Dom Littlewood emphasises the importance of Ts & Cs

I watched a programme on BBC1 – Don’t Get Done, Get Dom  http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01113t7.

Dom helps people by getting to the bottom of the matter – it seems that he takes on a wide range of issues.  In this episode (series 5 episode 9) he looks at an insurance policy taken out initially with a branch of Nationwide which was acquired by Legal & General.  Dom points out the importance of reading terms and conditions and he talks about contract law.

Subject close to my heart

Now with my HR hat on, anyone who knows me will know that terms and conditions in whatever form (employment contracts, contracts with associates, subcontractors, freelancers, etc.) is a subject close to my heart.  Yes, we are all human, we all get carried away in the moment.  Most of us are very trusting especially if we are dealing with someone we know, or someone we like.  We often by-pass the small print, or we don’t bother at all about forming agreements.

Unfortunately, it is when things go wrong, when memories fade, when “you said, she said, he said” starts that you may look back at terms and conditions, contracts and such.  Sometimes we are amazed at what we signed up to, or what we didn’t sign up to.

In employment and business

In the employment and business arena, a written contract or terms and conditions with employees, associates, suppliers or customers is important.  Do you know of a relationship where there are no issues arising, no matter how small?  How are they resolved?  Communication is usually the key and if there is a benchmark from which to work – some form of contract or terms and conditions – then this serves as a starting point.  This is how Dom managed to solve the situation.

I have heard of many instances of people working together with friends, relatives, acquaintances and when there is a disagreement, these relationships are damaged, sometimes beyond repair.

I certainly know that a written contract is not the “be all and end all” of the matter, but it can be the start of sorting out a problem if necessary.

If you need help with employment or associate contracts then contact Embrace HR.

E: hr.support@embracehr.co.uk

T: 07767 308 717

Embrace HR supports business without their own HR support in Buckinghamshire. Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire and north London.

Do pensions go over your head?

My involvement with pensions for employees has been to advise them the company has a scheme and arrange for them to speak to a pensions adviser. I don’t understand pensions – and I think I am not alone here.  But I do need to know a little more than what I know now.

Census infomation

Pensions is a subject that has been in the news for some time.  We see an ageing population, a government without the funds to sustain us as we age. Here’s some interesting statistics from BBC News in 2004 http://bbc.in/jpJ5NS.  This information is from the 2001 Census – “People aged 60 and over already outnumber children under 16 in the UK for the first time”.  I wonder what we shall learn in the 2011 Census.

Keep healthy in body and mind

We are advised to eat healthily, do exercise, work longer, learn more to keep fit into our old age (and for younger people too).  I agree with all of this and that is another subject for a future blog!

We can’t run away from age

Along with many other people, I saw my pension pot dwindling and started looking at different ways to supplement it for when I want to take it easier. When we are young we don’t think we’ll be old but age is something none of us can run away from.  The pensions plans offered at work were not compulsory and I didn’t always understand what was being offered, but I did know that if the company was also making a contribution, it must at least be a form of saving.  I have several pension plans from several different companies.  I receive notifications which I usually don’t understand.  It is such a complex subject.

Never too early to look at options

I thought I should start trying to find out a little bit more and yesterday I met with John Thornton of Cansdales www.cansdales.co.uk and, besides other things, we talked about pensions.  We discussed the forthcoming legislation to ensure that employers offer pensions to all, but that employees will have the option to opt-out.  At the present time implementation will be rolled out from 2012 through to 2016.

As an employer, when do you need to start thinking about what you need to do? Well, nothing is set in stone yet but it is never too early to start looking at different options.  But first, find out when you will need to start implementing and then work backwards to set your ball in motion.  You can find out when the legislation will affect you by looking at the HRMC website or – contact me.

If you need help then contact Embrace HR.

E: hr.support@embracehr.co.uk

T: 07767 308 717

Embrace HR supports business without their own HR support in the Northern Home Counties such as Buckinghamshire.