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tarting a new business is an exciting and busy time. As part of the process, your plans will include staffing your business and taking on the role of an employer. Here are five tips to consider when hiring your first employee(s):
1. Prepare employment documents. Draft contracts for employees that set out the terms of engagement as well as entitlements upon termination. Prepare any supplementary documents dealing with compensation or other benefits. These documents must be reviewed and signed by employees prior to their first day of work. 2. Know your statutory obligations. Determine which statutes apply to your workplace.
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TO-DOS FOR NEW EMPLOYERS
There may be minimum standards, pay equity, human rights, accessibility, smoke-free, and/or occupational health and safety legislation that regulate your workplace and the employer-employee relationship. Determine your obligations and then ensure you meet any minimum standards, including posting and training obligations. 3. Ensure you have all required policies and procedures. Certain policies may be required by law (for example, violence and harassment or accessibility policies). Ensure you understand which policies and procedures are mandatory, and implement them. It is important that employees review and sign off on these policies and, in some cases, that they are
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provided with training to ensure their understanding and their obligation to comply. 4. Consider implementing other policies and procedures. While not required by law, there may be additional policies and procedures that you, as the employer, elect to outline which will benefit the operation of your workplace. You may choose to develop and implement policies addressing, for example, attendance management, acceptable use of technology, fit for duty, conflict of interest, expenses, vacation, public holidays, leaves of absence, confidentiality, privacy, social media, telecommuting/ working from home, overtime, accommodation, human rights or others.
5. Provide mandatory training. Certain training may be required by law. Determine what forms of training are required for your workplace, facilitate this training and ensure that each employee completes it, and keep records of who completed the training and when. Taking these tips into consideration will help to ensure that your workplace – and business – get off to a successful start. Of course this is just the beginning, so if you have any questions please contact Maureen M. Quinlan (maureenquinlan@hicksmorley. com) or Jacqueline J. Luksha (jacqueline-luksha@ hicksmorley.com) of Hicks Morley.