Working at a startup is often a fast-paced affair, between the logistics of being part of an ever-growing company and the focus on innovation. Unfortunately, this leads to many HR companies falling on the wrong side of HR topics, with Forbes noting high employee and customer turnover in many promising start-ups.
While somewhat old fashioned and often arcane to navigate, the legal responsibilities of your business are of critical importance to ensuring your business enjoys long-term growth and success. Putting a framework in place when you start will save you a headache further down the road.
Protecting yourself
First and foremost, you should look to have the benefit of an experienced lawyer on hand. This matters both for employee and customer matters: the minute legal action is raised, you need to be able to have your actions guided by a qualified legal aide. Issues that you might consider simple can actually be more convoluted than you think.
A good example of this is is provided by the car industry; incidental damage caused by automated vehicle tests can be (and has been) litigated against, such as the autopilot car crash in Florida that saw personal injury lawyers in Tampa brought in. The muddy legal area, as highlighted by The Guardian, is perilous for business. Protect yourself, your workforce and your customers by having help on hand.
A clear HR policy
HR departments have received negative press stemming from a number of incidents, as outlined by TechCrunch. Many of these have happened in the startups world: as people with big ideas can now enter the world of business with far greater ease than ever before, it means that people are entering unprepared.
It’s crucial, however, that you have a well-designed HR process in place. It will help to protect your employees by making them aware of their rights; it will help you by giving clarity when addressing any employee concerns; and it will help your customers by giving them a reference point for what they can expect from your company.
Understanding legislation
Tech start-ups are experts at moving with rapidly evolving technology. This application of knowledge should be extended to the legal world. As technology evolves, so will the specific needs and rights of customers and companies. This can be something as simple-looking as data privacy and protection, right through to the logistics of vehicle insurance and safety testing.
As a business owner, you should look to treat your technology with caution, and always look to ensure it’s safe and secure for use before deploying it, either in the production room with your staff, or in terms of sale to the public.
Arguably, staying secure as a startup owner is a case of giving time and effort to your knowledge of the laws dictating your area of industry. Don’t shirk your responsibilities. Making a good effort to secure yourself legally will provide a better service to your employees, to your customers, and ultimately to yourself.
