⚠️ Not Employment Law or HR Advice
Employment law, worker rights, and HR compliance are highly regulated and complex. This guide provides general information only and should not be used as a substitute for professional legal or HR advice.
Before hiring employees or engaging workers: Consult an employment solicitor or HR professional. Requirements for contracts, PAYE, National Insurance, holiday pay, minimum wage, and worker classification (employee vs contractor) vary by situation and change frequently.
Incorrect worker classification or employment practices can result in tribunal claims, HMRC penalties, and significant back-payments.
ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service): acas.org.uk
Spot employee scheduling conflicts before customers do
Toolfy’s capacity bar turns orange when two techs fight over the same slot. Pair it with custom alerts—SCALING_BOTTLENECKS_SOLO_FOUNDER.md calls out SMS provisioning as a bottleneck; scheduling is next if you don’t automate conflict detection.
- Use role tags (Gas Safe, NICEIC, apprentice) so replacement suggestions stay compliant.
- Tag quoted jobs as “tentative” so they don’t steal confirmed slots.
- Filter the schedule by skill to surface spare coverage windows instantly.
Assign conflict tiers and scripts
Not all clashes are equal. Build three tiers so dispatch knows when to escalate to you, when to call the customer, and when to swap jobs quietly.
| Tier | Example | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 – Low | Two routine maintenance jobs assigned to same apprentice. | Swap in available apprentice, notify tech via Toolfy mobile ping. |
| Tier 2 – Medium | Emergency boiler callout overlaps with quoted install. | Escalate to ops lead, call customer with 2-hour window, offer discount or follow-up gift. |
| Tier 3 – High | Compliance-critical job (EICR) double-booked. | Director involvement, reroute most senior engineer, log decision in Toolfy for audit. |
Use deposits + payment terms to discourage last-minute reshuffles
When customers pre-pay or accept cancellation fees, you have levers to deny last-minute “Can you come Tuesday instead?” requests. Toolfy’s Payment Terms Calculator (below) shows the cash flow impact of deposits vs Net 30 so you can enforce policies without second-guessing revenue.
Invoice Payment Terms Calculator
See how payment terms impact your cash flow and working capital requirements
Materials, labor, overheads
Cash Flow Impact:
Payment Terms Comparison:
- Request deposits (50%) before starting work
- Offer payment plans or installments
- Use invoice financing or factoring
- Build cash reserves to 7k minimum
- Negotiate shorter payment terms with suppliers
Protect the rota & the relationship
Toolfy keeps every job, deposit, and conflict note in one place so you can reshuffle without killing trust. Schedule like a national chain even if you run two vans.
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