Virtual HR Director Ltd

22/12/2025

Merry Christmas to all our clients - old and new! We look forward to seeing you all in 2026!

13/11/2025

So I've been a bit quiet on here recently as I undertook a big interim project, which will be coming to an end in the new year. In the meantime, I've still managed to secure two new clients this month who have retained my services - just in case they need me. The nature of HR issues is that you never know when they are going to arise - and trust me, they really are like buses! If you find yourself needing some urgent help, or would like the peace of mind of having support on tap when you need it, than please get in touch! I specialise in helping SMEs so no business is too small - if you have staff, you need me!

24/08/2025

🚨 We’re Hiring – Window Fitters & General Builders! 🚨

Cherry Group is growing, and we’re looking for skilled Window Fitters and General Builders to join our expanding team.

✅ Full-time positions available
✅ Competitive pay (based on experience)
✅ Ongoing training & career development
✅ Work on a wide range of residential & commercial projects

We’re looking for reliable, hardworking people who take pride in their craft and want to be part of a supportive, forward-thinking team.

📍 Based in Beverley with projects across the East Riding and North Lincolnshire

If you’re looking for a new opportunity or know someone who might be a good fit, get in touch today!

👉 Send us a message here on Facebook or email your CV to chris@cherrygroup.uk

29/07/2025

We offer a retained HR support service at affordable prices for SME's. Benefit from peace of mind with an expert on all things HR at the end of the phone or email whenever you need it. Let's face it, you can't plan for when you need HR support, so why not have an arrangement in place for when you do!

Have you got 5-50 employees? Then we have just the service for you - for a small quarterly fee, we can make sure you have the essentials in place, and be there in the background when you need us.

Want to know more? Get in touch today!

30/06/2025

Probation periods are topical right now. Currently there's no statutory requirement to have probationary periods for new staff, but many employers choose to have them - it's good practice.

Probation periods can help both parties determine if they're the right fit. Is the individual you've carefully selected actually capable of performing the role? Is it right for them?

They work well if you take the time to set goals, monitor performance in the early stages (and of course document this!). It can help new employees settle in and become productive much quicker.

So what's changing - nothing yet! The new Employment Rights Bill is likely to introduce a statutory probation period of 9 months, new recruits will have day one rights to claim unfair dismissal, but during this probation period, as long as you apply best practice, if things don't work out, you will still be able to part company. As usual, it's about 'doing the right thing' - having honest conversations so there are no surprises and documenting what you do so you can demonstrate you've followed a fair process.

If you want to get ahead of the game, I can help:

💡 Write a Probation Policy
💡 Introduce Probation Review Forms to evidence performance discussions
💡 Review your Contract of Employment to reference your probation period
💡 Amend your Staff Handbook to reflect your approach

If you don't want to wait for the new legislation, get in touch!

17/06/2025

I increasingly get asked whether I will take on investigations - primarily disciplinary or grievance issues as an independent HR expert. The answer is yes I do! Over recent years, I have conducted numerous investigations for my clients. Did you know the average time for an investigation from start to finish is around 15-20 hours! Do you have a HR team in-house with that amount of spare time? If not, give me a call and I can step in. It often helps to have an independent investigator - no pre-concieved views, purely focused on gathering facts, interviewing all parties, taking statements, and formulating a report with my findings. Interested? Get in touch!

29/05/2025

Don’t let this be your company! Small companies beware 😮

Welcome to the Money blog, Sky News' consumer and personal finance hub. Today: Pizza Express and British Airways are among the firms named and shamed for minimum wage failings; Nationwide is giving millions of customers £100; and a chef shares his tips in our Cheap Eats interview.

21/05/2025

I'm a local independent HR consultant supporting SMEs across all sectors - no business is too small - if you employ staff, you may need my help?

Not sure what support you need from month to month? I can offer a very cost effective retained service - available by phone and email whenever you need and it might not cost as much as you expect! Interested? Get in touch today!😊

21/05/2025

Sadly, quite a number of small businesses are having to make redundancies at the moment - not always a direct reflection of how their business is performing but as a result of growing costs due to employer's National Insurance, significant National Minimum Wage increases, more and more new statutory regulations to comply with etc. It's no wonder business owners are wondering whether it's worth employing staff! If this is you, and you need help navigating the staffing dilemma please get in touch - I can help!

21/01/2025

Blue Monday - did you survive it? Is it really a thing or just a ploy by holiday companies to get us booking out next adventure whilst it’s cold and miserable outside (and we’re broke from Christmas!)??

Today - the third Monday of January - is considered to be the most depressing day of the year, with people feeling the pinch of an extra long stretch between pay day, culminating with an end to the festive season and cold weather.

27/04/2024

So April brought lots of new employment legislation. Have you updated your staff handbook yet? Get in touch if it’s time to review!

24/02/2024

https://www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-68366519.amp

Symptoms can be considered a disability and firms must make adjustments, the equalities watchdog says.