If your recruitment process is flawed then the ramifications can be disastrous. You may not get the right, most suitable person for the job and the cost of recruiting again can be considerable. In addition you could, unknowingly, be contravening legislation and be taken to an Employment Tribunal. At sothis we work with you to develop a structured approach that helps you select the best person for the job and makes sure you can justify your decision. The key to getting the right person is having a clear and realistic view of the job and the skills needed to do the job properly. Setting out your needs in a written job description and person specification will make this process easier and more effective.

Exit interviews are conducted with departing employees, just before they leave an organisation. The aim of the exit interview is to discover the reasons for the person's departure. Constructive criticism is a helpful driver for business improvement and good exit interviews help you gather useful information about the organisation, letting you assess and improve all aspects of the working environment, culture, processes and systems, management and development. Many employers don't hold these interviews and starting them can be a difficult process. At Sothis we can not only implement, but we can also conduct your exit interviews for you, making the process less strained for both you and your employee.

There may come a time when you have to consider redundancies. To avoid claims for unfair dismissal or discrimination it’s essential to handle them correctly and fairly. Redundancy may arise where a business is closing down, either completely or at a particular site, or where there is less need for employees to carry out work of a particular kind within your company. The need to improve short-term profitability is often cited as a reason but legally it's rarely an acceptable reason for redundancies. Where an employer fails in any way to comply with the requirements to consult about proposed redundancies, a complaint may be made to an employment tribunal. At sothis, we can handle the process for you, ensuring you're within the law and you've considered all the options.

Disciplinary cases are stressful for everyone involved. You need to be aware of the law on unfair dismissal and the statutory minimum procedure contained in the Employment Act 2002. Employers must also be careful not to discriminate on the grounds of gender, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), disability, age, sexual orientation or religion. At Sothis we're experts at handling disciplinary cases. We can conduct the interviews and review your procedures, ensuring that your procedure encourages staff improvement.

Dismissal is sometimes the only option. But dismissal needs careful handling from experts. Whenever an employer considers dismissal, they must follow the statutory dismissal procedure, which comes in three parts: a written statement of what the employee is alleged to have done, a meeting to discuss the situation, and the right of appeal. If an employee feels they have been unfairly dismissed they may complain to an employment tribunal and if the procedure isn't followed correctly, an employment tribunal may find the dismissal 'automatically unfair'. In certain circumstances an employee may resign because their employer has broken a significant term of the contract. This is known as constructive dismissal. Sothis can help you make the right decisions and ensure you're within the law.

It is a legal requirement for all companies to have a grievance policy, and all staff must have access to it. Failure to allow access to the grievance procedure, or failure to take any grievance seriously, may have a bearing on the outcome of any subsequent employment tribunal or breach of contract claim. Any member of staff may have problems or concerns at work, issues they want to raise with management. It's in your interest to resolve problems before they can develop into major difficulties, as disputes can be expensive, stressful and disruptive for everyone. Careful discussion, listening to the employee and working hard to understand their concerns can produce solutions before problems escalate and working relationships break down. At Sothis we can help ensure you're on top of the problem, adhereing to the law and help resolve disputes before they escalate out of control.

Employees do have the right to appeal against a disciplinary decision made by the company. Sothis can help you follow the correct procedure when dealing with an appeal to ensure the employee has no reason to complain at a later date. Failure to deal with an appeal against a dismissal will be a breach of the statutory disputes procedure and would render the dismissal automatically unfair. Employees who feel they have been unfairly dismissed have a legal right to make a complaint to an employment tribunal. Ensuring the appeals procedure is followed fairly and correctly will help reduce this risk.

Short term sickness is by far the most common form of absence, accounting for on average 80% of time off. For any company this can prove extremely costly. The statistics are clear, sickness absence costs UK Plc over £12 billion a year and employers £495 a year in direct costs for every worker employed. Indirect costs are probably considerably more (CBI 2005 statistics).

At Sothis we can implement a sickness and absence procedure for all employees, ensuring you've got the facts and can identify any deeper problems that are causing high absense figures.

The Employment Rights Act 1996 requires employers to provide their staff within two calendar months of starting work, with a written statement of the main terms of the contract. We can develop high quality contracts that help you and your employees understand their working arrangements and protect you from damages if you have a dispute.

Sothis can produce bespoke company handbooks to ensure you comply with the law and effectively communicate your policies and procedures. Each time a policy is introduced or amended you must notify your employees, asking them to familiarise themselves with any relevant points. To enable your employees to do this you should either send copies to them or let them know where to find a copy, e.g. on your intranet. Specific policies such as dress code, smoking policy, company car policy and staff benefits need to be thought through and can be designed specifically to fit your business requirements without affecting your employees rights under current employment law. A company handbook can lead to improved performance, a more efficiently run business and reduce the risk of being involved in costly tribunals and disputes.

Sothis can review and tailor all employment documents, helping to form the foundations of an easy to use and effective personnel system.

As problems and disputes with employees can arise at any time, Sothis provide an unlimited 24/7 advice and support, 365 days per year, whether it be on or off-site.

As new legislation is passed, Sothis can ensure you are kept up to date by providing you with regular newsletters. These are produced in an easy to understand format so that you remain well informed at all times.