Frequently
asked questions
What's
the difference between disciplinary and grievance procedures?
A disciplinary procedure deals
with complaints made by the employer about the employees’ actions.
A grievance procedure deals with complaints by the employees.
What holidays should I give
my staff?
All employees are entitled to
a minimum of four weeks’ paid annual leave per year. By law this
could include bank holidays but in practice most employees give bank holidays
as well.
Should all staff be given
contracts of employment?
A written statement of the main
terms and conditions of employment must be given to employees within two
months of starting work. This document is often referred to as the contract
of employment but legally a contract exists whether written down or not.
I’ve been told that
one of my employees has told another employee that he stole money from
us. As this is gross misconduct I can dismiss him straight away, can’t
I?
You must follow your disciplinary
procedure. To dismiss without following a fair procedure could be unfair
whether or not there is proof of the theft. If you do not follow a fair procedure, compensation can be increased by upto 50% by industrial tribunals.
How do we make sure we recruit
the best person for the job?
List the duties in a job description
then look at each one and work out the sort of person who could do the
job in terms of their experience, qualifications, skills and knowledge,
you then have a person specification. Measure your candidates against
this specification
Does the law now say employers
must pay into pension schemes for staff?
No. If you employ more than
five people you must provide employees with access to a stakeholder pension
scheme but you don't have to contribute.
What's the current National
Minimum Wage?
£3.80 for workers aged
18 to 21 years, and £4.50 for workers aged 22 years and above. There is a development rate for workers aged 22 and over who are in a new job and doing accredited training, which is £3.80 per hour for the first 6 months.
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