Employment 5 top tips.

1.         Paperwork

Make sure your paperwork is in order.  Have the right contractual documents, policies and handbook in place.  Keep a detailed record of right to work documents and all correspondence, sick records etc in one place. In the event of a problem, having a well ordered record of the employment relationship is great evidence.

2.         Communication

Let your Employees know clearly what is expected of them.  Establish and maintain clear channels of communication both ways between management and staff.  Most tribunal cases are in some part to do with a breakdown in communication.

3.         Fairness

If you have rules in a workplace, make sure that you apply them fairly and evenly.  A quick route to an Employment Tribunal is to treat staff differently in the same circumstances.

4.         Breathe!

In the event of a disciplinary problem, do not act in haste.  The most instinctive and natural human reactions to wrong doing on the part of an employee are also possibly the worst things an employer can do when faced with that situation.  If in doubt tell the employee you need to think about the matter, and then do precisely that.  Take advice from others.  If needs be suspend the employee to give that breathing space required for proper consideration.

5.         Changes in the law

It is near impossible for an Employer to keep up to date with almost constant changes in employment legislation and rules.  Often an Employee will learn of a change in the law before you do.  Often they have heard it wrong.  Sometimes these new laws sound ridiculous but are in fact true.  Speak to us before you deny an employee what might be valid (even if unwelcome) entitlements.