Employment law – the basics

With the number of Employment Tribunal claims rocketing to almost 240,000 in 2006/7, and with awards for unfair dismissal increasing beyond £60,000, it is becoming ever more important to get the right documents in place. As an absolute minimum, you really do need to get these three properly drafted documents in place.

1. Interview notes – to avoid the risk of a discrimination claim arising before you have even taken on staff, make sure you keep good records of why a candidate wasn't picked, but make sure there are no rude comments in the notes, which may need to be disclosed in future.
2. Staff contracts – conduct a brief review of employee contracts at least every year to make sure these are up-to-date and reflect both new employment law and any changes introduced into your working practices. Breach of contract claims are the third most popular to go before Employment Tribunals.
3. Staff manual – make sure you have an up-to-date manual which includes your disciplinary and grievance procedures. Most importantly of all – make sure you follow those procedures carefully.