Employees

Your employees can your biggest asset. They can also be your biggest challenge. We explain how to recruitment and manage staff successfully.

Creating a positive working environment with happy, motivated staff is not easy. Personalities can clash so people management skills are essential.

Clear recruitment policies and contracts and disciplinary and grievance procedures are a legal requirement. Learn of how you can comply with the law.

Advertising for, shortlisting and selecting the right recruit is not always easy. Our overview explains how to get your recruitment processes right.

Employees are protected by a wide range of employment rights. This overview will help you understand the key regulations and avoid expensive mistakes.

A job description will help you write your job advert, provides pointers when interviewing and makes it clear to candidates what you are looking for.

Almost all workers are entitled to certain statutory and minimum pay rates. Check what rates of pay your employees are entitled to.

Every employee is entitled to a written Statement of Employment Particulars outlining the terms of employment. Download a range of full and part-time contracts, self employed and contractor and sub contractor statements of employment.

Office dress codes have relaxed. Have we all become scruffier at work and does it really matter anyway? We ask three experts for their opinions.

UK businesses have to comply with auto-enrolment workplace pension laws. This step-by-step guide explains exactly what to do and when.

Before an employee appraisal, find out what they think of their own performance, with this free downloadable employee self-assessment form template.

All employees with 26 weeks' service are entitled to request flexible working. But will it be small-business owners who are left carrying the cost?

Download customisable job offer letter templates, which you can tailor to your needs when recruiting a new member of staff.

Before taking on employees, you will need to gather certain personal information. This template will help you collect the correct information.

Taking on your first employee? Find out how to approach the recruitment process to ensure you recruit the right person and comply with the law.

When you take on a new member of staff, there are seven key tasks you need to carry out to ensure you comply with the law. Find out what they are here:

Need to give your employees a performance review? Download staff appraisal and performance management templates.

When you employ staff, you will need to supply them with an employment contract. Download sample proforma employment contracts.

It is important to manage sickness absence to prevent employees swinging the lead. Use this sample self-certification form to record sick leave.

Need to carry out staff appraisals? Access employment templates including customisable staff appraisal forms.

You must provide written terms and conditions of employment within two months of an employee starting work. This Acas Tool will help you get it right.

How to recruit effectively - our guide to understanding what you need, attracting candidates and assessing their skills, experience and attitude.

Advertise a vacancy on the GOV.UK website. Advertise jobs and search for jobseekers whose CVs match your needs. You will need to open an account.

You must check that every employee has the right to work in the UK. Penalties are up to £20,000 for each illegal worker and up to five years in prison.

It's vitally important to make sure you hire the right person with the right skills to fill company needs. Read how to recruit successfully.

Our step-by step guide to inducting new employees into your business, providing everything they need and helping them feel settled.

In this video employers discuss the benefits of hiring an apprentice.

CVs play a key role in the recruitment process, by helping employers to assess someone's experience, key achievements and knowledge. Stacey Mead, HR Director at The HR Dept, explains what you should look out for.

Many small businesses do not have an in-house HR expert, but that's no reason to ignore the steps that will help you recruit a star performer.

Despite 300,000 people graduating each year, historically relatively few end up one of the nation's 4.8m small firms. But things are changing.

Successful SMEs are only as good as their people. But finding great staff is not always easy. We explain what you should look for.

Many small business owners are doing their own recruitment to save money. But wait! Could you be about to recruit the wrong person?

If your employees want to file a grievance, there should be a fair and clear way to do this. Read our tips on setting up a grievance procedure.

Not sure how to go about holding a fair and lawful disciplinary hearing when an employee has breached workplace rules? Follow our step-by-step guide.

You need to have clear rules outlining what will happen if employees commit an offence in the workplace. Our checklist tells you what to include.

Employment contracts are vital in setting out the terms and conditions of your relationship with your employee. Read our Q&A covering the basics.

Solicitor Helen Kay answers key legal questions about sacking staff including notice periods and how to use Acas guidance to help you.

It is all too easy for staff grievances to escalate. Find out what process and procedures you should follow to address any staff grievances correctly.

Workplace policies can save you a lot of time and effort and can help avoid misunderstandings or more serious employee disputes.