HR Foundations

HR Foundations to make you compliant, confident and competitive

If you’re looking for HR support for SMEs that is practical, compliant, and commercially focused, we provide proactive HR solutions tailored to small and mid-sized businesses facing constant change.

Running a small or mid-sized business today means dealing with a variety of challenges — from evolving legislation to hybrid working expectations, rising employee disputes or growing pressure to retain talent.

For SMEs, the stakes are high: one misstep in employment law, one unresolved workplace issue, or one failed hire can lead to a multitude of issues and costs. That’s where we come in.

We don’t just offer reactive HR services — we deliver proactive, strategic and practical HR support tailored for SMEs who need to get things done properly.

We solve the pressing HR problems that SMEs face daily

Compliance, performance and culture aren’t three separate boxes to tick. They’re deeply connected — and often become urgent at the same time. We work at the intersection of these overlapping priorities:

Employment Law Compliance

Staying compliant with ever-changing employment law is critical — but for SMEs, it’s often the last thing you have time to master.

• How confident are you in your HR compliance?
• Are your contracts and policies up to date with the latest legislation?
• Are your managers aware of their responsibilities when handling dismissals, absence, or flexible working requests?
• Could you defend your processes if challenged at tribunal?

We can help you to identify the blind spots and give you clarity, confidence and compliant documentation — before problems escalate.

Conflict Resolution, Workplace Behaviour and Culture

Unresolved people problems will lead to poor engagement from your team and impact your culture — they also cost time, clients and sometimes your reputation.

• Common people management issues we help resolve:
• Struggling with long-term sickness or performance issues?
• Dealing with a team dynamic that’s become toxic?
• Facing grievances or disciplinary processes you’re unsure how to handle?

We help you de-escalate conflict and foster an inclusive culture by following fair processes that help to protect your business from costly mistakes, impacting your bottom line.

Recruitment, Onboarding & Retention

Finding the right people — and keeping them — is harder than ever in today’s talent market.

• Before you hire again, ask yourself:
• Do you need help attracting the right talent without wasting time on poor-fit candidates?
• Are new hires leaving too soon — or underperforming from the start?
• Are your onboarding and review processes setting people up to succeed?

We’ll strengthen your entire employee lifecycle so that you build a committed workforce and your team becomes a genuine asset.

We join the dots so you don’t have to

What makes us different? We don’t treat HR as a checklist. We treat it as an operational advantage — tailored for SMEs who need clear advice and actions.

• Our approach is built on three principles:
• Human – We listen first. We communicate in plain English. And we support both sides of the table.
• Pragmatic – We don’t just tell you what is legally compliant — we help you choose what’s commercially wise.
• Integrated – We help you connect compliance, culture and capability, so your business is protected and your people perform.

See How We Can Help

You don’t have to handle HR alone, and you don’t have to become an expert overnight.

Book a free 10-minute consultation — we’ll listen, ask the right questions, and advise you on the best next steps, with no commitment required.

• Or explore our core service areas in more depth:
• Employment Law Compliance
• Conflict & Conduct Management
• Recruitment & Retention Strategy

Trusted by SME Leaders Who Want HR That Works

“We’ve had the pleasure of working with Emma and the team at Ward Williams HR for several years now. They are consistently helpful and quick to resolve any queries. Their extensive HR and legislative knowledge is invaluable, and they assist us with disciplinary matters, employee support, and legislative updates. They also provide policies and documentation for any situation we encounter.”

Don’t wait for HR problems to become legal ones. Whether you’ve already got a situation escalating, or you’re trying to avoid the next one — we’re here to help.

Let’s talk. One conversation could save you a tribunal claim, a resignation, or months of team dysfunction.

Solve all your employment law questions in just one call.

• Get a free consultation today on the following:
• Employment contracts
• Disciplinaries
• Holiday pay
• Maternity leave
• Recruitment
• Redundancy and dismissal
• Sick leave
• Tribunals
• Payroll

If you would like more information on our HR and Employment Law advice and HR packages to support your business, please get in touch with the office at hr@wardwilliamshr.co.uk or call 01932 830664 or submit our contact form and we will get in touch.