How to avoid employing people illegally   Do as I say, not as I do......

Taking on your first employee - avoid the pitfalls   Taking on your first employee can be daunting, especially with so much employment legislation to consider.

Picasso HR sponsors two prestigious business awards   Why not get along to the Anglian Business Awards on 19 Nov at Trinity Park?

How to avoid employing people illegally

Poor Baroness Scotland... be honest, it was hard not to smile a smug smile at the sight of a government minister getting caught out by one of her own laws. For anyone who missed the story in the press, Baroness Scotland, the Attorney General, was caught having employed a cleaner who did not have the right to work in the UK, and was fined £5000. Interestingly, the fine was issued because Lady Scotland had failed to make copies of the documents she claimed to have checked, and therefore had no proof that the checks had been carried out at all.

But before we all get too smug, are you sure that, as an employer, you couldn't get caught out in the same way? 

Here’s what you need to do to ensure you stay on the right side of the law:

1. Check the employee’s right to work in the UK.

• The Borders and Immigration Agency website has full details of the documents which are valid proof of someone’s right to work in the UK.
• To avoid risks of racial discrimination, we recommend that you check the right to work in the UK for all employees, and not just for those whom you think may not be UK nationals.

2. Check the validity of the document(s):

• Does the photo look like the person you’re recruiting?
• Does the date of birth make sense in relation to the person you’re recruiting, and match the date given on a CV, for example?
• Does the document itself look genuine?

3. (The bit Lady Scotland forgot…..) Take copies of any documents you’ve checked and keep them on the employee’s personnel file. That way, if there’s any query about the person’s eligibility, you’ll be able to demonstrate that you did everything you could to be sure.

This can be a complex issue to deal with, especially if you employ people from outside the EU, but it’s worth getting right. While Lady Scotland was fined £5,000, the maximum for an employer who makes no effort to check the working status of employees is £10,000 per worker.

If you have concerns about what is required of you as an employer, give us a call and let us help you find your way through the legal maze.

Taking on your first employee - avoid the pitfalls

FREE seminar run by MENTA and presented by Picasso HR

Thursday 19th November 2009 - in Ipswich

Taking on your first employee can be daunting, especially with so much employment legislation around these days.

This half-day workshop is intended to help first time employers understand the best practice approach to recruitment and selection and to provide an overview of the laws applicable.

This is a highly interactive workshop with discussions and exercises. It will cover:

• Do I really need to recruit?
• Alternatives to employment
• Analysing the role you are recruiting for
• Information required before recruiting
• Advertising the role or using a recruitment agency?
• Interviewing and selection
• Discrimination and the law
• Offer and Contract of Employment
• Taking up references
• Asylum and immigration law
• Record keeping and Data Protection Act
  

You will be given enough sample templates and material to help you feel confident about taking on your first employee.

To book your place follow this link http://www.menta.org.uk/first-employee/ 

Picasso HR sponsors two prestigious business awards

Young Business Person of the year 2009

Picasso HR is delighted to be sponsoring the young business person of the year award for the 3rd year running. It shows our commitment to recognising young business talent in our region.

Lina Hogg, Managing Director said “We know from our experience, that there are many high calibre business people out there. We would like to encourage employees who have made a significant contribution to their organisation to apply, as well as those who are business owners.”

The publicity for those shortlisted and the winner is phenomenal and the credibility an award can give is really worth having.

Entrepreneur of the year 2009

Essentially, an entrepreneur is a person who starts a new business venture. However, true entrepreneurship goes way beyond that simple definition. Few well known names come to mind when we think about entrepreneurship, like Bill Gates and Richard Branson. 

Just who is an entrepreneur? Simply put, anyone who has ever looked at a problem and seen it as an opportunity is a likely prospect. Entrepreneurs are driven by the need to make their dreams a reality and they take calculated risks. Often money comes as a result of their motivation rather than the motivation itself. They often create their own luck through dogged determination and being in the right place at the right time!     

Awards Ceremony

The Anglian Business Awards gala awards night will be held on Thursday, November 19th at the Trinity Park conference centre on the edge of Ipswich. Tickets are available at a cost of £70 inc. VAT from Archant Suffolk on 01473 324559.

The information in this newsletter is of a general nature and is not a substitute for professional advice. You are recommended to obtain specific professional advice before you take any action.

For further information, advice or assistance on any of the matters raised in this newsletter please contact Picasso HR on 01473 890037.

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