HR Dept - Liverpool North

HR Dept - Liverpool North Local, commercially focused HR expertise you can trust.

Practical HR support for small and medium-sized businesses across Liverpool North, Ormskirk and the surrounding areas.

HR Myths - "It's in the contract, so we're covered."Having a contract is not the same as having a good contract. 📄I see ...
31/07/2026

HR Myths - "It's in the contract, so we're covered."

Having a contract is not the same as having a good contract. 📄

I see this a lot. A business has a contract, sometimes professionally drafted, sometimes copied from the internet circa 2014 and assumes that because something is written down, it's enforceable.

It's not always that simple.

Clauses can be void or unenforceable if they:
❌ Are so broad they don't hold up (common with restrictive covenants)
❌ Contradict statutory rights (you can't contract out of holiday entitlement)
❌ Haven't been incorporated properly (handed over but never signed)
❌ Don't reflect what's actually happened in practice over time

A clause that hasn't been applied consistently or that was quietly dropped years ago won't necessarily protect you when you try to enforce it.

And if your contracts haven't been reviewed since the Employment Rights Act 2025 changes? Some of what's in there may already be out of step.

💡 A contract is only as useful as what's actually in it and whether it reflects reality.

Check out my page if you'd like yours looked at. 👇

❌ "They're on a zero hours contract - I can just stop calling them."Zero hours ≠ zero obligations. Not even close. 🚨Zero...
24/07/2026

❌ "They're on a zero hours contract - I can just stop calling them."

Zero hours ≠ zero obligations. Not even close. 🚨

Zero hours contracts have their place, genuine flexibility for both sides. But they don't create a legal grey zone where employment rights disappear.

Zero hours workers still have rights from day one:
✅ The right not to be discriminated against
✅ The right to the National Minimum Wage
✅ Holiday pay (pro-rated based on hours worked)
✅ Rest break entitlements
✅ Protection if they raise a health and safety concern
✅ Protection for whistleblowing

And under the Employment Rights Act, more change is coming: the right to guaranteed hours and reasonable notice of shifts is heading employers' way (expected 2027, with consultation still live), so this area is only getting stricter, not looser.

Simply stopping rota contact isn't a dismissal process. If there's a pattern of work and then it stops, that can be challenged.

💡 If zero hours is part of how your business operates, it's worth making sure your approach holds up now, and preparing for the new rules ahead.

Check out my page if you'd like to talk it through. 👇

❌ "She's handing her notice in anyway - there's no point investigating the grievance."This is one of the most expensive ...
17/07/2026

❌ "She's handing her notice in anyway - there's no point investigating the grievance."

This is one of the most expensive shortcuts a business can take. 💸

When an employee raises a grievance, especially one involving discrimination, harassment, or whistleblowing, the fact that they're leaving doesn't make the obligation go away.

Failing to investigate properly leaves you exposed to:

• ⚠️ A constructive dismissal claim (if the grievance is the reason they're leaving)
• ⚠️ A discrimination or whistleblowing claim
• ⚠️ An aggravated finding at tribunal if it comes out that you knew and did nothing

The resignation doesn't close the case. In fact, if the grievance is the reason they're going, not investigating it is exactly the problem.

And tribunals do ask: what did you do when you found out?

💡 A proper process protects the business as much as it protects the employee. It's not just about fairness, it's about risk.

If you're dealing with a situation like this right now, check out my page. 👇

With the weather heating up again🥵🫠 ... I thought I would reshare our checklist to help you manage your team effectively...
10/07/2026

With the weather heating up again🥵🫠 ... I thought I would reshare our checklist to help you manage your team effectively in the heat!

06/07/2026

🎾 Wimbledon is back! Two weeks of world-class tennis, and behind every ace is months of preparation.

"Fail to prepare, prepare to fail" - and it doesn't just apply on Centre Court.

Take job interviews. We all know candidates need to prep, but here's the thing... so do YOU as the employer! 👀

Get it wrong and you risk:

❌ Losing your first-choice candidate because you didn't impress them

❌ Making a poor hire because you didn't ask the right questions

Interviews are a two-way match and the best talent is judging you just as much as you're judging them. 🏆

Want to ace your next round of interviews? Get in touch, we'll help you serve up a winning recruitment process. 🎾

❌ "We've never had a tribunal claim - we must be doing something right."Maybe. Or maybe you've just been lucky. 🤷The abs...
03/07/2026

❌ "We've never had a tribunal claim - we must be doing something right."

Maybe. Or maybe you've just been lucky. 🤷

The absence of a claim isn't evidence of compliance. It's just evidence that no one has challenged you yet.

Employment tribunal claims are up year on year. And the most common issues I see when I start working with a business aren't dramatic - they're quiet gaps that have built up over time:

📌 Contracts that don't reflect actual working arrangements
📌 No disciplinary or grievance process (or one that hasn't been followed)
📌 Performance issues that were managed informally - and undocumented
📌 Redundancy processes that were skipped because 'it was obvious'

The businesses that end up in tribunal aren't usually the ones that set out to do things wrong. They're the ones that assumed everything was fine because it hadn't caused a problem yet.

💡 An HR audit doesn't need to be a big exercise. It's often a quick sense-check that gives you real peace of mind.

Check out my page if you'd like a conversation. 👆

With the UK expecting another heatwave this week, we’ve put together a checklist to help you manage your team effectivel...
22/06/2026

With the UK expecting another heatwave this week, we’ve put together a checklist to help you manage your team effectively.

❌ "I can let someone go any time in their first two years - no questions asked."This one gets employers into serious tro...
18/06/2026

❌ "I can let someone go any time in their first two years - no questions asked."

This one gets employers into serious trouble. 😬

Yes, employees generally need two years' service to bring an unfair dismissal claim. But that changes from 1 July 2026, when the qualifying period drops to just 6 months under the Employment Rights Act.

Even before then - and even right now - dismissal is never truly "no questions asked." From day one, employees are protected against dismissal related to:

🚫 Discrimination (age, s*x, race, disability, religion, & more)
🚫 Whistleblowing
🚫 Asserting statutory rights (like requesting sick pay or family leave)
🚫 Pregnancy or maternity

Any of those? Automatically unfair. No qualifying period. No exceptions.

Acting without a proper process - even in someone's first week can and does end up in tribunal.

⏳ If you haven't reviewed your probationary process recently, now is a very good time.

Questions? Drop them in the comments or check out my page to get in touch. 👇

❌ "We're too small for employment law to apply to us."Oh, if only. 😬I hear this from business owners across Liverpool an...
08/06/2026

❌ "We're too small for employment law to apply to us."

Oh, if only. 😬

I hear this from business owners across Liverpool and West Lancashire more than you'd think. And I get it - when you're running a small team, the last thing on your mind is whether your contracts are tribunal-proof.

But UK employment law doesn't have a 'small business' exemption. Whether you employ 2 people or 200, the same rules apply -contracts, working time, discrimination, dismissal process, the lot.
And here's the kicker: smaller businesses are often more vulnerable, not less. There's no in-house HR team to catch the gaps. No legal team reviewing policies. Just you, your team, and a growing pile of employment law changes.

This myth costs businesses thousands every year in avoidable tribunal claims.

💡 The fix? You don't need to become an HR expert. You just need one nearby.

That's where I come in. 👋

Check out my page for contact details - happy to have a no-obligation conversation about where your business stands.

03/06/2026

🏢 Is your workplace ready to handle today's social climate?
Protests and unrest in the workplace aren't new — but the conversations happening right now are louder, more complex, and closer to home than ever before.

As an employer, staying ahead of the curve isn't just good practice... it's essential. 🌍

We'd love to hear from you:💬
Have you had to navigate difficult conversations at work recently?

Our latest blog breaks down exactly how employers can stay proactive, keep dialogue respectful, and maintain a positive workplace for everyone.

Drop us a message or check out the document below to find out more 👇

If you'd like to discuss how we can support your business, we'd love to hear from you. Whether you have a specific concern or simply want to explore how good HR practice can protect and strengthen your workplace, don't hesitate to get in touch. 😊

📩 [email protected]
📞 0151 393 1327
🌐 www.hrdept.co.uk/liverpool-north-ormskirk

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Ormskirk
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