Sickness Absence Policy — Duke of Cornwall

1. Purpose

CDOCC Limited ("we", "us", "the Company") cares about the health and wellbeing of every member of the team. We know that everyone is unwell from time to time, and our first priority when you are ill is that you rest, recover, and get the support you need to come back to work safely.

This policy explains:

• How to let us know when you cannot come to work.

• What support is available to you while you are unwell.

• How sick pay works (both Statutory Sick Pay and any discretionary company sick pay).

• How we manage absence fairly so that we can also arrange cover and keep Duke of Cornwall running.

We aim to strike a fair balance: looking after you as a person, while meeting the legitimate business need to manage absence and organise cover for shifts.

This policy is non-contractual and may be updated from time to time.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all employees of CDOCC Limited who work at Duke of Cornwall. It covers absence from work caused by sickness or injury, whether physical or mental.

Where a worker, casual or agency staff member is engaged, the notification and contact expectations in this policy apply, although sick pay entitlement will depend on the individual's status and statutory eligibility.

This policy does not cover holiday, family leave (maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental or parental leave), or time off for dependants — see Section 14, Related policies.

3. If you feel unwell whilst at work

If you become unwell during a shift, tell your line manager (or the most senior person on duty; in housekeeping, Nikki) as soon as you can. In a hospitality and cellar environment your safety and the safety of others come first — do not continue with tasks (for example operating cellar equipment, using cleaning chemicals, lifting, or handling food) if you do not feel well enough to do so safely.

Your line manager, or the other partner if they are not available, will agree with you whether you should stop, rest, or go home, and will make sure your duties are covered.

4. Notification & contact

4.1 Telling us on day one — two steps, in this order

If you cannot come to work, you must do both of these, in this order:

1. First, report the sickness using the sickness report form. The form is in Team Hub: open https://staff.chubb.me.uk/staff-hub/ and press the "Report sickness" button. There is a QR code poster in the staff room that takes you straight there. If you cannot get to Team Hub, use the printable (paper) form, which is the Self-Certification & Return-to-Work Form (Part A, the notification section). Hand it in, or send it, as soon as you can.

1. Then personally telephone the person for your department, as early as possible, and at least 2 hours before your shift is due to start, so that cover can be arranged. Bar and kitchen staff phone Oliver, and if Oliver cannot be reached, Matthew. Housekeeping staff phone Nikki (our administrator), and if Nikki cannot be reached, Matthew.

Both steps are needed. The form does not replace the phone call, and the phone call does not replace the form.

4.2 Speak to a person — and if you cannot reach one, leave a WhatsApp

For the phone call you must speak to a person, because we need to talk with you about your absence and any cover. A text message, email or message passed through a colleague is not acceptable in place of the call.

If you reach voicemail, or there is no answer, you MUST leave a WhatsApp message to the person you tried saying that you are sick and that you have filled in the sickness form. This is required, not optional.

The WhatsApp message is the fallback only. It does not replace the call. Keep trying to speak to a person, with follow-up calls (the person for your department first, then Matthew), until you have.

4.3 If we hear about your sickness another way

If Oliver, Nikki or Matthew learns that you are sick in some other way (for example through a colleague, a message or a family member), the person who heard completes the sickness report form for you, and still needs to speak to you personally as soon as possible. You will not be penalised for the form having been completed by your manager, but this does not remove your duty to speak to us yourself.

4.4 Information to give us

When you complete the form and when you call, please tell us:

• The nature of your illness. You do not have to share details if the matter is sensitive or personal — a general indication (for example "a stomach upset" or "I'm not well enough to work") is enough. In some cases we may suggest a referral to occupational health to support you (see Section 9).

• Your expected return date, as best you can judge it.

• Whether you have seen, or intend to see, a GP or other healthcare professional.

• Where you can be contacted during your absence.

• When you will next be in touch (see 4.5).

4.5 Keeping in touch during absence

• Day 3: If you are still unwell, please call the same person again on the third day of absence to update us.

• Weekly thereafter: During a longer absence we ask that you stay in weekly contact (or as otherwise agreed), so we know how you are and can plan cover and your return.

We will keep these conversations supportive, not interrogative. The aim is to stay connected and help you back to work.

4.6 Home visits

For longer absences, a home visit can sometimes be a helpful way to stay in touch and discuss support. Any home visit will only take place by mutual agreement — it will never be imposed, and you may decline or suggest an alternative such as a phone or video call.

5. Certification (self-certification & fit notes)

5.1 Self-certification — first 7 calendar days

For absences of 7 calendar days or fewer, you self-certify. This means you complete our Self-Certification & Return-to-Work Form (see the separate form) — you do not need a doctor's note for these shorter absences.

The 7 days are counted as calendar days, including weekends and bank holidays, whether or not you were due to work them.

5.2 Fit notes — from the 8th day

If your absence lasts more than 7 consecutive calendar days (that is, from the 8th day onwards), you must obtain a fit note (Statement of Fitness for Work) from your GP or other authorised healthcare professional and send it to us promptly. You must keep providing fit notes to cover any continuous absence after that, with no gaps.

A fit note may say either that you are "not fit for work", or that you "may be fit for work" subject to advice (for example a phased return, amended duties, altered hours, or workplace adaptations). Where a fit note suggests you may be fit with support, we will discuss it with you — see Section 10, Return to work.

5.3 Cost of certification

• A standard fit note for an absence of more than 7 days is free from your GP. You will never be asked to pay for a standard fit note covering a qualifying absence.

• Only if we specifically request medical evidence for a shorter absence (7 days or fewer), or ask for private medical certification beyond what the NHS provides, might there be a charge. In those narrow cases, the Company will meet the reasonable cost of any certificate we have asked you to obtain.

6. Company sick pay & SSP

There are two separate things here. Please read both — they work differently.

6.1 Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) — your legal entitlement

Statutory Sick Pay is a statutory entitlement. Since 06/04/2026 (Employment Rights Act 2025 and SI 2026/373) the rules are:

• SSP is payable from the first day of sickness. There are no waiting days.

• There is no Lower Earnings Limit. Employees on lower earnings now qualify too.

• The rate for 2026/27 is £123.25 a week, or 80% of your average weekly earnings if that is lower.

• SSP is paid for up to 28 weeks.

• It is not based on your length of service.

• SSP cannot be withheld for reasons such as alleged "negligence", "misconduct", or because you did other work — none of those affect your statutory entitlement.

The rate is reviewed each April; the figure above applies to 2026/27 and will be updated when the government sets a new one.

6.2 Company sick pay — discretionary top-up

Over and above SSP, the Company may, at its discretion, pay company sick pay. This is discretionary and non-contractual — it is not an automatic entitlement, and any payment in one case does not create a right to payment in another.

As a starting framework (which the Company may apply, vary or withhold at its discretion):

Important points about company sick pay:

• SSP is included within any company sick pay — company sick pay is not paid on top of SSP. The company payment brings you up to the stated level (full pay or half pay); it is not full pay plus SSP.

• The full-pay / half-pay allowances are measured across a rolling 12-month period.

• Because it is discretionary, company sick pay (unlike SSP) may be reduced, withheld or made conditional — for example where the absence is not properly notified or certified, where there are reasonable concerns about the genuineness of the absence, or in line with the conduct expectations in Section 12. These conditions and any withholding apply only to discretionary company sick pay, never to SSP.

If you are not sure what you will be paid for a period of absence, ask your line manager, Nikki or the payroll contact.

7. Pregnancy-related absence

If you are pregnant and are absent because of a pregnancy-related illness, that absence is recorded separately from ordinary sickness absence.

Pregnancy-related sickness absence is never counted toward any absence trigger (see Section 11) and is never used in absence-management, capability or disciplinary decisions. Counting pregnancy-related absence against you would be unlawful sex discrimination.

If you are pregnant, please also speak to your line manager, so we can carry out or review your individual risk assessment and put any necessary adjustments in place. See also the Family Leave Policy.

8. Disability & reasonable adjustments

8.1 Mental health and hidden disabilities

Mental ill-health and "hidden" or fluctuating conditions are taken just as seriously as physical illness. Many such conditions may amount to a disability under the Equality Act 2010.

Where a health condition may be a disability, we will consider reasonable adjustments before taking any decision about your pay, your absence, or your employment. We would always rather understand and support a condition than penalise someone for its effects.

8.2 Reasonable adjustments

Reasonable adjustments might include (this is not a complete list) phased returns, amended duties, changes to hours or shift patterns, additional breaks, changes to the working environment or equipment, time off for treatment, or adjusting how absence triggers apply to you.

If you think an adjustment would help — whether or not you regard yourself as "disabled" — please raise it with your line manager, or through occupational health (Section 9). We will discuss it with you in good faith.

9. Occupational health

Occupational health (OH) is a confidential, supportive service to help us understand a health condition and what would help you stay in or return to work.

We may suggest an OH referral where:

• An absence exceeds 14 days, or

• There is a pattern of recurring absence or a concern about your health at work, or

• A fit note, a return-to-work conversation, or you yourself, indicate that advice would help.

A referral is made with your knowledge, and you will be told what is being asked. The OH report helps us put the right support and any reasonable adjustments in place.

9.1 Referral for additional support

With your explicit consent, we may also refer you to, or signpost you towards, external support services — for example the Licensed Trade Charity, the NHS, an employee assistance programme, or other relevant charities and services. Any such referral, and any information shared as part of it, will be handled in a GDPR-compliant way and only with your agreement (see Section 13).

10. Return to work

We want your return to be safe and sustainable.

10.1 Supported return / alternative duties

Where a fit note or OH advice suggests it, or where it would simply help, we will consider a phased return, amended duties, or temporary alternative duties to ease you back in. We will discuss the options with you rather than impose them.

10.2 Return-to-work conversation

On your first day back after any period of sickness absence, your line manager, will have a short, supportive return-to-work conversation with you and complete the manager section of the Self-Certification & Return-to-Work Form. This is to check you are well enough to be back, agree any adjustments, and make sure you are up to date.

10.3 Holiday and sickness

• Holiday continues to accrue while you are off sick. Being on sick leave does not stop you building up your annual leave.

• If you have been unable to take holiday because of long-term sickness, you will normally be able to carry it over and use it on or after your return, in line with the Holiday / Annual Leave Policy (in development) and the law.

• If you fall sick before or during a period of booked holiday, that time can be reclassified as sickness and the affected holiday reinstated for you to take later — provided you follow the normal notification rules and give us reasonable evidence of the sickness. For a sickness of more than 7 days, that is a fit note. For a sickness of 7 days or fewer, your completed Self-Certification & Return-to-Work Form, or other reasonable evidence, is enough — you do not need a fit note.

11. Prolonged or frequent absence

We monitor absence so that we can support people and arrange cover — not to catch people out. Where absence becomes prolonged or frequent, we will work with you to understand what is happening and what would help.

11.1 What "managing" absence looks like

Depending on the situation, this may involve:

• A supportive review meeting (you may be accompanied where the Disciplinary & Grievance Procedure (Part C, Capability) provides for it).

• An occupational health referral, and/or — with your consent — a GP medical report under the Access to Medical Reports Act 1988.

• Agreeing progress reviews, targets for improvement where appropriate, and any reasonable adjustments.

• Keeping appropriate certification up to date.

11.2 Absence triggers

We use a simple-count framework to decide when a supportive review is prompted. A review is prompted when, in a rolling 12-month period, an employee has either:

• 3 or more separate periods of absence, or

• 8 or more total days of absence.

These figures can be adjusted by the Company.

A trigger only ever prompts a supportive conversation — it never produces an automatic sanction. Pregnancy-related absence (Section 7) and disability-related absence (Section 8) are handled separately and are not counted toward triggers.

11.3 Capability and, as a last resort, dismissal

If, despite support, adjustments and a fair process, you are unable to return to your role or to sustain regular attendance, the Company may need to consider whether your employment can continue. This would be handled as a capability matter under the Disciplinary & Grievance Procedure (Part C, Capability), following a fair procedure consistent with the ACAS Code of Practice — including up-to-date medical evidence, consideration of reasonable adjustments and alternatives, consultation with you, and a right of appeal.

The same applies if you do not engage with this policy (for example, persistently failing to make contact, certify, or attend agreed OH or review meetings without good reason).

Dismissal is never automatic. It is a last resort, reached only after a fair process. Nothing in this policy permits ending someone's employment without that process.

12. Conduct during sickness

While you are off sick and being paid (whether SSP or company sick pay), we ask that you:

• Do not undertake other paid work during the period of sickness absence.

• Avoid activities that are inconsistent with your stated illness or that could delay your recovery or your return to work.

Genuine concerns about conduct during sickness will be looked into fairly and, where appropriate, dealt with under the Disciplinary & Grievance Procedure (Part C, Capability). Note that, as set out in Section 6.1, doing other work or alleged misconduct cannot reduce your statutory SSP — these conduct expectations relate to discretionary company sick pay and to conduct generally, not to your statutory entitlement.

13. Data protection

Information about your health, sickness and any medical reports is special-category personal data. The Company handles it carefully and lawfully:

• In line with UK GDPR and the Staff Privacy Notice.

• Restricted to those who genuinely need it to manage your absence, pay, and support (for example your line manager, and payroll).

• Stored securely and kept only as long as necessary.

• Shared with third parties (such as occupational health or external support services) only where lawful and, where required, with your explicit consent.

You have rights over your personal data, including the right to access it — see the Staff Privacy Notice for details.

14. Related policies

Policies that exist (in `projects/hrguard/policies/`):

• Disciplinary & Grievance Procedure (including the capability route in Part C)
• Family Leave Policy (maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental and parental leave)
• Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy
• Anti-Harassment and Sexual Harassment Policy
• Drugs and Alcohol Policy
• Staff Privacy Notice
• Self-Certification & Return-to-Work Form (Duke of Cornwall version, separate document)

Policies referred to above that do not exist yet (in development):

• Holiday / Annual Leave Policy
• Health & Safety Policy
• Employee Assistance / Wellbeing information

Until the Holiday / Annual Leave Policy exists, the statutory holiday rules apply directly.

15. How this policy comes into force

• It is given to every staff member.

• Each staff member acknowledges it with the read-and-confirm step on Team Hub.

• It is non-contractual (see Section 1).

• It applies to each person from the date they acknowledge it.

• Each employee's written statement of terms refers to this policy for sick pay.

16. Review date

This policy will be reviewed by 05/11/2027, or sooner if the law changes.

Duke of Cornwall · CDOCC Limited · Version 1.1 · Last updated 11/11/2026