Great question. Employing staff requires some homework and groundwork to get started. Here’s five top tips to help you. Visit the Fair Work Ombudsman website: It has some basic templates and tools for employment arrangements. Business Victoria and www.business.gov.au are also great sources of information. Put employment arrangements in writing: Employment contracts set out if your employee is full time, part time or casual. It also specifies pay rates, leave entitlements and notice provisions. Engage a legal professional to assist with employment contracts, so you can minimise grounds for disputes. Pay the right rates and superannuation. Don’t become the next George from Masterchef! Most jobs are covered by an Award and you can calculate them by using the P.A.C.T calculator on the Fair Work Ombudsman site. Don’t forget, Award rates change on July 1 every year and you need to keep good payroll and leave records (use a payroll app), and also provide payslips. Pay superannuation at least quarterly. Workplace policies. Have key policies so everyone knows the rules they need to play (work) by. Code of conduct, OHS, bullying and harassment, social media and leave policies are a great start. A legal professional can help you to draft workplace policies. OHS and Workcover. Visit the Worksafe site to make sure that you know your obligations as an employer. No one wants to see a person injured at work and as a business owner, the responsibility rests with you. Also speak to your insurance agent or accountant about Workcover insurance, which is compulsory.    Having great staff is really rewarding, but employing staff can sometimes get a bit tricky. Chatting with an employment lawyer and human resources advisor is a worthwhile investment. At Robertson Hyetts, we love getting to know our local small business owners and providing practical and cost-conscious advice to avoid setbacks and help your business grow.