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

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Setting up a business involves complying with a range of legal requirements. Find out which ones apply to you and your new enterprise.

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

What particular regulations do specific types of business (such as a hotel, or a printer, or a taxi firm) need to follow? We explain some of the key legal issues to consider for 200 types of business.

While poor governance can bring serious legal consequences, the law can also protect business owners and managers and help to prevent conflict.

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.

Whether you want to raise finance, join forces with someone else, buy or sell a business, it pays to be aware of the legal implications.

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

Marketing matters. Marketing drives sales for businesses of all sizes by ensuring that customers think of their brand when they want to buy.

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

Commercial disputes can prove time-consuming, stressful and expensive, but having robust legal agreements can help to prevent them from occurring.

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

Whether your business owns or rents premises, your legal liabilities can be substantial. Commercial property law is complex, but you can avoid common pitfalls.

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

With information and sound advice, living up to your legal responsibilities to safeguard your employees, customers and visitors need not be difficult or costly.

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

As information technology continues to evolve, legislation must also change. It affects everything from data protection and online selling to internet policies for employees.

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.

Intellectual property (IP) isn't solely relevant to larger businesses or those involved in developing innovative new products: all products have IP.

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

Knowing how and when you plan to sell or relinquish control of your business can help you to make better decisions and achieve the best possible outcome.

From bereavement, wills, inheritance, separation and divorce to selling a house, personal injury and traffic offences, learn more about your personal legal rights.

News

July 2015

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The Government's much-anticipated productivity plan was published last week. But business groups are calling for more to be done on exports and skills.

More than half of the 844,000 home business owners in the UK who have children will spend time away from their business to be with their family over the summer.

Our round-up of other small business stories making the headlines this week...

Many micro-business owners are failing to track their time and aren't billing clients for all the work they do, according to new research.

The latest British Chambers of Commerce Quarterly Economic Survey reveals that UK manufacturing is continuing the decline that was seen in the first quarter of 2015.

George Osborne's Summer Budget included a major overhaul of dividend taxation that could have a significant effect on small limited companies from 2016.

As many as a third of small business owners could be ready to hang up their hats in the next five years, as economic conditions finally look more favourable for those that want to sell up.

Our round-up of other small business stories making the headlines this week...

A worrying number of the UK's small firms and micro-businesses are completely unprepared for the auto-enrolment pension process, according to two new research studies.

The British Chambers of Commerce is calling for an urgent overhaul of the business rates system this week in light of news that the Government took in £22.9bn in business rates in 2014-15

It has been a year since new legislation made it easier to request and negotiate flexible working arrangements. Now, with a growing skills gap, firms are using flexible terms in order to attract the best candidates.

The Government has commissioned an independent review to investigate the challenges and opportunities facing those who want to work for themselves.