Hiring Your First Employee Checklist
Hiring your first employee is a significant step. Use this checklist to ensure you meet all your legal obligations as an employer.
Before advertising
Before they start
Ongoing obligations
Helpful organisations
HM Revenue & Customs
GovernmentResponsible for collecting taxes, paying some forms of state support, and administering national insurance.
Health and Safety Executive
RegulatorRegulates workplace health, safety, and welfare, and enforces related legislation across Great Britain.
Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service
GovernmentProvides free, impartial advice on workplace relations and employment law, and offers early conciliation before tribunal claims.
Related guides
Hiring Your First Employee
Taking on your first employee is a significant milestone and creates a range of legal and administrative obligations. Missing any of the key steps can result in fines, employment disputes, or worse. This guide covers every step you need to take before your new employee starts work.
7 min
Right to Work Checks
As a UK employer, you have a legal obligation to check that every person you employ has the right to work in the UK before they start. Failing to carry out checks correctly can result in a civil penalty of up to £60,000 per illegal worker.
5 min
Employment Records for Small Businesses
Once you employ someone, you take on a range of record-keeping obligations. Proper employment records protect you in disputes, ensure you meet HMRC requirements, and demonstrate compliance with data protection law.
5 min
Health and Safety for Small Businesses
Employers have a legal duty to protect the health, safety, and welfare of their employees and others who may be affected by their work. For small businesses, compliance does not need to be onerous — but ignoring it carries serious legal and financial consequences.
6 min
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