Practical Legal Updates
1. Protecting staff from harassment
Fast growing businesses need to nurture the right working conditions early on. A culture of zero tolerance towards bullying and harassment is a good start. But even the best employers can find themselves dealing with a complaint. So here are some things you need to have/ do:
- A good employee handbook, which includes information on what is/ isn’t acceptable behaviour and what to do if something unacceptable happens, which is kept updated.
- Communicate – go over policies during onboarding and remind the team regularly… with Christmas parties happening now is a good time.
- Make it simple for staff to report concerns.
- Deal with complaints sympathetically, efficiently and effectively (and document them).
We often put these docs and processes in place and provide team training on what is/ isn’t acceptable. Check out our blogs (sexual harassment in the workplace and tackling bullying) for more information and get in touch if you would like to find out more.
2. Hidden costs of employees working overseas
The pandemic has seen a significant shift in how we work, including remote and hybrid working, which can give staff flexibility they often covet. And many think this way of working is here to stay. But are there any financial consequences? See our blog which covers:
1. payroll, benefits and tax
2. insurance
3. company status and corporation tax
Also see our blog on tax risks for remote hiring and our hybrid working policy checklist.
3. ISO 27001 – what are the benefits?
Are you considering certification and weighing up the time, resources and cost required against the benefits? With the help of Evalian, we’ve highlighted the main benefits in our blog, being that you can then demonstrate:
- cyber resilience
- market credibility
- compliance, and
- that you have a system in place for continuous improvement.
4. The Government’s Future Fund
Data from the British Business Bank shows that the Future Fund provided £1.14bn of convertible loans to 1,190 companies since the scheme was launched in May 2020. Some of these loans are now starting to be converted as companies go through a new fundraise or sale and/ or as lenders elect to convert. If you have one you’ll need to be prepared well in advance for the conversion. Give the Future Fund plenty of notice and ensure you know what the process is and what documents are required. If you need help please get in contact.
5. Top tips for a killer pitch deck
Investors review a huge number of pitch decks, so the amount of time they can give them is limited, which is why you really need to make every moment count. To help we’ve asked our network to share some tips on how to make your pitch deck stand out from the crowd – see their input in full here.
You should also check out Horseplay Ventures’ useful pitch deck tools here from the very successful founders/ investors Nick and Andrew.
We’re here to support you and your business – if you want to discuss any of the above or anything else please
