By Kay Hamblin, director at Eight Legal

The start of the year can be a good time to take stock and plan what needs to be done in the coming months. So why not make a resolution to ensure all your HR paperwork is up to date?

Contracts of employment

Carefully drafted contracts can save businesses huge amounts of time, trouble, and money (see https://eightlegal.com/employment-contracts/ for some tips on what to include, and what not to). However, we regularly see businesses unable to enforce terms of the contract, such as deductions from wages or restrictive covenants, because the employee has never signed and returned the contract.

Check that all of your employees have a written statement of terms and conditions or a contract, and that you have a signed copy of it.

Review employee handbook and policies

When was the last time you reviewed your employee handbook and related policies? Employment Law changes frequently and it's all too easy to fall behind. Some common mistakes include:

• Having a retirement age stated - this could be considered to be age discrimination

• Stating that the right to make a flexible working request only applies to parents - this was extended to all eligible employees in 2014

• Not having a policy for handling requests for Shared Parental Leave

But the potential list is very long!

Make time to review your policies and procedures in line with Employment Law changes over recent years.

Right to work checks

Have you checked that all of your employees and workers have the right to work in the UK? It's important that you carry out these checks on everyone, not just those you believe to be from overseas. Equally, you must keep proper copies of relevant documents and record the date they were checked. If you are found to have employed someone illegally and don't have all the right paperwork as evidence, fines can be punitive.

Guidelines change frequently, so check the latest at https://tinyurl.com/ybxktsmj and bear in mind likely changes as Brexit progresses.

If you haven't kept up to date with these checks, you should review documents for all your employees as soon as possible.

Be prepared!

If you are a larger employer, remember that as well as the second year of gender pay gap reporting, 2019 sees the start of executive pay reporting - begin gathering the information you need from the start of your financial year.

Remember also the requirements around itemised pay slips which come into effect from April 6th, and new National Minimum Wage rates from 1st April. Statutory family pay and statutory sick pay rates also increase from April.

Need help checking your paperwork? Contact us today on 01242 570161 or info@eightlegal.com to arrange a free, no obligation review.

Please note - the information in this article is provided for general guidance, and is not intended as a substitute for specific legal advice in any particular situation.