THE EZHR GUIDE TO YOUR FIRST EMPLOYEE

So you’ve turned that corner and you know you need to hire, are you struggling to understand what you need in place?

We’ll quickly take you through what you need so you don’t get caught out.

Written Statement of Terms: You must provide a written statement of the key employment terms to your new employee that outlines their terms of employment, such as their job title, salary, hours of work, and notice period.

Workplace pension scheme: Under government legislation, you are required by law to provide a workplace pension scheme for your employee, which involves automatic enrolment into a pension scheme and contributions from both the employer and employee. You can defer this for up to three months, but you need to take the necessary actions.

Health & Safety policy: You must have a health and safety policy in place that outlines your responsibilities and actions for providing a safe working environment, assessing risks, and implementing control measures to prevent accidents or injuries.

Equal opportunities policy: You must have an equal opportunities policy that prohibits discrimination based on age, race, gender, religion, or any other protected characteristic.

Data protection policy: You must comply with data protection laws and have a policy in place that outlines how you collect, use, and protect employee data.

Grievance & Disciplinary procedures: You must have a grievance and disciplinary procedures in place that outline the steps employees can take if they have a complaint or if disciplinary action needs to be taken.

Payroll & Tax obligations: Don’t forget that you must register with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for payroll and tax purposes and ensure that you withhold the correct amount of income tax and National Insurance contributions from the employees' pay.

By having these policies and actions in place, you can ensure that you are complying with the minimum legal requirements and ensuring that people start with your business in the right way.