HR Advise Me

We offer an innovative flexi-retainer, to provide the services your business needs at a price you can afford You could use your retainer for all our services including employment law advice, HR support, health & safety services, first aid or mental health training

We provide tailored packages with a personalised service starting from £300 plus VAT a month, with no long term contracts tying you in

BreatheHR – online employee management system

Our online software breatheHR takes the hard work out of managing employees and centralises all your employee information in a simple to use system By automating time consuming tasks such as holiday and absence management you can reduce your paperwork and focus on improving your employees’ performance to grow your business

breatheHR will also help you manage your data protection obligations under GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018

If you have concerns about the workplace behaviour of a member of staff, or you need to manage a grievance, we are here to advise you on applying best practice in a commercial but practical way We can help you manage the situation to minimise the disruption to your business We’re able to advise how to handle difficult conversations, hold disciplinary meetings and carry out investigations for you We are also able to draw on the expertise of specialist employment lawyers from our sister company, Loch Law, to help protect your business and minimise the time and risks involved with costly litigation

If a member of staff is underperforming, we can help you understand why Our expertise allows us to identify the underlying causes of poor performance, whether they are work related or personal We can then develop the right approach to manage the situation effectively and help improve poor performance, providing support by attending meetings and phone calls if you need it

Proactive Absence Management (PAM)™

Our Proactive Absence Management™ service combines expertise from across the Loch Associates Group to give you practical and definitive advice on how to manage both long and short-term absences

Our HR Medical Specialists work on your behalf to identify the root causes of absence, and whether an absence is genuine They can provide you with medical reports, liaise with GPs and other medical specialists, and provide you with clear and practical advice on your obligations and duties as an employer

They are experts in understanding complex medical conditions including mental health issues or terminal illnesses, and can manage the difficult conversations your managers may not know how to handle We can also provide support in holding return to work meetings, and guidance on how you can facilitate a return to work

Loch Associates Group can help you to focus on improving productivity in the workplace through our team of Occupational Health advisors Our team of qualified HR Medical Specialists support clients in reducing sickness absences and improving the health of their teams and work with Occupational Health advisors to provide a fully rounded service We offer this service either on an ad-hoc basis or as part of your Flexi Retainer with us This is all part of PAM™ – our Proactive Absence Management service

We can provide a range of psychometric assessments to help you make better business decisions Psychometric testing is often used to help during recruitment to provide objective assessments to support the interview process We can also provide team assessments to help you understand the strengths and weaknesses of a team, the profiles of your staff, and how they work together We can help you identify areas for growth, and create tailored development plans to build the skills of your team Psychometric testing can also be used with senior managers to help understand their individual strengths and weaknesses This is particularly important when you are succession planning and developing a strong leadership for the future

Contracts, policies and handbooks

Clear and fair documentation is the bedrock of good HR practice, providing your employees with information on what you expect from them at work We can draw up contracts, policy documents and handbooks to help you deal with the common issues that arise when managing staff We can also draw on the expertise of our sister company, Loch Law, to provide you with tailored contractual clauses and policies to help protect your business too

We work with you to pinpoint areas where your organisation would benefit from staff training and development Employees who improve their skills get better results, feel more valued and engaged in their work and remain loyal Good staff retention means you can build on existing skills and knowledge, and avoid the time and expense of recruiting new staff and getting them up to speed We can provide tailor-made training solutions that are engaging, inspiring and easy to put into action We can provide training, coaching and development services as follows:

• Appraisals and performance management
• Appropriate conduct in the workplace
• Dealing with difficult people at work
• First time line managers Employees with the right skill set, who fit with the culture of your organisation create a happy and productive workplace We can provide advice and support to recruit the best staff for your business, and help you avoid making costly hiring mistakes Our experts can work with you across the whole of the recruitment process and tailor it to fit your requirements We can find and shortlist candidates, work with agencies or recruit on your behalf, carry out psychometric testing, and help manage the interview process

If you are considering restructuring your organisation, we can help you effectively manage the whole process We can guide you through identifying critical posts and writing new job descriptions, handling consultations and meetings, and developing the communications and documentation you provide to your employees A well structured, clear and fair process will help you manage the reputation of your business and reduce the risk of costly litigation We can also work with our sister company, Loch Law, to provide legal advice and our specialist employment lawyers can support you should a claim be brought against the organisation

ENQUIRE NOW ON 0203 6675 400

Our experts are waiting to talk with you and our aim is to respond to all enquiries within 2 hours

Whilst the Employment Bill, initially promised by the Government in 2019, has not yet come about, there are some key changes in employment

Annual Increase in Tribunal Limits

The Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order 2023 comes into force on 6 April 2023, signifying the regular annual increase in tribunal

Managing a Toxic Culture