Like it or not, if you employ staff, there's no opting out of abiding by employment legislation.
Unfortunately, most employers aren’t legal experts and often don’t have the luxury of legally-qualified Employment Law and HR specialists. Others may have external support in place but find that this doesn’t live up to their expectations in terms of service quality or cost.
So where do you turn?
Looking to outsource your HR responsibilities?
Ellis Whittam: Your high-quality HR function away from home
Whether you’re facing a slew of HR issues or looking to proactively reduce your risk of Employment Tribunal claims, leaning on HR specialists can take the pressure off your people problems and ensure best-practices approaches are adopted across your organisation.
At Ellis Whittam, we help thousands of UK employers do just that. Unlike other providers, we’re more than just a HR helpline; we function as a trusted extension of your team that you can call upon at any time for pragmatic advice, guidance and clarification. Importantly, by assigning dedicated HR Advisers, you can be confident that you’re receiving tailored advice from a legally-qualified professional who genuinely understands your business and the specific challenges you face – with no need for catching up and no time wasted.
The benefit to your organisation
If you’ve never considered outsourcing your HR before, you may not be fully aware of the value that professional HR support can add to your organisation. If you have, you may have become disillusioned with your current service, finding that it doesn’t directly contribute to the delivery of key objectives and the stability of your team. If this sounds familiar, our personalised approach may be the perfect solution.
With an experienced HR specialist in your corner, you can:
Ensure compliance with employment legislation and HR best practice
Raise HR standards and promote good practice approaches across your organisation
Minimising the risk of Employment Tribunal claims
Create happy, engaged and productive teams
Overcome people problems quickly, with minimal disruption
Free up valuable management time
Accomplish organisational goals
Find out why PureGym chose us as their HR specialists
What we can help with
From the seemingly simple to the most complex of HR challenges, our experienced HR specialists can offer valuable clarity, reassurance and direction. Whatever issue you come up against, we’re on hand to help you untangle the complexities of employment law and find commercially-savvy solutions that achieve the best possible outcome for your organisation.
Your dedicated HR specialist will work with you to navigate day-to-day HR obstacles, which commonly include:
Misconduct and disciplinary
Performance management
Sickness absence
TUPE
Dismissal
Parental leave
Pay
Bullying, harassment and discrimination
Recruitment
Hassle-free HR Software
To help you stay on top of your HR responsibilities on a daily basis, our cloud-based HR software (provided free of charge as part of our core service) streamlines important tasks such as holiday planning, absence management and training – promoting productivity and efficiency and saving valuable management time.
Looking to attract and retain the best talent, support the wellbeing of your workforce and minimise out-of-office time? Our HR Software can be combined with an Employee Benefits module, provided via our partner Eppione, to create a customised package of emotional, physical and financial employee perks.
Reasons to choose EW
When selecting the right external HR support for your organisation, you want to know that you’re getting a high-quality service. That means qualifications, experience and a proven track record of achieving results for businesses like yours, as well as an honest and transparent approach.
Our clients tell us we’re different because:
- We’re big on trust. Unlike other providers, there’s no auto-renewal clause in our contract; we’re content to let the quality of our service speak for itself. If you haven’t already, make sure to check your current contract so that you’re not caught off guard by any such clause.
- We’re known for the quality of our advice. You’ll be assigned a dedicated, legally-qualified adviser with knowledge and expertise of your sector, strong commercial acumen, and the ability to provide straightforward guidance free of legal jargon.
- Our fees are genuinely fixed.The price you pay won’t change during your contract – not even if your organisation grows or your usage increases.
- We place our Legal Expenses Insurance with a reputable and entirely independent FCA-regulated insurer. This allows us to make insurance decisions based solely on the merits of the claim and not with one eye on our bottom line.
- We deliver your preferred outcome. We successfully defend 82% of the Employment Tribunal claims made against our clients, compared to the national average of just 10%.
Whatever level of support you currently have in place, we’re confident that our HR specialists can elevate your current approach, whether that’s by fully outsourcing your HR function or becoming a valued extension of your existing people team.
We’re available now
To talk through your specific requirements and find out how Ellis Whittam might be the right fit for your organisation, call 0345 226 8393 today.
Quick-fire HR Guides
What is constructive dismissal?
Constructive dismissal refers to a situation whereby an employee resigns as a result of the employer’s unlawful or intolerable conduct. In such circumstances, an employee is considered not to have resigned but to have been effectively dismissed.
Employees who feel they have been forced out may be able to bring a claim for constructive dismissal, arguing that employer’s actions (or failure to take action where necessary) made it impossible for the employment relationship to continue. The reasons underlying such claims may range from unreasonable changes to the employee’s terms, unjustified demotion, or failing to protect them from harassment.
How can I improve employee retention?
Maintaining the stability of your team and keeping hold of talented employees is key to your success, but in today’s restless job market, employees are often looking for their next opportunity. The key is to understand people’s frustrations and what employees really want. Are you shying away from flexible working? Have your salaries remained static for years? Are you neglecting training and development?
Often, employers don’t address issues until it’s too late, so a proactive approach is key. Common game changers include clear progression opportunities, better work-life balance, and a management team that supports employee’s achievements and rewards hard work. Thankfully, these are changes that don’t cost the earth, but the cost of not taking preemptive action could be significant.
Can I use covert surveillance to obtain proof of misconduct?
Spying on employees at work is a controversial topic, which many employers wouldn’t dream of doing in fear of breaching human rights. However, in a recent case, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that it was permissible for an employer to covertly record cashiers who were suspected of stealing. This, it held, didn’t breach their right to privacy or right to a fair trial.
This case is a useful reminder that in certain limited circumstances, employers can resort to covert surveillance if they suspect criminal activity. Of course, it does not give businesses carte blanche to hide cameras everywhere and employers must always be careful not to surveil areas where privacy is expected – in a toilet or, for example, a resident’s room in a care home.
