A legal firm is taking the drama out of HR for employers by extending its ER lifeline.
De Marco Solicitors is expanding its Employment Response (ER) scheme to meet a growing demand for HR support among small and medium-size enterprises.
The Coventry and Warwickshire-based firm, with offices in Baginton and Kenilworth, is taking on additional HR consultants to bolster its employment law expertise for SMEs.
As well as drafting employee contracts and staff handbooks and operating an advice telephone line, the firm’s ER scheme now provides dedicated HR support to help SMEs avoid the costly pitfalls of failing to comply with employment legislation.
Sandra Garlick, principal of De Marco Solicitors, said: “Many SMEs do not have the requirement or the ability to employ a full-time HR manager and yet are increasingly aware of the need to be compliant with ever-changing employment law.
“We have enhanced our Employment Response scheme to meet the demand and have taken on two HR consultants to provide dedicated HR support along with access to insurance to protect against employment tribunal claims.
“The copybook on employment law is constantly being re-written and with so many proposed changes in the pipeline over the next 12 months, it is more important than ever before that SMEs are aware of the legal requirements for employers.”
Business and management consultancy Noel Quinn in Cape Road, Warwick, is the latest SME to sign up to the ER scheme.
Director Caroline Noel said: “It enables me to concentrate on running the business without having to worry about keeping up-to-date with employment legislation.
“We were recently successful in securing a project in Devon which involved us doubling the number of our staff overnight. This gives us peace of mind that our HR policies and procedures remain compliant with the law.”
Inspire Insurance, based on the Middlemarch Business Park in Coventry, has relied on the ER scheme since taking on its first employee.
Managing director Leigh Mackey said: “As a small company, having the knowledge and expertise on hand has been invaluable in allowing us to expand rapidly without the worry of staff issues.
“It has been hugely beneficial to have that level of support and for it to adapt with the growth of the business, from the point of having no employees to having 11 full-time staff in a short period of time.”