Hiring first employee- what do I need to know

[Theyneverknow]

Looking at hiring my first employee for my small business.

I have had self employed contractors. But this is the first time I have ever hired an employee.

Is there any guidance anywhere for people like me?

Someone mentioned that I should hire a HR company to deal with this all. (Is this an expensive on going cost?) What would the alternative be?

Also- id love some general tips from experienced employers, if there are any here 😃

Sorry this all sounds so novice.

Definitely use a HR professional, it might seem expensive but can cost a LOT if you get it wrong.
There are plenty of people who do it Freelance on a monthly retainer or you can pay for them to help with policies etc

Small business owner. We outsourced our employment policies and contracts to a local HR specialist but it did cost us around £1k to do so. We have downsized of late and now only have 8 staff so it's not worth having an ongoing contract with anyone.

In terms of conflict/advice, ACAS are little use - they are 99.9% on the side of the employee and not the employer, and also avoid companies like Croner who come through insurance companies as they are just interested in signing you up for more. If you need specialist advice, bite the bullet and go through an employment solicitor. They can also draw up your employment contracts.

General tips - if someone starts going off sick regularly after starting, let go asap and don't try to weather it out. Make sure you are clear in your policy about things like phone use during working hours, and also make sure they're not using streaming services as you need a music/tv licence. And make sure that you're including employer liability in your insurance etc and you're displaying copies. A good relationship comes from respect and trust on both sides... if you don't get that early on, don't be afraid to write it off.

I wouldn't waste money on an HR advisor if you're only employing one person. All the information is available from HMRC, it's all pretty straightforward. I do pay for a payroll company now but for years did it myself through HMRC software, very straightforward. Don't forget about the workplace pension if they're eligible

My accountant took care of all the technical side ie payroll, pension, holiday pay etc. I also had to add to my insurance policy (not much - maybe £40 pa)

I did my own contracts etc in the beginning (HR qualified) but would recommend engaging someone to do that as it's so complicated now and far more exposure for the employer. There are a lot of HR people working as consultants who could do that on a half day rate and be available if any issues crop up. The local chambers of commerce or business gateway might be a good source for recommendations.

Good luck!

Here’s the information you need about pensions as an employer

www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/employers

Thank you so much. Wise words and very helpful

Thank you for your advice. I don’t plan to hire anyone else other than this one. But I just have no idea where to start

You are a star thank you. I’ll take these places out.

i did wonder if an HR person could do a day rate to explain everything to me and set every thing up