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

Search

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

September 2015

Displaying 1 - 12 of 20
12 results shown

Only one worker in 166 has ever read their employment contract and understood its contents, according to new research.

If we had a referendum on the EU right now, most small businesses owners would vote to stay in but it's a close result.

At least £80 billion in economic growth could be unlocked if the Government shifts widespread powers and funding to local areas, council leaders have said.

Nearly half of businesses founded in the UK in 2011 had failed by 2014 - and incompetence and bad management was to blame for 56% of these business failures.

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

Business costs have continued to rise during 2015, driven in part by increased staff costs, according to the latest research from the Forum of Private Business.

The UK's small-and-medium-sized enterprises are taking a global lead when it comes to embracing new software technology - and they are benefiting as a result.

Small business owners are facing "problems of success", such as staff shortages, but remain optimistic according to new research.

The value of claims for R&D tax relief has gone up by £380 million in the UK and much of the rise comes from the small business sector.

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

The number of people working excessive hours has risen by 15% since 2010, according to the TUC.

Thousands of people have taken to social media in the past year to complain about the time they have had to spend waiting to speak to someone at HMRC, the UK's tax authority.