Action Area H - Staff in Chambers

H. STAFF IN CHAMBERS

1.134 Practice Management for the Bar sets out standards and guidelines covering the main areas of practice management. This includes recruitment and a section on personnel management which states the recommended standards for managing staff together with detailed guidance on their implementation. The comprehensive guidance in Practice Management is not replicated in this document. The recommendations for good practice set out here in earlier chapters are equally applicable to chambers staff and many of them explicitly include chambers staff.

LINK TO PRACTICE MANAGEMENT FOR THE BAR CAN BE FOUND ON THE BAR COUNCIL WEBSITE

1.135 Recruitment of chambers’ staff should follow the recommendations relating to pupillage and tenancy recruitment wherever appropriate, for example open advertisements, clear and objective selection criteria and panel interviews.

1.136 It is important to ensure that all equal opportunity policy initiatives developed in Chambers cover staff as well as members of Chambers whenever appropriate. The Equal Opportunities Commission, Commission for Racial Equality and Disability Rights Commission have all developed Codes of Practice in recruitment.

LINK TO Commission for Racial Equality

LINK TO Equality Opportunities Commission

LINK TO Disability Rights Commission

Maternity, Paternity, Parental Leave

1.137 A policy for staff will differ markedly from a policy for members. Chambers should set out their policy for staff on maternity, paternity and parental leave and flexible working. This should, at least, meet the minimum legislative requirements. These provide for:

· time off for ante-natal care;

· Periods of paid and unpaid maternity leave for women following childbirth;

· paternity leave and pay for fathers;

· adoption leave and pay for individuals who adopt or one partner of a couple who jointly adopt;

· paternity leave and pay for the other member of the couple;

· parental leave for up to 13 weeks for parents with children (including adopted) under the age of six. This is extended to eighteen if the child is disabled.

· a reasonable amount of unpaid time off to deal with an emergency situation.

Complaints and Grievances

1.138 Chambers should have a written complaints and grievance procedure for staff which includes procedures covering complaints of discrimination and harassment. These should provide for both formal and informal routes for making complaints. Chambers should nominate an ‘approachable’ person in chambers to act as an informal adviser to staff. For further information see Action Area F.