grown significantly.
remains responsible, as a Primark employee, for
The Company recognises that many employees
making sure they do not damage or compromise the
communicate with each other and with the wider
interests of Primark or its employees.
public online outside the workplace – via social
networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram and WhatsApp, as well as using blogs,
forums, message boards and online video sites.
While the use of social media has inherent risks that
could negatively impact security, it also presents
opportunities such as accelerated business growth
and improved brand recognition.
STAFF HANDBOOK 49
 SECTION A SECTION B
PERSONAL CONDUCT
The Company respects an employee’s right to privacy.
However, the Company must safeguard its reputation
and the confidentiality of Company information,
making sure they are protected at all times.
It therefore requires employees using online Internet
sites to refrain from:
• Making or permitting any disparaging, derogatory
or defamatory statements or images relating
to the Company, its employees or customers to
be distributed or published in any form on the
Internet.
• Discussing Primark business or any matters that
are confidential or might reflect badly on our
good name.
• Allowing their interaction on these websites to
damage working relationships between employees
and customers of the Company.
• Posting photographs of work colleagues, the
Company, Company premises or photographs of
work related events without the consent of the
person(s) pictured.
• Negatively impacting the individual dignity and
respect of employees.
• Conducting themselves in a way that is detrimental
to the Company, to its reputation or to its brand.
CONTENTS A-Z INDEX
SECTION C SECTION D SECTION E
SECURITY AND IDENTITY THEFT Such references on social networking sites will
Employees should be aware that online Internet sites be checked and allegations of misuse will be
are a public forum, especially if the employee is part of investigated.
a “network”. Therefore, employees should:
DISCIPLINARY ACTION
• Not assume that their entries on any website will Breaches of this policy will be considered Gross
remain private Misconduct by the Company and appropriate
• Never send abusive or defamatory messages action will be taken including revoking access to the
regarding the Company or its employees or Internet on Company equipment and in more serious
customers breaches, disciplinary action up to and including
• Never use Company email addresses for personal dismissal.
social media usage or sign up
• Make sure that no information is made available For disciplinary purposes, the Company reserve the
that could provide a person with unauthorised right to use any information discovered in monitoring
access to the Company and/or any confidential employee Internet usage on Company equipment or
information any material brought to its attention by an employee,
• Refrain from recording any confidential customer or member of the public.
information regarding the Company on any
social networking website.
MONITORING
Primark respects your right to privacy. However,
the Company will monitor, access and record user
and system activity on its own systems, in order to
identify security threats and any potential misuse.
This includes email and Internet usage.
In addition, for PR purposes, we proactively monitor
external online Internet sites, including social
networking sites, for references to Primark.
STAFF HANDBOOK 50
SECTION A SECTION B SECTION C SECTION D SECTION E

SECTION E
General Information

CONTENTS A-Z INDEX STAFF HANDBOOK 51

 SECTION A SECTION B SECTION C SECTION D SECTION E

1. COMMUNICATION us, we want our customers to feel valued so we BSG Buyers Style Guide – a list of all
need to show them we care. These three little products for each department which
Noticeboards are prominently sited throughout the shows the stock holding and sales
words; EASY, CARING, FUN are what we call our for the previous 3 weeks
store as a means of communicating with you.
Customer Promise. Buggy/Trolley Trolley for moving/storing stock
Legal notices, fire evacuation procedures and Call offs Stock ordering
You will receive training on our Customer
other important information will be displayed on Cartons Stock boxes
Promise to help you put into practice the service
the boards and you should ensure you read them Cash and wrap Customer service at till point
behaviours that we value: look and greet, engage in
regularly. Cash lift Procedure for removing high value
conversation, say ‘thanks’ and ‘bye’. You will also be cash from till
You may not display notices or posters of your own encouraged to go that extra mile, so that wherever Clock Machine for clocking in/out (hand
without the consent of the Store Manager. you work in our store, you know how to sprinkle swipe)
that little bit of magic that creates a memorable DHL Delivery Company that delivers
merchandise
‘Shop Talk’ is an internal e-mail address where store moment and ensures our customers come back
time and time again. DIGI Primark computer system – stock
teams can give feedback to Senior Management and sales management
on what works well in the store in terms of store Dumps Merchandising fixture for volume
standards. Employees can also highlight any key 3. PRIMARK JARGON display
issues affecting standards. Please speak to your Line Primark Explanation ETI Ethical Trading Initiative
Manager if you have any ideas or suggestions to Allocations Stock which is automatically Feature table Display table for best selling items,
contribute. delivered to the store merchandised as a full outfit with
display models wearing the stock
Arm Rail on equipment for merchandising
Fixtures Equipment for displaying/
2. CUSTOMER PROMISE stock
merchandising stock
AWOL Absence from work without leave
Everything our retail employees do shapes the way Flat Area in the stock room where boxes
Bag searches Security searches of employees’ of excess stock are kept after the
our customers feel about us so as a member of our personal possessions delivery
team, you are a big reason why our stores are so Baler Machine for securing flattened Floats Initial cash allowance for each till
amazing and so popular. cardboard boxes with plastic
Folding table Table used for folding merchandise
strapping
during recovery
Quite often you are the difference between Bins Stock holding area in stockroom (i.e.
shelf) Folding template Perspex frame used as a guide for
whether our customers shop at Primark or not. folding merchandise
Bolster staff/Crew Experienced support staff from
We want our customers to have an easy shopping other stores Gondola Sales-floor fixture for displaying
stock
experience and one that’s fun. While they’re with

CONTENTS A-Z INDEX STAFF HANDBOOK 52

 SECTION A SECTION B SECTION C SECTION D SECTION E

Global Tax Refund Form to be completed by non-EU POS Point of sale – display price tickets Shoe ties Plastic ties to keep pairs of shoes
resident customers to claim VAT together
back Prime Time All available staff and managers do
a full lift of loose stock off the floor Shrinkage See stockloss
Hanging Area in the stock room where (check Prime Time for your store)
hanging stock is kept Soiled & Damaged Book used for recording damaged
PSG Product Style Guide book stock which is unsaleable
Key lines Fast selling basic lines
PSR Primark stock replenishment – stock Spot check Ad hoc till reconciliation
Kimball bullets Plastic tag to attach Kimball tags to ordering system
garments – used with Kimball gun SPV Selling Price Variation – process to
Ready for Success Store set up in the morning account for differences in selling
Kimball gun Machine used to attach Kimball tags prices (normally markdowns)
to garments RAS Reduced All Stores – report used to
ensure all mark downs are actioned Stockloss The difference between ‘actual stock
Lift See cash lift above value’ and ‘expected stock value’
Reductions Reduced price stock
Line up Organise the sales-floor fixtures in Swing ticket Price or information ticket attached
order (straight lines) Replenish Re-fill stock to an item
Linear footage Measurement of selling space for Roller cage Moveable closed in cage for storing/ T&A Time and Attendance
each department moving stock
Timepoint/Timeplus Time and attendance system
M2s Display unit Runner rail Moveable rail for storing/moving
stock Tower Fixture used to display accessories
Markdowns Reduced stock
RMDP Retail Management Development Trans Void Till transaction completely voided/
Meto gun Price labelling machine Programme cancelled
Multi arm rails Fixture used to display stock – RTM Return to Manufacturer – stock Transfer In/out Stock received/stock sending out
usually childrenswear and ladies instructed by Head Office to return
lingerie to the supplier (usually faulty) Trolley/buggy Trolley for moving/storing stock
New lines New stock delivered Roundels Promotion tickets placed on top of TNT Delivery Company that delivers
the price ticket holder – new, new merchandise
NLP New Lower Price lower price, Father’s Day etc. Voids Method of correcting mistakes on
Odds Stock unable to be paired – shoes, S&D Soiled and damaged – stock the till
bikinis etc. damaged but still saleable and
Option check Checking that all colours and sizes reduced.
are on display Service window Between 12pm – 2pm all staff and
Packer Assistance at till for packing managers fully focused on serving
customers purchases customers
Pallet truck Machinery used for taking the Sets Hanging stock
delivery off the delivery truck Shorts and overs Till discrepancies: short = less money
Planogram Merchandising plan for basic than expected, over = more money
stock lines to ensure that they are than expected
displayed in a uniform manner

CONTENTS A-Z INDEX STAFF HANDBOOK 53

 SECTION A SECTION B
A-Z INDEX
Subject Page
Absence Notification .............................................13
Accident Reporting ................................................45
Annual Leave ..........................................................11
Anti-Fraud Policy ..............................................25, 29
Appeals ...................................................................20
Appearance ............................................................18
Breaks .......................................................................9
Cash Register Procedures ................................19, 20
CCTV .......................................................................28
Childcare Vouchers ................................................35
Children and Young Persons ..................................10
Commencement of Employment ............................8
Communication .................................... 47, 48, 49, 52
Company Background ..............................................5
Compassionate Leave ............................................39
Confidentiality ........ 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 48, 50
CONTENTS A-Z INDEX
SECTION C
Contact Details, Internal Company ........................28
Contract of Employment . 8, 9, 11, 15, 18, 24, 33, 34
Data Protection ................................................26, 41
Dependants’ Leave ................................................39
Dignity and Respect ...................................19, 20, 50
Disciplinary Procedure .14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 24, 26
..................................................30, 36, 40, 45, 46, 50
E-Mail, Use of ................................................... 47, 48
Environmental Policy .........................................5, 44
Equal Opportunities .........................................19, 24
Ethical Trading .............................................. 5, 29, 52
Evacuation Procedures ....................................45, 52
First Aid ..................................................................45
Flexible Working Policy ....................................34, 35
Gifts and Hospitality ..............................................30
Grievance Procedure ...........................16, 24, 25, 28
Grooming & Appearance .................................18, 40
Gross Misconduct......9, 13, 15, 16, 17, 19, 26, 45, 50
SECTION D SECTION E
Health and Safety Policy ......................15, 33, 44, 45
Holidays ............................................................11, 37
Hours of Work (see Working Hours)
Infectious Illnesses .................................................45
Information Security Policy
(see also Security Policy) ............................ 46, 47, 49
Jargon ...............................................................52, 53
Jury Service ............................................................41
Leave (see Compassionate Leave, Dependants’
Leave, Sickness and Absence Policy)
Lockers ...............................................................9, 28
Long-Term Absence ...............................................15
Lost Property .........................................................46
Malpractice (see Whistleblowing Policy)
Manual Handling ....................................................45
Maternity Policy ...............................................13, 31
Medical Examination .............................................14
Misconduct (see also Gross Misconduct)
...............14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, 26, 28, 45, 50
STAFF HANDBOOK 54
 SECTION A SECTION B
Notice Periods ..............................................9, 15, 40
Overtime ............................................................ 9, 10
Parental Leave ..................................................36, 37
Paternity Policy ................................................34, 38
Pay Arrangements ..................................................10
Payment, Method of ..........................................8, 10
Payslip ..........................................................8, 10, 14
Pension .......................................................33, 40, 41
Probationary Period .....................................9, 13, 16
Public Holidays .................................................11, 37
References ...............................................................9
Retirement ............................................................. 41
Return to Work Policy ......................................14, 33
Search, right of .......................................................29
Security Policy
(see also Information Security Policy) .............19, 28
Sickness and Absence Policy ................13, 14, 15, 39
Sick Pay, Company ...........................................13, 14
CONTENTS A-Z INDEX
SECTION C
Sick Pay, Statutory ............................................13, 14
Smoking ..................................................................45
Social Networking ..................................................49
Staff Purchase Procedures ...............................19, 46
Substance Abuse Policy .........................................15
Suspension .............................................................17
Suspicious Behaviour .............................................29
Telephone Calls ................................................18, 46
Time and Attendance .................................. 9, 14, 16
Trade Union Membership ................................41, 42
Training Policy ........................................................13
Welcome ..................................................................5
Whistleblowing Policy .................... 24, 26, 27, 28, 29
SECTION D SECTION E
ACCEPTANCE OF STAFF
HANDBOOK
On joining Primark you become part of the team.
You are a direct link with our customers and all
external contacts.
Their opinion and attitude towards the Company
depends on the service you provide, and the
courtesy you show to them. Your enthusiasm,
eagerness to help and the knowledgeable advice
you give are essential to uphold the Company’s
image and reputation.
This handbook is designed to provide you with the
necessary policies and information regarding the
Company. It is in your own interest to ensure that
you understand all sections of the handbook. If you
are uncertain, ask your Supervisor or Store Manager.
Remember, if you are uncertain, ask your Supervisor
or Line Manager, or speak to the People & Culture
Department in store.
STAFF HANDBOOK 55