I LOVE HR Dept Wilmlsow – Right Here in Cheadle Hulme

29 Mar 2021

HR, or Human Resources, is a key part of any company and can be crucial to growth and success. All about an organisation’s people, those two little words encompass so many functions of a successful business.

Your HR department will ensure staff are paid correctly. It could create and deliver training programmes. Critically, the HR department ensures compliance with employment law and legislation (including the all-new and extra-tricky minefield that is Covid-19 guidance).

The responsibilities of an HR department are many, and varied. They’re also ever-growing, and ever-changing. Not every business has the space, budget or even full-time need for a dedicated HR department. However, every business could certainly benefit from HR help and expertise.

Your Own HR Department

Step up, Emma Fay. Emma heads HR Dept (Wilmslow) – actually based right in the heart of Cheadle Hulme. Landmark House , Emma says, is the perfect location for both meetings and workspace. Not your average HR ‘suit’, Emma is like a breath of fresh air: friendly, personable, and approachable – but above all, thoroughly knowledgeable and an experienced HR professional. Originally from Bramhall, Emma’s always loved Cheadle Hulme and can’t wait for everything to open up again. Favourite haunts include Coco Deli for lunch and the John Millington at the weekend. Oh yes, Emma. We are SO with you.

HR Dept Wilmslow can take care of everything HR for your business:

Contracts of employment
Employee handbooks and HR policies
Employment law advice
On-site HR assistance
Personnel management software
Insurance against tribunal claims
Disciplinary and grievance
Performance management
Absence management
Redundancies
Appraisals
Recruitment
Employee benefits

HR Star

Emma and HR Dept (Wilmslow) have clients across Stockport, Manchester, and Cheshire. Her Cheadle Hulme-based clients include many friends and familiar names, such as the Retreat Rooms, Applied Industrial Systems, One Stop Property Solutions, Leap Vehicle Leasing and Amiga Finance.

Since I Love last caught up with Emma, her business has grown exponentially. There are many more clients AND a post graduate HR Management Diploma with the CIPD after two years of hard studying. That would be a challenge for anyone – more so on top of running a business. Emma also now works with several local businesses who require a real hands-on HR service. That can involve meeting with clients’ staff on a 1:1 basis, working on employee engagement and wellbeing, and training for those with line management responsibility. Emma tells us

“I’m absolutely loving this, especially seeing the real impact and benefit these services bring to those small businesses.”

Emma’s clearly getting it right. The results of last year’s client satisfaction survey are in. 100% client satisfaction. That says it all.

HR Annus Horribilis

The past year has been a challenge for everyone and every business. Emma considers herself lucky to have had one of the busiest periods since starting the business in 2014. However, last year was tough. There was keeping up with the ever-changing guidance on furlough, redundancies, consultation processes and covid compliance. Trying to clients up to date. Supporting customers through really difficult decisions. Often, says Emma “employees forget that the small business they work for is actually someone’s livelihood and life’s work. Those owners put in blood, sweat and tears just to stay afloat last year.

Emma had to help with quite a lot of redundancies which was tough. Nobody goes into HR wanting to do that side of things. Emma and HR Dept (Wilmslow) were there for both the employer AND employees to ensure that, even where difficult decisions were made, they were made the right way. Emma was able to take at least some of that stress away.

Get Your HR Right

As life starts to – hopefully – return to normal, and more businesses can open and operate, Covid-19 is still rearing its head and putting spanners in the works. There are rumours and hearsay about employers and clients insisting on Covid vaccines for example. That’s an employment law minefield in the making. As with so much else connected to Covid, everyone’s in the dark somewhat. Some industries may easily justify requiring vaccines, care for example. Emma advises

“Any such policy would have to be worked out and implemented on a case-by-case basis. Any business should take specific advice. There could even be discrimination issues if an employee’s decision around the vaccine is due to their beliefs, or health problems.

From the HR perspective it also comes down to whether ‘enforcement’ can ever be a good way to go about things. The employment relationship is built on trust. An employer’s duty of care may include discussing the benefits of the vaccine, maybe even to encourage the take up of it, but enforcement will not normally go down well with a workforce.”

Also, already the furlough rules are changing, regarding notice periods. Many businesses must still consider redundancies due to the Covid situation and closures. They may be banking on using the furlough grants to cover notice periods, but this is no longer allowed under the furlough rules. Business owners will need to be aware of what redundancies will cost.

These are just some of the current and topical issues. But with HR, it’s ALWAYS essential to get it right for your employees. Getting it wrong isn’t merely unjust or unfair – it could cost your business more than just money. HR Dept (Wilmslow) offer no obligation chats and free initial advice. Speak with Emma to make sure you get it right every time, with every employee. Your business NEEDS the support of Emma’s HR Dept.