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Small companies that use lever arch files to stash their important documents might feel as though there is too much paperwork and bureaucracy surrounding their operations.
Fintan O'Toole, chair of the Croydon Chamber of Commerce and director of HR Dept, explained that while there is quite a lot of help available to micro enterprises, "the less we have to do to keep the wheels of bureaucracy turning, the better".
"Things like the relief on national insurance contributions has been a positive all-round help, and generally there is a focus both in the Chamber of Commerce and in the Federation of Small Businesses in identifying those areas where less time needs to be spent on things such as form-filling and returns for dubious purposes," he commented.
However, with the introduction of pension scheme auto-enrolment this coming October, companies may require additional office equipment to help deal with and store all the related paperwork.
Robin Ellison, head of strategic development for pensions at Pinsent Masons, warned that many employers are not yet prepared for auto-enrolment and that the rules are too complicated.
He posited that businesses "need to think not about auto-enrolment but about their pensions policy holistically".
"Most people will just panic and think 'I've got to comply with these rules' - that would be a mistake. What they need to do is think very carefully about what they want to do about pensions generally and then factor in how to cope with auto-enrolment at the same time."
And there is more to auto-enrolment, according to a report by insurance broker Jardine Lloyd Thompson, than remaining passive about pension options. In order for workplace provision to work, employers must remain engaged to the task of encouraging their staff to commit to increasing their contributions, something that may require the use of extra office stationery.