If you are taking on your first employee(s) or if you currently employ staff, it’s never too late to implement the follow requirements:
- Check a job applicant right to work in the UK before employing them:
- UK Passport
- Certificate of Registration or Naturalisation as a British Citizen
- A current passport with a current endorsement from Home Office which must show:
- can do the work you’re offering
- has a legal right to stay in the UK
- Right to work share code, check right to work by clicking the link https://www.gov.uk/view-right-to-work you will need the job applicants date of birth.
You must see applicant’s original documents, check the documents are valid with applicant present, make and keep copies of the documents and record the date you made the check.
If you employ an illegal worker and have not carried out a correct right to work check, you could face a civil penalty.
2. Contract of employment
Under the Employment Rights Act 1996, employers are required to give employees a written statement of the main terms and conditions of their employment, which includes the employer’s rules and procedures for dealing with both disciplinary and grievance issues. Both parties to sign and date (employer and employee to keep a copy of signed contract).
3. HR Policies and Procedures legally need to be in place:
0-5 employees – Legally require 3 policies and procedures
- Disciplinary
- Grievance
- Equal Opportunities – prevent discrimination and bully & harassment
5+ employees – Under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, employers with 5 or more employees must have a written general Health and Safety Policy
An employee personal data needs to be kept safe, secure confidential and up to date therefore a Data Protection Policy under GDPR should also be in place.
4. Inform HMRC of New Starters
Tell HMRC you have a new employee by providing the new starters personal details, provide a P45 or get the new employee to complete a New Starter Form and sent to HMRC.
- Automatic entitlement workplace pension
5. Pension Contributions as at April 2019:
- Employer minimum contribution 3%
- Employee minimum contribution 5%
- Total minimum contribution 8%
- Check age and earnings to be eligible if they do you must pay into a pension scheme from day one
- Must write to staff in the first 6 weeks of their start date to inform them of the pension scheme
- Complete a declarations of compliance in the Pensions Regulator
- Employee needs to opt out in writing if they don’t wish to be part of the workplace pension scheme.
Bonus Tip:
Employers Liability Insurance – You must get Employers’ Liability (EL) insurance as soon as you become an employer – your policy must cover you for at least £5 million and come from an authorised insurer.