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FAQs

What is Employee Relations?

"Employee Relations" describes the relationship between employer and employee and a third party such as a trade union, where appropriate. The relationship with a union is still sometimes called Industrial Relations. There are many factors that impact on Employee Relations and all organisations should have a strategy in place that they work to. The ER strategy should enable the organisation’s overall objectives. Our definition of Employee Relations also includes Employee Engagement and Internal Communications.

What makes Marshall-James a good partner?

Marshall-James works with each organisation to address the specific need or challenge in the most effective way. We do not operate a "one size fits all" approach, nor do we adopt the latest fad or model; just because it is the latest fad or model. All our advisors are experienced practitioners who have extensive experience in strategy and delivery and who know what they are talking about. We also do not try to create dependency. Some firms may try to make their clients dependant on them so the fees keep rolling in. We believe in knowledge transfer and value for money.

What doesn't Marshall-James do?

We only work on projects and assignments relating to Employee Relations. So, this may include senior recruitment or grievance and disciplinary investigations, for example, but we don’t work in other generalist or specialist areas of HR. There are many organisations that do. We prefer to stick to our core area of expertise, interest and passion.

Why doesn't Marshall-James publish clients' names?

A good proportion of the work which Marshall-James carries out with and on behalf of its clients is extremely confidential. We assume that our clients require complete confidentiality and, unless instructed otherwise, cannot reveal their names. We work with employers of all sizes across all sectors and some of our existing clients are delighted to provide references on our work.

Does Marshall-James work internationally?

Yes. Many employee relations challenges have a European or International dimension and play out across international boundaries. We have experience in Europe, the USA and Africa as well as within the UK, working with large multinationals as well as country-specific organisations.

Are all Marshall-James' people appropriately qualified?

Marshall-James’ team comprises highly-skilled individuals with expertise in many different areas of employee relations. This allows us to allocate the most appropriate resources to each project. Our people possess an invaluable mixture of professional and academic qualifications and proven practical experience across a range of organisations and sectors - just as (if not more) significant as their qualifications.

How does Marshall-James charge for services?

We charge either on a project basis or day by day. Our charging structure reflects superior value for money: our charges are reasonable, transparent and agreed in advance. Our clients will not face any hidden administrative charges (such as applied to travel expenses) like those levied by other advisory firms.

Can Marshall-James be hired on a case-by-case basis for grievance and disciplinary investigations?

We operate either on a case-by-case or retained basis. Some of our clients only require our services to resolve one-off cases, while others choose to retain Marshall-James to work on multiple cases throughout the year. We are perfectly willing and able to operate in either manner - furthermore, we are happy to move from one scenario to the other if required to suit our clients’ changing requirements.

Are you "Anti Union"?

We are not anti-union, nor do we discourage organisations from working with unions. There are union busting firms available for employers to engage with if they desire, which we discourage, but we do not operate in the same way or on the same basis. Our principle is for organisations to have a balanced, productive and meaningful working relationship with unions, if appropriate, and all their employees.