- "In the last 20 years our business has changed considerably…and as the focus of our business has changed, Bird Luckin have moved with us."
Alex Tanner, George Tanner (Shalford) Ltd - "Bird Luckin has looked after us incredibly well for over 60 years, they are pro-active and innovational - meeting all our needs to help us achieve our aims."
Richard Stubbings, Cliffords Limited - "I can honestly say that Bird Luckin are the best firm of accountants and auditors I have ever dealt with - and I don't say that lightly!"
Colin Webb, Walthamstow Stadium - "It's important for us to know that we will always be able to contact the right people to give us the right advice and support."
Jane Bennett, Bennetts Funeral Directors - "Although we deal mainly with one Partner … we also know that if we need to contact someone else who is a specialist in another area, we can get the advice we need quickly and easily"
Jeremy Ruggles, J.S. Wright & Sons Ltd - "Bird Luckin got us to a stage which would have taken us months - if not years - to reach on our own, and they got us there in a matter of weeks"
Matthew Sullivan, SNC Ltd - "You can be a good accountant, but if you don't have an understanding of the industry it can be very difficult. "There are two or three people we have regular contact with at Bird Luckin who know our business well, and it makes a difference.""
Robert Church, W A Church (Bures) Ltd - "The work which Bird Luckin has done for Boddingtons over the past few months has helped shape our future direction for the better."
John Warner, Chief Executive, Boddingtons Ltd - "Bird Luckin has acted for us since our inception 10 years ago. They have a very 'can do' yet highly professional attitude - we are very appreciative of their support and advice over the years."
Marlon Fox, Outlook Property Ltd
Decide on employment policies for your business
The purpose of drawing up employment policies is to make sure that employees are aware of and understand the rules that apply to them.
Employment policies can cover anything from health and safety - such as the operation of machinery - to codes of conduct when using computers at work.
As well as setting out how an employer expects their employees to behave and to go about their work safely, employment policies help firms comply with employment law.
Easy-to-understand employment policies have the additional advantage of clarifying relations between employers and employees, and can help cut down on the possibility of disciplinary and legal procedures.
Some employment policies are legal requirements, others a matter of best practice.
Employment rules that are a minimum legal requirement cover: leave and absence; maternity, paternity and adoption; working hours and overtime; health and safety; pay; equal opportunities; harassment and bullying at work; and disciplinary procedures.
Employment rules that are not a minimum legal requirement but are best practice cover among others: rewards, benefits and expenses; staff appraisals; use of company equipment such as computers; training; confidential information; whistleblowing; dress; and drugs and alcohol.
Deciding which best practice policies to introduce will largely be determined by the nature of the employer's business and the size of the workforce.
Employees can be notified or informed of employment policies in a number of ways. Policies can be detailed in the staff handbook, sent as a letter or emailed to staff, included on the firm's intranet or put up on noticeboards. Where training is needed to comply with a particular policy or policies, the employer should provide this.
Employers must ensure that policies do not discriminate against some employees or treat some members of staff unfairly.
It is a useful exercise to review best practice policies and rules regularly to check that they are relevant, that they are being observed and that they are not adversely affecting the operation of the business.