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Setting up a business involves complying with a range of legal requirements. Find out which ones apply to you and your new enterprise.

What particular regulations do specific types of business (such as a hotel, or a printer, or a taxi firm) need to follow? We explain some of the key legal issues to consider for 200 types of business.

While poor governance can bring serious legal consequences, the law can also protect business owners and managers and help to prevent conflict.

Whether you want to raise finance, join forces with someone else, buy or sell a business, it pays to be aware of the legal implications.

From pay, hours and time off to discipline, grievance and hiring and firing employees, find out about your legal responsibilities as an employer.

Marketing matters. Marketing drives sales for businesses of all sizes by ensuring that customers think of their brand when they want to buy.

Commercial disputes can prove time-consuming, stressful and expensive, but having robust legal agreements can help to prevent them from occurring.

Whether your business owns or rents premises, your legal liabilities can be substantial. Commercial property law is complex, but you can avoid common pitfalls.

With information and sound advice, living up to your legal responsibilities to safeguard your employees, customers and visitors need not be difficult or costly.

As information technology continues to evolve, legislation must also change. It affects everything from data protection and online selling to internet policies for employees.

Intellectual property (IP) isn't solely relevant to larger businesses or those involved in developing innovative new products: all products have IP.

Knowing how and when you plan to sell or relinquish control of your business can help you to make better decisions and achieve the best possible outcome.

From bereavement, wills, inheritance, separation and divorce to selling a house, personal injury and traffic offences, learn more about your personal legal rights.

From pay, hours and time off to discipline, grievance and hiring and firing employees, find out about your legal responsibilities as an employer.

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Our step-by-step guide to drawing up an employment contract, from thinking up the basic terms to include to agreeing and signing with your employee.
If your employees want to file a grievance, there should be a fair and clear way to do this. Read our tips on setting up a grievance procedure.
Dismissing an employee may be your best option if their performance is unacceptable, or their position no longer exists. Here are some simple rules.
Not sure how to go about holding a fair and lawful disciplinary hearing when an employee has breached workplace rules? Follow our step-by-step guide.
You need to have clear rules outlining what will happen if employees commit an offence in the workplace. Our checklist tells you what to include.
Employers may be liable to pay ‘interns’ on temporary placements at least the national minimum wage if the circumstances imply they are ‘workers’.
Full-time employees are entitled to 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday each year. Part-time workers are entitled to holiday on a pro rata basis.
Workplace policies covering areas like homeworking, holidays and sickness pay can save you a lot of time and effort and can help avoid misunderstandings or more serious employee disputes.
A code of conduct should spell out acceptable behaviour in your workplace, as well as giving you a reference should problems arise in the future.
Read our checklist on creating a workplace email policy, establishing security procedures and letting your employees know what's expected of them.
Regulations covering wages and statutory pay apply to almost every business. Our guide to minimum and living wage, pay for new parents and sick pay.
Our overview of maternity, paternity, adoption and parental rights, including leave surrounding a birth or adoption, pay and time off for child care.
Businesses lose a lot of money through employee sickness. Read our guide to your obligations to ill employees and how to manage unauthorised absence.
Almost all employees with at least 26 weeks’ service have the right to ask for flexible working. Advice on how to consider flexible working requests.