As many of us know, when starting a business complying with Employment Law can be a scary prospect.
‘What do I need to provide and adhere to as a legal requirement?’
‘What else should I provide for my employees to help both them and myself?’
Hopefully in this month’s blog, my 5 top tips will help make Employment Law less of a minefield and more of a stroll in the park!
Tip 1. Cover the Employees MUST HAVE List
Your employees must be provided with:
- A Written Statement of Terms within 8 weeks of commencing employment.
- Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures.
- An Equal Opportunities Policy.
- Working Time Regulations 1998 to which all employers must comply.
Tip 2. Consider which other documents are suited to your business.
There will be other essential documents and guidance that you will need. These will vary from business to business but as a guide these may include:
- Age discrimination
- Compensation for unfair dismissal
- Conducting a disciplinary hearing
- Costs
- Disability discrimination
- Discrimination
- Draft letter of appointment
- Employment law help
- Equal opportunities policy
- Final written warning letter
- First written warning letter
- Gross misconduct
- Health surveillance questionnaire
- Investigation
- Jurisdiction
- Part-time employees
- Pre-employment health questionnare
- Reasons for dismissal
- Settlement
- Staff handbook
- Termination of contract of employment
- The working time regulations 1998
- Tribunal procedure
- What is a contract of employment?
- Written statement of particulars of employment
- Zero hours contract
Tip 3. Create a Staff Handbook.
Your Staff Handbook topics and accompanying notes could include:
- Paternity Leave
- Time off for Dependants
- Smoking with Specific rules relating to smoking in Company vehicles.
- Driving and Mobile ‘Phones'
- Car/vehicle Policy
- Company Equipment
- Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures
- Equal Opportunities Policy
- Harassment Policy
- Sickness / Ill Health Procedure
- Health and Safety Statement
- Environmental Statement
- E-mail and Internet Policy
- Parental Leave Policy
- Privacy Policy
- Maternity Policy
- Return to Work Procedure
And a bonus tip – It may be helpful to have the Handbook ‘loose leaf’ and then any changes can be explained and entered in the handbook without having to print a complete copy.
Tip 4. Let your employees know what you expect of them.
To reduce ambiguity or misunderstanding it may be helpful to create procedures that identify what is expected of an employee.
For example,you may want to reduce risk for those employees that drive a vehicle on behalf of the organisation so it may be helpful to develop a Drivers Handbook. This may include topics such as:
- Alcohol and Drugs
- Carriage of animals and pets
- Competency
- Disclosure of Material Facts
- Disciplinary Action
- Driving Licences
- Driving and Mobile ‘Phones
- Drivers and Use of Vehicles
- Excess Payments
- Fatigue
- Fines
- Fitness to Drive.
- Fuel Cards
- Fixtures, Fittings, Accessories and Modifications
- The Highway Code
- Hired Vehicles
- 'Hitch Hikers'
- Insurance
- Journey Planning
- Loads
- Cars used by more than one employee (pool cars)
- Cars allocated to individuals
- Cars – private cars used for company business
- Commercial vehicles (all road vehicles other than cars)
- Commercial vehicles (mobile plant – fork lift trucks etc.)
- Action on receipt of a summons or notice of prosecution or offence
- Vehicle care
- Road traffic accidents
- Accident procedure
Tip 5. Keep Detailed Records
Ensure you keep detailed records of all the documents, key decisions and agreements. It will be essential as source of reference should they be necessary in the future.
Notes and guidance on all these topics are within our Employment Law Module on our website.
For further details on any of the subjects covered above visit HiViz Safety or get in touch by calling 01724 712342.
