If you’re an SME entrepreneur, you’ll have your fair share of pressures.
In terms of the success and failure of your enterprise, the buck stops with you.
So when a personal or commercial legal issue interrupts the daily challenges of running a business, it can have a devastating effect if you’re unprepared.
With that in mind, here are three contemporary compliance issues in life and work you should be aware of — familiarising yourself with legal frameworks can futureproof your business.
1. Data protection
In the information age, data protection and privacy are corporate hot potatoes that are currently scorching.
With alleged manipulation of elections in the US, UK and elsewhere through sophisticated data analytics tools and questionable practices by social media platforms, public awareness and reputational risk have never been higher.
In the UK, May 2018 saw the introduction of the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) and the EU General Data Protection Regulation — new rules designed to maximise individuals’ rights to privacy which require every organisation to implement robust data regimes.
If you’re not up to speed, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) provides definitive advice, so consulting the ICO website should set you straight with the basics.
2. Health and safety
Some health and safety provisions are sector-specific — for example, requirements for an oil and gas company differ from those for a small stationery firm.
But on a basic level, every firm has legal responsibilities to ensure their staff work in an environment that’s physically safe and safeguards against stress — and that operational practices don’t endanger clients or members of the public.
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) stats for the UK construction industry alone show that there were 30 fatal injuries to workers in 2016/17 and 80,000 workers suffered from work-related ill health in total during the period.
Referring to the HSE guidance for your industry will ensure you and your employees are familiar with the latest regulations and won’t fall foul of a fine or worse.
3. Medical negligence
When you’re running your own business, a period of ill health affecting yourself or a family member might impact your livelihood more than if you were working for a company under terms and conditions that facilitated paid leave to recover.
But if you believe you’ve suffered because of substandard treatment by a medical professional, you might be entitled to lodge a claim of medical negligence to win compensation.
A specialist solicitor can confirm whether you have a viable case to action and clarify definitions of misconduct and malpractice.
Medical negligence is an area where the implications of personal law can affect your professional life — contacting lawyers like Switalskis Solicitors is an excellent way to obtain confidential advice from a skilled local team that’s highly-rated nationally in this specialism.
Get to grips with these three compliance issues in life and work and you’ll know where to turn in tricky situations — being prepared bolsters your business.
What’s your most important business legal issue? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
