Employing staff can be daunting. But it can also be very rewarding as you see your business grow.

There are seven key points to be considered. And each needs you to take specific action.

The biggest issue in setting objectives is measurement of the resulting performance. Using marketing staff as an example we explore effective objective setting.

A mother who is eligible for maternity leave and maternity pay can choose to end her maternity leave early and convert the remaining maternity leave and maternity pay into Shared Parental Leave (SPL). This leave can then be taken by either parent.

A Court of Appeal ruling this month has given clarity to the question regarding dismissal of an employee who is on long-term sickness absence. Here's more on how to manage long-term sickness absence.

CSR is not a ‘bolt on’ to a firm but should be ‘part of the fabric’. This means that it should be embedded and viewed by all in the firm as part of day-to-day activities. Check out what your CSR statement might look like.

The proverbial ‘box’ is an idea suggesting that some of us are constrained (in a metaphorical box) while others can conceptualise ideas beyond our normal jobs. Those latter ‘outside the box thinkers’ can conjure up ideas that others might find a bit whacky. And yet outside-the-box thinking is considered hugely valuable by managers, because without it, firms won’t progress. Here's how to recruit such individuals. [Published April 2016]