People & Leadership
Small businesses have people problems long before they have an HR department
An employee who keeps arriving late, a probation that is not going well, an appointment letter that was never issued, a disagreement between two staff members. Owners usually handle these alone and late. Once a month, the clinic puts an HR practitioner in the room with owners: a short session on one topic, then open time for the situations owners bring, then a follow-up to see what each owner actually changed.
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Most people problems get harder the longer they are left.
Owners of small businesses deal with hiring, attendance, performance, pay, leave and exits without anybody to ask. Many of these situations are common and have well-understood approaches, but an owner meeting one for the first time does not know that, and often waits until it has become a dispute.
The clinic gives owners a regular, low-cost place to ask before that point. It is practical guidance from somebody who has handled these situations, not legal advice, and it is clear about when a question needs a lawyer or a qualified professional instead.
How the clinic works
29 topics across 6 areas. Six parts of the monthly cycle.
The Monthly FormatShort teaching, then real questions.4
- A focused session on one people topic
- An open clinic where owners bring their own situations
- A note of the one change each owner plans to make
- A follow-up conversation before the next clinic
Focus Topics That RotateThe questions small businesses meet most.7
- Onboarding a new hire properly
- Appointment letters, policies and the basics of the new labour codes
- Probation, and deciding at the end of it
- Attendance, leave and lateness
- Feedback and performance conversations
- Workplace complaints and POSH basics
- Exits, notice periods and handovers
The Kinds of Question the Clinic Is ForEveryday people decisions.5
- How do I raise a pattern of lateness without it becoming a fight?
- What should an appointment letter contain?
- How do I extend or end a probation fairly?
- Two of my staff are not speaking. What do I do?
- Somebody wants to leave without serving notice. What are my options?
How to Bring a QuestionPrepared questions get better answers.5
- Leave out names and identifying details
- Set out the facts in order
- Say what you have already tried
- Bring the relevant document, such as the appointment letter
- Say what outcome you would like
What the Clinic Will Not DoPractical guidance, with clear limits.4
Anything with legal consequences, including terminations that may be disputed, statutory notices and formal complaints, should be confirmed with a lawyer or a qualified professional.
- Give legal advice or represent anybody
- Decide on your behalf
- Investigate a complaint for you
- Discuss identifiable employees in a group
After the ClinicThe follow-up is where the value is.4
- Each owner names one change to make
- A short follow-up conversation before the next clinic
- What happened, and what still needs attention
- Unresolved questions carried to the next month
Bring these with you
- The situation, written in a few lines, without names
- Any relevant letters or policies
- What you have already done
- The decision you need to make
Go straight to a professional when
- You have received a legal notice
- A complaint of sexual harassment has been made
- A termination is likely to be disputed
- An inspector or authority has contacted you
- Police are involved
How the clinic runs
Once a month an HR practitioner joins owners for a short session on one people problem, followed by an open clinic where owners bring their own situations, anonymised. Each owner leaves with one change to make, and a follow-up conversation checks what actually changed. It is practical guidance, not legal advice; anything with legal consequences should be confirmed with a professional.
What your students leave with
- A practical answer to one people question they are facing now
- A monthly grounding in one HR topic small businesses meet often
- A clearer sense of what needs a professional and what does not
- One change to make in their own business before the next clinic
- A follow-up conversation that checks whether it worked
- A peer group of owners facing similar questions
Scheduled sessions
Nothing scheduled yet
Sessions are arranged with a college once a date is agreed. Ask us and we will find the right person for it.
A student rather than a college? See what is coming up, or ask your placement team to host this.
Most people problems get harder the longer they are left.
Tell us who your students are and what stage they are at. Sessions are free for participants.