Very complicated Holiday cover/employment contract issue

[SnapD]

First let me say I do not want to break the law or do anything illegal.

So I have someone who might like to work for me. But they get somesort of pension allowance (as their DH is retired) which means they can only earn about £60 a week.

I need holiday & sickness cover, this person would like to do that for me & doesn't mind working some week but not others.

So in an ideal world I would pay this person £60 a week whether they worked or not and just balance the hours out at the end of the year - so we were even.

But I am frightened to do this as I could pay them for weeks then need cover & they could disappear off with my money

I can't not pay them & pay extra when they do work as that would putthem over thier limit

Is there a solution to this?

From an employment law/contract point of view your ideal scenario certainly sounds perfectly possible, to pay a regular salary for irregular hours.

But if you don't trust the person not to work hours they owe you that's a different question and there's probably not a way round it.

It's not that I don't trust them

It's that I don't know them well enough yet.....I think

Is there any way I can protect each of us?

I mean from her point of view I could have 5 weeks at 30 hrs pay her 5 week at £60 then sack her

I really can't give you any more specific advice about the options SnapD, as you are an employer, I'm sorry about that.

I know

But someone else might help me

You would hate my contract of employment - but even thou' it's rudimentary I'm very proud of it

TBH HR support is very expensive for the uber small business and comes very low on the list of priorities, quite wrongly imo.

But I can afford neither webdesigner, marketer, accontant or HR help.....I barely break even

But I love my job - so it's a catch 22

I have a contract of employment, an appraisal and grievance procedure I would like them to be all singing & dancing and to be more professional but I can't.......s I ask advise on MN & I speak to ACCAS & Business Link & I do my best

Bump for people who are not Flowerybeanbag