The Huge Risks of NOT Having Watertight Employment Contracts
Getting to grips with employment law is crucial for any company taking on staff. Employers have a legal obligation to provide their employees with a contract of employment within two months of starting. This written agreement sets out employment conditions, rights, responsibilities and duties. If this is not in place an employee can make a claim at an employment tribunal where they could be awarded compensation.
When Campbell Print (CPrint), an independent design and print studio in Reading was starting out they didn’t have any formal employment contracts, but quickly came to the realisation that to protect their employees and their business they needed them. Alison Russell is the Sales Director at CPrint.
“We are not a massive company and so there wasn’t really a lot of HR issues. It was just a realisation that there was a requirement that we needed to get sorted. We met Carolyne through a Business Fit Club coaching course we took and we came on board with her then.
“She was confident, she seemed knowledgeable, had lots of information and knew what the requirements are for HR. That was why we went with her.”
Employee contracts can keep companies out of the courts, and they ensure that employees are fully aware of their obligations and have agreed to comply with the terms. They can also protect businesses from risk with clauses covering confidentiality of sensitive business information.
Having written employment contracts is one thing, ensuring they are up to date is quite another. Without the services of a dedicated HR person who stays current with the many changes to employment legislation, companies may find their contracts are not as watertight as they think.
“The whole point of going with Gap HR is so that we could get on with running the business. Carolyne knows what’s going on with legislation and can keep us on the straight and narrow. When you are running a business you haven’t got time to keep up to date with all of that. We couldn’t possibly keep on top of all the legislation.”
Carolyne also advised CPrint when they needed to dismiss a member of staff. Companies of all shapes and sizes face numerous risks when firing employees, including costly legal action if they are sued.
“Dismissal was the biggest challenge we faced and we had to make sure we were doing it legally and properly and not leaving ourselves open. Having Gap HR in place gave us the confidence that we were doing it right.”
Whether receiving guidance through a dismissal process, having contracts updated or being helped with other HR issues, Alison is grateful that she can rely on the services of an HR expert whenever she needs them.
“We’re not a big enough company to have a dedicated HR person on site. Carolyne and her team are always there at the end of the phone. She responds quickly, and the issues she has helped us with have been resolved with no comeback at a later stage. As far as we are concerned we are very satisfied.”
Alison Russell
Sales Director – CPrint
