Reviewing employment contracts and HR documentation on a regular and proactive basis is best practice to mitigate risk and avoid non-compliance in key areas including:

• Policies – Organisational policies, such as a disciplinary and dismissal policy, grievance policy and health & safety policy, may be included within a staff handbook or act as separate policies. Additional policies may be necessary to cover additional areas of people and talent management, such as personal e-mail and internet usage, details of company benefits and workplace surveillance.
• Amending contract terms – There could be many reasons why an organisation may be looking to vary contractual terms, from changing duties, hours, pay rate, job title or place of work to harmonising contract terms. Specialist advice is recommended particularly where an employee does not agree to the proposed new terms.
• Types of contract – As different types of employment become commonplace, including fixed term contracts, and as flexible working agreements are fast becoming the norm, employers are exposed to greater risk in ensuring each contract of employment is legally compliant and provides sufficient clarity of terms and protection of the organisation’s interests.
• Right to work – All UK employers must conduct specific document checks before employing an individuals. The checks are prescribed by the Home Office and must be conducted properly to verify that every new employee has valid permission to carry out the work being offered. This applies to all employees, regardless of nationality. Where the worker has time-limited right to work, the organisation must conduct further checks to confirm continued lawful status. Failure to meet these duties is costly, with fines for employers of up to £20,000 per illegal worker.
• Record keeping – You are required to retain right to work document records for up to two years after an employee leaves your organisation. Concurrent to record keeping requirements are data protection duties. Under GDPR, organisations operate under strict rules for storing and using personal data. This applies to job candidates as well as employees. Having an effective privacy policy in place and training staff will help improve understanding of the rules and obligations and help to avoid ICO scrutiny and fines.