Background

Mellor Metals Ltd is a family-run business based in Great Ellingham in Norfolk. Hayley Mellor, PA to the Managing Director & Head of HR, tells us more:

“My Dad and Grandad began the business in 1981. I joined the business around six years ago, and my brother joined 3 years later. Because we’re a small family-run business, we don’t really have a dedicated HR department, so part of my role is looking after HR, which I know my way around but don’t have any HR qualifications. My role can involve many aspects of the business from weighbridge operations, health & safety, environmental and finances, which sometimes makes it difficult to purely focus on HR alone.

“Our business is a Scrap Metal Recycling site, we accept and supply all grades of ferrous and non-ferrous metals for both domestic and export markets. At the moment, we employee 15 people in total.”

Challenge

“Because there’s no dedicated HR department, it’s helpful to have the Croner service in place when dealing with disciplinaries and grievances, as there are certain procedures you need to follow by law. Croner have been great with providing step by step assistance in such processes.

“For us however, it was mostly about the support, especially with regard to changes in employment law. Even things like contracts and company policies that may need reviewing and updating in accordance new and current legislation.

“We were already familiar with Croner as we are members of the British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA), who have a relationship with Croner.”

“We didn’t really look elsewhere,” Hayley explains, remembering the beginning of their relationship with Croner. “After all, the Croner advice line was one of the BMRA’s valued member benefits. So, we decided to sign up for the full service and see how it could help us.”

How We've Helped

“The support so far has been brilliant, I literally cannot fault it. The online management systems are great as they help me keep track of where everyone in the business is in terms of training, annual leave, sickness and absence, etc.

“The templates and process flowcharts found on the document library have been a great tool. Especially if I need to work offsite, it’s so easy to access.

“The support helpline has been absolutely brilliant too. We’ve phoned up about a number of different issues, including absence, SSP, grievances, disciplinaries, and dismissals. It gives us support if anything were to escalate, even to the point of a tribunal. We’ve also used Croner consultants to mediate meetings, which I believe are highly beneficial for businesses with small management teams”

“We’ve attended a few Croner webinars too which have been very handy, especially ones that deal with upcoming legislation, as this helps keep me up to date with current employment law. I get updates from the BMRA when a new webinar is scheduled.”

“There’s definitely been a noticeable impact on the business since we signed up with Croner. I think, as a company, we’re a lot more confident with the decisions that we’re making. If we’re facing an issue that we’re unfamiliar with or unsure about, I just phone Croner up for advice and guidance.

“In cases where the issue we’re facing is a little more bespoke, all of the consultants I’ve spoken to have been really happy for me to send draft letters or documents which they’ll then review. It’s given us confidence to tackle the issues that could potentially disrupt the day-to-day running of our business.”

BMRA members can access Croner's Business Support telephone helpline for free advice on issues such as tax, VAT, PAYE, payroll, employment and personnel matters. Should you need to access this helpline, call the BMRA office on 01480 455249 or email [email protected] for further information.