| Trimming the Workforce – a Guide to UK Redundancy Procedure by Iain Mackintosh |
| No manager wants to face the possibility that they may need to make some of their staff redundant Yet with the credit crunch, it would be irresponsible for managers struggling with costs not to think about the possibility |
|
| Top Tips to Get Your Business Through the Credit Crunch by Iain Mackintosh |
| With the UK economy and housing market teetering and consumer confidence plunging, many UK businesses are facing tough times ahead Business owners will have to ride out the coming storm, and ensuring that their companies have no legal or operational vulnerabilities will be a crucial part of this |
|
| Common Mistakes When Buying a Business by Iain Mackintosh |
| There’s no denying it – buying a business creates a real buzz of excitement The key is to make sure this keenness doesn’t cloud your judgement and leave you with a business you don’t want, or don’t know the full history of |
|
| The 5 Biggest Mistakes Employers Make When Firing Staff by Iain Mackintosh |
| Every employer, at some point or another, will have to fire one of their employees It isn’t easy, and it certainly isn’t fun, but whether it is because of economic cutbacks or a poorly performing employee, sooner or later it is going to happen |
|
| Update Your Business Documents! Legal Changes For October 2008 by Iain Mackintosh |
| Each year, October is usually the month when a wide variety of changes to employment, company and trading law are rolled out Many of these of are small changes, and many more will not be applicable to your particular business, but be careful – getting caught out by the changes could lead to a serious legal headache |
|
| Basic UK Employees’ Rights by Iain Mackintosh |
| Contracts of employment come in all shapes and sizes, but if you’re in full time employment and not a freelancer there are certain guarantees you should be entitled to If your contract doesn’t contain these things, your employer is breaking the lawy – and if you’re the employer, well – you could be leaving yourself open to costly legal battles should your employees feel litigious |
|
| Time to Settle Up? How to Get the Best Price When Selling Your Business by Iain Mackintosh |
| So you’ve had enough of your start-up business, and want to sell it while the going’s good and move on to better things (or simply retire on the profit you make) |
|
| Sports Travel Insurance – Are You Covered? by Iain Mackintosh |
| Sport and activity holidays are hugely popular nowadays, as people look to practice their skills in a new environment or even learn an entirely new sport as part of their holiday Many sports and activities, like skydiving and scuba diving, can be much cheaper to do abroad than in the UK |
|
| Happy Employees = More Productivity by Iain Mackintosh |
| It sounds like an obvious cliché to say it, but like many clichés there’s truth in it: happy employees are more productive And yet it’s amazing how often you hear of companies suffering from massive turnover, instability and a failure to live up to their full potential by ignoring this |
|
| A Guide to Employment Contract Clauses by Iain Mackintosh |
| Employment contracts are some of the most important UK business documents you will ever sign in your working life, and yet they are written in a deliberately convoluted and confusing manner, which often makes it difficult to get the clear points of what you’re signing up for Take your time, and read and re-read every contract, but pay special attention to the clauses, to ensure you understand them |
|
| Confidentiality and Non-disclosure Agreements – Protect Your Company by Iain Mackintosh |
| In today’s business world, confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements are becoming increasingly important for businesses looking to protect themselves from damaging leaks Most employee contracts will contain some kind of confidentiality agreement as standard, but these kinds of agreements are very important if you share information with another company for any reason, or if you hire outside contractors to work for your business |
|
| An Equality Policy – Does Your Business Need One? by Iain Mackintosh |
What is an equality policy
An equality policy is a business document that outlines a company’s position on equality in the workplace |
|
| Legal Documents – 8 Situations When Your Business Needs Them by Iain Mackintosh |
| If you are the owner of a Small to Medium Enterprise, it’s likely that the last thing you want to do is worry about the fine details of legal documents, contracts, business agreements, and similar pieces of paperwork You may want to get on with the running of your business, but if you don’t have the correct legal documents in certain situations you pay a high price, whether it is in legal fees, settlement costs or simply lost business |
|
| How To Form A Limited Company by Iain Mackintosh |
| If you’ve been self-employed for a while, you may wonder what the next step on the path to becoming the next Coca Cola or Nike is Although that stage is a long way off (and will remain so for most businesses), the next step to becoming a respectable household name is to form a limited company |
|
| What the Proposed Changes to the UK Equality Law Mean to You by Iain Mackintosh |
| Last week, Harriet Harman announced new equality laws to tackle widespread discrimination Under these new plans, age discrimination would be removed from all aspects of society, and further changes would be made to prevent workplaces from discriminating against minorities |
|
| What Managers Need: The Fundamentals Of Employment Contracts by Iain Mackintosh |
| Getting that initial contract of employment template ready can be a real hassle, and it’s tempting to get a professional to draft it up, but even at that stage, it’s important to know what you’re promising your employee, and to make sure that there are no loopholes that can be exploited by less scrupulous employees |
|
| Flexible Working – What It Means For Your Business by Iain Mackintosh |
| Flexible working is becoming popular in the 21st century workplace, as an increasing number of people seek to combine an active family life with full-time employment Employers have become more aware of the benefits that flexible working can bring to their business: these can include greater staff retention and better morale along with increased efficiency and productivity |
|
| Undertaking A Fire Safety Risk Assessment by Iain Mackintosh |
| Nobody imagines their office will suffer from a fire… and to be honest, the level of preparation often reflects this Previously in the UK, fire certificates were handed out by the fire services, but as of 2006, businesses are required to carry out their own fire risk assessment |
|
| How To Deal With Problem Staff And Poor Performance by Iain Mackintosh |
| Poor staff performance and ‘problem workers’ are some of the trickiest things to be dealt with in the office It’s difficult to balance morale and productivity in the optimum way for office success, and as a result I often hear of managers turning a blind eye to poor staff performance, fearing that drawing attention to it will cause problems in the atmosphere and work environment |
|
| Sicknote Britain – Sickness Absence Management For Small Businesses by Iain Mackintosh |
| It makes for depressing reading for the government, that Britain is losing £100 billion per year on sick days, but small business owners should be even more concerned if they see a ‘sick leave culture’ forming in their own office While the government can deal with such losses better, small businesses could see their own profits slipping down the plughole, and a good sickness and absence policy could make all the difference between a thriving company and one that ends up going under |
|
| Corporate Manslaughter: What You Need To Know by Iain Mackintosh |
The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 comes into force on 6 April 2008, and all businesses must therefore take a look at their existing health and safety regulations, if they don’t want to face an unlimited fine plus potential humiliation by ‘name and shame’
The new offense of corporate manslaughter is committed where an organization commits a ‘gross breach’ of a ‘relevant duty of care’, leading to a person’s death |
|
| Women: How To Get Equal Pay by Iain Mackintosh |
| Since the Sex Discrimination Act came into force in 1976, the gap between the pay of men and women has narrowed marginally But the rate of progress toward equal opportunities in the workplace which happened in the 70s and 80s has slowed in recent years and, at the current rate, equal pay will take another 50 years |
|
| Top 10 Bankruptcies Of The 20th Century by Iain Mackintosh |
| Celebrity bankruptcy has become so common that many now hire financial advisors to keep an eye on their bank accounts and stop them from overindulging on wild extravagances and unworkable business ventures Nobody, no matter how famous or rich, is immune to the perils of debt |
|
| Tis’ The Season To Avoid Litigation: Making Sure Your Office Christmas Party Is Safe by Iain Mackintosh |
| According to recent statistics, a third of companies aren’t planning on hosting the traditional office Christmas Party this year, amidst concerns about legal action due to drunken antics and so forth While I can safely say there are many more office safety risks during a party than the rest of the year (most offices just aren’t built for that level of snacks, alcohol and cheesy music), with a little thinking ahead the office Christmas party can become the celebrated institution it once was – without the dark cloud of litigation hanging overhead |
|
| Smoking: Good For Your Business' Health by Iain Mackintosh |
| So, whether you love or hate the UK’s smoking ban, it seems to have stuck, and the majority of the country seems to be in favour Sorry smokers, but the smoking ban isn’t going away anytime soon |
|
|
