Taking on staff - the options

• how constant the work is
• how long the work will last
• the number of hours of work each week

You have a number of options:

• Permanent employees can be full-time or part-time. They have an open-ended employment contract with you. You have obligations to them but they will be an investment in your business.
• Fixed-term contract employees have an employment contract with you but it is for a predetermined time or until a specific task has been completed. See our guide on employment status. You'll still have employer obligations but only for the duration of the contract. See our guide on the employment contract or use our interactive tool to create a written statement of employment.
• Employment agency - temporary staff are employed by the agency and supplied to you. Your contract is with an employment agency to supply you with staff, but you still have certain legal responsibilities towards the agency worker. See our guide on recruiting and interviewing.
• Using freelancers, consultants and contractors gives you the minimum of employer obligations. But you need to be sure that the people are legally defined as self-employed. See our guide on employment status.
• Zero-hours contracts allow you to have people on-call to work whenever necessary and mutually convenient. Generally, you are not obliged to offer work, nor is there a responsibility for the worker to accept any work. Look at the terms of any zero-hours contract carefully as it may affect the employment status of the worker and your responsibility towards them.
• If you plan to employ children or young people, you should keep in mind that there are restrictions on the hours and types of work that they can legally carry out. See our guide on employing young people.

You will also have to make tax arrangements for permanent and fixed-term employees. Read our guide on how to set yourself up as an employer with HM Revenue & Customs.