Step 1: Get employer liability insurance
This covers you against liability for bodily injury or disease your employees may suffer during their employment.
The employer liability insurance law requires you to have and maintain approved insurance policies with authorised insurers. You can be fined for every day you're not insured.
Speak to local insurance companies to explain your business activities and get a range of quotes.
To find out what you need to do to comply with the law visit
employer's liability insurance law.
Step 2: Understand employment related laws
As an employer you're responsible for ensuring you comply with Jersey's employment related laws and regulations.
This includes the rules relating to:
- contracts
- leave and rest periods
- pay
- termination of employment
- disciplinary and grievance
- health and wellbeing
- discrimination
- equal opportunities
Minimum wage
Employing staff and your responsibilities for paying tax and contributions
JACS provides best practice, model procedures and guidance for employers in all the areas listed above and more.
The
employing people section on the Jersey Business has a range of resources including a HR toolkit for small businesses covering everything you need to consider when employing staff in Jersey.
Step 3: Write a health and safety policy (if you have 5 employees or more)
It's a legal requirement to have a written statement of your health and safety policy.
Employer's legal responsibilities: health and safety at work
You can find guidance to help you create the policy on
health and safety policy on JACS.
Step 4: Check residential and employment status and nationality
Before you offer employment to someone you must:
- check their residential and employment status (5 years rule), shown on their registration card
- make sure your business licence allows you to employ someone with this status
- check that they have immigration permission to live and work in Jersey
You can ask applicants to confirm these details in your job application form.
You need to apply for permission to employ someone if they do not have:
- entitled or entitled for work status and you do not have enough licensed or registered permissions on your business licence
- immigration permission to live and work in Jersey
If the potential employee has neither of the above, you’ll need to apply for 2 different permissions. Each permission type has criteria that must be met before it can be granted. If you are a digital business visit Digital Jersey for more information on Work Permission Assistance.
Find more guidance on
employing staff (registration cards), including if you need permissions to employ someone and how to apply.
Step 5: Register to pay Tax (ITIS) and Social Security contributions for your employees
Start up businesses who have not yet applied for a business licence
When your business licence is granted you'll automatically be registered as an employer to pay ITIS and Social Security contributions. See steps 3 and 5 of
Starting a business: step by step guide.
Find out more on your employees tax and Social Security payments.
Existing businesses with a business licence
Find out how to register, submit returns and pay Social Security and tax (ITIS) for your employees on
employees tax and Social Security payments.
Step 6: Submit your combined employer return every month and pay
Once you have completed step 5 you'll be ready to use the Combined Employer Return (CER). This is where you file your employee’s tax, social security and manpower on a monthly basis.
To find out more visit
employees tax and social security payments.
Step 7: Understand the rules about employing children
You must not employ anyone under 13 years old or employ young people in any way that falls outside the list of restrictions for young workers. Including the hours of employment and work breaks.
Find more information for young workers (child employment law).
gov.je