In addition to legally mandatory policies, most UK businesses benefit from a broader suite of employee policies and procedures that set clear workplace expectations, reduce management disputes, and protect the business. We draft all of the following:
A compliant disciplinary policy sets out the stages of formal disciplinary action, from informal warnings through to dismissal, and ensures your procedure aligns with the ACAS Code of Practice essential for defending any employment tribunal claim.
Since the Employment Rights Act 2025, employees have the right to request flexible working from day one of employment, and employers must follow a revised process for handling requests. A clear flexible working policy ensures compliance and manages expectations consistently across your workforce.
Your data protection policy for employees must explain what personal data you collect, how it is used, how long it is retained, and employees' rights under UK GDPR. A well-drafted policy also reduces the risk of ICO investigations and data breach liability.
Clear absence management procedures covering notification requirements, return-to-work interviews, fit notes, and trigger points for formal action help reduce unauthorised absence and provide a documented basis for managing persistent short-term absence.
Documents your commitment to preventing discrimination, harassment, and victimisation across all nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. Essential for defending any discrimination claim and for businesses that tender for public contracts.
Sets clear boundaries around employees' use of social media, personal devices, and company IT systems during and outside working hours protecting your business from data breaches, reputational damage, and misconduct claims arising from online behaviour.
With hybrid working now standard for many businesses, a documented policy covering equipment provision, home working expenses, availability expectations, and data security is essential — both for compliance and for managing employees fairly and consistently.
A formal whistleblowing (or protected disclosure) policy demonstrates your commitment to ethical business conduct, provides a safe channel for employees to raise concerns, and can significantly reduce regulatory and reputational risk for your business.
Well-drafted work policies do more than keep you legally compliant; they create the operational framework that allows your business to grow without chaos. When company policies are clear, consistently applied, and regularly reviewed:
Our company policy services work alongside our staff handbook service policies, which are typically incorporated into a single, easy-to-navigate handbook that employees can access and reference. We also link policy reviews into our retained HR service, so your documentation stays current as the law evolves.
Several company policies required by law must be in place for any UK employer with staff. Failing to have these documented exposes your business to tribunal claims, HMRC penalties, and regulatory enforcement action. The policies are a legal requirement for most UK businesses. Our HR professionals craft policies that are not only compliant with employment law but also tailored to the unique dynamics of your workplace, offering peace of mind through formal disciplinary procedures and employment contracts.
Our policies ensure that employees work within a framework that promotes work hours efficiency and social media usage guidelines. This not only protects the company but also enhances the work culture.
Contact us today to discuss how we can support your business with HR outsourcing and consulting services, helping you save time and manage your HR strategy effectively. Let us help you establish a strong foundation that supports both growth and compliance.
We provide a full suite of tailored company policies, including disciplinary and grievance, flexible working, data protection, absence management, equal opportunities, social media and IT use, remote and hybrid working, whistleblowing, health and safety, anti-bribery, and modern slavery. All policies are drafted to comply with current UK employment legislation and can be packaged into a staff handbook.
At minimum, every UK employer should have a health and safety policy (legally required for 5+ employees), a disciplinary and grievance procedure, an equal opportunities policy, and a data protection policy. Beyond these legal minimums, most businesses also benefit from having documented policies on absence, flexible working, remote working, social media use, and whistleblowing. The specific policies your business needs will depend on your size, sector, and working arrangements.
We begin with a consultation to understand your business structure, sector, workforce size, and working arrangements. Each policy is drafted from scratch to reflect your specific operational requirements — not adapted from a generic template. We also ensure policies are consistent with your employment contracts and any collective agreements in place.
Outsourcing to HR experts ensures your company policies and procedures are legally compliant, consistently drafted, and up to date with the latest employment legislation. It also saves significant management time writing a compliant disciplinary policy alone; for example, it can take days without specialist knowledge. Our consultants produce policies quickly and accurately, reducing both the cost of your time and the risk of errors.
A standard suite of core company policies typically takes one to two weeks, depending on the number of policies required and the complexity of your business. Individual policies can often be turned around more quickly. We always provide a clear timeline estimate before beginning work.
Yes. Policy maintenance is included in our retained HR service. We proactively monitor changes to UK employment law, such as the Employment Rights Act 2025 reforms, and notify retained clients when their policies need updating. We then revise the relevant documentation and provide the updated versions for your records.
Yes. All policies drafted by Harwood HR Solutions are written to comply with current UK employment legislation, including the Equality Act 2010, UK GDPR, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures, and the Employment Rights Act 2025. We update our standard policy templates whenever the law changes.
Yes. We offer a comprehensive company policy audit service that reviews your existing documentation against current UK employment law, identifies compliance gaps and outdated clauses, and provides a prioritised action plan. This is particularly valuable if your policies have not been reviewed since before the Employment Rights Act 2025 came into force.
We offer both. Most policy work is conducted remotely, with policies delivered electronically for your review and approval. Where on-site consultation is preferable, for example, for a larger business requiring a more in-depth review of working practices, we can arrange a visit. Contact us to discuss your preference.
Yes. Our HR policies for small businesses are designed to be affordable and practical. We understand that small businesses often have limited time and budget for HR administration, so we focus on delivering the policies you actually need — clearly written, properly compliant, and ready to use without unnecessary complexity or cost.
Yes. We proactively track changes in UK employment law and update client policies accordingly. Recent changes requiring updates include: day-one flexible working rights, reforms to zero-hours contracts, and enhanced unfair dismissal protections under the Employment Rights Act 2025. Retained clients are notified of required changes and receive updated documentation as standard.
Your workplace policies likely need reviewing if: they have not been updated in the last 12–18 months, your business has grown or changed significantly, you have experienced employee relations issues that your current policies did not adequately address, or there has been a significant change in employment law, such as the Employment Rights Act 2025. Our policy audit service can provide a clear picture of where gaps exist.
Yes, and this is one of the most important functions they serve. Clear, well-drafted company policies and procedures reduce legal risk by: providing documented evidence that you followed a fair process in disciplinary or dismissal situations; demonstrating compliance with the ACAS Code (avoiding tribunal uplift penalties); setting out legally required disclosures around data processing and equal opportunities; and establishing clear grounds for disciplinary action when employees breach workplace rules.
Providing you with expert project management to ensure all your legal requirements are met and helping you manage any associated risks.
Read MoreEmployment contracts will help your staff understand the obligations they have to your business, and you will have peace of mind knowing that your business is compliant with government regulations.
Read MoreWith us, you can create an easy-to-read company handbook that covers all bases. Our professionals guide and advise you on the best approach for your enterprise.
Read MoreOur retained HR service offers you all the benefits of having your own HR department, but at a fraction of the cost.
Read MoreExperience the power of Harwood HR and unlock the exclusive H&S portal for just £20 per month.
Read MoreConvenient, flexible and affordable through our portal with NO upfront cost, employees will enjoy an enhanced learning environment.
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