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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.

New poll finds out what makes job hunters tick

23 March 2021

A survey of UK professionals has shed new light on why Brits leave their jobs and what persuades them to take new ones.

Energy business Gazprom Marketing & Trading (GM&T) has surveyed full-time employed professionals working across a range of sectors to discover job hunters' attitudes and experiences when searching for a new role.

The findings show that most people leave a job because they are looking for progression (28%), they want more money (24%) or they aren't happy with the workplace culture (13%). Meanwhile, job candidates said their main reason for accepting a new job were: salary (34%), opportunities for career progression (22%) and a positive workplace culture (17%).

Despite the importance of money, when asked why they left their previous job, the majority of respondents (60%) said it was to seek out new challenges, a desire for more progression and as a way to enhance their CV. Most UK workers (64%) stay in a position for two or more years and three-quarters of candidates said a company's reputation is important when looking for a job.

"If a business effectively builds its reputation, their dream candidates will soon start knocking on their door," said Rachael Parrott, resourcing partner at GM&T. "And while this takes time, it's a worthwhile investment that will ensure relevant, high-quality candidates, while helping to lower an organisation's recruitment overheads in the long term too."

The GM&T research also investigated recruitment trends. The results show that:

  • 57% of job hunters use employer websites directly to find out about job opportunities;
  • 54% use job posting sites;
  • 40% use professional networks;
  • 26% use social media;
  • Just 12% work directly with recruiters.

Finding a new job can take some time, it seems, with 49% of job seekers finding a new role in the first three months of searching and 84% within six months. The vast majority (95%) attend fewer than five interviews before securing a new role.

Also published this week, a new survey suggests that the pandemic is having a significant impact on managers. The poll by not-for-profit healthcare provider Benenden Health has found that 61% of UK managers have experienced burnout at work since the UK was first placed into lockdown, with 20% considering quitting their job as a result of the strain on their mental wellbeing.

The main causes of burnout at work in the past year were shown to be anxiety about the future (46%), a lack of sleep (40%), limited social interaction (35%), increased demands from senior leadership (28%) and managing home schooling with work (26%), whilst a third (34%) of burnout sufferers said that working longer hours had contributed.

Written by Rachel Miller.

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