Risk Mitigation & Prevention

Freelancers look like the perfect solution for small businesses.   But this seemingly simple arrangement can hide unexpected risks that could impact your business.

Protecting your investment in good people makes business sense.   If you're not confident about how you handle maternity returns or want help with creating a process that works for everyone, get in touch.   Losing employees after maternity leave is frustrating and expensive.   And when it costs you around £30,000 to replace each employee, every loss matters.   1 in 4 mothers leave their job within a year of returning from maternity leave.   This contributes to £650 million in

Growing your business feels amazing. More customers, more revenue, more people wanting to join your team. You're finally getting somewhere. But growth brings some unexpected legal challenges along with it that weren't even on your radar when you started. Those casual ways of doing things that worked perfectly with 3 people can cause real problems once you hit 10 or 15 employees.

You can do everything you think is right and still get hit with a massive fine. That's exactly what happened to a fish and chip shop owner in Surrey. They thought they'd covered all the bases. The person they hired had a National Insurance number, benefit paperwork and was already on PAYE with another employer. Everything looked legitimate. But the Home Office disagreed and the business was fined £40,000.

Interviews can feel awkward, especially when you're trying to build rapport with a candidate. A bit of small talk to break the ice is natural. But some casual questions can land you in hot water, even when you don't mean any harm. Here are 5 topics to avoid completely during interviews. These aren't just HR best practice, they're legal requirements that could expose your business to discrimination claims.