Version 1.4 | January 2025
The Acorn by Synergie is one of the UK’s leading recruitment companies. We offer permanent, temporary and contract recruitment solutions to employers, supported by a portfolio of training, learning and development solutions. Acorn is a member of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) and ISO 9001:2015 accredited. As a leading recruitment specialist, we have a great deal of experience in all types of recruitment, so will always be on hand to give you the advice and guidance you need to succeed in your role. When working with Acorn we make it our business to listen.
We will ensure that the communication, support and service you are given is of the highest level. This handbook will provide you with some important information about working with Acorn by Synergie, and the policies and procedures which will apply to you. It is important that you read this information carefully and that you seek clarification from your Acorn by Synergie Representative when needed. You may also receive a client-specific handbook, which will provide you with further information specific to a particular assignment.
In addition to this Handbook, you will also receive a Key Information Document (KID), an Assignment Details Form and a Written Statement; all of which will contain specific details about your assignment and your engagement with Acorn by Synergie.
Acorn by Synergie places agency workers into assignments with approximately 850 different client companies across the UK within various sectors including; commercial, industrial, technical, steel, construction, rail, driving, food processing, nursing etc. We will ensure that the assignment that you are offered suits your knowledge, skills and experience, and our experienced consultants will work with you to identify the best opportunities for you. Before each assignment, your Acorn Representative will provide you with full details of the assignment, including a written assignment confirmation.
Acorn by Synergie is a GLAA licence holder, Stronger Together Business Partner and complies with the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) Base Code.
This means that:
Wages are paid on a weekly basis, one week in arrears. The method of payment will be by direct credit into a bank / building society account of your choice each Friday. You must have your own bank account or a joint bank account which you have access to. Should there be any changes in your circumstances, please inform your Acorn by Synergie Representative immediately.
Your weekly payslip will be available to view on our online portal every Thursday. This provides a secure place for you to see current and previous payslips as and when you need – you will be emailed a personalised login and instructions on how you can use the portal.
We will require your National Insurance number as we are obliged by law to deduct National Insurance from your earnings and will tax you under the ‘Pay As You Earn’ (PAYE) scheme. During your assignment, you may be required to document your hours on a weekly timesheet.
You must complete the timesheet honestly and accurately. Fraudulent completion of timesheets will result in the termination of your assignment.
The length of an assignment and the number of hours you work each week may vary. There may also be occasions when no work is available, and you are not entitled to receive any pay when you are not on an assignment.
When you begin an assignment, you will be advised of the start and finish times. You must make every effort to arrive in sufficient time to start work at your agreed start time. As we wish to provide the best possible service to our Clients, we take a serious view of lateness unless it is caused by circumstances beyond your control. Persistent lateness will result in the termination of your assignment.
The Acorn by Synergie does not formally recognise a trade union, however, all Agency Workers are free to join a trade union of their choice.
You have no permanent place of work and your place of work will vary according to each assignment.
Although you are an Acorn by Synergie employee, while on assignment you will be subject to instruction from the Client. Due to the relationship between Acorn and our Clients, the Client may request that your assignment be terminated with immediate effect. The termination of your assignment may not necessarily mean the termination of your employment. If you are removed from an assignment because of your conduct or performance, your continued employment is likely to be reviewed, which will usually involve the disciplinary procedure. Acorn also reserves the right to move you from one assignment to another where the needs of the business may require it, or remove you from your assignment, should this be necessary for any reason. If you no longer wish to be considered for other assignments, please request your P45 and outstanding holiday pay from your Acorn Representative. This will not be processed automatically.
After completing a 12-week AWR qualifying period, you will be entitled to receive the same basic employment and working conditions as if you had been recruited directly by the client. This includes basic pay, overtime rates and holiday pay etc. Your Acorn by Synergie representative will advise you of any applicable increases. Please note that the AWR qualifying period is affected by holiday, sickness and shutdown.
The Acorn by Synergie uses NEST (National Employment Savings Trust) as its pension provider. Subject to qualifying eligibility criteria, you will be automatically enrolled as a member of this scheme after you have worked for Acorn for three months. If you wish to opt-out of the scheme, you must follow the instructions provided to you by NEST shortly after your enrolment. You will be required to make a weekly contribution to your pension and Acorn will make a contribution too. The level of contribution will increase gradually over the coming years, as detailed below.
| Acorn by Synergie | Agency Worker | |
|---|---|---|
| Before 05 April 2018 | 1% | 1% |
| 06 April 2018 - 05 April 2019 | 2% | 3% |
| 06 April 2019 | 3% | 5% |
You will receive correspondence regarding the pension scheme during the course of your assignment. Further details about the NEST scheme, including conditions of eligibility, can be found at www.nestpensions.org.uk.
Acorn by Synergie cannot provide financial advice, so you must seek advice from NEST or your Financial Advisor.
<aside> <img src="/icons/report_gray.svg" alt="/icons/report_gray.svg" width="40px" /> In the event that you are unable to work, for any reason, you must contact Acorn by Synergie and your Line Manager, as soon as possible, prior to your start time. Please make contact personally unless you are physically unable to do so. An answer-phone message should be left for Acorn by Synergie if out of hours or during the weekend. It is essential that you advise Acorn every day that you are unable to work.
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You will be entitled to receive statutory sick pay (SSP) if;
You provide Acorn by Synergie with the following documentation:
<aside> <img src="/icons/report_gray.svg" alt="/icons/report_gray.svg" width="40px" /> • A self-certification form, if your absence lasts seven calendar days or less and/or;
• A ‘fit note’, which you must obtain from your doctor if your absence lasts eight calendar days or more.
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It is possible that during a period of sickness, a client will request a replacement worker. If this is the case, you will be informed that your assignment has ended. In these situations, you are no longer eligible to receive SSP as you are no longer on an assignment.
If you are ineligible for SSP for any reason, you will be issued with a SSP1 Form, which may enable you to obtain SSP from an alternative source.
Unauthorised absence, or failure to follow the correct absence reporting procedure, will be classed as gross misconduct and may result in the termination of your assignment and/or disciplinary action being taken against you.
Acorn by Synergie expects all agency workers to have a good level of attendance. If you have more than three absences in a 12-month rolling period, you may be subject to disciplinary action and you may be issued with a disciplinary warning.
Acorn by Synergie reserves the right to require workers to have a medical examination by an Occupational Health Specialist or Independent Medical Adviser, with any report made by the doctor supplied to the Company. If it is necessary to seek information from your own doctor or specialist, this will be done in accordance with the Access to Medical Reports Act.
If you are working as a Food Handler for one of our clients in the food industry, there are strict rules about sickness absence and returning to work after absence. People who work around food while suffering from certain illnesses are at risk of contaminating the food, surfaces the food may contact, and other people they work with.
If you are suffering from an illness that could be transmitted to another person via the food you are handling, then you are required by law to take time off work. You cannot attend work if you have any of the following symptoms; infected wounds, skin infections, sores, sickness or diarrhoea. You shouldn’t return to work for 48 hours after your symptoms stop.
Prior to returning to work after absence, you will be required to complete a Food Handler Return to Work Questionnaire with your Acorn by Synergie Representative.