Supporting your Employees

As discussed throughout this section, your employees are a vital part of your business. Each employee, whether permanent or seasonal, maintenance or managerial, should be entitled to your support in terms of fair wages and working hours and also access to training and career development within the company.

SALARIES

No business should expect their staff to work for anything less than a living wage, one that is at least equal to the national legal minimum wage – any breach of this would be illegal and abuse of their employees legal rights. A wage should be enough to meet the employees basic needs – food, shelter, healthcare – and also provide some additional income. Salaries should be paid on time and in full. Where overtime, tips and bonuses are paid they should never be used to 'top up' a salary. When employing a new staff member, you should always provide written information about their wage and their entitlements before they begin work.

WORKING HOURS

Any hours completed outside the employees contracted hours should be paid accordingly or given back in lieu; employees should never be asked to work over the hourly limits as set by national or international law. Similarly, holiday entitlement should be equivalent to or exceed the number of days laid out by national or international law. Overtime should always be voluntary. A realistic approach to working hours results in a safer working environment and subsequently, a more efficient business.

EMPLOYEE TRAINING

An employee should never been asked to do a job for which they are not adequately trained; this not only protects the safety of the individual but also the rights and the productivity of your business. Such training is particularly important where machinery, harmful substances or wildlife interaction is concerned where untrained staff could endanger themselves or the safety of your customers.

Your business should establish a standardised training schedule across all levels, ensuring all employees are briefed on the legal health and safety laws and have the necessary skills required to do their assigned jobs. Additionally, your training schedule should offer equal opportunities for staff members to develop their existing skills within the workplace to provide scope for career progression.