Would you pay for one to one HR support if you had an employment problem

[mishmash5]

I am an HR specialist and provide gender equality advice to small businesses. I'm thinking of providing an employee advocacy service for individuals as well. I'm just doing a bit of research into this a bit more and would appreciate your thoughts.

As an employee, would you pay for an hr specialist to help you write letters to your employers & help asserting your employee rights? Letters like grievances, requesting flexible working, coaching for meetings like disciplinary etc? Attending these meetings as an advocate?

If yes, what is the maximum you'd pay?

To draft the letter?
Give advice about the meeting?
Representation at the meeting?

The advice I can provide is not legal advice, but it is advice on what your employment rights are. Basically, I'm the stage before needing to engage expensive solicitors, and if done right it is entirely possible not to need solicitors.

Thanks in advance for your responses.

If its something a Union couldn't cover then there may be value.

No, I don't think I would. I see "HR" as acting for the employer so I think you'd need to think about how you brand yourself.

Sorry, that sounds a bit dismissive. I think what you're suggesting could be useful it's just what you call yourself that might matter

I've had private clients before, however I don't take them now even if approached. Some thoughts:

The pool of employees who are in a position to pay for this advice is going to be small. Employees are more likely to wait until they have no option but to pay for assistance and by then most of them would opt for a solicitor.

Many people have cover through their house insurance for employment disputes, which would provide them with access to a solicitor when required (often poor quality and with no choice of provider, but still). This cover wouldn't extend to an HR consultant.

I can't imagine there are many employers who would allow staff to bring an external HR consultant to a hearing.

There is very unlikely to be repeat or long term business from clients, or any opportunity to upsell or sell different/additional services which makes marketing inefficient.

They are unlikely to be in a position to refer you business, however much they might like to, which again makes marketing inefficient.

Private clients are generally harder going than corporate clients, they are more intense, they are (understandably) generally stressed, taking things very personally (again perfectly understandably), and this all comes across while dealing with them.

You won't be able to charge as much (or won't feel you want to charge as much) as I expect you do for corporate clients.

My private clients all came through seeing me on MN, so there was no marketing involved, but I've been in a position for quite a few years now that I can pick and choose clients, and the first thing I did when that happened was say "no more private clients".

They were all very lovely and very pleased with what I did for them, we got some really good results and I have some wonderful testimonials from them. But from a business point of view my time is much better spent on corporate clients.

That is not to say there isn't any market for those services, and I am throwing all the negative at you purely because I think that's probably a useful thing to do, so that if you do choose to go ahead, you've got as clear a picture as possible of the negatives so that you can address them early on.

Hi Flowery, thanks for responding. I appreciate the feedback as there are some aspects you've raised, I've not considered. This type of service wouldn't appeal to everyone, but the points you've raised gives me basis to do more research and think through all the potential obstacles. Thank you!

Swedish Edith, you are right. I was thinking along the lines of employee advocate or something similar. I need to think it through. Thanks for responding though!

I think there would be a lot of overlap between this role and that of a union rep- would you be trying to reach the people who were not in a union, and unable to join one in a time of crisis due to the waiting time most unions impose?

I think you would struggle to find your clients tbh

To be blunt, I see HR as working for the boss ('you want rid of this employee - here's how you do it with no comeback').

If I wanted support with employment rights, as an employee, that'd be Google, my Union rep or a solicitor.

Sorry - not for me.

I would.

Could have used you last year!

Costs - don't know. High cost would have put me off. But mid range costs would have been ok.

Sorry, I'd start with my union, and if I thought things were very bad or didn't have a union I'd go to an employment lawyer.

You must have done a lot of recruitment, and there's an HR person on the panel for most of the interviews I've ever attended - what about a CV and practice interview service?

I was kind of half looking for someone like you recently, but I wanted very specific advice about grading processes in HE (HERA). Basically I think my job is too lowly graded but I don't have the knowledge to challenge HR.

I would have paid.