Navigating legal compliance without losing your mind
Whether you’re running a business and doing it all yourself or you’re an in-house professional holding responsibility for all things HR, there’s a lot to keep track of, including making sure the things you are doing are legally compliant. This means employment contracts, health and safety duties, GDPR, disciplinary procedures, pay, working hours, discrimination laws - you get the gist, and the list goes on.
Getting it wrong can mean more than just a slap on the wrist — it could lead to hefty fines, tribunal claims, and serious damage to your business’s reputation.
We know, it’s starting to sound a bit overwhelming - but it doesn’t have to be, navigating the legal bits can be simple and straightforward.
First up, let’s identify some of the most common pitfalls
Contracts: The law changes faster and more than you might think, and whilst we’ll wager that new employee contracts are airtight (because you had them checked, right?), what about existing ones? Is there something that could leave you exposed?
Policies: Aah, the trusty employee handbook or whatever you prefer to call it these days - it’s probably on a Google drive somewhere, really, but are the policies within it up to date and compliant with current legislation? Do you have all the policies you should have in place?
Record Keeping - So dull, but so essential. Whether it’s holiday entitlement or absence reporting, keeping proper documentation is crucial and simple in a digital world; it’s also evidence you did the right thing and followed things to the letter if you’re ever in a legal situation.
How can you stay ahead?
Well, you don’t need to be a lawyer (phew), but you do need a process that you consistently follow to avoid getting caught out.
Stay Updated - Sign up for Employment law updates, you can do this via the government website or perhaps sign up for updates from a friendly HR consultancy you may be familiar with (hint, us, hint) Diarise regular times to make checks and find out what employment law changes might be the horizon, pay particular attention around the start of the new financial year and in budget announcements.
Regular Training - If you’re a business owner, it’s a good investment to take time out for you or your teams and get on top of HR processes and the compliance that goes with them (you’ll thank yourself later, believe us) Problems often start because managers aren’t up to speed, it’s up to those leading on HR to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Auditing - Review contracts, policies and practices at least once a year. Set aside sufficient time and resources to do it, and do it thoroughly.
Support - Help is out there, having an HR expert in your corner means you can get quick answers and clear advice, without spending hours on Google trying to figure out if you’ve just broken the law.
So it isn’t that scary after all, but if you do need support with HR compliance, then that’s what we’re here for, whether is’t sorting your contracts, helping with a tricky employee issue or ensuring you’re legally watertight, we can put a tick in that box.