There are plenty of kinds of business documents that a company needs to conform with the law and help it to run more smoothly, and employment is one of the most important areas where you should make sure that your paperwork is up to scratch As any HR manager will tell you, dealing with the myriad demands and concerns of your employees can be like navigating a legal minefield – high quality, reliable documents can be invaluable in helping you deal constructively with personnel

No manager wants to face the possibility that they may need to make some of their staff redundant Yet with the credit crunch, it would be irresponsible for managers struggling with costs not to think about the possibility

With the UK economy and housing market teetering and consumer confidence plunging, many UK businesses are facing tough times ahead Business owners will have to ride out the coming storm, and ensuring that their companies have no legal or operational vulnerabilities will be a crucial part of this

There’s no denying it – buying a business creates a real buzz of excitement The key is to make sure this keenness doesn’t cloud your judgement and leave you with a business you don’t want, or don’t know the full history of

Every employer, at some point or another, will have to fire one of their employees It isn’t easy, and it certainly isn’t fun, but whether it is because of economic cutbacks or a poorly performing employee, sooner or later it is going to happen

Contracts of employment come in all shapes and sizes, but if you’re in full time employment and not a freelancer there are certain guarantees you should be entitled to If your contract doesn’t contain these things, your employer is breaking the lawy – and if you’re the employer, well – you could be leaving yourself open to costly legal battles should your employees feel litigious

So you’ve had enough of your start-up business, and want to sell it while the going’s good and move on to better things (or simply retire on the profit you make)

It sounds like an obvious cliché to say it, but like many clichés there’s truth in it: happy employees are more productive And yet it’s amazing how often you hear of companies suffering from massive turnover, instability and a failure to live up to their full potential by ignoring this

Employment contracts are some of the most important UK business documents you will ever sign in your working life, and yet they are written in a deliberately convoluted and confusing manner, which often makes it difficult to get the clear points of what you’re signing up for Take your time, and read and re-read every contract, but pay special attention to the clauses, to ensure you understand them

What is an equality policy An equality policy is a business document that outlines a company’s position on equality in the workplace