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

Search

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.

Huge tax haul underlines need for rates reform

3 July 2015

Huge tax haul underlines need for rates reformThe 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.

Dr Adam Marshall, BCC executive director for policy and external affairs, said: "Today's announcement that the Treasury has taken in £22.9 billion in business rates in the past year is a timely reminder of this hidden burden that companies face.

"The business rates system is outdated, unfair and poorly designed, which is why we have long called for fundamental reforms. Business rates are a tax that British companies face before they have made a single penny of revenue."

The Government is currently conducting a wide-scale review of the UK business rates system. In response to the latest phase of this review, the BCC has called on the Government to deliver "fundamental reforms". It says the business rates system "stops companies investing and weighs down growth across the nations of the UK".

The BCC is calling for the following reforms:

  • A new and simplified system, to include annual revaluations to stop shock bills hitting firms;
  • The removal of plant and machinery from the ratings system encouraging companies to invest;
  • The abolition of the annual uplift in multiplier to stop arbitrary rises in bills between revaluations;
  • Reliefs to be based on the size of a business, not the size of its premises.

The BCC is also lobbying for a system that reduces the administrative burden of the valuation process for businesses and takes into account local economic conditions.

Dr Marshall said: "The present system discourages investment in property improvement, plant and machinery. It places an unnecessarily large financial burden on businesses at a time when we should be encouraging them to invest and lay the foundations for future growth. Reforming business rates would empower companies to invest in growth and jobs, thereby ensuring long-term rewards for the economy as a whole."

Stay up-to-date with business advice and news

Sign up to this lively and colourful newsletter for new and more established small businesses.