Why small businesses need an employment law advice line?

As a small business owner or senior decision-maker, you’re unlikely to have the luxury of in-house legal advice. However, such advice may be vital for the successful navigation of laws specific to everything from employment contracts to handling grievances and disputes.

That’s why we’re going to highlight some potential challenges and risks associated with the management of such employment issues, explaining the benefits of proactive steps for legal compliance. And how you can make sure that you’re always on the right side of the law with small business employment advice.

Why employment law services are crucial for small businesses

Small business owners must meet a variety of obligations when it comes to employment law. However, it can be hard to keep up with regulations when you’re expected to balance so many plates from one day to the next. Not to mention, that in the UK the rules and regulations you have to follow are always changing.

There’s an obvious need for support in many instances, research by the Legal Services Board (LSB) shows that almost a third of small businesses experience legal issues annually.

Common employment law issues that small businesses may face include, but certainly not limited to:

Employment contracts and documentation

Small businesses often overlook the importance of providing written employment contracts or a statement of terms. This can lead to disputes over job roles, pay, hours, and other employment conditions.

Discrimination and equality

Small businesses may unintentionally violate the Equality Act 2010 by not fully understanding their obligations related to discrimination. Issues can arise in recruitment, pay, promotions, or handling workplace complaints, leading to costly discrimination claims.

Wage and working hour compliance

Compliance with the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage is a critical issue. Small businesses may inadvertently underpay employees or miscalculate overtime. Additionally, ensuring adherence to working time regulations, including rest breaks and maximum weekly working hours, is essential to avoid legal penalties.

Holiday entitlements and leave

Correctly calculating and providing holiday entitlement and pay can be complex. Small businesses may struggle with the rules regarding part-time workers, leave carryover, and holiday pay for employees with irregular hours, leading to potential disputes.

Dismissal and redundancy procedures

Handling dismissals, whether due to poor performance, misconduct, or redundancy, requires following correct procedures. Failure to give fair warnings, adhere to notice periods, or conduct a fair redundancy process may result in tribunal action.

With employment laws being regularly updated, a basic understanding might not be enough to prevent a costly compliance breach. Which could result in a loss of income and a damaged reputation of your small business.

Benefits of professional employment advice

Thankfully, you can tackle the changing regulations and avoid the non-compliance risks with dedicated employment law support. Allowing you to continue business operations with the confidence of having legal guidance available whenever you need it. With expert legal advisors ready to address your inquiries and assist you in pursuing fair and positive resolutions— what could be more beneficial than that?

For example, BrightHR’s employment law services include:

• Unlimited 24/7 employment law advice for employers
• Assured confidentiality with after-hours phone availability
• Access to an extensive online library of up-to-date HR documents
• Easy tracking of recently asked questions and ongoing cases

With such comprehensive support, you’ll stand a much better chance of successfully navigating the complex employment laws and regulations. Given regular notifications, there won’t be such a burden on you to maintain awareness of changing regulations.

The creation and implementation of HR policies can be so much easier with employment law support, if the service comes with an online library of policies, templates, and guides. Covering everything from onboarding to redundancy, these expertly written documents will ensure your compliance with relevant employment laws.

For example, the BrightBase HR document library will also bring these benefits:

• The central organisation of contracts, handbooks, and templates for instant reference and use
• Secure document storage on the cloud-based, unlimited storage system

Such dedicated employment law advice can make the difference in mitigating the risks of legal breaches and fostering a positive work environment. You can enjoy peace of mind with round-the-clock advice in easily understandable terms and with a focus on your business interests. Whether you have one employee or twenty, you can be assured of on-point small business employment advice.

Get help with employment issues from BrightHR

We’ve only touched the surface of employment law issues that your small business could face. It spans wider than employment contracts to dismissals. And there is no way of knowing when an issue will arise, but you can have a system in place to prevent and protect your business.

That’s where BrightHR comes in to keep you on the right side of the law and keep you doing what you do best—growing your business.

Take the first step towards legal compliance and book a free demo to experience the unmatched support of BrightHR.