FAQs for Employers

The information on our website is intended to provide an indication of the services we offer and the ways in which we can help.

We recognise that every organisation has different needs and requirements and appreciate that any support provided should reflect that.

We would be delighted to discuss your requirements in order to develop a solution that is right for you. We have various ways to get in touch on our contact us page.

We recognise that there are many organisations which seem to offer similar services, and it can be a daunting task selecting a service provider for the first time.

There are many things that make us different from other providers, but a key difference is that many HR providers do not offer assistance with defending Employment Tribunal claims. In contrast we do, and believe that our expertise in this area means we are well placed to nip problems in the bud which if left unaddressed could strengthen an Employment Tribunal claim, such as a flawed disciplinary hearing in an unfair dismissal claim.

Having expertise in both HR and employment law means that we can support you from beginning to end, often being supported by the same advisor. 

Yes, as well as our HR services, we offer a full range of services relating to defending an Employment Tribunal claim, up to and including employment tribunal representation. As all support is provided in house you can be assured that your advisor will be fully aware of all that has happened. You will also have a single point of contact which will avoid the feeling that you are going around in circles.

Yes. This will enable us to know the issues you are facing and recommend next steps. We will always provide an indication of our fees so that you can make an informed choice about whether to go ahead or not.   

Yes, we regularly provide HR consultancy and training using cloud video platforms such as Zoom, and find that many clients find such a solution to be more convenient than meeting in person.

We also recognise that some clients may feel less comfortable  with such technology. Therefore, any options relating to how support will be accessed will be discussed before the work is carried out. 

There are many templates out there of varying quality and usefulness, but a template is rarely a solution on its own: the value comes from advice. Without that the document may not offer the protection you may think, as the various options available would not have been explained to you. For that reason, we do not leave clients to undertake work themselves: we support them throughout to ensure that a solution is found which best meets their needs.

This approach means that clients can focus on areas where their strengths are, whilst being confident that everything has been taken care of.

1. It will always be a lower hourly rate when compared to one off pieces of work.

We would much prefer clients to tell us about any developments rather than wait until there is a problem to solve. Having a support package means that there is always advice available when you need it. The bigger support package the lower the applicable hourly rate.

2. Retained clients receive priority support

We always seek to be accommodating to clients, and routinely respond to enquiries outside of typical office hours, but retained clients will receive priority over other ad hoc work.

3. Support hours are not limited to advice over the telephone

We do not put restrictions on how HR support hours can be used. If clients would like us to provide in person support, such as to attend a disciplinary hearing or provide training that is absolutely fine.

4. Being a retained client enables fees to be spread over time.

We completely understand that clients may need a lot of support one month, none the month after and some the month after that. Support hours can be rolled over from month to month. Clients are also able to use hours in advance. For example, up to 6  months of support hours can be used in month one and then nothing is needed for the following 5 months. In the example, the support was all delivered over one month but was paid for over six.

5. Ongoing support means that we are better placed to support you and become an extension of your team.

When it comes to workplace issues, prevention is much better than cure. By being able to intervene at an early stage it is often possible to reduce the amount of time that would otherwise be needed to resolve the matter.

Our retained HR packages simply provide a number of support hours each month, which can be rolled over if not used.
We do not have a set bundle of elements which we insist clients receive. We do not think this approach is helpful. For example, a bundle including contracts would be of no use to an organisation who already has them in place.
Our approach enables clients to choose how they would like to use their support hours – for example to have some training rather than the contracts mentioned earlier.