What will it cost?
One fixed monthly fee, based on how many people you employ. Move the slider to see your price. No hidden extras, and just a one-year contract.
Retained HR Support
£350 a month + VAT
£15 per employee a month, minimum £350.
- Your own dedicated HR consultant
- Unlimited advice, whenever you need it
- Contracts, handbook and policies written for you
- Discipline, grievance and absence support, with investigations included
- Face to face or Teams, whichever works best
- HR e-learning for your team included
Retained HR + BreatheHR
£400 a month + VAT
£18 per employee a month, minimum £400.
- Everything in Retained HR Support
- BreatheHR, an easy-to-use online HR system: staff records, contracts, holiday and absence in one secure place
- Your team can book leave and see their own documents from their phone
- We set it up, load your people and documents, and run it for you
Prices exclude VAT. Your exact fee is confirmed in your written proposal before you sign anything.
What we do
All the HR help you need, for one fixed monthly fee.
Advice when you need it
- Unlimited HR adviceBy phone, email and Teams, for your directors and managers.
- Your own named consultantSomeone who knows your business, backed by the full Cheviot HR team.
- Fast responsesUrgent matters the same working day. General questions within one working day.
- Face-to-face visitsA kick-off meeting to agree your priorities, then in person whenever you need us.
Handling people issues
- Employee relationsAbsence, conduct, capability, grievance, disciplinary and redundancy. We can run investigations, chair hearings and hear appeals.
- Employee wellbeingWork-related stress, bullying and harassment concerns, reasonable adjustments and ongoing medical conditions.
- Acas early conciliationIf a claim is raised, we act for you through Acas and prepare the full case file for your solicitors.
- No surprise chargesInvestigations, hearings and redundancy are all included in your monthly fee.
Paperwork and compliance
- Contracts, handbook and policiesReviewed when you join, then kept up to date as the law changes.
- Law change updatesWe tell you what’s changing and send a plain-English briefing note for your team.
- New startersRight-to-work checks, contracts, handbooks and all the new-starter paperwork.
- BreatheHR On requestWant your staff records, holidays and absence in one online system? We can set it up and run it for you.
Building a stronger team
- Recruitment supportJob descriptions and adverts, and advice on where to place them.
- ProbationA simple probation process, review reminders and workshops for your managers.
- Manager coachingHelp with difficult conversations, people management and leadership.
- HR e-learningOur full course library for all your staff, with certificates. Browse the courses →
Why Cheviot HR?
Big national HR firms sell to thousands of businesses. We work with fewer, so each one gets real time and attention. Here’s the difference.
- Your own dedicated HR consultant, who knows your businessA call centre or advice line, often a different adviser each time
- Face to face or Teams, for the meetings and hearings that matterOften phone-only, with visits charged as extra
- Just a one-year contractOften three to five years, with automatic renewal
- Investigations included in your monthly feeOften charged separately
- Contracts, handbook and policies written for your businessOften standard templates
- Our full e-learning library includedOften an extra cost
- Commercial advice from people who know you and your teamLong client lists, with little time for each one
- One fixed monthly fee, agreed up frontExtras for anything outside the package
Based on the terms commonly offered by large national HR and employment law providers. Their packages vary, so check the details of any contract you are offered.
Retained HR support: your questions answered
How much does it cost?
£15 per employee a month + VAT, with a minimum of £350 a month. With BreatheHR set up and run for you, it’s £18 per employee a month + VAT, minimum £400. Work out your price.
How long is the contract?
Just one year. No long tie-ins.
Will I speak to the same person each time?
Yes. You get your own dedicated HR consultant who gets to know your business. No generic call centre. No queues, no scripts. You speak to people who know you.
Do you come to our workplace?
Yes, if you’re in the North East. We support you in person for the meetings and hearings that matter, as well as by phone, email and Teams. Outside the North East, we support you on Teams.
Are investigations included?
Yes. Disciplinary and grievance investigations are included in your retained support, along with unlimited advice.
Is e-learning included?
Yes. Retained clients get full access to our HR e-learning course library for employees and managers.
Can you set up HR software for us?
Yes. BreatheHR is an optional extra on your retainer. We set it up, add your people and documents, and keep it up to date, so your records are always in order. It’s entirely optional. Many clients are happy without it.
I have a problem right now. Can you help?
Yes. See our urgent HR help page or call us on 01668 497 016.
How do we get started?
An informal chat about your business and your team, with no obligation. We then send a short, plain-English agreement showing what is included and your monthly fee. Once you sign, we check your contracts and paperwork and put right anything that is missing or out of date.
Why do small businesses need HR support now?
The Employment Rights Act 2025 brings the biggest changes in years. From January 2027, employees can claim unfair dismissal after six months’ service rather than two years, and every employee must be told in writing about their right to join a trade union. Staff also have longer to bring a tribunal claim. A missing contract or a badly handled dismissal can be costly. See our employment law updates.
Ready to take HR off your plate?
Get in touch for a free, no-obligation chat about your business.