Employment law is probably the biggest burden facing employers today. When the media talks about the growth in "red tape", nowhere is that more obvious than in the realm of employment law. The law is amended on an almost daily basis as tribunals push back the frontiers in areas ranging from sex discrimination to health and safety to name but two.
Alongside this, there is a growing perception that the employer is fighting a losing battle in trying to avoid what are often extraordinary awards to their employees.
Still think this doesn't apply to you?
A recent employment tribunal awarded an employee a total of £178,000 in damages against an employer accused of sexual harassment.
Surely there were exceptional circumstances?
The employee in question was a teenage trainee car salesperson who had been in the job for less than one week! Her salary was less than £9,000 per year! Her doctor gave evidence that she had been so traumatised by the alleged conduct of her employer that she could not return to work for at least two years!
But best of all - the police investigated the employee's claim and decided that there were no grounds for a prosecution!
This doesn't worry me - I am a reasonable employer and I have good relationships with all of my staff.
No doubt you are and you do. Unfortunately that will count for nothing at a tribunal. Even if you act in a common sense and completely reasonable way in your dealings with employees, unless you have followed the correct procedures (and equally importantly can demonstrate that those procedures existed at the time), there is a pretty good chance that a tribunal would rule against you.
Can you honestly say that you even know what the correct procedures are in the areas of, for example, disciplining staff, health and safety and making redundancies?
Do you have all of the written policies that the law requires you to have?
Do all of your employees have written particulars of their employment meeting the statutory minimum requirements in terms of detail?
Do you have a staff handbook explaining important issues to your employees and protecting you against the dangers of having a tribunal defining the terms of your staff's employment.
Do you have a written record of the verbal warnings you have given to your staff?
Frankly the questions could go on but it is possible that you are getting the picture.
So what are my options?
Well there are three really.
You could take care of this personally but how many of us can say with certainty that our knowledge of employment law is sufficient to do that.
Alternatively, you could use a specialist solicitor. That would almost certainly work but would also, more than likely, cost a sizeable sum of money. And didn't we just agree that employment law is changing very quickly so presumably these legal fees will become a new annual overhead.
Finally, you could look at our brand new beprofessional service.
What is beprofessional?
beprofessional will help you through the employment process from recruitment to management and from ill health to retirement.
beprofessional also reduces any misunderstandings and fear over health & safety legislation, ensuring your business stays legal and your staff stay safe.
beprofessional enables you to do the right thing at the right time - with the facility to prove it. Only beprofessional gives you peace of mind.
Mistakes can be expensive - can you afford not to have the best information available?
As the owner or manager of a growing business, you know better than anyone how valuable your time is. You probably don't have time to keep current with the ever-changing legislation concerning employment law, HR and Health & Safety. However, with the threat of tribunals, fines or even imprisonment, you can't afford to ignore them either. This is where beprofessional is indispensable to your business.
beprofessional is like having 24-hour access to an expert HR adviser who will guide you through the maze of requirements. With an annual subscription, you can create customised documents such as: employment contracts, appraisals, grievance procedures and policies for paternity and maternity leave, sick leave and Health & Safety issues. It also helps to avoid the minefield of following the correct procedures from hiring to firing, and everything in between.
Unlike any other HR offerings, it is completely interactive and intuitive. Each online session features a simple question-and-answer format and every document you work on is tamper-proof and independently date-stamped - crucial in times of increased accountability.
All these features are backed up by a free 24-hour legal helpline staffed by fully qualified HR and legal advisers, who are ready to instantly answer any employment queries you may have.
With beprofessional, you can create all of the following documents, quickly and easily:
Employing Staff:
Managing Staff:
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Health & Safety:
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How do I find out more or obtain a bespoke quote for my business?
Simply call Barry Soraff on 020-8551-7200 or e-mail to beproff@raffingers-stuart.co.uk and arrange a free, no-obligations 15-day trial. Alternatively, click on the link on the left side of this page and follow the on-screen instructions.
