Small businesses
Help for small Businesses to get it right
If you own a small business you need to keep paper work to a minimum but not cut corners when it comes to employment law. But without any in-house HR support this can be harder said than done.
Faced with a long list of business needs - like taking on a new member of staff, changing working practices and dealing with discipline and grievances - where do you start?
Check you are ‘Getting it Right’ - the Agency has taken issues facing all small businesses and distilled employment law and good practice into a series of short leaflets.
Get help if you are Getting it Wrong - LRA pre-claim conciliation can help if you are faced with a dispute at work
Getting it Right
The employer/employee relationship is governed by employment law.To read more about the law see Leaflet 1. Know the law
To take on staff and get them settled in:
- Plan your employment needs(Leaflet 2)
- Recruit (Leaflet 3) the right person for the job without discriminating against anyone
- Provide an induction programme (Leaflet 4) so the new employee can work safely and effectively right from the start
- Pay (Leaflet 5) the right rate for the job
- Work out a contract of employment(Leaflet 6) so everyone knows where they stand on things like holidays and pay
Deal with day-to-day problems as they come along:
- Rules and procedures (Leaflet 7) to ensure that employees know what conduct is acceptable and unacceptable, the penalties for breaking the rules and how to raise a grievance.
- Controlling absence (Leaflet 8) problems so you can keep your business running productively
Manage and motivate:
- Communicate (Leaflet 9) with your employees and make the most of their ideas
- Manage performance (Leaflet 10) so you get the best out of your staff and they know what is expected of them
Help if you are getting it wrong
If problems do arise, we are here to point you in the right direction and help solve your workplace problems quickly. And if you are faced with the prospect of an employment tribunal we have a free service, called Pre-Claim Conciliation, which aims to settle disputes before they reach an industrial tribunal. PCC is free, and simpler, quicker, cheaper and less stressful than going to tribunal.
Where can I get more help and guidance?
- LRA Helpline. Call our helpline team on 028 9032 1442 from 9- 5 pm Monday to Friday
- Use our A to Z of employment and Employment Questions and Answers to answer your questions or get it right with our advice leaflets
- Book a Workshop or a Good Practice Seminars to develop your knowledge and skills. Workshops and Good Practice Seminars are free of charge and are available at our Head Office in Belfast and our Regional Office in Londonderry
For other small business services visit nibusinessinfo
