Firms who can find, train, and recruit the best employees have a significant advantage. There are some legal issues to consider when designing your recruitment strategy.
Employed vs self-employed
You might find many workers who are employees of a company on a typical construction site. Some workers will be independent contractors. You have additional rights for your employees, such as statutory sick leave, time off for emergency situations, and notice to dismissal.
It’s up to you, the employer, to ensure that tasks and projects are done in a timely manner. This includes recruiting the right labour as well as sourcing the correct building products .
Both self-employed and employed construction workers have certain rights, including the right to a safe work environment. We’ll get to that in a moment.
Recruitment
It is crucial to hire the right people, especially if they are going to be your long-term partners. The work of one person can have a knock-on effect on everyone involved in construction. Poor bricklaying quality, for instance, will not be corrected by plastering.
It’s a smart idea to establish a standard onboarding process in order to give everyone the best chance of contributing. A mentor might show recruits the ropes; this will ensure that they are quickly integrated into the culture you want to create. You could be in serious legal trouble if you have to fire someone. It is better to vet them early than later.
It’s important to pay attention to the driver’s ability to drive. A worker who has too many points on their license could make it difficult for them to show up and cause damage to your project. You can mitigate this issue with the right car gap insurance.
Ensuring that building sites can be safely used
Construction is the second most dangerous industry in the country, after agriculture. The duty of care that employers owe to their workers is to create and implement a safety and health policy. You might begin with a risk assessment. This should be done at regular intervals. You’ll have a lower chance of being sued if you’ve completed this assessment and taken action on your findings.
You might also encourage a safer work environment by requiring the use of hard hats and gloves, high-vis vests, and any other protective equipment. This should be done with the agreement of your workers.
A safe workplace will help you avoid legal trouble. It will also make your workplace more productive, with fewer absenteeism and better retention of workers. It should be a central part of your company’s culture.