Casual employment...

[Martin]

Our current housekeeper is self employed, and submits an invoice to us for the hours worked.

We're at the stage where we need occasional extra help, but not on a fixed and regular basis.

What's the score with employing someone on a 'casual' basis? Would they still qualify for benefits such as holiday and sick pay? We're quite happy with the tax and NI part - that's already in place for ourselves.

We're not trying to exploit anyone, and we actually pay very generously, but if we did have a load of other responsibilities then this would need to be factored into the pay scale.

Advice please?

Thanks,

Martin.

[_Sharpe]

My advice is not to employ anyone for more than the LEL Lower Earnings Level. They don't qualify for sick pay or maternity pay. There is an 8 week rule if sometimes they work more than the LEL (£97 per week). As long as the average over the last 8 weeks is less than that, you don't have to pay statutory payments. For a small business, statutory payments can be very harmful.

[_grockles]

My cleaner (6 hours per day 4 days a week) doesnt drive and uses the bus to get to work. 4 miles. However she is traveling 26 miles on public tansport for some maternity appointments. These are in the middle of the day. She is currently taking the whole day from work to get there. Is it reasonable to be expected to take the whole day or would it be reasonable to expect her to use a few hours holiday up on this day also. Say 3 hours.

[Caz2000]

If you employ her properly then she has the right to paid time off for antenatal appointments - personnel today has an article that is quite good - just google "time off for maternity appointments".

Caroline

[Sue: White Horse Walking Holidays]

lol - I'm hoping grockles's cleaner has had her baby by now!!

[_grockles]

Just looking back at my scribbles. I must have been having a bad day last time I did writing.
My cleaner has indeed had her baby. A lovely boy. Her maternity leave will end in November. She has now moved to live 30 miles from work, as far as I know she is still a non driver. It will be interesting to see if she returns to work. It will take her about an hour to travel in by train and bus, and the same home again. Currently she seems to be in her home country with her parents. I wonder if she will leave the babe there with them. It has been an interesting learning curve.

[_grockles]

My cleaner is coming back to work. Looking back we have changed alot in the last year. She will be suprised at the changes I think. She has asked for a meeting before she comes back, I look forward to seeing what she will request from me. I think the support I have had from FSB is well worth the money of membership. The Acas phone help is great and the Business Link web site is extemely useful on all staff related issues. The experience of having a staff member on maternity leave for me as a small business is interesting as every week you think about the absent person. So whilst the monetary cost of the leave is covered by goverment. The additonal cost of staff is not. The emotional journey for me can't be costed, and I will be glad when it is ended.

[_grockles]

Well my cleaner came back to work while I was on holiday. We worked out a shedule to fit in with the fact that others would only be there one day a week. When I returned to work, She needed to go on holiday as she had no child care arranged! I worked out holiday leave, unpaid leave taking in to account the emergency child care leave she could have, giving her a return to work date of Jan 9th. She wondered if she could have a bit more leave after that. I said no. We even talked about a different work shedule for her. She finally decided to put in her notice. I am relieved.

[Sue: White Horse Walking Holidays]

I'm glad you got the result you wanted, shame it took so long though. It must be very tricky and very expensive to employ someone who then goes on maternity leave.