Employee Relations Support: Disciplinaries, Grievances and Investigations
King HR Advisory helps employers without an HR team deal with disciplinaries, grievances, absence and capability cases, investigations and appeals. We can advise, draft, prepare you for the hearing, run the case for you, or act as the independent investigator or chair. The aim is a fair process that stands up if it is ever tested.
A difficult case is expensive whichever way it goes. Done properly, most of them are resolved sooner, with less damage to the working relationship and far less risk.
The problem we solve
Small and growing organisations tend to meet their first formal case with no experience of how one works. The manager is anxious, the employee is anxious, and everyone is aware that a mistake could end up in front of an employment tribunal. With the qualifying period for unfair dismissal falling from two years to six months from January 2027, and the compensation cap removed, the cost of an early error is rising.
We give you what a large employer would get from its HR department: someone who has done it many times before, who will tell you honestly where you stand, and who can take on as much or as little of the work as you need.
How we can help
Advice and drafting. You run the case and we guide you. We advise on strategy, draft the invitation and outcome letters, review your evidence and check your process before each step.
Hearing preparation. We prepare you for the disciplinary, grievance or appeal meeting: the questions to ask, the structure to follow, and how to reach and record a decision.
Managed cases. We take the case from start to finish, so that you can get on with running your organisation. Fees depend on the complexity of the case and are agreed in advance.
Independent investigations. An impartial investigator gathers the facts and produces a clear, evidence-based report. Investigations are usually charged by the day.
Independent chairing and appeals. Where you do not have anyone senior enough who was not involved, we can chair a disciplinary hearing, grievance hearing or appeal as an independent chair. Our posts on the disciplinary appeal process and grievance appeal hearings explain why this matters.
Cases we deal with
Disciplinary and gross misconduct
Grievances, including complaints about bullying or discrimination
Sickness absence and long-term ill health
Capability and performance
Probation and short-service dismissals
Suspension and investigations
Redundancy and restructures
Settlement agreements
Appeals against any of the above
How it works
Tell us what has happened. A short call, in confidence, to understand the situation and the stage you are at.
Agree the support. We set out what we recommend, who will do what and what it will cost, in writing.
Work through the process. We act at the pace the case needs. Where timing is urgent, we say so and prioritise it.
Existing retainer clients can call on us for cases as part of their support. If you do not have a retainer, we are happy to help with a one-off case, and we will always tell you if a retainer would suit you better.
What we do not do
We are HR advisers, not solicitors. If a matter is heading for an employment tribunal, or you need legal representation, we can work with you on the HR side and introduce trusted referral partners for the legal side. We will also tell you plainly if we think you need a solicitor sooner rather than later.
Questions we are often asked
Can I dismiss someone with under two years' service? Often yes, but not always, and it depends on the reason. From 1 January 2027 the qualifying period drops to six months. Discrimination and whistleblowing claims need no qualifying service at all. Speak to us before you act.
Do we need an independent person to chair? Not always, but if nobody senior enough was uninvolved in the case, an independent chair strengthens the fairness of your process significantly.
How quickly can you start? Urgent cases are prioritised. Call us and we will tell you what is realistic.
Will you tell me what I do not want to hear? Yes. That is the point.
Talk to us
If you have a case now, call us for a confidential conversation. If you want to check your wider position first, try our People Risk Scorecard.