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A new online toolkit has been launched today by Employment Relations Minister Norman Lamb, which provides first-time employers with a step-by-step guide through their obligations when taking on a member of staff.

The Taking on an Employee toolkit takes employers through the process of hiring their first member of staff and explains their core legal obligations when doing so. This includes information on setting pay, getting the right insurance, understanding tax requirements and checking a new employee's right to work in the UK.Feedback from the employment theme of the Red Tape Challenge suggested that the current guidance was too complex, that the information on how to do this was not readily available and that it was unclear as to where to find this. This toolkit combats these problems by clearly outlining what an employer

In addition, a mythbusters document has been published alongside the online toolkit for first-time employers which aims to address some common misconceptions about hiring a member of staff. This document includes helpful advice on registering with HMRC, anti-discrimination laws, dismissal rules, setting up payrolls and probation periods. Also available from the site will be information about Government support, financial and otherwise, to encourage employers to take on their first employee.

• The Taking on a employee online tool can be found here http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/employ
• The mythbusters document can be found here http://www.bis.gov.uk/common-employment-myths