Harwood’s CEO Duncan is a CIPD qualified HR Leader with over 24 years’ experience across numerous sectors. Duncan is here to support the growing needs of your business and will give you advice on any HR-related issue.
Contact Duncan and the team today for a free consultation and benefit from our leading HR services in Reading.
Harwood HR supports businesses across Reading and Berkshire with clear, commercial HR and employment law advice designed to reduce risk and free up your time. As experienced HR consultants, we provide flexible HR services that SMEs actually need, from retained and pay-as-you-go HR to fully outsourced HR. We handle employment contracts, staff handbooks, disciplinary processes, redundancy support, TUPE management, restructures, and employment tribunals. Our HR outsourcing service also covers recruitment support, staff retention, workplace mediation, health and safety, risk assessments, HR systems, and management liability insurance. You get fast responses, tailored solutions, and a dedicated HR advisor in Reading businesses can rely on.
If HR issues are slowing you down or you’re unsure how to stay compliant with UK employment law, we can help. As experienced HR consultants serving businesses in Reading and across Berkshire, we provide straightforward, reliable support to organisations of all sizes, whether you’re just starting out or already managing a growing team.
Whether you already have someone handling HR or you’re doing it yourself, our services are designed to be flexible. We can step in as needed, provide ongoing support, or take on specific projects. Here’s what we can help with:
If you need regular help, our retained HR support in Reading gives you direct access to an HR consultant for a fixed monthly cost. It’s ideal for businesses that want dependable advice without hiring a full-time HR manager.
Read MoreIf you’d rather keep things flexible, our pay-as-you-go option lets you call on us whenever you need support whether it’s a one-off issue or short-term cover.
Read MorePlanning a restructure? Need help with contracts, staff engagement, or updating your policies? We offer project-based support tailored to your business goals, timelines and budget.
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Duncan is a CIPD-qualified HR leader with 24+ years’ experience across retail, automotive, manufacturing and financial services. His expertise includes HR leadership, restructuring, acquisitions, employee relations and regulatory change. He has held senior roles with Sytner Group, Porsche GB and Dollar Financial Group and founded Harwood HR Solutions.
Zoe is a CIPD-qualified HR professional with extensive experience in HR, operations and training. She helped grow a business from 4 to 250+ employees and has expertise in acquisitions, TUPE, restructuring, recruitment, employee relations and FCA regulatory change, with a strong record of delivering HR projects without litigation.
Charlotte is a qualified HR professional with experience across people planning, organisational change, performance, talent and employee relations. She progressed to HR Business Partner at The Money Shop, supporting senior leadership through structural and financial change. Her expertise includes TUPE, redundancies, sickness absence and HR support across multiple sectors, including social care.
Harwood HR provides comprehensive HR support for businesses in Reading and across Berkshire, including employment contracts, staff handbooks, disciplinary and grievance management, redundancy support, TUPE management, workplace mediation, health and safety, and strategic HR planning. Whether you need retained HR, pay-as-you-go support, or project-based assistance, we tailor every solution to your business.
Yes. Our outsourced HR service for Reading businesses acts as your external HR department, giving you access to expert advice, compliance management, and day-to-day HR support without the cost of an in-house team. Ideal for growing SMEs across Reading and Berkshire.
Our retained HR packages give Reading businesses direct access to a dedicated HR consultant for a fixed monthly cost, covering employment law advice, policy management, employee relations, disciplinary and redundancy guidance, and proactive compliance support.
Yes. Our pay-as-you-go HR service lets Reading businesses access expert HR advice on demand, ideal for one-off issues, short-term cover, or businesses that need occasional support without committing to a monthly retainer.
Yes. We draft legally compliant, bespoke employment contracts and staff handbooks for Reading businesses, ensuring your documentation reflects current employment law, protects your organisation, and sets clear expectations for employees.
Yes. We guide Reading employers through disciplinary processes, grievance handling, redundancy consultations, and fair dismissal procedures, ensuring legally compliant, sensitively managed outcomes that reduce the risk of employment tribunal claims.
Yes. We support Reading employers facing employment tribunal claims by providing documentation support, strategic advice, and early conciliation assistance to minimise legal risk and protect your business reputation.
Yes. We provide specialist TUPE management and restructure support for Reading and Berkshire businesses, handling consultation, documentation, and legal compliance to ensure smooth transitions that protect both your business and your employees.
Yes. We develop staff retention and wellbeing strategies for Reading businesses, using our Seven Pillars of Employee Wellbeing framework to boost engagement, reduce absenteeism, and build a positive workplace culture that supports long-term performance.
Harwood HR provides expert, commercially focused HR consultancy to businesses across Reading and Berkshire. With CIPD-qualified consultants, 24+ years of experience, and a proactive, responsive service model, we protect your business, control your HR costs, and give you confidence in your people decisions.
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