Managing business means managing people

An independent guide to how Human Resources Management and Employment Law can affect your business

Your people are your business

Whatever your business, your people are your most important asset. And as an employer, it’s your responsibility to protect and support them, and to do the right thing when it comes to managing them.

For example, whether you have 5 employees or 500, you need to maintain employment records, give appraisals, deal with discipline, sickness and poor performance, and be aware of paternity rights, equal opportunities, stakeholder pensions and a huge range of other employment issues and legislation.

So, if you really want to get the best from your people, you need to take Human Resources – or HR – seriously. In fact, good HR Management is the key to ensuring your staff are happy in their roles, and that your employee costs are kept to a minimum.

And that’s just where this guide comes in – it offers a valuable introduction to HR and the impact it can have on you and your business.

Did you know that last year*…

…around 9 working days per employee were lost due to absence – costing around £558 per employee

…the average training spend per employee was £884

…38% of employees reported high job satisfaction, while 8% reported low job satisfaction

…around half of all employers felt their employer encouraged flexible working, while a quarter felt that their employer discouraged it

…41% of employees said they placed little or no trust in senior management

…85% of organisations reported difficulty in filling vacancies

…68% of businesses had difficulty finding applicants with specialist skills

…77% of companies reported staff retention difficulties

…labour turnover for all UK employees averaged 16%

…the average cost of labour turnover was £4,800 per leaver

(source: A Barometer of HR Trends and Prospects 2005, CIPD)