HR Support & Retained Advice.

Yes — keeping up with changes in employment law is one of the key benefits of retained advice. Employment law changes frequently, through new legislation, regulations, and important tribunal and court decisions, and it can be difficult for a business to keep track of what has changed and what it needs to do in response. Recent years have seen significant developments across many areas of employment law, and more change is always on the way. Retained support helps a business stay compliant by: keeping it informed of relevant changes as they happen; assessing what each change means for the business specifically; updating contracts, policies, and procedures to reflect new requirements; and advising on any changes the business needs to make to its practices. This proactive approach means the business is not caught out by changes it was unaware of, and does not find itself relying on documents or practices that have fallen out of step with the law. Staying compliant reduces risk and avoids the cost of putting things right after a problem has arisen. We monitor developments and ensure the businesses we support are kept up to date and compliant.

Yes — supporting managers in handling difficult employment situations is one of the most valuable aspects of HR and employment support. Managers are often the ones who have to deal with sensitive matters such as performance issues, conduct problems, grievances, absence, and difficult conversations, and they are not always equipped or confident to handle them correctly. The consequences of getting these situations wrong can be significant, both for the individuals involved and for the business's legal exposure. Support for managers can take several forms: practical, situation-specific advice on how to handle a particular issue; guidance on following the correct process; help preparing for difficult meetings and conversations; reviewing letters and documents before they are sent; and training to build managers' confidence and competence in handling employment matters generally. Well-supported managers handle issues more effectively, more consistently, and with less risk to the business. Having access to advice when a tricky situation arises — before action is taken rather than after — helps managers make sound decisions and follow fair processes. We provide this support as part of ongoing employment advice.

Ongoing employment advice is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of tribunal claims, because most claims arise from situations that could have been handled differently with the right advice at the right time. Ongoing support reduces risk by: ensuring contracts, policies, and procedures are sound and up to date, providing a proper foundation; ensuring that significant decisions — particularly dismissals, disciplinaries, and redundancies — are handled fairly and follow the correct process, including the ACAS Code of Practice; catching potential problems early, when they can still be addressed, rather than after a claim has been threatened; ensuring decisions and the reasons for them are documented properly at the time, creating the contemporaneous evidence that is so valuable if a claim is later brought; and training and supporting managers to handle difficult situations correctly. Because the fairness of the process is so often decisive in employment claims, having advice available before and during key decisions — rather than after the event — significantly reduces both the likelihood of claims and the exposure if one is brought. Prevention is far cheaper than defending a claim.

Disciplinary and grievance matters are among the most common and most risk-laden employment situations, and retained support helps a business handle them correctly. The fairness of the process is critical: getting the procedure wrong — even where the underlying decision is justified — is a frequent cause of successful tribunal claims. Retained support assists by: advising on whether and how to start a disciplinary or grievance process; ensuring the correct procedure is followed, in line with the business's own policies and the ACAS Code of Practice; guiding managers through each stage, from investigation to hearing to outcome and any appeal; reviewing the letters and documents used at each stage; advising on the appropriate outcome and how to communicate it; and ensuring the process and decisions are properly documented. Because these matters can lead directly to dismissals and tribunal claims, having advice available throughout — rather than only after a problem has emerged — is particularly valuable. Handling disciplinary and grievance matters fairly and correctly protects the business and, where a claim does follow, puts it in a far stronger position. We support employers through these processes as a core part of retained advice.

Retained HR and employment support can be structured in different ways to suit the needs and size of the business. A common approach is a retainer arrangement, under which the business pays an agreed amount for an agreed level of ongoing support — providing access to advice when needed and making the cost predictable and easy to budget. Other businesses prefer a more flexible arrangement, drawing on advice as and when matters arise. The right structure depends on how much support the business is likely to need, the nature of its workforce, and its preferences. Whatever the structure, we are transparent about how the support is priced from the outset, so the business knows where it stands. The investment in ongoing support should be weighed against the value it provides — both the day-to-day reassurance of having advice available, and the significant cost it can save by preventing problems and reducing the risk of tribunal claims. We discuss each business's needs and agree a structure and basis of charging that works for it before any arrangement begins, so there are no surprises.

Employment contracts and policies should be reviewed regularly, because employment law changes frequently and a business's circumstances evolve. As a general guide, it is sensible to review key documents at least every year or two, and additionally whenever there is a significant change in the law or in the business. Specific triggers for review include: changes in employment legislation or important case law; changes in the size, structure, or activities of the business; the introduction of new working practices, such as hybrid or remote working; and the identification of any gaps or problems in the existing documents. Out-of-date contracts and policies can leave a business exposed — for example, relying on a policy that no longer reflects the law, or on restrictive covenants that have become unenforceable through the passage of time and changes in role. Keeping documents current ensures they remain effective and compliant. One of the benefits of ongoing employment support is that documents are kept under review and updated as the law and the business change, rather than being prepared once and forgotten. We can carry out periodic reviews as part of a retained arrangement.

Every business that employs staff should have certain core employment documents in place, both as a legal requirement and as good practice. These include: written statements of employment particulars, which employers are legally required to provide to employees and workers on or before their first day; contracts of employment setting out the terms of the relationship; key policies, such as disciplinary and grievance procedures, which the law expects employers to have and to follow; and, depending on the business, a wider staff handbook covering matters such as absence, holiday, equal opportunities, data protection, health and safety, and codes of conduct. Other documents may be important depending on the circumstances — for example, restrictive covenants to protect the business, confidentiality provisions, and policies on flexible working, family leave, and IT and social media use. Having clear, up-to-date, and consistent documents in place provides certainty, helps the business operate fairly and lawfully, and is a vital foundation if a dispute arises. We can prepare a full suite of employment documentation tailored to your business, or review and update what you already have.

Retained HR and employment law support is an ongoing arrangement under which a business has continuing access to employment law advice and HR support, rather than seeking help only when a problem has already arisen. It works as a continuing relationship: the adviser gets to know the business, its people, and its way of working, and is available to provide advice as employment issues come up — from day-to-day questions to more significant matters such as disciplinaries, grievances, restructures, and dismissals. The arrangement can be structured in different ways to suit the business, commonly as a retainer providing an agreed level of ongoing support. The key feature is that advice is available promptly and proactively, allowing the business to handle employment matters correctly as they arise and to head off problems before they escalate. For businesses without an in-house legal team — or with an HR function that needs legal backing — retained support provides reassurance, continuity, and access to expertise whenever it is needed.

Both retained and ad hoc legal help have their place, but a retained arrangement offers particular advantages for businesses that regularly encounter employment matters. The benefits of retained advice include: continuity — the adviser knows the business, its history, its people, and its policies, so advice is given in context and without needing to explain the background each time; proactivity — issues can be raised and addressed early, before they escalate, rather than only when a crisis has arisen; responsiveness — advice is available promptly when needed, which matters when employment situations are often time-sensitive; predictability — the cost of support can be structured and budgeted, rather than incurred unpredictably; and a preventative focus — ongoing support helps the business get its contracts, policies, and processes right, reducing the risk of problems arising at all. Ad hoc help is suitable for occasional one-off issues, but for a business with ongoing employment needs, a retained relationship provides better value, better continuity, and a more preventative approach. We discuss with each business which model suits its needs.

HR support and an employment law service are related but distinct, and many businesses benefit from both. HR support — whether provided in-house, by an HR consultancy, or through HR software — focuses on the practical management of people: recruitment, onboarding, record-keeping, administering policies, managing day-to-day employee matters, and operational HR processes. An employment law service, provided by a solicitor, focuses on the legal dimension: ensuring that contracts, policies, and decisions are legally sound; advising on legal rights, obligations, and risks; handling matters that carry legal exposure or may lead to disputes; and representing the business if a claim is brought. The two overlap — both are concerned with handling employment matters well — but they bring different expertise. Practical HR and legal advice work best together: sound HR processes implemented with the benefit of legal advice where it matters. Some businesses have strong in-house HR and need legal support to back it up; others have neither and need both. We provide the legal element and work alongside a business's existing HR resource, or provide broader support where needed. We can advise on the right combination for your business.

Ongoing HR and employment support can help with the full range of employment matters a business encounters. These include: day-to-day questions about employees' rights, entitlements, and how to handle particular situations; drafting and reviewing employment contracts, policies, and handbooks; managing disciplinary and grievance processes correctly; handling performance and capability issues; advising on absence, sickness, and family-related leave; managing redundancies and restructures; dealing with TUPE situations where businesses or staff transfer; advising on settlement agreements and exits; handling discrimination, harassment, and bullying issues; and keeping the business compliant as employment law changes. The value of ongoing support is that it covers both the routine and the significant — providing quick answers to everyday questions and proper guidance through the more serious matters that carry real risk. Having an adviser who already understands the business means issues can be dealt with efficiently and in context. We tailor the support to what each business needs, from occasional guidance to close involvement in significant matters.

Many businesses handle routine HR matters in-house, and for day-to-day administration that is entirely appropriate. However, using a solicitor for HR and employment support adds important value, particularly where matters carry legal risk. A solicitor provides: legal expertise and an up-to-date understanding of employment law, which changes frequently; advice that is legally accurate and that can be relied on; the benefit of legal professional privilege in appropriate circumstances, protecting sensitive advice; and the ability to handle matters that may lead to disputes or tribunal claims, with the defence in mind from the outset. The risk of handling significant employment matters — such as dismissals, discrimination issues, or redundancies — without legal input is that procedural or substantive errors can lead to costly claims. A solicitor helps the business get these matters right the first time. Using a solicitor does not replace good in-house HR; it supports and strengthens it, providing legal backing for the decisions and processes that carry risk. The combination of sound internal HR and accessible legal advice is a strong one.