Having been in business for almost a decade, with a successful sister company recently expanding their offering, Bhayani HR & Employment Law has put itself at the forefront of this niche through a holistic approach that looks after businesses and charities on every step of their journey.
Jay Bhayani founded Bhayani HR & Employment Law at a time when – despite the obvious synergy between the two – law firms were not generally combining these sectors. Bhayani Law filled this gap and has gone on to become an expert in the field, covering the entire ‘employee lifecycle’ right from recruitment – with the help of their sister business, Bhayani Recruitment – through compliance, culture, workforce planning, training, HR, health and safety, to live issues like disciplinaries and tribunal claims. Unlike many law firms, who often focus solely on dismissals or another specific area, Bhayani Law looks at the whole picture to ensure that the employee journey can be supported throughout.
Bhayani HR & Employment Law also work within the third sector and recently brought a new Charity Engagement Partner, Charlotte Swinhoe, on board to develop this area of the business. “Understandably, charities can be so focused on their cause that they don’t always have the time or funds to have HR in-house, which is why we want to reach out so they can outsource provision to us,” Charlotte explains. From upskilling and training future leaders to supporting trustees with their legal responsibilities, Bhayani Law is working to understand the third sector’s HR and employment law needs in order to support the teams that deliver charitable work for great causes, alongside their wide range of first and second sector clients.
“We deal with both legal claims and HR – whether that’s internal HR for a business, or an employee who needs advice on a process that’s happening to them at work,” explains Kathryn Gilbert, Head of HR Services. “Myself and my department support businesses but our legal team supports employees on employment law matters. We can also incorporate bespoke training within the HR services on a whole host of topics – recently we became part of the South Yorkshire Skills Banks and have had Highfield accreditation so can offer our clients training at little or no cost. We also run free seminars focused on particular areas of employment law and HR. It’s a holistic approach that aims to make sure staff are viable and productive while employers are looking after their wellbeing, allowing them to attract and retain the best talent.”
This approach led to Jay Bhayani and the team identifying one gap in their offering: recruitment. They could support clients by advising them on the processes but didn’t have the facility to resource that talent for them. Bhayani Recruitment, the law firm’s sister company, was the solution. Since its establishment around 18 months ago, the recruitment firm has worked alongside Bhayani Law to meet the corresponding requirements of all clients – there’s not always a crossover, but where they do identify a need, both Bhayani Law and Bhayani Recruitment are well placed to offer insight for employers who may be missing a step in their employee lifecycles.
“We work really hard to get to know our clients, which is why we have dedicated advisors for each one, and that means we understand the people and what that business is about,” adds Kathryn.
Together, the two companies offer a ‘full service’ package, a key part of which is Bhayani HR & Employment Law’s Watertight Plan. Operating at different levels of intensity depending on the business’ size and needs, from a light touch to hands-on help, the Watertight Plan is designed to support employers in any HR and employment law situation. Kathryn points out that a key benefit of this option is the “wealth of experience” available to businesses on the plan, because both the HR department and the legal team have input. “We all have different strengths and interests within HR and employment law, so for the fraction of the cost of in-house HR, you get a wide breadth of knowledge and expertise.”
For businesses that need someone on site to guide HR processes or new recruits, there is the additional Watertight on Site service, allowing the Bhayani team to help identify requirements and provide expertise in person. With this exception, the vast majority of services from both Bhayani Law and Bhayani Recruitment can be done remotely, meaning that you don’t need to be based in the South Yorkshire region to benefit from their sector-leading expertise. The law firm has expanded its reach to include several satellite offices and a base in Leicester, with clients all across the country. They welcome face-to-face meetings too and like to catch up with their clients in person whenever they can, especially if they can pop into the office for a cup of tea or a Bhayani beer!
This ability to build and maintain relationships, coupled with their commitment to offering commercially driven advice that helps businesses make pragmatic decisions, is what really sets Bhayani apart. They also put great stock in maintaining integrity and transparency, creating a name for themselves through hard work that focuses on the best possible outcomes for their clients, not only for business owners but their employees too.
