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ServiceAn HR function, without an HR department.
Most small businesses can't justify a full-time HR manager, so HR ends up being done by whoever has time — usually badly, usually late, and usually only once something has already gone wrong. We take it on properly.
Four areas, covered continuously.
Documentation
- Employment contracts and statements of particulars
- Staff handbook, written and kept current
- Policies — absence, disciplinary, grievance, equality, IT use
- Offer letters, variations and settlement documentation
- Job descriptions and probation frameworks
Casework
- Disciplinary and grievance procedures, run properly
- Performance management and capability processes
- Sickness absence and return-to-work management
- Redundancy and restructure support
- Investigation notes and hearing documentation
Day-to-day advice
- A named adviser you can call before you act, not after
- Practical answers on holiday, pay, hours and leave
- Guidance for managers handling a difficult conversation
- Escalation to employment law specialists where needed
Compliance & records
- Right-to-work checks and record keeping
- Personnel files maintained and retained correctly
- Working time and minimum wage record obligations
- Data protection compliance for employee records
- Annual review of documents against current law
The expensive problems are almost always process problems.
Very few employment disputes are lost on the underlying facts. They're lost because the right meeting wasn't held, the right letter wasn't sent, or nobody wrote down what was said at the time.
Our job is to make sure the process is followed while it still matters — before a dismissal, not after a tribunal claim lands. That's much cheaper, and considerably less stressful, than the alternative.
We are an HR service, not a law firm. Where a matter needs legal advice or representation, we'll say so and bring in a specialist rather than guess.
Typical first month
Audit
We review your existing contracts, policies and records against current requirements.
Gap report
A short, plain list of what's missing, what's out of date, and what's an actual risk.
Fix
We produce and issue the documents that need to exist, and file them properly.
Ongoing
From there it's maintenance and advice — the heavy lifting is at the start.
Common questions.
Can we use HR support on its own?
Yes. HR is a standalone service — you don't need to move payroll or facilities to us to use it. It does work more smoothly alongside payroll, because the records sit in one place, but that's a convenience rather than a condition.
Are you available when something urgent happens?
Yes. Urgent casework — a suspension, a serious grievance, an incident on site — gets a same-day response. The whole point is that you can call before you act.
Will you attend meetings with our staff?
We can attend disciplinary and grievance hearings, take formal notes, and support the manager running the meeting. For sensitive cases we'd usually recommend it.
Do you provide employment law advice?
We provide HR advice grounded in current employment law and good practice. We are not solicitors and don't give legal advice or representation. Where a matter needs that, we'll tell you clearly and work alongside your legal adviser.
What does it cost?
A fixed monthly retainer based on headcount, with the initial audit and document work quoted separately up front. Casework is included within the retainer up to an agreed level, and anything beyond that is agreed with you before it starts.
Not sure where your gaps are?
That's usually the honest starting position. A first call will tell you whether you've got a real problem or just an untidy filing system.