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HR management outsourcing is when a team of experts manage your HR by looking after your contracts, policies, and procedures.
These are the HR essentials every business needs. Without them, your staff could bring successful claims against you, you could lose thousands in legal fines, and even face prosecution. Never underestimate the benefits of HR support for a small business.
We have years of experience in providing HR for SMEs and HR management outsourcing. Contact us to see how we can support you, including HR advice for small businesses - as well as medium and large companies.
Good human resource management is having round the clock support when you need it the most.
Whenever there’s a staff challenge or an important legal update, you just pick up the phone and get the help you need – no matter the time or place.
The main benefits of HR outsourcing are:
- Cost saving: Reduces the expenses for such things are hiring, training and employing an in-house HR team.
- Time saving: Saves time for staff members away from HR tasks.
- Improves expertise and compliance: Provides ongoing advice and support to ensure complete and total compliance.
- Reduces risk: Reduces the risk of any payroll and compliance failures.
Outsourcing HR is cheaper than hiring internal staff and saves you money overall when it comes to your HR service. Plus, you avoid making mistakes that could cost you heavily in claims and legal fines down the line. Every business should consider HR support as a way to avoid claims.
Peninsula is one of the leading HR outsourcing services in the UK, and by working with us you get access to our HR advisory service. Contact us for your outsourced SME HR today.
The key functions of HR outsourcing services are:
- Payroll and benefits: Helps a business to manage employee wages, tax processing, and employee enrolment.
- Recruitment and onboarding: Helps with job descriptions, sourcing new candidates, interviewing, and ensuring a smooth onboarding process.
- Compliance with employment law: Helps to ensure compliance with ever-changing employment legislation.
- Employee relations: Helps to manage grievance and disciplinary procedures, and any ongoing support that's required.
- HR admin: Helps to handle and manage daily tasks, such as employee records, sorting employment contracts, and processing any leave requests.
- Training and development: Helps to create and deliver staff training programs to improve employees' skills.
Every employer will face work issues from time to time. Sometimes, these can only be resolved at an employment tribunal. Employees, workers, even job applicants can choose to raise a claim against you.
Some employment claims can only be resolved by attending an Employment Tribunal. Read our guide to find out more about the representation you need.
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When a workplace dispute cannot be resolved internally, it can be raised to an employment tribunal. Depending on the issue, you might reach a settlement agreement through conciliation.
If claim’s been raised, you need to respond using an ET3 form in a timely manner.
The employment tribunal will reject your response on an ET3 if it doesn't contain the minimum information required. It will be the same if you don’t respond back in a timely manner.
In this guide, we'll explain what an ET3 form is, how to respond to it, and what happens if you fail to submit it properly.
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An ET3 form (or form ET3) is a document that employers use to respond to an claim.
You can use this form to accept or deny the information provided by your employee and describe your counter-argument.
Before making a claim, ACAS gives both parties the chance to resolve their issue through , although this is not mandatory.
How do you complete the ET3 response form?
To complete the ET3 response form, you need the following information:
Your case number: You can find this on the letter from the tribunal.
Claimant’s employment details: This includes their start and end dates, and job description.
Claimant’s pay and benefits details: This includes earnings before tax, take-home pay, and notice
ACAS early conciliation details: This includes the early conciliation certificate number, and if you disagree that the claimant is exempt from early conciliation.
A description of your response: This includes details on whether you defend the claim or not, and the dates and the people involved.
Your legal representative's contact details: Their name, address, phone number, organisation, and DX number (if you hire a solicitor to represent you).
If your ET3 response lacks the necessary information, it will be returned. This means the claim will be treated as if nothing was received.
Despite the fact that you'll be able to submit witness statements, your initial response to the ET3 will form the basis of your defence. You should expect to hear back within five working days after the tribunal receives your response.
As of February 2025, the government aims to increase of the time limit an employee must make a tribunal claim in from three to six months.
What happens if you fail to submit an ET3?
If you fail to submit the form ET3 within the deadline, the claim will be considered as if no defence was presented.
In this situation, a "default judgement" may be entered against you. This also applies if you submit the form late or incorrectly.
What are the time limits for the ET3 form?
You have 28 days from the day the employment tribunal sent you a copy of the claimant's form to respond to it.
The time limit for sending forms back doesn’t start until the response pack has been sent to you. If you need an extension, you should write your request as soon as possible and explain all the reasons you need more time.
For example, you may need an extension if some of the directors working under you who are involved need to take .
What happens after submitting the ET3 form?
After submitting form ET3, a tribunal judge will decide whether the case requires a preliminary hearing or not.
The tribunal could issue a case management order that includes directions and time limits for compliance.
If the case is complicated, a preliminary hearing may be needed. An example of this is when the claimant alleges illegal discrimination.
Before the hearing, you should receive a letter informing you of the date and clarifying the topic to be discussed.
What happens at an employment tribunal?
The final hearing might take anything from half a day to several weeks. The length of it depends on the depth of the issues involved and the number of witnesses present.
The tribunal will reach a conclusion after weighing the claim and defence, as well as any submissions required from the parties. This can be relevant evidence provided in support.
The decision could be communicated to you on the same day. In some cases, the tribunal notifies the parties in writing after the hearing.
Employment tribunal outcomes
If the claim is successful, the employment tribunal rules on the consequences. In complex cases, the issue of remedies will be adjourned to a later hearing.
You could be ordered to reinstate a dismissed claimant. For example, following a tribunal finding of . The tribunal may also order you to pay reasonable compensation.
You can reclaim legal expenses if the claimant acted unreasonably or if their claim had no reasonable chance of success.
If the claim is unsuccessful, you won't be awarded any costs.
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Employers should use an ET3 to outline their defence. They can also use it to present any supporting evidence for any employment tribunal claim brought against them.
If you don’t follow the proper process for sending the form, the employment judge might issue a default judgement in favour of the claimant. In this case, you, as the respondent, could end up paying very high fees.
Want to find out more? Contact us on 0800 028 2420 and book a free consultation with an HR consultant today.
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