Care and support

People Matters Briefing Notes

People Matters is a series of briefing notes for Childcare Settings in Hertfordshire covering Employment issues.

Any organisation with paid staff has legal obligations towards them - however many are employed.

Some rights are acquired as soon as someone takes up a post (some even apply to job applicants) others depend on length of continuous service – the time someone has been with the same employer, even if their job has changed.

The better the terms and conditions you can offer to your staff, the easier it will be for you to employ and retain the quality of staff you want. As we all know good quality staff is critical for the sustainability and success of any childcare setting.

Decisions need to be made about what you can offer employees in relation to what you can afford. Try to strike a balance between the statutory minimum required by law and the terms that a good practice employer would offer.

As well as legislation relating directly to employment, employers need to be aware of other legislation such as Health and Safety.