By Paul McCord, Solicitor of Rowlinsons Solicitors
For the small business Employment Law can appear to be a quagmire of statutes and regulations dealing with all areas of the relationship between employer and employee.
The list of areas to consider seems endless, including disability discrimination, working time, health and safety and part-time workers rights to name but a few.
Despite the complexity of this legislation business owners are often left to navigate this minefield themselves. However, when taking on employees certain factors must be at the top of your agenda to avoid receiving hefty financial penalties.
Know the Minimum Requirements
All employees have minimum Statutory rights imposed by law and these include the right to written terms of employment, an itemised pay slip, to be paid at least the national minimum wage, the right to at least 28 days paid holidays (including bank holidays) and paid maternity leave. Failure to adhere to the requirements can leave employers with a significant financial penalty.
The Benefits of Employment Contracts
The Contracts of Employment defines the relationship between the employer and the employee. Apart from meeting its legal requirements to include a statement of employment the contract should set out the employee’s duties, responsibilities and rights.
It is also worthwhile producing along with the contract of employment an employee handbook. This can provide guidelines, policies and procedures for new employees and also be a standard reference point to help resolve any disputes that may occur within the business.
Other Factors to Consider
•The entitlement to statutory sick pay for employees commencing the fourth consecutive day they do not attend work due to illness.
•The automatic enrollment of an employee into a workplace pension scheme if the employee is aged between 22 and pension age, if they earn more than £10,000 per year and if they work in the UK. This is currently being rolled out in stages with the requirement that all employers meet the obligation by 2018.
•Health and safety responsibilities and compliance which can cover many issues, not only risk assessing manual work but also hazardous substances in the workplace, no smoking policies, bullying, and maternity leave.
•Employees are also entitled to time off for a number of different reasons and on the occasion of certain events
If Employment Law is on your agenda contact Paul McCord on 01928 735333 for a FREE 30 minute consultation to understand your legal requirements and put contracts in place to protect your business.
