FAQs About HR Support for Small Businesses
When should a small business get HR support?
It is worth putting HR support in place as soon as you start employing people. You do not need to wait until you have a large team or an employee problem.
Having the right contracts, policies and processes in place from the outset can make managing staff much easier. It also means you have someone to speak to when an issue arises, rather than trying to work out the right approach when you are already dealing with a difficult situation.
Do I need HR if I only have a few employees?
You do not need an internal HR department simply because you employ staff, but your employment law obligations apply regardless of the size of your business.
Even with a small team, you may need to deal with sickness absence, holiday entitlement, flexible working requests, performance concerns, family leave or disciplinary issues. Outsourced support gives you somewhere to turn when those situations arise without employing someone specifically to manage HR.
Can I speak to someone before taking action against an employee?
Yes. In fact, getting advice before you act is usually much better than asking for help afterwards.
If you are considering a warning, dismissal, redundancy or another formal step, we can talk you through your options and the process you should follow. This can be especially useful for small business owners who do not deal with these situations regularly.
Can you help if I have an employee problem right now?
Yes. You do not need to have everything in order before asking for HR support.
If you are already dealing with an employee issue, we can review what has happened so far, explain your options and help you decide what to do next. This could involve absence, conduct, poor performance, a grievance, a breakdown in working relationships or another workplace problem.
What happens if an employee raises a grievance against my business?
A grievance should normally be dealt with through a fair process, even in a small business.
We can help you understand the complaint, decide who should investigate it, prepare for meetings and respond appropriately. Where a grievance involves allegations against the owner or a senior manager, we can also advise on how the matter can be handled fairly and independently.
Can you help me dismiss an employee?
Yes. If dismissal is being considered, we can advise you on the reason for dismissal, the procedure you should follow and the risks involved before you make a decision.
The correct process will depend on the circumstances. For example, dismissing someone for misconduct is different from dealing with poor performance, redundancy or long-term sickness. Getting advice early can help prevent procedural mistakes that may cause problems later.
Can outsourced HR help me manage difficult conversations?
Yes. Difficult conversations are often one of the hardest parts of employing people, particularly when you run a small business and work closely with your employees every day.
We can help you prepare for conversations about performance, conduct, absence, pay, working arrangements and other sensitive issues. We can also advise you on what should be confirmed in writing afterwards.
What happens when my business starts growing?
As you employ more people, informal ways of managing staff can become harder to maintain.
We can help you put proper HR processes in place as your business grows, including contracts, policies, onboarding, probation processes, performance management and guidance for managers. This gives your business a more consistent way of dealing with employees as your team expands.
Can you review the HR documents I already have?
Yes. If you already have employment contracts, a staff handbook or workplace policies, these can be reviewed to check whether they are suitable for your business and reflect current employment law.
This can be useful if your documents were downloaded online, have not been updated for some time or were originally prepared when your business was much smaller.
Will I have to deal with a different HR adviser every time?
At Neathouse Partners, our aim is to understand your business and how you manage your people, rather than treating each question in isolation.
This means the advice you receive can take account of your business, your employees and what has happened previously, which is particularly useful when an employee issue develops over time .
Can you help prevent HR problems rather than just deal with them?
Yes. HR support should not only be used when something has already gone wrong.
We can help you get the basics right, spot issues early and deal with concerns before they become harder to manage. For a small business, this can mean better contracts and policies, clearer management processes and earlier advice when an employee issue first appears.
