Dervla Quigley
HR adviser
Practical; write it down
First Hire
One hire becomes two, and then a performance problem with someone she likes. Orla learns contracts, payroll and fair management, and discovers that being a good employer is a skill rather than a personality trait.
Planned · not started yet
Business & entrepreneurship Ambition Hard choices Small town Workplace Lightly witty Hopeful
The premise
One hire becomes two, and then a performance problem with someone she likes. Orla learns contracts, payroll and fair management, and discovers that being a good employer is a skill rather than a personality trait.
The protagonist
Orla Kavanagh — Galway florist hiring her first employee
The council
Every council member is an original fictional character. None represents, quotes or is endorsed by a real person.
Liam Costigan
payroll accountant
Exact; payroll errors compound
Niamh Breathnach
employment solicitor
Careful; process protects both sides
How the story moves
One year of growth from sole trader to small team; the first difficult conversation is the turning point.
What readers take away
- Employment contracts and written terms
- Payroll and employer taxes
- Minimum wage and working time
- Right-to-work checks
- Health and safety duties
- Managing performance fairly
- Disciplinary and dismissal procedures
- Building a team culture
- Write a job description and advert fairly
- Run a probation period
- Handle sick leave
- Calculate holiday entitlement
The books
- 1The ad Planned
- 2Payroll Planned
- 3The problem Planned
- 4The team Planned
Book titles are working titles and may change before publication. No book is on sale until the complete series is finished, checked and released.