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Employing & managing staff

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The latest guides on employing and managing full or part time staff effectively as a small business owner or sole trader, brought to you in partnership with Sage. Contains advice on employment law, health and safety at work, recruitment, training, redundancy and disciplinary information, employee rights, workplace regulations, and much more.

This section provides expert and in-depth advice articles on all aspects of staff management and human resources legislation. Our aim is to help UK small businesses to hire great employees, manage them effectively and look after them properly.

Other key topics covered in this employing staff section include team management, employee motivation, legal rights and responsibilities, managing absence, maternity pay and leave, taking on new staff, induction programmes, communication, workplace policies, flexible working, job descriptions, employment contracts and related information.

We also provide information on HR tools, templates and resources specially targeted at SMEs as well as suitable training courses and workshops that can help you get the best out of your staff to make a more efficient, more profitable, happy and productive company.

Get more time back to build your business with Sage’s one solution for all your business needs. Get accounting and payroll with HR features you can access from anywhere, all with award-winning support and unrivalled business advice.

Holiday pay and “normal hours”

I work a 12-hour shift but my company only wants to pay me for 9.5 hours for my holiday pay. Is this allowed?

Employing & managing staff

Employing & managing staff

Hard HRM Vs Soft HRM

What is the difference between Hard and Soft human resources management?

Employing & managing staff

The beginner’s guide to share schemes

As your business grows, you may toy with the idea of offering a small number of shares to key employees to keep them attached to the business. This can motivate staff and offers them a stake in the business that they are working so hard to build. SmallBusiness.co.uk teamed up with Gemma Taaffe of Sherrards Solicitors to give you this beginner's guide to share schemes.

Employing & managing staff

Guide to Apprenticeships

In a recent survey conducted amongst members of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), 31.8 per cent reported experiencing skill shortages amongst their current staff, in managerial, advanced IT, technical and sales and marketing roles. So what's to be done? SmallBusiness.co.uk teamed up with the FSB to give you this guide to apprenticeships.

Employing & managing staff

Do you have to advertise vacancies internally in all circumstances?

The advertising of vacancies is, to a degree, a balancing act.

Employing & managing staff

The benefits of a virtual workforce

If things start to get on top of you while running a successful small business, it may become necessary to enlist further help. Yet employing additional, permanent staff brings with it extra headaches. SmallBusiness.co.uk spoke to Xenios Thrasyvoulou, founder and chief executive of online skills marketplace Peopleperhour.com about the benefits of using a virtual workforce.

Employing & managing staff

Annual leave for part-timers

Our full-time staff work 37 hours a week with 4 weeks annual leave excluding bank holidays. Part-timers work different hours each day. How do I calculate their leave? How do I calculate it if they change their contractual hours?

Employing & managing staff

Bank holiday payments to part-time staff

Are part-time staff entitled to pay on bank holidays when the business is closed?

Employing & managing staff

Annual leave for part-timers

Our full-time staff work 37 hours a week with 4 weeks annual leave excluding bank holidays. Part-timers work different hours each day. How do I calculate their leave? How do I calculate it if they change their contractual hours?

Employing & managing staff

Bank holiday payments to part-time staff

Are part-time staff entitled to pay on bank holidays when the business is closed?

Employing & managing staff

Advertise jobs internally or externally?

If a position of employment becomes available, does it have to be advertised or offered internally first?

Employing & managing staff

Employing part-time bar staff

I run a bar and employ four part-time staff. Two of them have full-time jobs. Do I need to issue them with a contract of employment and how does holiday pay work in this instance?

Employing & managing staff

Rules for compassionate leave time off work paid or unpaid

An employee's brother has unfortunately died. What are the rules for time off paid or unpaid?

Employing & managing staff

Personal hygiene issues

One of my staff regularly smells of urine. Despite sympathetically asking her on many occasions to address the problem she has failed to do so. What is the position regarding her employment? If I have to, can I ask her to leave?

Business Loans

A guide to getting a small business loan

Everything you need to know on what small business loans are and what types of loan are available for your business.

Business Technology

Future-proof your business communications set-up

Landlines as we know them will be scrapped in 2027 – along with a raft of upcoming business changes. Here's how to ensure your communications set-up is fit for whatever the future brings

Business Technology

Friendly guide – top tips for small businesses switching to VoIP

With the landline shutdown coming fast, there’s never been a better time to switch to VoIP. Don’t let your small business be left behind!

Export & Import

Avoid delays with exports and imports

Many factors can affect products’ journeys from A to B. Here are some tips for best practice for successful shipping in the modern world