Common HR Mistakes Made by SMEs

Common HR mistakes typically start small, but over time, they can escalate into something bigger. Small mistakes can create confusion, risk, and even land businesses in legal trouble.

We have named some of the most common HR mistakes and shared some tips on how to avoid them.

No Written Employment Contracts

Some businesses rely on verbal agreements rather than written contracts. Without a written employment contract, expectations can become unclear, increasing the risk of misunderstandings and legal issues. Written contracts help to provide clarity to employees on their rights, duties, and benefits.

Top Tips

• Provide every employee with a written employment contract from the first day of employment.
• Be clear and specific when creating the contracts covering details such as:
  • Job title and duties
  • Work hours and schedules
  • Start date, end date (if applicable) and probation period details
  • Salary
  • Benefits
• Ensure the employee signs the contract to signify that they have read and understood the terms.

How oneHR can help

Upload employment contracts to individual employee profiles so that they are accessible 24/7.

Create an onboarding workflow that reminds you to provide an employee with their contract and request an e-signature.

Not Reviewing HR Documents Regularly

Many employers assume that if they have policies in place, they are compliant. However, employment law is forever evolving and changing. Without regular review, businesses may find their HR documents are outdated and no longer compliant with current legislation.

Top Tips

• Your policies should be reviewed annually or whenever major legislation changes occur. Setting reminders for this can be useful.
• Keep up to date with changes in employment legislation so you know when HR documentation may need amending.

How oneHR can help

Keep documents in our secure and organised digital system with access controls.

Set up automated reminders to review documentation annually.

No Clear Grievance or Disciplinary Procedure

Grievance and disciplinary processes help to resolve workplace issues fairly, maintain standards, and protect both employee and employer rights. If you do not have a clear and fair process, small issues can quickly escalate into something more serious. It is important for employees to know how to raise concerns with their employers, as well as employers knowing how to process and resolve them.

Top Tips

• Create simple, fair procedures that everyone can trust.
• Ensure these are well-communicated throughout your business and that your staff have copies of these procedures should they need to refer to them.
• Train managers so that they know how to handle the process

Data Protection Rules

If you collect employee data, you must comply with GDPR. This is a crucial area to be aware of in HR, as even the smallest of errors can result in large fines and lost trust.

Top Tips

• Firstly, you and your team must understand the rules surrounding GDPR and employee data.
• You should create a clear data policy and communicate it to your team. When it comes to data protection, transparency is key.

How oneHR can help

Manage account access and permission levels to ensure that only relevant personnel have access to private employee data.

Set GDPR-compliant rules on oneHR to ensure employee data is properly archived or removed from the system when they leave your organisation.

Book a demo to see how oneHR can help you avoid making common HR mistakes.

Call: 0330 107 1037

Email: contact@onehrsoftware.com

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