HR Checklist - 2023

How important is HR to your business?  Is it that one thing that gets pushed to the bottom of your to do list because other priorities are making demands on your time?

Our HR consultants have created a 2023 HR checklist to help take control of HR in your business so that it is no longer something you are reacting to, but you are positively pro-active.

The checklist will guide you through documentation being up to date and compliant, help you to engage your employees to your goals and use HR as a positive element rather than to discipline or investigate grievances only.

And remember you are not alone; our HR consultancy is just a phone call away to support you in this journey.

When was the last time your documentation was reviewed?

A good idea is to review your contracts of employment and your handbook once a year.  There may have been employment law changes or changes in your business that need to be reflected in this document.

It is easy to become overloaded with documents that you think you should have in place or have been advised they are essential.  What documents you and whether they are formally written or informally will depend on your business

Contract of Employment

What you should have in place as a minimum is a written statement of particulars which sets out the main terms and conditions of employment such as hours of work, place of work, salary, holiday entitlement etc.

This must be provided to an employee or worker (if they are on a zero-hour contract) no later than day 1 of their employment.

Policies and Procedures

These are usually contained in a staff or employee handbook and would contain a number of policies. Our HR consultants would recommend you start with the basics and add to the handbook as your business grows.

Essential policies we recommend are:

• Disciplinary and Grievance procedures which are compliant with the ACAS Code of Practice

• Absence procedure

• Annual leave procedure

• Performance and Capability procedure

• Data Protection and GDPR policy including your privacy notices

• Equal Opportunities and Dignity at Work which cover bullying and harassment

• Maternity/Paternity/Adoption

• Company Equipment

• Use of Computers, Email and Internet policy

Recruitment and Onboarding

Consider having job descriptions in place and review them each year, offer letters, induction and probation period checklists are also very helpful to ensure your new recruit experiences a seamless onboarding procedure, setting the bar for them to be organised and professional.

Leavers

An exit interview form to use when an employee leaves is a great tool to help the business learn what the business does well but also where it could do better and retain good people.

A leavers checklist will ensure everything has been covered when an employee leaves such as handing back company property, disabling email and server access, ensuring final salaries and P45 documents are issued in a timely manner.

Are you aware of your obligations as an employer?

We know that usually employees are much more aware of their employment rights and are not backwards in coming forward for their rights.  It’s really important to understand what your obligations are as an employer.

You are not required to be an expert in employment laws but to have a reasonable understanding.  It will help you and your business to avoid fines and even criminal charges in some cases.

Your documentation should detail how you as the employer are compliant and up to date with employment legislation in this country.  

Depending on your business, e.g., if you in finance, your business may also be regulated by a regulatory body such as FCO.  

There are also Health and Safety regulations your business needs to comply with to avoid criminal charges.

You will also have contractual obligations, so review what your contracts say you, as the employer, are expected to do.

Consider how your staff fit into your business goals

You have to have clear business goals first and communicate them to your teams.  

Looking at your teams, consider the strengths and development areas and identify a training plan to bridge the gap.

Ask your team to identify what they can do to achieve the business goals; if they are engaged they are more likely to be act positively and take ownership.

Implement regular performance reviews and annual appraisal so everyone can discuss how they have performed and contributed to the business goals.

Can your managers, manage?

Having policies and documents in place is great.  It spells out expectations for all.  But that’s not enough if your managers don’t possess the skills to manage employees.

Businesses are great at promoting their best performer to manage others, but whilst they may be good at selling or great technically, it doesn’t mean they make the best managers.  Managers need soft skills and developing themselves so they can hold difficult conversations, encourage and support their team.

It’s also great to empower them with training in managing mental health in the workplace and equality and diversity in the workplace.

Can you recognise areas that need to be fixed?

Sometimes the small details escape us as we are focused elsewhere.  By having exit interviews, staff focus groups, talking to managers you can identify problems such as bullying or working long hours.  

Listening out for areas of concerns helps you to pick up on any niggling concerns before they become a big headache and time consuming to resolve.

Are you happy with your HR support?

It’s really important that you have knowledgeable, proactive and professional HR support so that you can be confident that your business is in good hands.

Having competent HR support means you can free up your time to manage other aspects of the business that are your strengths and main focus.

You should feel confident that you can have conversations with your HR support and know they will give you the right advice, even if at times it means not agreeing with you, but the advice is in the best interests of the business and the individuals, above all legally compliant.

If you are not happy with your current provider or are at the stage you need external help, why not try us at Lunar HR this year.  

If you’d like to discuss how our specialists can provide your business with HR support & advice, give us a call on 0121 745 5700 to arrange a conversation.