FAQs

Why do I need HR? I don’t employ many people? Most areas of employment legislation apply to all companies regardless of the number of employees they have.

What is a statement of employment terms? This is a document which must be issued to every employee clearly stating the basis upon which their employment is based.

Employee relations are fine in my company. Why do I need HR? Employees are people and, as such, can be unpredictable and emotional. Issues can blow up with little or no warning and need to be dealt with correctly, professionally and quickly.

What period of notice should be given in a contract? Notice clauses should provide for a minimum period of notice at least equivalent to the statutory minimum period of notice.

Are Employers required to pay the National Minimum Wage to Apprentices? Yes, there is a minimum wage for apprentices which is increased in April each year. This is the minimum amount you can pay them but you can pay them more if you wish.

In a redundancy situation, when should an employer commence consultation with employees? If there are 100 or more affected employees at the same establishment, the consultation must commence at least 90 days before the first dismissal is to take effect. If 20 or more employees are affected, consultation must commence at least 30 days before the first dismissal. No obligation to consult collectively arises where 19 or fewer employees are affected although individual consultation is required.

Are employers required to top up Statutory Sick Pay to an employee’s normal earnings? Although many employers do make up the difference between statutory sick pay and the employee’s normal weekly earnings, they are not obliged to do so, unless full pay during periods of sickness absence is stipulated as a contractual entitlement.