For voluntary or community groups, employing paid staff brings additional legal and practical responsibilities.

Any staff you employ will be entering into a legal contract with you. So you will need to write a clear job description of the work you expect them to do, by when and for how much money, and a description of the knowledge, skills and experience you expect them to have.

As an employer you will also be responsible for inducting new staff and providing appropriate support and training to meet the demands of the job and for their personal and professional development. The toolkits and guidance listed below give detailed information and guidance on these requirements and how to meet them.

An employer must also pay agreed wages, provide a safe workplace and behave reasonably to the employee. In return the employee is expected to exercise reasonable care and skill, not to compete with the employer and to obey lawful and reasonable instructions consistent with their contract of employment.

Your management committee or board of trustees will be responsible for ensuring the organisation’s policies and practices are up to date and compliant with relevant employment and other legislation, including health and safety, and equal opportunities. You will also need to comply with the standards and legislation relevant to the sector, particularly where you are working directly with children and young people.

All employers automatically have a contract with their paid employees who have wide-ranging employment rights in relation to pay, anti-discrimination, complaints and union membership. Good practice ensures that every employee has a written contract of employment and a job description. The employment section of the UK Direct.Gov website (see below) provides extensive information on employee rights.

You will also need to ensure staff are aware of and implement your safeguarding and child protection policies. All staff working with children must undertake a check with the Criminal Records Bureau. For more information see the section Keeping children safe. If your staff work directly with children and young people as playworkers they may require professional supervision with a trained, qualified manager or supervisor in an external organisation.

It is worth seeking expert advice before you decide to employ staff, including advice on how to manage risks in employing staff working with children.

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Tools and information