Foundations
It is important to have clearly worded and relevant documents in place that can allow you to manage situations throughout the life cycle of the employee effectively and efficiently. Without these in place, it is difficult to address even small issues without them quickly becoming complex.
What foundations are required?
Contracts of employment – If you employ anyone, you are legally obliged to give them their terms and conditions in writing, within 8 weeks of them commencing work. If you do not have one in place, no need to worry, I can produce a tailor made one for your business and help you get that implemented with your employees, in order for your business to operate within the law.
If you use contractors or casual employees, you need to ascertain whether in the eyes of the law they are contractors or self employed. If self employed you need to have an agreement in place with them to protect your business and agree certain terms.
If you already have a contract, I am happy to check that the contract meets your legal obligations and ensure it meets your requirements and protects you as a business. For a free contract check, please contact me.
Your contract of employment needs to be easy to read and understandable; therefore written in plain English, and not full of legal terminology that needs interpreting. Employees will struggle to abide by a contract they do not understand.
Handbook – A set of policies and procedures is not just about informing employees of their rights and the company rules but also about protecting your business. It is just as important for a small business as it is for a large one.
There are some legal requirements to take into account and there are policies and procedures you need to make available to your employees, for example: holidays, notice periods, absence, pension, grievance and disciplinary.
There are also others that I would recommend you have to protect your business, for example, bullying & harassment, equal opportunity. Did you know that if your employees drive their own cars on company business you are liable if they have an accident – protect yourself and the business and ensure you have a policy in place.