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Guide to your rights and duties as an employer

Aug 15 2005

In general terms, apart from what is in the employment contract, what can you expect from your employees and what can they expect from you?

Your rights

1. Employees should be honest, obedient and not act against your interests.
2. They should not disclose confidential information about your business.
3. They should take care of your property.
4. Any patents, discoveries or inventions made during working hours generally belong to you.
5. Your employees should be competent, work carefully and industriously.

Your duties

1. You should behave reasonably in employment matters.
2. You should practice good industrial relations and provide, for example, a written statement of terms of employment, including disciplinary procedures and grievance procedures.
3. You should pay your employees when you agreed to do so.
4. You should take reasonable care to ensure the safety and health of your employees.
As well as these general rights and duties, your employees acquire certain rights by law – see the legal life-cycle of an employee which applies to full- and part-time workers.

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