Staff – paid or voluntary – can and should be a key asset for any organisation. And like all assets (including finances, buildings and equipment) members of staff need effective management and planned development in order for the organisation to gain full value.

But becoming an employer is a huge undertaking for any organisation and the responsibilities attached to employment should not be taken lightly. All employers must comply with relevant employment law – both British and European legislation - which spans all aspects of being an employer; from the advertising of a vacancy to the termination of a contract. The laws covering employment are liable to changes and organisations need to keep up to date and amend policies, procedures and employment contracts in response to those changes.

There is a lot to consider and a variety of policies and procedures to follow that include:

• Recruitment
• Pay and pensions
• Managing staff
• Working time and time off
• Equal opportunities
• Health, safety and working environment
• Employee representatives and trade unions
• Skills and training
• Dismissals, redundancies and other exits
• Disciplinary problems, disputes and grievances

It is always advisable to take professional advice when looking to employ staff for the first time. Expert advice on employment issues is an ongoing need for any small organisation that does not have its own specialists in-house and there are services designed to help with this need. Some starting points can be found in the resources section.