Where can I find free or low-cost advice for an operational staffing matter or an HR legal issue?
When you have a recruitment or HR problem, finding practical solutions is often tricky – and costly. We’ve done the hard work for you and compiled the below table of great-value resources to give you comprehensive advice and insight on a huge range of staffing topics, so you know exactly where to go if any problems arise.
Key: paid for service registration required official
HR policies and legal documents
Rocket Lawyer
Refer to a comprehensive guide of HR policies and legal documents from Rocket Lawyer.
WHEN: You’re starting out and need the key employment legals to ensure compliance. Or you’ve reached that stage of business growth where you need defined HR policies so you can grow in a controlled way.
WHY: It’s affordable, simple and available digitally and backed-up with email and phone support.
WHAT: Easy to access legal templates and advice on all the core aspects of business.
OTHER: Many accountancy firms will provide payroll and HR services that include access to the key employment contracts and HR policies.
HR policies and legal documents
Chartered Institute of Personnel Development
Study HR factsheets from Chartered Institute of Personnel Development.
WHEN: You’ve got an issue which relates to a specific subject.
WHY: The UK’s leading professional body for businesses keeps the broadest range of up-to-date factsheets on any aspect of employment and HR management.
WHAT: A set of factsheets that get straight to the key points relating to any given HR topic. Requires a degree of HR and employment knowledge to make best use.
OTHER: For businesses at an earlier stage, this content may be overwhelming. In which case, look at these templates and guidance (which you’ll need to pay for, but they are backed up with phone support) from Federation of Small Business.
HR training
ACAS
WHEN: You’ve reached the size where your management, accounts or administration staff need or want to have a deeper grasp of HR.
WHY: You’re calling on your accountant or legal provider with increasing frequency and need to develop better skills internally.
WHAT: A one-day £170 training course on the fundamentals of employment law and HR, giving you the confidence and knowledge to know where to go to to get access to a deeper level of information.
OTHER: For staff looking to develop their HR skills to a much deeper level, the CIPD offers professional qualifications that can be studied online and/or part time.
HR support
Federation of Small Business
Consider a membership to an advice centre from Federation of Small Business.
WHEN: You have a specific problem that is important or quite strategic and you can’t answer it from online resources, internally or from within your existing network.
WHY: The consequence of bad HR choices can be hugely detrimental. If your common sense and online research is not getting you to the right answer, tailored advice at a sensible price is worth it.
WHAT: This membership, which costs £170 a year, gives you specialist phone support and guidance from HR experts. You’ll be able to confirm your analysis or seek specialist guidance to give you, your staff, customers, suppliers and job applicants the confidence in your position.
OTHER: The CIPD is the professional body for HR professionals. Their resources are substantial and extremely detailed, but consequently can be a little overwhelming and difficult to navigate for startups and small businesses. Browse all of their content here.