When it comes to people, it pays to get your paperwork right. Because you might pay if it’s not.

If you’re an employer, it’s essential that all of your staff are working under a signed written employment agreement – be it individual or collective – and that you and your employee keep a copy on file. Any alterations to the terms and conditions of someone’s employment also need to be agreed in writing and filed for future reference.

Fines of up to $20,000 can be laid if this relatively straightforward aspect of the recruitment process isn’t followed. And that’s a tidy sum that could be put to many other uses.

Human Resources administration processes, policies and procedures are essential in any business – whether you employ two or 200+ people. Getting it right at the start will save headaches later on. There are many guidelines, resources and templates available if you’re starting from scratch, or if you need to polish your protocol.

Personnel Resources can assist with HR advice, or provide specialist HR contractors to help get your systems in order.