Rachel Roberts, Senior Associate Solicitor

Keep it simple. Your employees are human and dealing with them reasonably and fairly should be at the heart of the relationship.

Listen first. Always ask your personnel what they are seeking to achieve and why, and how they see the business supporting them. This helps you find a solution much quicker, as you can get to the bottom of their behaviour without trying to mind read!

Don’t delay in picking up the phone. Issues can get worse if not tackled head on so by dealing with it straight away, you may avoid long, drawn out processes and unnecessary litigation.

How do I protect my confidential business information, especially when a once integral employee goes to a competitor? 

When you hire someone, think about how key they will be to the business and what they will have access to, including systems, client databases and know-how. Protect yourself at the beginning of a relationship or on employee promotion so that you can get the correctly worded restrictions in place, manage expectations and increase your chance of being able to enforce a restrictive covenant should you need to.

How do I get my business ready for a potential sale? 

Get on top of your personnel documents like staff handbooks, employment contracts and confidentiality agreements. Restructure departments to ensure they are working efficiently for the business and look at using performance and incentives-driven performance to get the most out of your people.