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Issues to consider include:
Maternity and paternity leave:
* How long a staff member needs to work for the organisation before they are entitled to paid maternity or paternity leave.
* How many weeks of paid maternity leave women can take. Consider whether this should be taken at a particular time, such as a certain proportion of the leave taken immediately after the birth of the child. Consider whether women can accumulate annual leave while they are on maternity leave. Consider whether to allow women to take additional unpaid leave.
* How many weeks of paid paternity leave men can take, and when they can take it, Consider writing guidelines for staff, which include information about the documentation that will be required, such as medical statements and birth certificates.

Compassionate leave: compassionate leave should usually apply only to situations where a close relative such as the spouse, legal dependent, parcent or sibling of a staff member has died. In cultures where the extended family is strong, it is important to consider this carefully and state clearly the cireumstances under which compassionate leave can be taken.

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF WHEN RUNNING THE HR DEPARTMENT OF AN ORGANIZATION:

* what benefits does our organisation offer to staff?can all staff access these benefits? Can volunteers access any of these benefits?
* are there new benefits that we should consider providing?

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Terms and conditions of employment
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The terms and condition of employment are set out in a staff members employment contract. They outline what is expected of staff and what the organisation will provide, such as salary and benefits. There may be other terms and conditions that are not specifically mentioned in the employment contract, but which the contract refers to. These are usually included in a staff handbook.
Key issues to consider when setting terms and conditions include:

* Are they legal? Ensure that the terms and conditions are legal and fair. Allways consult a lawyer when developing employment contracts. It is helpful to ask a lawyer to look at the staff handbook too.
* Are they in line with organisation policy and practice?
* Are they in line with common practice?
* Are they accessible and clear? The terms and conditions should be communicated clearly to staff. The language used should be appropriate for all staff. If some staff cannot read, rather than using a staff handbook, it will be necessary to find a different way of communicating terms and conditions.

Most terms and conditions should apply to all staff. However, there may be variations according to the category of staff or the types of contract a staff member has.

3.1 Employment contract
The employment contract is a legal agreement between an employer and a staff member. It states the business relationship between them, including what compensation the staff member will receive in exchange for the work they do. It outlines the terms and conditions of employment.
It is always best to have a written contract, which should be written clearly in order to avoid misinterpretation. This protects both the employer and staff member throughout their working relationship. Organisations usually have a contract template which can be used for most staff members. It is important that a legal expert checks the contract template once it has been drafted. When a new member of staff is recruited, their relevant details, such as their name, job title and salary, are inserted. It is only necessary to check individual contracts with a legal expert if changes in the wording of the agreement need tobe made for specific staff members.
The contract should be signed and dated by both the staff member and a representative of the employer, and both should keep a copy.

Variations in staff category and types of contract:
CATEGORIES OF STAFF
An organisation that works in many geographical location may find it helpful to define its categories of staff. For example, it may be ppropriate for some terms and conditions to take account of staff who are living away from their permanent home. They may be entitled to accommodation expenses, and their salary may be adjusted because the area they live and work in has a higher or lower cost of living than the main office.
Categories might include:
* Expatriate staff based temporarily outside their country of permanent residence.
* National staff based in their country of permanent residence but working away from their place of permanent residence.
* Local staff based permanently in their country and place of permanent residence.
TYPES OF CONTRACT
Permanent the contract lasts until either the individual wishes to leave the organisation, or the organisation has grounds on which to terminate the contract (such as dismissal or redundancy). Fixed the contract lasts for a specific length of time, such as on year or three years. Casual staff are brought in when they are needed. They may just work for one day or a week at a time and usually do not have a standard employment contract.

3.2 Staff handbook
A staff handbook is a reference tool for managers and staff. It usually contains useful information about the organisation, the terms and conditions of employment and outlines policies that the organisation has.
It should be written clearly so that staff can understand it, and a copy should be made available to all staff members.

Content of a staff handbook could include:
INTRODUCTION TO ORGANISATION
This section should give an overview of the organisation. It could include: history, logo, purpose and mission statement, basis of faith, values statement, details of the organisations long-term strategy, information about prayer within the organisation, chart of the organisations structure.

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