Human Resources

Legislation and case law are constantly evolving. Employees are gaining more rights in the workplace, and life as an employer continues to become ever-more complex.

So, it is perhaps not surprising that ever since Fitzrovia H.R. was established in 2004, it has continued to go from strength to strength, helping clients with all their HR issues.

As a sister company of Goodman Jones LLP, Fitzrovia H.R. supports clients who require the skills of an experienced HR specialist, but do not have their own in-house HR department. Additionally, we also support clients who do have an HR department, but who require specialist advice from someone outside of their organization to handle particularly sensitive issues.

Alf Saunders, our HR Director, has over 25 years HR training and experience across a diverse range of industries, and has considerable experience in dealing with difficult ‘employer versus employee’ negotiations, and Employment Tribunal cases.

As a result, our approach to your business will be hands-on and commercially focused. We will steer you through difficult negotiations, and provide you with a solution that is right for your particular circumstances, in order to achieve the best possible outcome for your business.

As with most problems, seeking early advice provides the best way to mitigate a potentially difficult situation, before it becomes a major issue. Listed below are just some typical examples of how we can help you with your employment issues.

Contracts of employment and service contracts for directors

This is as basic as it gets. An employee or director is entitled to a contract within 8 weeks of joining your company. Indeed, it is standard practice these days to include a contract when the offer letter is sent out to the successful candidate.

Failure to provide a contract within the time limit could lead to an employer facing tribunal proceedings, and would certainly adversely prejudice the outcome of a later dispute with an employee or director.

In order to ensure your statutory obligations are met, we will draft contracts, and review any existing contracts for compliance with all current legislation.

Employee handbook

We will discuss all relevant business issues concerning staff, and produce a fully compliant employee handbook containing all necessary policies and procedures. Part of the handbook will cover standard areas and procedures, and some will be business specific.

For example, a construction company will be particularly concerned with health and safety. We can undertake a full health and safety review, and ensure that all pertinent areas are covered in your employee handbook. If needed, we can also train your staff to ensure that they are aware of their responsibilities, and that you, as an employer, have discharged your duty under current legislation. We would recommend contracts are reviewed annually to ensure they are always up to date.

Dismissal and redundancy

You might have a ‘problem’ employee, or be considering a possible redundancy situation. However, there are numerous issues to consider and strict statutory procedures to follow, which, if not handled properly, can lead to a claim for unfair dismissal or constructive dismissal. It is important, therefore, to contact us for advice before any action is taken.

Business restructuring

We can advise and assist you with all restructuring issues, from the implementation of redundancy schemes to compiling and negotiating severance packages for staff and directors.

TUPE regulations

If you are even considering buying or selling a business, you must be aware of these regulations governing the rights of employees in these circumstances. The financial and operational implications of these regulations are considerable, and the regulations themselves are complex. Our knowledge and practical experience in this area is substantial. We can guide you every step of the way.

Discrimination

There are many forms of discrimination that can take place at work - age, bullying, disability, race, religion, sex.

Discrimination is not just about an employer discriminating against an employee. Discrimination also covers employees discriminating against each other - so if you do not have adequate company policies and procedures in place, you could be liable for the actions of an employee.

What’s more, there is no limit to the amount a Tribunal can award.

We can draft and implement suitable policies and procedures, and introduce good systems for training and monitoring to provide the best defence to a claim brought by an employee.


For more information phone us now on +44 (0) 20 7388 3444 or via info@fitzroviahr.com