HR Support Services from one named consultant, not a call centre
HR Support Services covering employee relations, contracts, disciplinaries, and absence management. CIPD-qualified advice, same-day guidance on urgent cases, and documentation that holds up when challenged.






Make every HR decision one you'd stand behind
Every HR call you make will be tested later - by an employee, a manager, or a tribunal. With a helpline, you get different advice each time and no one across the case when it matters.
With Opus, one named HR consultant stays with every case from day one, so decisions are defensible, documentation holds up, and you can act with confidence.
What non-compliance actually cost your business
£20K+
Average HSE
enforcement fine
561K
Working days lost to workplace injury annually
1 in 3
Businesses fail their first HSE inspection

Find the HR support you need
Employee Relations
Support with grievances, disciplinaries, conduct, and capability cases. From informal resolution through to formal proceedings.

Contracts & Handbooks
New contracts drafted, existing ones reviewed, and employee handbooks updated to reflect current employment legislation.

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Company Restructuring
End-to-end redundancy support, from consultation planning and selection criteria through to fair process and documentation.
HR Advisory Support
Ongoing telephone and email HR advice from a CIPD-qualified practitioner. Commercial, quick, and grounded in current UK employment law.

Absence Management
Guidance through short-term, long-term, and recurring absence cases. Occupational health referrals arranged when a case needs medical input.
HR Document Drafting
Bespoke HR letters, policies and correspondence drafted for your specific case by a CIPD-qualified consultant. Not generic templates.
One Named HR Consultant
The same HR consultant on every call. They know your business, so you're never starting over.

Why UK employers choose Opus for HR
The same consultant every call, documents drafted for your case, and a process that holds up if it's ever challenged - so a difficult HR issue doesn't become a tribunal.
What non-compliance actually cost your business
67%
Reduction in near-miss incidents
£28K
Saved on insurance premiums annually
6hrs
Audit prep time per branch

Two ways to work with Opus
Both routes are delivered by our CIPD-qualified HR consultants. The difference is whether you book a single piece of HR work or manage cases under a partnership.
Book a service
Pay per engagement. Scoped to the specific HR issue in front of you.
HR Services Partnership
A named HR consultant across every case, every month. Fixed monthly fee.
Not sure which fits? Speak to a consultant - no commitment required.
HR support across your sector
Builders Merchants
Saturday operations, yard staff, and a mix of long-serving employees and new starters. Employee relations support that understands the culture of a merchant yard: direct, practical, no bureaucracy for its own sake.

Warehousing & Logistics
Seasonal peaks, rapid onboarding, and high agency staff ratios. Contracts and handbooks that reflect peak-season hiring. Absence policies that work when half your workforce arrived last month, and disciplinaries that account for drivers you rarely see in person.

Manufacturing & Engineering
Shift workers, agency staff, multi-language workforces, and high-turnover environments. Absence management that accounts for production schedules. Disciplinary processes that hold up when the workforce is spread across three shifts.

Garden Centres
Seasonal staffing surges, weekend rotas, and a workforce that ranges from experienced horticulturists to Saturday teenagers. Contracts that flex with the seasons. Absence and disciplinary processes that work when half the team changes between spring and winter.

Metal Stockholders
Yard crews, HGV drivers, and fabricators working across indoor and outdoor sites. Contracts that cover overtime and call-out patterns. Absence and capability cases handled in a workforce where fitness for the job matters as much as attendance.

Health & safety insights
Guidance, updates and practical advice for your sector.
Take control of your HR cases
Tell us what you're dealing with and we'll talk you through how to handle it.
Frequently asked questions
How can we reduce the risk of employee claims or legal disputes?
Prevention is the best protection. Clear policies, consistent management practices, proper documentation, and regular training significantly reduce the risk of tribunal claims. Speak with HR to make sure you're compliant with current employment legislation and your own internal procedures.
What should we do if an employee refuses to follow instructions?
Start by clarifying expectations and checking the instruction is reasonable and lawful. If non-compliance continues, follow your disciplinary policy. Addressing these matters promptly helps maintain workplace standards and keeps you consistent if the situation escalates.
How can we ensure compliance with employment laws?
Staying compliant requires ongoing monitoring of legislative updates, regular policy reviews, and management training. We recommend professional HR guidance to mitigate risk and keep your documentation defensible if a case ever reaches tribunal.
How should we handle an employee grievance?
Act promptly and follow a structured process. Acknowledge the complaint in writing, conduct a fair and impartial investigation, and maintain confidentiality throughout. A well-managed grievance process reduces legal risk and demonstrates your commitment to fairness and transparency.
What steps should we follow for disciplinary action?
Disciplinary matters should follow a fair, consistent process. The typical steps: investigate the issue thoroughly, inform the employee of the concerns, hold a formal meeting, give them the opportunity to respond, and issue appropriate action based on the evidence. Following a structured procedure protects your organisation from unfair dismissal claims.
Is virtual HR support as effective as having someone on-site?
For most HR matters, virtual support is faster and just as effective. Drafting letters, advising on process, and preparing for meetings all happen by phone and email. When a situation genuinely needs someone in the room, such as a complex hearing or a restructure consultation, in-person support is available at our standard day rate.
How does HR support connect with your other Opus services?
HR and occupational health overlap constantly on absence, capability, and fitness-to-work cases. Your HR consultant coordinates directly with our OH team when a case requires medical input. For Partnership clients this is seamless. For one-off clients, we can arrange OH referrals alongside any HR case.













