Getting the Basics Right!
I cannot stress enough to each client I meet and any business owner that I speak to that getting the basics of employing people in the first instance before you do anything else is SO important.
The article I have posted the link to below just highlights this. For an employer of their size they should have basic employment rights in place such as holiday pay, pension contribution and a contract of employment. This isn’t even a “should have” but a “must have” otherwise as you can see from the article, they have been completely unlawful. Getting these things in place is not difficult providing you have the right guidance and support in place from an HR professional.
As of next year, April 2020, all employers will have to issue new starters their contract of employment from day one of employment. This changes from the current practice of providing them with this within the first two months of employment. If a new starter does not therefore receive this on their first day of work then you as the employer are liable.
One key piece of information that is highlighted within this article is regarding the new employee providing their ID and National Insurance (NI) number in order for the employer to be able to make the relevant deductions from their pay. This is, as quoted by the News, an “extraordinary basic failure” which is not acceptable in any workplace. An employee should receive a P45 on exit from their previous employer which will confirm their NI number already.
“The Start of the Employee Life Cycle” blog details what should be requested and provided by the employee before they start work with you. It is a legal requirement to ensure all new employees identification is checked before joining the company. For a British citizen this may either be a UK passport or birth certificate, and for a non UK resident, then a copy of their Visa which will confirm their current status in the UK.
Please do not end up in the same situation as this employer did and get the basics in place. If you are unsure of anything you have or don’t have in place, get in touch today.