Retained HR support: expert advice on tap, or your HR done for you
There are two retained packages, and choosing between them is simple. Ask yourself one question: do you want HR advice, or do you want your HR done for you?
Either way, you deal directly with me, a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD and former HR Director, not a call centre. Both packages run on a rolling monthly basis with no long-term contract, because I want you to stay because you like the service, not because you're tied in.
Which package is right for you?
HR Advisory Only – from £225 + VAT a month
You have someone in the business who handles the HR paperwork, and you want an experienced HR professional on the end of the phone to guide you through each situation. I advise, you action it.
HR Admin & Advisory – from £475 + VAT a month
You want an outsourced HR department. You get all of the advice, and I also do the paperwork for you: contracts, letters, onboarding, records and absence tracking. You also get 10% off my hourly rates and fixed fees for any extra work.
Need regular senior HR time on site or at board level too? My Fractional HR Director and on-site HR Manager days can be added to either package. See all my prices on the Fees page.
Monthly prices by headcount
Prices are per month and exclude VAT. Find your headcount, then pick the package that suits how you work. The admin time shown for HR Admin & Advisory is a guide to what’s covered each month.
Breathe HR is an optional extra on either package and is charged per company, not per employee. For businesses with more than 100 employees, I’ll put together a price based on what you need.
Employee headcount | HR Advisory Only | HR Admin & Advisory | Admin time included (guide) | Breathe HR (optional extra) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1–10 | £225 | £475 | Up to 4 hrs | £24 |
11–20 | £350 | £795 | Up to 7 hrs | £44 |
21–50 | £495 | £1,195 | Up to 12 hrs | £99 |
51–75 | £650 | £1,550 | Up to 15 hrs | £175 |
76–100 | £795 | £1,895 | Up to 18 hrs | £175 |
100+ | POA | POA | POA | POA |
Package terms
Both packages run on a rolling monthly basis with no long-term commitment. One calendar month’s notice is all that’s needed to cancel.
Pay for a year up front and the monthly package price is reduced by 10%.
Advice isn’t limited to a set number of hours. A reasonable use policy applies, and I’ll talk to you if usage is consistently well above what’s typical for your headcount.
The admin time shown is a guide to what’s covered each month. If you need more in a particular month, I’ll agree it with you before starting and charge it at the HR Admin hourly rate less your 10% retained discount. Unused time doesn’t carry over.
HR Admin & Advisory clients get 10% off all my hourly rates and fixed fees (excluding the monthly support options and interim cover, which are already discounted).
The service is for business owners, directors and named managers. You remain the employer and make the final decisions; I advise and, on HR Admin & Advisory, carry out the administration.
What’s included
Both packages give you the same expert HR advice. HR Admin & Advisory adds the HR administration, done for you.
Service | HR Advisory Only | HR Admin & Advisory |
|---|---|---|
HR ADVICE | ||
Phone, email and WhatsApp advice for owners, directors and named managers | ✓ | ✓ |
Same-day acknowledgement and a full response within 1 working day; urgent issues within 4 working hours | ✓ | ✓ |
Step-by-step guidance on probation, disciplinary, grievance, capability and performance issues, in line with the ACAS Code of Practice | ✓ | ✓ |
Absence management advice: short and long-term sickness, occupational health referrals and reasonable adjustments | ✓ | ✓ |
Advice on family leave, flexible working requests, holiday entitlement and TOIL | ✓ | ✓ |
Advice on interpreting and applying your existing policies | ✓ | ✓ |
Monthly employment law update, including Employment Rights Act 2025 changes as they come into force | ✓ | ✓ |
Template letters and documents from my library for you to complete | ✓ | ✓ |
Regular check-in call: quarterly for 1–20 staff, monthly for 21+ staff | ✓ | ✓ |
HR ADMINISTRATION (DONE FOR YOU) | ||
Contracts of employment and written statements drafted from your templates, plus contract variation letters | — | ✓ |
Offer letters, conditional offers and reference requests | — | ✓ |
Onboarding: starter packs, induction checklists, probation review reminders and letters | — | ✓ |
Right to work checks carried out and recorded, follow-up checks diarised, and DBS check administration | — | ✓ |
Recruitment admin: interview invitations and unsuccessful candidate letters | — | ✓ |
Absence and holiday tracking, Bradford Factor monitoring, return-to-work prompts and a monthly absence report (uses Breathe HR) | — | ✓ |
Personnel records kept accurate, up to date and GDPR compliant, including Breathe HR administration | — | ✓ |
Case letters drafted from your notes: meeting invitations, outcome letters and absence review letters | — | ✓ |
Leaver administration: resignation acknowledgements, exit checklists and leaver letters | — | ✓ |
Monthly summary of starters, leavers and changes for your payroll provider | — | ✓ |
Annual check of your contract and handbook against current law, with a summary of any changes needed | — | ✓ |
10% discount on hourly rates and fixed fees if additional services are purchased | — | ✓ |
Not included in either package
These are charged separately using my hourly rates and fixed fees. HR Admin & Advisory clients get 10% off.
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Investigations, and attending or chairing hearings and staff meetings
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Redundancy, restructuring and TUPE transfers
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Settlement agreements, ACAS negotiations, mediation and employment tribunal work
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Writing new contract templates, staff handbooks or policies
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Recruitment beyond the admin listed above (shortlisting, interviewing and full campaigns)
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Training, HR audits, people strategy, reward and other project work
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Breathe HR subscription and setup
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Payroll processing, and advice given directly to employees
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Travel to sites outside Ipswich
Find out more: Fees · Employee Relations & Investigations · Contracts, Handbooks & HR Audits · Hiring · Leadership Training · Reward & Benefits
Breathe HR (optional extra)
Breathe HR is the HR software I recommend and support. It holds your employee records, holiday and absence in one place, and it’s what I use to run the absence and records work in the HR Admin & Advisory package. It’s charged on top of either package at Breathe’s own list price, per company.
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Paying Breathe annually saves around 10–15% on the monthly price.
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Optional Breathe modules (rota and time & attendance, health & safety, learning, expenses and recruitment) are extra and priced by plan. I can quote these on request.
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One-off setup and data migration, so your system is ready to use from day one: £295 (Micro), £395 (Starter), £595 (Regular), £995 (Pro).
Breathe sets its own prices and reviews them periodically, so check Breathe’s current prices before you buy. Find out more on my HR Admin Support page.
Breathe plan | Employees | Monthly | Annual (paid up front) |
|---|---|---|---|
Micro | 1–10 | £24 | £245 |
Starter | 11–20 | £44 | £449 |
Regular | 21–50 | £99 | £999 |
Pro | 51–100 | £175 | £1,790 |
Premium | 101–150 | £419 | £4,519 |
Plus | 151–200 | £579 | £6,255 |
