Practical employment law information to support your business, from Clover HR

Establishing a successful recruitment process and clear written employment contracts for new employees can have a major impact on your business.

Every business needs to be aware of its obligations under minimum wage and equal pay laws, as well as recent pensions auto-enrolment changes.

You must comply with legal restrictions on employees' working hours and time off, or risk claims, enforcement action and even prosecution.

The right employment policies are an essential part of effective staff management. Make sure any policy is clear and well communicated to employees.

While sick employees need to be treated fairly, you need to ensure that 'sickness' is not being used as cover for unauthorised absence.

Most pregnant employees are entitled to maternity leave and maternity pay, while new fathers are entitled to paternity leave and paternity pay.

As well as undermining morale, illegal discrimination can lead to workplace grievances. Employee discrimination is covered by the Equality Act 2010.

Home, remote and lone workers are becoming increasingly commonplace. Key issues include communication and how to manage and motivate people remotely.

The right approach to consulting with and providing information to your employees can improve employee motivation and performance.

Disciplinary and grievance issues can be a major burden to employers. Putting in place and following the right procedures is essential.

Following the right dismissal and redundancy procedures helps protect your business and minimise the risk of a legal dispute at tribunal.

Employment tribunal claims are a worrying prospect for any employer. A tribunal case is a no-win situation – even if the claim is unjustified.

Managing an employee's departure - checklist

Sooner or later, every business with employees will experience turnover. Use our handy checklist to make sure the exit period is handled well.

Be prepared - people leave their jobs for a variety of reasons and it is vital you have a policy in place when it happens.
Determine which day they will actually finish - will they be working their full notice period or taking any remaining paid holiday?
Work out what projects can reasonably be finished within their notice period and ensure that they are managing them effectively.
Consider asking them to sign a confidentiality agreement to protect your data when they leave.
Secure your IT - ensure that access to your systems is suspended and all relevant passwords are changed.
Reassign work to your existing team until a replacement can be found.
Ensure the departing employee writes a thorough handover document detailing each of their tasks and including any key contacts.
Work out the final salary as your employee may be entitled to additional pay for untaken holiday, bonus payments or statutory sick pay.
Hold an exit interview asking for their honest feedback on their reasons for leaving.
Ensure any reference you provide is honest, accurate and fair.
A valued employee's leaving can be stressful, but try to end their employment on good terms - many firms throw a party or buy gifts to say goodbye.

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