Employment law is obviously there for a reason, not only to protect the rights of workers but also to safeguard business owners. However, there are an awful lot of rules, regulations, codes of practice and technicalities to get right, and falling foul of them can lead to expensive and reputationally damaging employment tribunals.

To ensure that your business stays on the right side of employment law and avoids disputes and legal trouble, follow these useful tips:

1. Get proper advice. While it can be useful to do your research online, for serious employment and HR issues you will need to seek professional advice. A solicitor specialising in employment law, as well as numerous government-run advice services, are great places to start, but you can also use services such as ACAS to resolve employment disputes if the situation reaches a more serious stage.

2. Do your homework. As a business owner, it pays to stay abreast of the latest changes to employment law. Set an alert for online news stories relating to employment in your industry, keep a close eye on the government’s various websites and guides for employers and research any point you aren’t sure of. If a question or issue crops up in the workplace, seek professional advice for the best way to resolve it.

3. Employ an HR professional. It can be very difficult for busy employers to keep up with the ins and outs of employment law, which is why it makes sense to hire someone who does. An HR professional with the knowledge, experience and time to handle employee issues is a crucial asset to any business, while larger companies may need a whole team of HR experts tackling employment law issues.

4. Use a specialist when it comes to recruitment. Recruitment can be one of those areas where employers slip up, so it may be a good idea to use a specialist recruitment service, particularly one with expertise in hiring for your industry. It’s really important to make sure that your company’s hiring practices are fair, legal and non-discriminatory, and it can be tough to do this on your own. Specialist recruiters such as SOLOS Consultants can also save business owners a great deal of time and effort, finding the right people for the job while the employer focuses on the running of their business. Always look to engage with ethical recruitment companies who are members of professional associations such as the REC ( Recruitment & Employment Confederation)

5. Never be hasty when it comes to big decisions. Any important decision relating to your employees, such as dismissing an employee for example, should never be made hastily. That isn’t to say that it shouldn’t be made at all, but you need to get advice, do your research and make 100% sure that you’re taking the decision in line with all current stipulations of employment law. If you rush into anything, you could find yourself accused of unfair dismissal or any one of many other breaches of the law at an employment tribunal.

For all your IT and communication recruitment needs get in touch with Solos Consultants, specialist recruitment providers across the whole of the UK.