When a growing business faces a sensitive HR issue, the stakes are high. Mishandling it can lead to reputational damage, legal risks, and employee distrust. Here’s how Sleek HR stepped in to help a UK-based publishing company navigate a workplace concern with care, fairness, and professionalism.
The Challenge:
A high-growth publishing company with 100 employees faced a potentially damaging workplace concern. A new employee formally raised issues of unfair treatment during onboarding:
- Received a different laptop model from colleagues.
- Had limited access to key work-related information.
- Was asked to perform non-role-related tasks (like making tea) that peers were not.
With only one in-house HR manager and remote interactions due to the pandemic, the company required external expertise to resolve the matter objectively and sensitively.
What Sleek HR Did:
- Fair Investigation: Conducted a legally sound and impartial inquiry, gathering employee statements and relevant evidence.
- Risk-Conscious Communication: Provided a transparent response to reduce the risk of escalation.
- Uncovered Systemic Gaps: Found broader issues in onboarding that affected other new hires.
- Strategic Recommendations: Introduced onboarding improvements to ensure fairness for all employees.
While the employee declined mediation, they accepted the findings; highlighting the impact of a thoughtful, well-handled process.
What Could Have Gone Wrong:
- Legal Costs: Tribunal claims could have cost tens of thousands in legal fees.
- Brand Damage: Negative publicity or reviews could impact future hiring.
- Culture Breakdown: Morale and productivity suffer when employees feel unheard.
The Takeaway: Even companies with internal HR teams benefit from external support when navigating high-risk cases. Sleek HR provided the objectivity, compliance insight, and cultural sensitivity needed to turn a challenge into an opportunity.
Need HR Support? Sleek HR helps small businesses build strong, fair, and inclusive workplace cultures. Contact us today for a confidential consultation.
