Without a dedicated HR department it can be difficult for a practice to handle day-to-day issues around staff. The team needs to understands its duties, responsibilities and rights.
There is advice available online. 澳门王中王 Business provide a step-by-step . The UK government鈥檚 is also a valuable guide. In addition, ACAS provide several documents and templates, including a and an.
Niki Winsor is an HR consultant at . She explains how to set up simple HR policies to help anticipate any queries, conflicts or concerns.
Why the legal minimum isn't good enough
鈥淗R is a strange beast,鈥� observes Winsor. 鈥淣ot least because there are plenty of things that are not required by law. But if you don鈥檛 implement them, it may have legal repercussions down the line.鈥�
She gives an example. There is no law that businesses must provide equality, diversity, and inclusion training, for example. But if an employee were to take a business to an employment tribunal on grounds of discrimination the first thing the adjudicator will ask is what the business has in place to promote good EDI practice.
This is an important point. Practices should not make the mistake of simply regarding HR as a matter of ticking the 鈥榤inimum legal requirement鈥� boxes. Best practice in this regard, Winsor suggests, would be to:
- provide EDI training to all new starters
- provide in-depth EDI training to all managers
- set out EDI policy in a staff handbook
- ensure EDI policy to clients on a practice鈥檚 website
Data protection is another example. 鈥淭here's no law that says you have to train staff about data protection,鈥� Winsor continues. 鈥淏ut if they accidentally breach the or and you cannot demonstrate having provided the information to prevent it, then that could count against the employer.鈥�
All of which points to the importance of the induction process.
Make sure your induction process is thorough
In addition to EDI and data protection training, an induction process should brief the employee on the company鈥檚 processes and systems. Staff should be briefed about the company鈥檚 expected standards and requirements. This also enables them to feel part of a team.
The required processes for sick leave and booking holiday should, obviously, be made clear. And wellbeing, Winsor points out, is thankfully now an increasingly commonplace part of induction processes.
鈥淚 more or less insist upon wellbeing featuring in an inductions with my clients,鈥� Winsor states. 鈥淎 practice鈥檚 induction process should make it clear that an employee should let them know if they are struggling. And that they will offer their support.鈥�
Staff handbooks and induction presentations
Winsor writes staff handbooks for companies, which set out in detail all the policies that a company expects its team to adhere to. They are necessary in making clear an employee鈥檚 rights, perks, duties, and responsibilities.
But Winsor admits they may often go unread. So she has taken to complementing them with a condensed version: an induction presentation.
鈥淓xtract the salient points from those really important policies,鈥� she advises, 鈥渁nd put them in a snappy presentation. This can be a crib sheet, as it were, for every team member.鈥�
The presentation might have a wellbeing slide. It will highlight the company鈥檚 , flagging up that this is something important that staff should take the time to read. By law, employers must set out a grievance procedure and share it in writing with all employees.
Winsor divulges that she receives far fewer queries from clients who have adopted this 鈥榠nduction basics鈥� approach. It does seem to work, prompting teams to read the more in-depth staff handbook.
Keep contracts up to date
Winsor often finds that practices may be relying on an outdated, mix-and-match of an induction pack.
鈥淧erhaps they once had a lovely, comprehensive induction pack. But over the years, as different staff have tinkered with it and new staff have come in, certain parts will be out of date and others might have gone missing.鈥�
The same is frequently true of employment contracts.
鈥淥ften, the contract has been inherited from a previous employer or sourced from the internet,鈥� Winsor observes. 鈥淭hey're usually quite out of date. Employment law is constantly being updated. Quite quickly a contract can be unlawful or unfit for purpose.鈥�
She points to a lack of restrictive covenants as a good example. If these are absent or badly written then they are unenforceable. Without particular restrictions in the contract, a leaver might poach a key client, or divulge confidential information.
Regular catch-ups are important
Key policies and procedures should be clarified at regular progress meetings. These are particularly important for new starters undergoing their six month probation 鈥� a period Winsor always recommends. But all staff should be given platforms to discuss their work throughout their time with a practice.
鈥淢y key phrase for good HR practice is 鈥榥o surprises鈥�,鈥� she concludes. 鈥淛ust keep people informed."
Thanks to Niki Winsor, HR Consultant, Evolution HR.
Text by Neal Morris. This is a Professional Feature edited by the 澳门王中王 Practice team. Send us your feedback and ideas.
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