Introduction

Working hours

Flexible Working Requests – Within normal office working hours

Formal flexible working requests

Managers’ Responsibilities

• Manage the scheme within their department, ensuring team members’ calendars reflect their working hours
• Ensure cover in the department. This may include multi – skilling so people can cover for team members (CISI is aware that in areas where there is only one member of employees or a very small team, there may not be cover before and after the core hours)
• Arrange routine meetings within core hours, unless the individuals in that specific group are all working a similar pattern

Exceptions

• Employees in certain jobs eg Reception, Facilities, Customer Support Centre, who work different shift rotas or hours, eg the Customer Support Centre is open from 8.30am to 5.30pm each day
• If there are attendance issues or you are subject to a disciplinary warning, you may be required to work 9-5 each day

Smoking, nor the use of electric cigarettes, is not permitted in any part of the Institute's offices. The Institute does not give time off for smoking breaks.

Introduction

The CISI’s dress code policy is designed to help us all present a consistent professional appearance to our customers and colleagues. Our appearance reflects on ourselves and the organisation. The goal of this guidance is to be sure that everyone understands how we collectively maintain a positive appearance, one expected of a professional body.

We trust everyone to dress as they like for work within the business casual guidelines set out below. If you're not sure whether an item of clothing is appropriate for work, err on the side of caution and wear something else. If you have questions about the dress code, ask your manager or buddy and they will be happy to help.

Who does this policy apply to?

This dress code policy applies to all staff that work or are contracted by the CISI.

Dress Code Policy:

• Employees are expected to dress in business casual attire in the office or working remotely unless the day’s tasks require otherwise.
• Employees must always present a clean, professional appearance. Everyone is expected to be well-groomed and wear clean clothing, free of holes, tears, or other signs of wear.
• Clothing, jewellery or body art with offensive or inappropriate designs or stamps are not allowed.
• Clothing should not be revealing.
• Clothing and grooming styles dictated by religion or ethnicity are exempt.
• For Dress Down Days (such as Charity Days), employees are free to wear casual clothing, including trainers. Casual clothing should still meet the above guidelines.
  

Remote Working:

With the increase in remote working employees should consider their appearance on a screen. Clothing visible on screen should meet the above guidance. For external meetings a neutral background is recommended for video calls and employees may find the CISI background useful in large multi-party meetings where this helps other participants know who you are representing.

Managers are expected to inform employees when they are not meeting the expected dress code. If informed of this, employees are expected to immediately correct the issue raised, and this may include having to leave work to change to appropriate attire.

Repeated occurrences may result in disciplinary action being taken, up to and including, termination of employment.

Professionals within financial services owe important duties to all their stakeholders including clients, market participants, their profession, professional bodies, regulators, colleagues as well as to wider society.

Where these duties are set out in law or regulation, members of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI) should comply with the requirements in both letter and spirit.

Members of CISI are also required to meet the standards set out within the CISI’s Principles, which impose an obligation on members to act at all times not only in compliance with the rules, but also to support the underlying purpose and values of the Institute.

Introduction

Statement of intent

Definitions

• Fraud:  A deliberate intent to acquire money or goods dishonestly through the falsification of records or documents. The deliberate changing of financial statements or other records by either; a member of the public, someone who works or is a volunteer for CISI. The criminal act is the attempt to deceive and attempted fraud is therefore treated as seriously as accomplished fraud
• Theft:   Dishonestly acquiring, suing or disposing of physical or intellectual property belonging to CISI or to individual members of the organisation.
• Misuse of equipment:  Deliberately misusing materials or equipment belonging to CISI.
• Abuse of position:   Exploiting a position of trust within the organisation.

Culture

Responsibilities

• Undertaking a regular review of the fraud risks associated with each of the key organisational objectives.
• Establishing an effective anti-fraud response plan, in proportion to the level of fraud risks identified.
• The design of an effective control environment to prevent fraud. This includes setting staff incentives which do not encourage inappropriate risk taking or dishonesty, and creating a culture in which staff feel supported to report suspicions/instances of fraud.
• Establishing appropriate mechanisms for:
  -reporting fraud risk issues
  -reporting significant incidents of fraud or attempted fraud to the Board of Director Trustees;
• Liaising with CISI’s appointed Auditors.
• Making sure that all staff are aware of CISI’s Anti-Fraud Policy and know what their responsibilities are in relation to combating fraud;
• Ensuring that appropriate anti-fraud training is made available to Trustees, staff and volunteers as required; and
• Ensuring that appropriate action is taken to minimise the risk of previous frauds occurring in future.

c) Senior Management Team:

• Ensuring that an adequate system of internal control exists within their areas of responsibility and that controls operate effectively;
• Ensuring that staff incentives are given in line with the CISI’s policies on incentivising staff, and in a manner which will not encourage inappropriate risk taking or forms of dishonesty;
• Creating an environment in which staff know that they will be supported when reporting suspicions or instances of fraud;
• Listening to, and taking seriously, staff members reports about suspicions or instances of fraud, and escalating these concerns if appropriate;
• Encouraging staff to attend anti-fraud training;
• Assessing the types of risk involved in the operations for which they are responsible;
• Reviewing the control systems for which they are responsible regularly;
• Ensuring that controls are being complied with and their systems continue to operate effectively; and
• Learning lessons, and, if necessary, implementing new controls to reduce the risk of similar fraud occurring where frauds have taken place.

• Acting with propriety in the use of CISI’s resources and the handling and use of funds whether they are involved with cash, receipts, payments or dealing with suppliers;
• Ensuring decisions are made objectively and impartially, without being influenced by bias, selfishness or external pressures.
• Conducting themselves with integrity, and adhering to the CISI’s principles of honesty, openness, transparency and fairness (set out in the Code of Conduct).
• Displaying the qualities expected of a good leader, which include being accountable for their actions and understanding the consequences of their actions and decisions.
• Attending anti-fraud training;
• Being alert to the possibility that unusual events or transactions could be indicators of fraud;
• Alerting their manager or other appropriate member of the CISI management team when they believe the opportunity for fraud exists e.g. because of poor procedures or lack of effective oversight (see the CISI’s Speak Up policy for further information about how to escalate a concern);
• Reporting details immediately to their manager or other appropriate member of the CISI management team if they suspect that a fraud has been committed or see any suspicious acts or events; and
• Cooperating fully with whoever is conducting internal checks or reviews or fraud investigations.

Detection and Investigation

• It facilitates a thorough investigation by experienced staff, and ensures the consistent application of policies and procedures designed to manage instances of fraud and corruption.
• When he/she is notified of a suspected irregularity, the CEO will instigate an investigation by appointing a designated officer, auditor or other adviser.
• The designated officer, auditor or other advisor will:
  -deal promptly with the matter
  -record evidence received in the course of the investigation
  -ensure the security and confidentiality of evidence
  -Work closely with senior managers of the CISI and other agencies, such as the Police and Courts to ensure that all issues are properly investigated and reported upon.
  -Ensure maximum recoveries are made on behalf of the CISI, and assist the senior managers to implement CISI’s disciplinary procedures where considered appropriate (referral to the Police will not prohibit or restrict action under the Disciplinary Procedure).
• Malicious accusations may result in disciplinary action against the reporter(s).

Training

When an individual agrees to buy goods or services from a supplier, including verbally, online or by email, then a contract is formed. CISI, as a body that supports ethical business practises, undertakes to honour all contracts that it enters legally. Therefore, all employees should understand the level they are authorised by the CISI to commit to spend on its behalf.

Procedure for commitments within your personal limit

Please seek guidance from your line manager to ensure that you understand how your team makes and records its financial commitments.

Before any commitment is made to a supplier, there must be an operational requirement and budget for the goods or services.  If these fall within your commitment limit, you may purchase the items. 

Procedure for commitments that are higher than your personal limit

If there is an operational requirement for you to purchase goods or services that cost more than your authorisation limit you will need to have the expenditure approved by an individual with a signing limit that is sufficient to encompass the total commitment.

The authorisation must take the form of a written note or email as it must be auditable – a conversation will not be sufficient.

Commitment limits cover five Bands A to F

Band A             Up to £125,000

Band B             Up to £20,000

Band C             Up to £10,000

Band D             Up to £5,000

Band E             Up to £1,000

Band F             Other amounts as specified

All other employees including those on a contract (including Apprentices) do not have a personal limit. 

List of employees with a Financial Commitment limit

A table listing those employees with a signing authority limit is available to view on the Intranet.  This will enable you to identify individual employees in your department that you can approach to approve items that fall outside of your personal signing limit.

Failure to comply with this policy or falsification of expenses will normally be regarded as misconduct and could result in disciplinary action.

Note: references to the UK include the Channel Islands Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland. ‘Abroad’ refers to all other destinations.

EXPENSES

Principle

The objectives of the CISI expenses policy are;

1. to provide a safe and secure environment for the traveller
2. to ensure that traveller enjoys reasonable comfort
3. to ensure that the traveller is not financially disadvantaged
   

Of these objectives, the most important is providing safe and secure travel and accommodation. If there is a conflict between the more detailed financial guidance, such as not being able to find an appropriately safe and secure hotel within the budgeted guidelines, then the primary objective of ensuring the safety and security of the traveller, applies.

We will only allow employees who have been double vaccinated (plus any boosters) against Covid-19 to travel outside the UK on CISI business.

Hotels

In the UK, should an overnight stay be necessary, a 3 or 4 Star rated hotel should be booked (for bed & breakfast). If there are circumstances when staying at a higher grade hotel is necessary, this should first be discussed and agreed with your Director.

When travelling outside the UK, the same principles will apply, namely a reasonable hotel at a reasonable price that is commensurate with the Institute’s standards.  The actual hotel and the tariff should be agreed, in writing in advance, using the travel authorisation form, with the Director whose budget will bear the costs.

If, when travelling overseas and expecting to arrive at the hotel before 8am local time, a hotel room may be booked for the preceding overnight stay. The Institute is prepared to pay a modest “early arrival” fee which should be less than a full day’s costs if you arrive after 8am but before normal check-in time. Similarly, if you are catching a flight after 2pm and you need to be in the hotel, then Institute will pay an additional fee for “late check out”. Unless your flight is after 10pm, it should not be necessary to pay for an additional night’s stay.

Using private lodging

If an overnight stay is necessary and you choose to stay with friends or relatives, either in the UK or overseas, you will be eligible for £55 in vouchers per night (pro-rata in countries designated as mid or low gdp), which can be used to purchase a thank you gift, or alternatively you can take the host out for a dinner up to the value of £55 (or pro-rate in mid and low gdp countries).

You need to inform your Director of the name, address and your relationship to the person you stayed with in order to receive the vouchers.  Any tax and national insurance due on the vouchers will be paid by the Institute.   

Subsistence

Where CISI exams are sold at full price, eg UK and the employee is away overnight

CISI will reimburse employees for genuine reasonable expenses on the production of receipts, including:

• up to £11 for lunch
• up to £42 for dinner
• Where breakfast is not included with the hotel room, up to £16 for breakfast
  

Coffees / teas are reimbursed where purchased with a meal, and if purchased for a group eg meeting refreshments, in which case they should be purchased by the most senior CISI person at the meeting, and will be reimbursed via expenses on production of a receipt.  Casual, coffee for personal consumption are not reimbursable, their purchase would be covered by the daily subsistence allowance.

If an employee is working away from the office for a full day, eg manning a CISI stand at an exhibition, but an overnight stay is not required and they are not entertaining, CISI will reimburse the employee up to £15 for food and refreshments on the production of a receipt.

Where CISI exams are not sold at the full price

CISI will reimburse employees for genuine reasonable expenses on the production of receipts, including:

• up to £8 for lunch
• up to £27 for dinner
• Where breakfast is not included with the hotel room, up to £11 for breakfast
  

Coffees / teas are reimbursed where purchased with a meal, and if purchased for a group eg meeting refreshments, in which case they should be purchased by the most senior CISI person at the meeting, and will be reimbursed via expenses on production of a receipt.

In addition, incidental non-receipted expenses will be reimbursed up to £5 per night when staying away from home in the UK, and up to £10 per night when abroad.  This allowance is intended to cover personal incidental costs while away, which typically would include newspapers, coffees, etc and these can be claimed without receipts although the items should be detailed on the expense claims.  This allowance is not intended to fund ‘luxury’ items such as alcohol or tobacco nor strictly personal everyday items such as toiletries.  (Unchanged as these levels are in line with HMRC rules)

Daily allowance – when travelling outside of the UK

Alternatively, employee can claim a daily allowance, for each 24 hours they are in the country to cover subsistence, local transport and incidentals.  Receipts do not have to be produced but the total allowance paid for that day must not exceed the daily allowance. 

The cost of living varies across the global, and GDP is a useful, but blunt measure, especially as staff often visit capital cities where the costs are higher.

Where the average price of a hotel room and breakfast is over £135, eg Singapore, Europe, USA, and Hong Kong, a 24 hour daily allowance of £55 can be claimed.

Where the average price of a hotel room and breakfast is less than or equal to £135, eg Sri Lanka, India, Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam, a 24 hour daily allowance of £25 can be claimed.

Where the employee is not in the country for a 24 hour period, they should claim for meals taken and provide receipts. 

Hotel Minibars

The Institute is a charity and needs to be conscious of its public image. Therefore, the use of hotel minibars, especially for alcoholic consumption is not permitted. Exceptionally, reimbursement will be given for bottled water if the water supply is considered undrinkable.

Hotel Laundry

For trips over six days, it may be necessary to use the Hotel’s laundry facility which will be a valid expense. Staff should only send the minimum number of items to the laundry service which will allow them to have clean clothes for the remainder of their visit.  It should not normally be necessary for your suit to be pressed.

Entertaining

Entertaining should be pre-arranged with your Director and should be appropriate for the occasion and the status of the guest(s).  Care should be taken in choosing an appropriate venue to reflect the Institute’s values.  It would be unusual for a lunch to exceed £45 a head and dinner £65 (in UK).

All receipts must be attached to the expenses claim form which show the names and companies of persons being entertained, together with a brief explanation of the reason for the entertaining, eg briefing on Institute work, to discuss potential business, etc.

Please note that for these purposes entertaining includes taking UK based CISI staff to lunch.

The Institute has an agreement with the Inland Revenue that no tax liability will arise providing a customer or client is present.

Reclaiming Expenses

All expenses with receipts should be reclaimed using the Webexpenses system.  The reason for the claim should be clearly stated with for example the purpose of the meeting – lunch, business trip, together with brief details of the attendees.

Your claim will be authorised by your line manager / Director, and Finance will transfer the money in to your bank account.

Where a receipt is not available or has been lost, please add the reason.

Allowance for staff who attend formal events on CISI 's behalf

Subject to the agreement of your Director, an annual allowance of £300 will be paid to those staff who regularly travel and represent the Institute at formal events, ie ‘black tie’. This covers out of pocket expenses incurred, such as purchasing and wear and tear on formal dress and luggage.

To receive the allowance of £150, you need to have attended the equivalent of three or more events in the previous six months:

• A black tie event counts as one event
• A night away from home counts as half an event
• A night away from home for a black tie event counts as one and half events
  

If you have been reimbursed for the hire of a dinner suit or outfit, you will not qualify for the allowance for that event.

The allowance, which is subject to deductions for Tax and National Insurance, is paid twice a year.

Staff who do not regularly travel or represent the Institute at formal events, maybe eligible to receive an allowance at the time the allowance is paid if they have attended:
three events or equivalent within a 12 month period – an allowance of £150
six events or equivalent within a 12 month period – an allowance of £300

The benefit is paid to employees who are employed in the month the payment will be made and who are not in their notice period.

The allowance for employees in the international offices is:

India – 5,000 INR

Sri Lanka – 11,000 LKR

Dubai – 900 AED

TRAVEL

General

Staff are expected to use the most economical means of travel to and from business meetings, or events, and to find the best deals for fares and accommodation (if the trip involves an overnight stay). 

Trains

If a train journey is necessary, a standard class ticket should be purchased. If there is a valid reason to travel in a higher class this should be discussed and agreed, before booking, with your Director. A reason may be because the ticket includes free Wi-Fi or refreshments that otherwise would have incurred a cost. Staff are permitted to pay for the upgrade element themselves should they wish to take a higher class of travel that is outside policy.

The need to undertake business trips outside of London should first be discussed and agreed with your director prior to making any financial commitments. All travel and subsistence expenses must be supported with receipts - refer to claim procedures section below.

The Institute has a number of Oyster cards which may be used on London Transport. Using an Oyster card is much more cost and time effective.  These may be obtained from the CEO’s EA.  

Use of a private car

If the use of a private car is necessary and you are willing to use your own car for the journey, expenses will be reimbursed at the tax free rate of 45 pence a mile. A private car can also be used in preferred to a train, however if a train journey would have been practically possible, the lesser of either the equivalent standard class train fare, or the mileage allowance will be reimbursed. In all cases, prior approval for using your own car must be obtained.

Reimbursement may be claimed for return mileage (not exceeding 10,000 miles per annum) undertaken from CISI ’s London office to the business destination, or for the journey from home to destination whichever is the shorter.

Before using a private car for business purposes staff should ensure that their car insurance covers them for business use.

Please note that where applicable it has been agreed with Inland Revenue that the rates shown in this document will not give rise to a tax liability on the individual.

Taxis

Taxis should only be used when there is no other practical means of transport or if you are required to carry literature or presentation equipment and usually only for short journeys.  The company has an account with Dial-a-Cab and this facility can be used with the prior agreement of your Director, or you can use Uber which is a cheaper and often better option.   

In exceptional circumstances, if staff are required to work after 9.00 pm, you may, with the prior agreement of a Director book a taxi home/to train station.  If you live outside central London, then a local taxi from may be booked, if the fare is less than Dial-a-Cab’s quote for the journey.

Details of all journeys booked with Dial-a-Cab will appear on a monthly invoice and you will be required to state the reason why you used a taxi. Directors will countersign all invoices.

For any taxi journeys, other than via Dial-a-cab, a receipt will be required for the expense claim.  

It would not be normal to exceed the upper limit of £3.30 a mile unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Airport Taxi

Most airports in the Gulf and major financial centres, run a well organised, marshalled taxi rank. Sometimes it is necessary to specify your destination to a supervisor who ensures you travel in an approved and licensed taxi.  Always ensure that the meter is running and avoid negotiating a fare with the driver. This is the standard form of transport from the airport.

In some airports most notably, Colombo and Mumbai, the taxi provision is more haphazard and there is no central licensing arrangement.  In this case, you may be picked up by the hotel’s standard car service.

Many airports are connected with train services and it is often cheaper and faster to use them. 

Air travel

Any non-domestic travel over £250 must be approved in advance by the CEO.

Any domestic travel where the airfare is £250 or below can be approved by the line manager.

All long-haul flights have to be booked through Cultural Tours, with whom we have a corporate account (contact details below). Short-haul flights can continue to be booked via the Internet or direct with relevant airlines.

The following guidelines must be adhered to when making reservations:-

Economy Class:

Must be booked for all domestic flights and for flights to the Republic of Ireland

Should be booked for short-haul flights to most of Europe.

Premium Economy:

May be booked for flights between 4 and 8 hours long, but further upgrade is possible depending on:

-           Which country you are travelling to/from

-           The actual length of the flight

-           Whether you are travelling through the night

-           Whether you are travelling alone or accompanying someone

-           Whether you need extra baggage allowance

Business Class:

May be booked for all long-haul flights over 8 hours

Notes

Non-domestic includes the Republic of Ireland (domestic includes Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands)

Short-haul applies to a flying time of less than 4 hours

Long-haul applies to a flying time of 8 hours plus

An Authorisation for Travel (which is available on the Intranet under Personnel/Forms) should be completed and sent to the CEO for approval prior to confirmation of your booking.  

Contact Details:

Cultural Tours Limited

17 Hanover Square, London W1S 1BN

Direct Line: 44 20 3870 1324

Web: www.culturaltours.co.uk

Our contact: Tony Wu or Ray Zhu

Email: tony@culturaltours.co.uk or Ray@culturaltours.co.uk

Adding annual leave to a business trip and/or employee’s Partner/family accompanying them

It is perfectly acceptable for an individual who has been asked by their line manager to travel on CISI business, especially on a routine basis, to take leave whilst travelling and for them to either leave earlier for the destination or depart later. 

The principles that will apply in these situations are;

• There is a legitimate business need for that individual to travel to that destination at that time.
• The request to travel has originated from the individual’s line manager or has been signed off by the line manager. This is already standard policy.
• The individual has openly and explicitly declared to their line manager, in writing, that they are taking holiday, and/or bringing their family/partner, at least a week prior to departure.
• Any personal expenditure is for their own account.
• Any additional flight cost as a result of changing or extending the ticket is covered by the individual.  
• In some cases, particularly if extending the duration of a stay means that a visit then covers a Saturday night, the flight cost may reduce, in which case, the saving may be shared on an equal basis with the individual in the form of accommodation but will never be paid in cash.
• Partners/family may stay with an individual at their hotel whilst they are working, provided that any additional expenditure is paid for by the member of staff, most easily by not claiming back that portion of the expenditure incurred by the non-staff member.
• There already exists a scheme where individuals may stay at a relative or friend’s house and receive a cash benefit. This principle applies globally.
• The individual takes the risk that the business travel may be curtailed or cancelled at short notice and that they are responsible for any subsequent costs to arising from changes to the leave arrangements.
• If an individual is on holiday and is asked or it is agreed that a portion can legitimately be used for business, then the Institute will be pleased to pay subsistence and accommodation as required, but not flights.
  

Insurance

Whilst travelling on behalf of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment on a business trip, UK staff are insured (including medical cover) under the company’s general insurance policy.  Further details are available from the Chief Operating Officer. 

All employees must comply with the UK Bribery Act, which applies worldwide. 

Accepting bribes, gifts and inducements that might place an employee under an obligation is prohibited.  Employees must not offer anyone a bribe or inducement for any purpose whatsoever.

All gifts received by CISI staff in the performance of their duties (for example from external suppliers, for performing a service for a third party or as a result of business being placed) or because they are an employee of CISI, must be declared and HR informed.  Full details of the reason for the gift and who it is from need to be recorded. 

Items of low value or personalised/engraved (i.e. pens, calendars, mouse mats) may be kept after being declared.   

All other gifts should be given to HR.  You may be able to keep a gift where it has been given as a result of a personal connection or relationship, subject to the Chief Executive’s discretion.

Failure to abide by these rules will be considered as gross misconduct and the Institute’s disciplinary procedures will apply. 

All rights, copyright, title, interest in, information, data, reports, documents, inventions, trademarks, designs, publications and generally all items of work produced by employees during the course of their employment, together with any other intellectual property rights arising out of the provision of employment with the Institute, are owned by the Institute. This includes all global rights.

Annual Travel (holiday) Insurance

CISI offer permanent employees after one years service the option to join the Annual Travel (holiday) insurance scheme, currently with Pulse. CISI will pay your annual premium, and you will pay tax on the value of your premium (this is included on your annual P11d form).

Premiums:

Pulse Insurance - Covid Guidance Note - 2022

Part time staff are asked to make a contribution to towards the premiums.

If you would like to join the scheme please email HR@cisi.org with the following information:

• Your Name
• Date of birth
• The cover you require eg single, couple, single parent or family (the policy only covers children up to 25 years of age)
• Date you would like the cover to start (1st of a month)

Each year the Board may allocate an amount to be paid as discretionary bonuses to individuals who are considered to have made an exceptional contribution to the Institute in the preceding 12 months.

No employee has the right to expect a bonus in any circumstances. The payment of a bonus does not give any right or imply that any future bonuses will be paid. They will be considered entirely at the discretion of the Board, as advised by the Chief Executive.

Overview 

Benefit

1. Nominal annual travel cost (travel element)

2. Allowance element

3. Employees who are based in the London office

4. Travel via different journeys or free annual travel card

Tax and NIC liability

Q&A

The Wellness Allowance is available from August 2022. It replaces the no unplanned absence vouchers and the sports allowance, building on both to provide a holistic wellness benefit.

Wellness is the experience of overall health. It encompasses good mental, physical, financial, and social health. Examples of activities and items that come under the umbrella of wellness and the Wellness Allowance are shown in the appendix of this policy.

There are two pre-requisites to the scheme: the benefits employees purchase must be for themselves, and they must be something that employees can specifically set a goal for and report back on their progress.

This policy operates on the principle of trust and places the onus on employees to track their own progress. Therefore, no proof of payment will be required.

All permanent employees are eligible for the allowance from day one of their employment. 

How to Apply

To receive the allowance, employees must complete the Wellness Application Form on the Cascade HR Portal. The form requires employees to plan out how they will use the Wellness Allowance over a 12-month period. It is mandatory for the employee to complete all questions on the form.

Once the application form is submitted HR will review the application and, if approved, the employee will receive the wellness allowance for up to 12-months.

If the employee requires the allowance for less than 12-months, it is the employee’s responsibility to inform us that the payment should end earlier. Please note that the monthly allowance is a fixed amount of £30 (or local equivalent), therefore if you are claiming the allowance, it is the employee’s responsibility to ensure that the money is spent as this policy intends.

Forms must be submitted on or before the 1^st of the month to receive the allowance starting from that same month. If submitted after the 1^st of the month, the allowance will be paid from the following month. Payments will not be backdated.

One month before the allowance ends employees will receive a notification to reapply for the allowance. Employees will then need to submit a new form.

If the new form is not submitted on time the allowance will stop until the form has been submitted. Payments will not be backdated.

Allowance

The Wellness Allowance is paid via payroll and is subject to any local taxes. The allowance is the same for all employees, based on location, regardless of which wellness activities they engage in. Please see the table below for the allowance for each office. 

* Allowance is not pro-rated for part-time employees

This is a monthly allowance and any balance for the year will not be paid if an employee leaves CISI, nor at the end of a 12-month period if the employee has not claimed the full allowance.

If an employee’s circumstances change and they will no longer use the allowance as planned, they should inform HR immediately.

Wellness Activity Examples

Examples of activities and items that the wellness allowance could be used for:

• Addiction assistance
• Chiropractic / Osteopathic care
• Evening classes
• Financial advice
• Fitness app(s)
• Fitness classes
• Fitness equipment
• Gym membership
• Health / wellness coaching
• Health magazines / books
• Healthy meal kits / dietary supplements
• Life coaching / therapy
• Massage
• Meditation – guided meditations can be purchased as standalone classes or through subscription products like Headspace, Calm and Unplug.
• Personal trainer
• Private medical check-up
• Recreational sports leagues
• Stress / sleep / relaxation apps
• Yoga classes

 This is not an exhaustive list but gives guidance on what can be considered a wellness activity.

Wellness Plan Examples

Please do not provide personal details in your answers.

Please note that your form may contain a combination of multiple purchases and goals to explain how you plan to use the allowance. Below are some examples of what level of detail is and isn’t required.

Q&A

Q. I am due my no unplanned absence vouchers, will I still receive them?
A. The final no unplanned absence vouchers will be paid for the period July to December 2022.

Q. I forgot to apply by the deadline, can I backdate my allowance?
A. No, the wellness allowance payments will not be backdated.

Q. I am currently receiving the sports allowance, will I automatically get the wellness benefit.
A. No, you will need to apply for the wellness benefit. We encourage all employees currently receiving the sports allowance to transfer to the wellness allowance by 1 August 2022 to receive the allowance in the August payroll.

UK employees with five years’ service who receive pension contributions at 12.5% can, if they wish to, ask CISI to convert up to 3.5% of their employer pension contribution to a pension allowance. 

The employee will receive the pension contribution less the employer’s national insurance contribution (NIC) as a pension allowance with their monthly salary and this is subject to all statutory deductions.

Further information is available from HR.

This is an option CISI is offering to employees and you may wish to get financial advice if you have any questions regarding changing your pension contributions or your pension arrangements.

Q&As

Question: Am I able to convert some of my pension contributions to a pension allowance if I do not have 5 years service and am not receiving pension contributions at 12.5%?

Answer:  Only UK employees with five years’ service who receive pension contributions at 12.5% can, if they wish to, ask CISI to convert up to 3.5% of their employer pension contribution to a pension allowance, as the minimum level of contributions required by CISI’s scheme is 9%.

Question: How do I apply to convert up to 3.5% of my employer pension contributions to a pension allowance?

Answer: Please complete the form with your instructions and return it to HR.

Question: I am currently required to make 1.5% pension contribution under the salary exchange scheme as part of contract of employment, will this change?

Answer:  The 1.5% pension contribution you are making under the salary exchange scheme can continue.  It has the advantage that you do not pay tax and NIC on these contributions.  If you wish to stop making contributions via salary exchange, please complete the form with your instructions and return it to HR.

Question: Can I decide the amount I would like to convert to a pension allowance?

Answer: Yes, you can convert any amount up to 3.5%

Question:  Is there the option to change the amount I convert?

Answer:  Yes, you can make two changes to the amount you convert each year, and you have the option to cancel the pension allowance and revert to 12.5% employer pension contributions.

Question: How can I calculate what I would receive as a pension allowance?

Answer: If you are converting 3.5%, you can calculate 3.5% of your annual basic salary and then divide it by 12, to get the monthly amount, employer’s national insurance is deducted and you are paid the net amount as a pension allowance, which is subject to all statutory deductions.

Please download the Pension Allowance Form here

For employees who joined before 28 April 2014
If you wish to make an additional contribution to your pension via salary exchange, please complete and return to HR the attached form, agreeing to vary your contractual salary for the period the Salary Exchange arrangement is in place.

As the new employee's line manager, you have a key role to ensure your new team member has a productive introduction to the Institute.  Please use this information, which can be adapted, to produce an Induction programme, you can involve members of the team or the 'Buddy' to help you.  

Prior to Employee Joining

Complete the Staff Leaver / Mover / Joiner Form which goes to IT and Facilities, when you know that an employee will be joining, your team.   IT can then start setting up the required hardware and software.

• Arrange the following:
  • Door Access - An appointment with IT / Facilities for the employee to get their door access on their first day, and for their photo to be included in the Who’s Who section of the Intranet.
  • Arrange an appointment with IT for the employee to collect their laptop on their first day.  They are also usually given a short introduction to CISI’s systems
  • Arrange an appointment with Facilities ideally for the employee’s first day.  This will cover the location of fire exits, evacuation point and procedures, lockers, stationery, health & safety and they can collect their ID card
  • Identify a 'Buddy' and agree with the person and their manager, that they will be the new employee's buddy.  Set up a meeting for the employee to meet their buddy on their first day (this can be online). Also arrange the buddy lunch for the employee’s first week. (See Annex B – Buddy Scheme Guidelines, and provide a copy of these guidelines to the buddy)
  • Send HR the name of the employee’s buddy
  • Allocate a desk for the new employee for their first day in the office
  • Arrange to be in the office to meet new employee on their first day (or for another member of the team to come in)
  • Send an email to Dataprotection@cisi.org to book the employee on to the next Data protection & Cyber Security briefing session for new staff,
  • See Annex A- Meeting Colleagues, and arrange the appropriate meetings eg with their Executive Director, the Chief Executive etc.  Wherever possible please arrange for the new starter(s) to see ET/ Department Managers (outside of your department) at the same time as other new people, which may mean co-ordinating diaries.   Similarly, if you are asked to see a new starter, see if there are other new starters you can invite to the same meeting. 
• Review the job description and make any necessary amendments to ensure that it reflects the job and return this to HR;
• Prepare an induction pack for the new employee to include:
• Their Induction Programme
• Job Description
• An organisation chart (available from HR)
• Order from Customer Support Centre a copy of the Fundamentals of Financial Services workbook (Level 2 Award) (unless not appropriate) 

Day 1

• Please welcome the new employee and introduce them to the team.
• Settle them at a desk and take them to IT / Facilities to get their door access (at the pre-arranged time)
• The pre-arranged meeting with IT should take place today for them to collect their laptop and headphones
• The pre-arranged meeting with their Buddy and a meeting with the Country Head should take place today.
• Introduce the new employee to all staff in the office (N.B. this is for the new employee to 'show their face' to staff rather than them to remember everyone).
• Ensure they are shown the fire exits from the building, the evacuation assembly points and the emergency procedures if they are working alone in the office or during ‘out of hours.
• Ensure that are aware of keys or access arrangements and everything else relating to Health & Safety within the office
• Meet with employee to cover an overview of the induction process, their job role, overview of organisational structure, job description, buddy, and important items relevant to their job or department e.g., whether there are team meetings or one to one meetings and their frequency.  Discuss any specific IT training that will be required.
• Show them how to access the intranet and the staff handbook
• The HR induction meeting will take place either when they arrive on their first day or over their first couple of days.
• Start IT training: which may involve shared drives, outlook, e-days, overview of systems and Databases, and telephone training.  Discuss any specific IT training that will be required

Week 1

• Explain the operational priorities for the team, CISI’s objectives for the current year, and how these link to team objectives and their individual objectives.
• Explain CISI’s mission statement, which can be found on the intranet, and its purpose which is: “To champion lifelong learning and integrity, raising individual standards of knowledge, skills and behaviour globally to enhance public trust and confidence in financial services.
• The pre-arranged meeting with the department Executive Director.  This can take place online
• Speak to the CEO’s PA regarding to arrange a meeting with the CEO.  This can take place online
• Agree initial Personal Objectives, which may focus on learning the job and put the objectives on the employee's Performance Management Form for the current year.
• Allocate time for the employee to look at Intranet and Website to gain a better understanding of CISI’ s Services and read Employee Handbook and other CISI brochures
• The ‘Buddy’ Lunch should be held this week.
• Continue training the employee on department relevant IT systems (continuous throughout Induction period)
• Allocate half a day during the first week for the employee to take and pass Integrity Matters
• Allocate half a day during the first week for the employee to take and pass Cyber Security: How to Keep You and the CISI Safe
• A meeting with Finance should take place during this week, if relevant
• Plan for the employee to take the Fundamentals of Financial Services (Level 2 Award) exam by the end of their induction programme. NOTE - New employees with less than five years
• relevant industry experience should pass the ‘Fundamentals of Financial Services’ to learn about the Financial Services Industry.  If you feel it is not appropriate, please inform their director and HR, during the first week of their employment.
• Discuss the job description with the employee and return a signed copy to HR by the end of this week.

Week 2

Continue on the job training and meetings as set out in the Induction Programme

Allocate half a day for the employee to take and pass:

• The General Data Protection Regulation Professional Refresher
• Diversity and Inclusion Professional Refresher

Week 3

Continue on the job training and meetings as set out in the Induction Programme

Allocate half a day for the employee to take and pass:

• UK Bribery Act Professional Refresher or in week 2

Week 4 - to end of probation

• Week 4 – Mid Induction Review - At the end of the first month a meeting should be held to review the employee's induction to date.  The line manager should check how the employee is settling in and that the induction programme is on track, discussing any other assistance they need to help them settle into their new job.  They should check that the employee has passed the three Professional refreshers and Integrity Matters.
• Week 8 - 12 – ongoing review of Induction programme
• If the employee’s role requires authorisation to commit the CISI to financial expenditure, this should be discussed with HR.
• If there are any concerns regarding the employee's performance the line manager should contact HR and their Director as early as possible 

End of Induction / Probation Period

• As you come to the end of the employee’s end of probation, please review their performance and values.  If you are happy to confirm the employee’s end of probation, please confirm with your line manager or ET member.
• If you have any concerns regarding the employee's performance or their probation period, your Director and HR should be contacted immediately before the meeting takes place
• You should meet with the employee before the end of the probationary period to:
  1. Review their probationary period
  2. Ensure that the induction programme has been completed (using the Induction & Probation Plan)

     Check they have completed their personal objectives for the Induction period which includes passing the professional refreshers, Integrity Matters and Fundamentals of Financial services.  Their probation period may be extended if the employee has not passed all of these.

• Set their personal objectives* until the end of the appraisal year and add these to their Appraisal and Objectives screen in the HR portal (* employees need to complete the Professional Refreshers annually in line with the Staff CPD Scheme, which runs from 1 February until 31 January each year)
• After the meeting you should complete the probation review form on the HR portal with your recommendation, this should be checked by the Director / Assistant Director before HR can authorise the passing of probation.

Moving to a New Department

A revised induction programme should be planned using the information above and must include:

• Before the Employee moves department, complete and send a Staff Leaver / Mover / Joiner Form to IT so they can move the employee to different email groups and set up any new software etc required
• A formal introduction to the new team, and the arrangements regarding days in the office;
• Meeting with the new Department Director/Assistant Director.
  

On the first day and during week one, you should meet with the employee to cover an overview of their new job role, objectives job description, overview of department structure and important items relevant to their job or department e.g. whether there are team meetings or one to one meetings and their frequency. Discuss any specific IT training that will be required.

For employees returning from maternity leave – please see the maternity checklist 

A buddy scheme is where a colleague is selected to act as a guide to a new employee.

The buddy system provides an informal contact point for all kinds of queries and is intended to assist the employee as they settle in to working at the Institute.

The Role of the Buddy:

The role of the Buddy is to support the new starter, offering advice and assistance. They should help the new starter feel welcome by making sure they meet other colleagues, find the location of key facilities, and support their settling into the Institute. They can also signpost the new starter to relevant employees when they have questions. They should also maintain ongoing regular contact, approximately biweekly, checking in with the employee.

The new starter should feel able to approach the Buddy for support on their general induction, specific areas such as policies, and any general questions they have to help them adapt to their new role and CISI.

The selection of a Buddy:

When selecting a Buddy, the line manager should look for a Buddy who is:

• Available
• Approachable and friendly
• Willingness to listen
• Able to appreciate the challenges facing a new employee
• Confidential and discreet  

The Buddy is not meant to take the role of the line manager, who should also be providing support, but can be a valuable additional source of information or way of clarifying queries the new starter may have.

The Buddy will normally be:

For new employees who are not a member of the Executive Team or a Manager:  the preference is for the Buddy to be outside the team, unless not practical.

For Managers or Head of Department: a Manager or Head of Department

For a member of the Executive team: a member of the Executive Team

The Buddy should not be the line manager of the new starter.

Meetings / lunch

The line manager will arrange for the New Starter to meet with their Buddy ideally on their first day of employment, either face to face or via teams.

There is also a Buddy lunch usually during the employee’s first week, which is paid for by the Institute.  The cost can be claimed with a valid receipt, via the expenses system.

The lunch can last up to 1½ hours. 

The allowance for lunch is:

• UK - up to £25 a head
• Sri Lanka - up to Rs 5,000 for two people
• International offices - please contact HR

These meetings may be phased over the first month of employment, and the manager should decide which are relevant and the priority depending on job level of the new employee and their interaction with other colleagues and teams. Priority meetings should take place in the first week.

Wherever possible please arrange for the new starter(s) to see ET/ Department Managers (outside of your department) at the same time as other new people, which may mean delaying to co-ordinating diaries.

Similarly, if you are asked to see a new starter, see if there are other new starters you can invite to the same meeting.

If the new employee is not a member of the Executive Team or a Manager the following meetings should be arranged as part of their Induction Programme

• Meeting with HR in their first week, for their HR Induction.
• Meeting with IT on their first day for basic training on essential software and programmes
• Meeting with Buddy (if appropriate – within first two days) and lunch with Buddy (within first week);
• Meeting with the Chief Executive (within first week)
• Meeting with their Assistant Director/ Director (within first week)
• Meeting with Finance to learn about: - expenses claims, correct coding for invoices, and other relevant finance training, if this will be part of their job;
• Meetings with any relevant colleagues, or managers who they will have daily contact with as part of their job and meetings with a representative of each department within CISI to learn what that department does. 

If the new employee is a Manager the following meetings should be arranged as part of their Induction Programme 

• The meetings listed above;
• Meetings with relevant Executive Directors from other departments to gain an understanding of CISI's Products & Services, which are relevant to their job;
• Meetings with any other relevant Heads of Departments, who they will have daily contact with (this may have been covered in the meetings with representatives of each department).
  

 If the new employee is a member of the Executive Team the following meetings MUST be arranged as part of their Induction Programme

• The meetings listed above;
• Meetings with all members of the Executive Team. 

As the employee’s Line Manager you are responsible for ensuring that the following Probationary Period Procedure is followed.

• Contracts of Employment with the CISI are issued subject to the satisfactory completion of a probationary period (UK - usually three months or six months for senior jobs / Sri Lanka – 6 months). 
• During the probationary period all aspects of the employee’s performance should be monitored.  There should be regular discussions regarding their progress.

End of probation

• You should meet with the employee before the end of their probationary period, for a formal End of Probation Review meeting. This is to ensure that the induction programme has been completed (see Induction Procedure) and to review the probationary period.
• After the meeting you need to complete the form on the HR Portal with your recommendation and confirm you have discussed with their Director / Assistant Director for authorisation. When you submit the form it is sent to HR for approval.
• A formal letter will be sent to the employee, by HR, confirming their appointment and informing them of the benefits they are now eligible to receive.  If relevant they will also receive a letter confirming their level of financial expenditure authority.
  

Where there are concerns

• If the employee is not performing their job at the required standard or you have any concerns regarding their performance, ability or their probation period, their Director and the Head of HR should be contacted before the meeting takes place, as this must be dealt with before the end of their probationary period.
• The options are:

  -       their probationary period can be extended to allow the employee a longer trial period

  -       their appointment will not be confirmed and their employment will be terminated

  the form in the HR Portal should be completed giving the reasons for the decision

• If the decision is to terminate the employee’s employment, there is a formal process to follow and a formal meeting should be held to inform the person.  They may be asked to work their notice period (usually one week). 
• During the probationary period, the CISI’S full disciplinary policy will not apply. 

Please note,the HR team are available to provide advice and support and should be kept informed at all stages of the probationary period. 

As the new employee's line manager, you have a key role to ensure your new team member has a productive introduction to the Institute.  Please use this information, which can be adapted, to produce an Induction programme, you can involve members of the team or the 'Buddy' to help you.  

Prior to Employee Joining

Complete the Staff Leaver / Mover / Joiner Form which goes to IT and Facilities, when you know that an employee will be joining, your team.   IT can then start setting up the required hardware and software.

• Arrange the following:

• ID card - An appointment with Facilities for the employee to get their CISI ID Card on their first day, and for their photo to be included in the Who’s Who section of the Intranet and the Staff Photo Board
• Arrange an appointment with IT for the employee to collect their laptop on their first day.  They are also usually given a short introduction to CISI’s systems
• Arrange an appointment with Facilities ideally for the employee’s first day.  This will cover the location of fire exits, evacuation point and procedures, lockers, stationery, health & safety and they can collect their ID card
• Identify a 'Buddy' and agree with the person and their manager, that they will be the new employee's buddy.  Set up a meeting for the employee to meet their buddy on their first day (this can be online). Also arrange the buddy lunch for the employee’s first week. (See Annex B – Buddy Scheme Guidelines, and provide a copy of these guidelines to the buddy)
• Send HR the name of the employee’s buddy
• Book a desk for the new employee for their first day in the office
• Arrange to be in the office to meet new employee on their first day (or for another member of the team to come in)
• Send an email to Dataprotection@cisi.org to book the employee on to the next Data protection & Cyber Security briefing session for new staff,
• See Annex A- Meeting Colleagues, and arrange the appropriate meetings eg with their Executive Director, the Chief Executive etc.  Wherever possible please arrange for the new starter(s) to see ET/ Department Managers (outside of your department) at the same time as other new people, which may mean co-ordinating diaries.   Similarly, if you are asked to see a new starter, see if there are other new starters you can invite to the same meeting. 

• Review the job description and make any necessary amendments to ensure that it reflects the job and return this to HR;
• Prepare an induction pack for the new employee to include:
• Their Induction Programme
• Job Description
• An organisation chart (available from HR)
• Order from Customer Support Centre a copy of the Fundamentals of Financial Services workbook (Level 2 Award) (unless not appropriate) 

Day 1

• Please welcome the new employee and introduce them to the team.
• The pre-arranged meeting with IT should take place today for them to collect their laptop and headphones
• The pre-arranged meeting with facilities should take place today to cover location of fire exits, evacuation procedures, lockers, stationery, health & safety and collect their ID card
• The pre-arranged meeting with their Buddy should take place today (via teams if buddy is not in the office)
• Introduce the new employee to all staff in the office during their first week (N.B. this is for the new employee to 'show their face' to staff rather than them to remember everyone). Please ensure that the employee is introduced to all the Executive Team over the first week.
• Meet with employee to cover an overview of the induction process, their job role, overview of organisational structure, job description, buddy, and important items relevant to their job or department e.g. whether there are team meetings or one to one meetings and their frequency
• Show them how to access the intranet.
• HR will arrange to see the new employee for the HR induction meeting during the employees  first couple of days.
• Start IT training: which may involve shared drives, outlook, e-days, overview of systems and Databases, and telephone training.  Discuss any specific IT training that will be required

Week 1

• Explain the operational priorities for the team, CISI’s objectives for the current year, and how these link to team objectives and their individual objectives.
• Explain CISI’s mission statement, which can be found on the intranet, and its purpose which is: “To champion lifelong learning and integrity, raising individual standards of knowledge, skills and behaviour globally to enhance public trust and confidence in financial services.’
• The pre-arranged meeting with the department Executive Director should take place this week
• Agree initial Personal Objectives, which may focus on learning the job and put the objectives on the employee's Appraisal Form for the current year on the HR portal.
• They will meet with the Chief Executive and other new employees who join around the same time, please contact the CEO’s EA to arrange the meeting.
• Allocate time for the employee to look at Intranet and Website to learn about CISI’ s Services and products, and read the Employee Handbook and other CISI brochures
• The ‘Buddy’ Lunch should ideally be held this week.
• Continue training the employee on department relevant IT systems (continuous throughout Induction period)
• Allocate half a day during the first week for the employee to take and pass Integrity Matters
• Allocate half a day during the first week for the employee to take and pass Cyber Security: How to Keep You and the CISI Safe
• A meeting with Finance should take place during this week, if relevant
• Plan for the employee to take the Fundamentals of Financial Services (Level 2 Award) exam by the end of their induction programme. NOTE - New employees with less than five years relevant industry experience should pass the ‘Fundamentals of Financial Services’ to learn about the Financial Services Industry.  If you feel it is not appropriate, please inform their director and HR, during the first week of their employment.
• Discuss the job description with the employee and return a signed copy to HR by the end of this week.

Week 2

Continue on the job training and meetings as set out in the Induction Programme

Allocate three half days for the employee to take and pass:

• The General Data Protection Regulation Professional Refresher
• UK Bribery Act Professional Refresher
• Diversity and Inclusion Professional Refresher

Week 3 - 12

• Week 4 – Mid Induction Review - At the end of the first month a meeting should be held to review the employee's induction to date.  The line manager should check how the employee is settling in and that the induction programme is on track, discussing any other assistance they need to help them settle into their new job.  They should check that the employee has passed the Professional refreshers and Integrity Matters.
• Week 8 - 12 – on going review of Induction programme
• If the employee requires authorisation to commit the CISI to financial expenditure, this should be discussed with HR.
• If there are any concerns regarding the employee's performance the line manager should contact HR and their Director as early as possible 

End of Induction / Probation Period

• As you come to the end of the employee’s end of probation, please review their performance and values.  If you are happy to confirm the employee’s end of probation, please confirm with your line manager or ET member.
• If you have any concerns regarding the employee's performance or their probation period, your Director and HR should be contacted immediately before the meeting takes place
• You should meet with the employee before the end of the probationary period to:
  1. Review their probationary period
  2. Ensure that the induction programme has been completed (using the Induction & Probation Plan)

     Check they have completed their personal objectives for the Induction period which includes passing the professional refreshers, Integrity Matters and Fundamentals of Financial services.  Their probation period may be extended if the employee has not passed all of these.

• Set their personal objectives* until the end of the appraisal year and add these to their Appraisal and Objectives screen in the HR portal (* employees need to complete the Professional Refreshers annually in line with the Staff CPD Scheme, which runs from 1 February until 31 January each year)
• After the meeting you should complete the probation review form on the HR portal with your recommendation, this should be checked by the Director / Assistant Director before HR can authorise the passing of probation.

Moving to a New Department

A revised induction programme should be planned using the information above and must include:

• Before the Employee moves department, complete and send a Staff Leaver / Mover / Joiner Form to IT so they can move the employee to different email groups and set up any new software etc required
• A formal introduction to the new team, and the arrangements regarding days in the office;
• Meeting with the new Department Director/Assistant Director.

On the first day and during week one, you should meet with the employee to cover an overview of their new job role, objectives job description, overview of department structure and important items relevant to their job or department e.g. whether there are team meetings or one to one meetings and their frequency. Discuss any specific IT training that will be required.

For employees returning from maternity leave – please see the maternity checklist