Guidance

Charity staff: how to employ paid workers

Follow employment laws and plan for risks when employing paid workers at your charity.

Applies to England and Wales

How to find charity staff

Many charities advertise their vacancies online or in newspapers. You can get advice on the recruitment process (including writing job descriptions) from KnowHow NonProfit:

Follow employment law

If you employ people, you must be aware of and comply with employment laws, including:

If your charity works with children or vulnerable adults you must take steps to safeguard them from harm.

How to manage your charity’s people

Charities can face a number of different issues to the average employer. For example, you need to:

Set clear responsibilities for employees and trustees

When your charity grows, it may change from being mostly run by trustees to being mostly run by staff. This can be a difficult time for charities, as work and responsibilities are handed over. Avoid disputes and mismanagement by setting clear roles and responsibilities, particularly between:

  • the charity’s governance (what your trustee board does)
  • the management and daily running of the charity (what your senior management and staff do)
Published 10 May 2013