Recently, our HR consultancy partnered with a new client a growing charity facing several challenging situations, including an ongoing tribunal claim from a former employee and gaps in their people processes.
They needed confidence, clarity, progress, and risk reduction fast.
The Brief
Our client asked us to:
- Conduct a full HR contract audit across employees, workers, and volunteers and improve their onboarding
- Support their response to an opportunistic tribunal claim
- Implement a clear process for managing staff under the influence of alcohol
- Advise on a short-service dismissal situation and sexual harassment case
What We Found
Our audit identified several common but high-risk issues:
- Inconsistent contractual terms across different engagement types
- Blurred status between workers and volunteers
- No formal intoxication-at-work procedure
- Manager uncertainty around short service dismissals and probationary periods
- Documentation gaps that could weaken tribunal defence
- No volunteer agreements or framework to deal with inappropriate behaviour
Our Approach
Contract and Status Audit
We reviewed and aligned documentation for employees, workers, and volunteers, reducing misclassification risk and strengthening legal clarity.
Tribunal Response Support
Working alongside the client, we:
- Reviewed the claim and evidence
- Strengthened the paper trail
- Advised on risk and strategy
- Prepared management for next steps, including leading on Acas conciliation, exchange of documents, and a defence framework
Result: The client moved from reactive and anxious to calm and in control.
Alcohol-at-Work Process Implementation
We designed a practical procedure covering:
- Immediate safety steps
- Investigation framework
- Suspension considerations
- Consistent decision-making and case resolution
The executive team and managers now have a clear playbook rather than relying on guesswork.
Short Service Dismissal Guidance
We provided legally sound, commercially pragmatic advice to ensure:
- Fair rationale
- Reduced unfair dismissal risk
- Proper documentation
- Confident management handling and case resolution
The Value Delivered
- Reduced legal and reputational risk
- Robust, aligned contracts across the workforce
- Clear manager guidance in high-risk situations
- Stronger position in the ongoing tribunal claim
- Increased leadership confidence in handling people issues
Most importantly, the client moved from firefighting to future-proofing, including case resolution.
HR Insight
Opportunistic claims often expose underlying process gaps. The organisations that fare best are those who:
- Audit proactively
- Train managers early
- Document consistently
- Seek expert support before issues escalate
It may be time for a health check, without having to recruit highly experienced senior HR support.