HR Consultancy
Investigations, hearings and appeals
There are many components to a fair disciplinary or grievance process. If you’re not comfortable conducting investigations, hearings and appeals yourself, or are simply strapped for time, our seasoned HR specialists can offer on-site support to take the pressure off.
We can conduct the meetings for you or, if you prefer, attend them with you to provide expert guidance and reassurance. This is invaluable when experienced, independent HR support is needed.
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How we help
Tap into expert knowledge of HR best practice
A formal grievance, disciplinary or capability procedure can be tricky and time-consuming. A complex misconduct matter, for example, could take several weeks to gather enough information and prepare for the meeting, and those responsible will need a working understanding of Acas guidelines and employment law in order to prevent costly mistakes.
With WorkNest by your side, you can take the stress out of complicated HR procedures, minimise management burden and reduce legal risk.
- Discuss the matter with a dedicated HR expert to establish relevant background information
- Agree an assignment schedule based on the facts of the case and level of support you need
- Let skilled HR professionals conduct the investigation and hearing for you to ensure best practice
- Improve audit trails with bespoke document drafting, including investigation reports and outcome letters
- Get help handling any subsequent appeal, dealt with by a different WorkNest consultant to ensure objectivity and fairness
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Full process management backed up by support from in-house lawyers
If you take up our HR Consultancy services in conjunction with our fixed-fee Employment Law and HR support, your investigation report will be reviewed by a legally-qualified Employment Law specialist, who will help to ensure it protects your interests and advise you on the commercial outcome.
In the event of an appeal, your Employment Law Adviser will assess the grounds of appeal and advise you on the legal position – and, if you don’t want to act yourselves, this can be handled by a separate HR Consultant for ease and peace of mind.
Popular FAQs
Common queries about our support with investigations, hearings and appeals, answered by our HR specialists.
Why might I need HR Consultancy support with investigations, hearings and appeals?
HR Consultancy can offer invaluable support when faced with people problems that you don’t feel capable of tackling yourself, or that you would prefer not to tackle yourself for whatever reason. For example, you might be dealing with a particularly complex issue that haven’t come across before, such as suspected fraud, or it may be a sensitive issue that is better dealt with my an independent professional. As well as helping to ensure these matters are managed appropriately, thereby reducing legal risk, leaning on an expert can greatly reduce the significant burden they can incur on management time.
How long would an investigation typically take?
A grievance or disciplinary investigation can take anything from three to five days to complete, though more complex matters may take longer than this. Where possible, we will provide you with a fixed cost for the investigation; if this is not possible due to not having the full details, we would normally give you an estimate of how long we believe the investigation stage will take.
How are the costs worked out?
Our HR Consultancy services are typically charged at a day rate. Once we have a summary of the case and know how many people are involved, we can normally establish how many days it will take to investigate. Based on this, and provided we have the information we need, we can normally give you a fixed-fee quote, though this may change depending on how the situation evolves.
What is the purpose of a grievance/disciplinary appeal hearing?
If an employee isn’t happy with the outcome of the grievance/disciplinary process, they may choose to appeal the decision. The purpose of the appeal hearing, therefore, is to examine the employee’s grounds of appeal and decide whether the outcome of the case was justified. For example, it may be that the employee feels the action taken against them was too harsh in the circumstances, or that it was inconsistent with action taken for similar offences. Importantly, the appeal is not an opportunity to submit more evidence. Your WorkNest HR Consultant will help you to manage any appeals, from determining whether the employee has a genuine reason to appeal, to conducting the hearing for you.
I’d like our managers to be able to conduct the process, but they feel out of their depth.
While some people management issues can be dealt with informally, the prospect of carrying out a formal grievance or disciplinary procedure can be incredibly daunting if you don’t feel equipped to get it right. At WorkNest, as well as doing the hard work for you, we can also help to develop your team so that you are better placed to manage these issues in future. Our HR experts can deliver practical Discipline & Grievance training, or individual coaching programmes exclusively to your organisation, to provide managers with an essential overview of best practice and employment law and develop their confidence in all aspects of the process.
I’m an WorkNest Employment Law and HR client. What’s the process if I need HR Consultancy support?
If you’re a client and you face a grievance or disciplinary issue, you’ll have advice first from your usual small team of named Employment Law Advisers. In many cases, you will be able to resolve the issue or manage the process quickly and compliantly with their direction. However, if you feel you would benefit from more hands-on support, your adviser will introduce you to our HR Consultancy Team and provide the necessary background to the case. You will be matched with a suitably skilled consultant who can then take over the matter and will make contact with you to arrange the right support. The HR Consultant will continue to update your Legal Advisers throughout the process, including obtaining any appropriate legal advice.
What is the purpose of a disciplinary investigation report?
The purpose of an investigation report is to facilitate some sort of action based on the official findings it presents, whether that be a termination of employment, additional training, or some other form of corrective action. It should present the facts gleaned from the investigation, offer a conclusion as to whether there is a case to answer, and serve as a record of the steps of the investigation, demonstrating that it was thorough, fair and conducted in a timely manner. Importantly, while the investigator has to make some limited evaluations on the evidence to decide whether or not there is a case to answer, they should not suggest a possible sanction or prejudge the outcome in the report. That is a job for the disciplinary chair.
What happens after the investigation?
Once the investigation stage is complete, your HR Consultant will produce a full report, which will give a clear, logical overview of the investigation and contain the witness statements and evidence compiled by your consultant. This information can be passed on to the person managing the hearing stage, which we can also handle on your behalf using a separate consultant for impartiality.
Explore Our HR Consultancy Services
We do more than just investigations, hearings and appeals...
Consultation support
Looking to make changes within your organisation? If it will have a fundamental impact on the employment relationship, you have a duty to inform and consult with your employees first.
Whether you’re embarking on large-scale redundancies, considering making changes to employees’ terms and conditions or going through a transfer of ownership, our skilled HR specialists can conduct productive consultations with those affected to help you make informed, commercial decisions.
Dispute resolution
If alternative forms of dispute resolution fail, settlement agreements may be the only viable solution. However, negotiating one can be daunting – that’s why we’re here to make the process as painless as possible, as well as help you avoid legal pitfalls along the way.
Whether you have an employee who’s consistently underperforming or who isn’t suitable for your team, causing disruption and impacting negatively on team output, we can steer you through the legal requirements and iterative processes that need to be followed to deliver the settlement so that you can sever ties and move forward positively.
Mediation and facilitation
Resolving a workplace dispute or repairing a working relationship that has gone sour isn’t always easy. At WorkNest, we can provide mediation or facilitation services to help two or more individuals or groups reach a solution that is acceptable to everyone.
We can help those involved understand each other’s perspectives, clarify potential options, and develop an appropriate action plan for the parties to follow – allowing you to move forward positively.
Organisational change
Got big plans for your organisation over the next 12 months to three years? Then you might need to rethink and right-size your organisation to make sure your structure and skillset aligns with your aims.
If you’re not sure where to start with a task of this scale, our skilled HR Consultants can support you through the reorganisation process and ensure your workforce is set up for future success.
Recruitment
Hiring the right people can measurably propel your organisation towards success. Using proven methods, we can maximise your chances of attracting, sourcing, selecting and retaining the most talented personnel.
If you’re spending too much time and money on your recruitment, or struggling to get quality candidates through the process expediently, our outsourced recruitment offerings are suitable for one-off senior-level hires or even for us managing all your annual vacancies in one place.
Staff surveys
There’s only one way to truly evaluate your workforce’s feelings towards your organisation as a place of work, and that’s by asking them. Our staff surveys provide an effective and transparent measure of employee engagement.
After identifying your objectives, we can help you design, implement and analyse your survey. Done effectively, this can enhance your relationship with your employees, address critical issues and direct organisational growth.
Training and organisation development
Equipping your staff with the right skills fortifies your organisation and maximises its success.
Our trainers will apply fresh thinking to your operational and strategic challenges and offer innovative solutions to address your training requirements. Sharing their skills and knowledge, they will facilitate productive and insightful events to enhance your business’s management and leadership capability.
Welfare and medical capability meetings
When dealing long-term absence or persistent short-term absences, care must be taken to avoid being found liable for unlawful discrimination.
If you have concerns about an employee’s ability to undertake their role effectively, our seasoned HR Consultants can take care of all formal meetings for you and help you to do the right thing by your people and your business.
99.2% Client happiness rating
97% Client retention rating
Why choose us?
Experts in HR
At WorkNest HR, we’re known for our bespoke service and the quality of our support. Not only is our expertise unmatched, but we take the time to know you so that we can function as a true extension of your team.
- 40 employed HR Consultants, many of whom are CIPD qualified, chartered and fellows
- A dedicated Organisational Development Team of specialist trainers and consultants
- Cradle-to-grave HR service for new start-ups and growing businesses – everything from managing your HR administration through to defining your HR strategy
- Specialists in managing projects such as pay and reward, recruitment, HR systems, onboarding, redundancy and restructuring
- HR Consultants based in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Chester, Horsham and London, working remotely and in your premises
Who you’ll be working with
Angela Carter
Director of Legal Services
Toyah Marshall
Head of Team
Toyah Marshall
Principal Employment Law Adviser
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We have had various times we have needed to call WorkNest (formerly HRSP) for help. They have always been incredibly fair and transparent in providing a solution for all parties involved. As an organisation, we have now grown considerably and our next year will see further employees recruited so we will still be looking to WorkNest for their valued help. We couldn’t be without them!”
Paul and Sarah Ainsworth
Directors, Falcon Equine Feeds Ltd, Omega Equine Ltd and Better4Hooves Ltd
