JJ Williams

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Sage HR Advice Case Study

JJ Williams has been a family business since1822. The company is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of washers and gaskets and currently employs 12 people at its state-of-theart production facility in Whitstable, Kent. Quality, innovation and attention to detail are paramount, earning the company a reputation that attracts a range of customers from small industrial users to multi-national corporations. Owners John and Roz Williams have found it increasingly difficult to keep up with the rising tide of employment legislation, so earlier this year the company began using Sage HR Advice. “Employment law has become a minefield in recent years. We had a few delicate issues, particularly in the areas of sickness and absenteeism, that highlighted the need for professional help,” explains John. “Employing an HR manager full-time was out of the question, so we initially tried the consultancy route. The trouble was that the consultants tended to roll up once a year and throw the whole company into chaos. They also weren’t proactive on a day-to-day basis and we felt we weren’t getting value for money.” 

The company was already using Sage Accounting and Payroll services, so when John and Roz heard about the new Sage HR Advice service, they were keen to try it. “We’ve always been pleased with the service we get from Sage, so we had confidence that the HR Advice would offer a similar high standard,” says John. “We haven’t been disappointed. I’d say to any business considering Sage HR Advice that the telephone adviceline option is a must. You can read as much as you like, but when you hear things explained one-to-one it’s so much easier to understand.”Sage HR advisers are all experienced professionals in their field, which adds to user confidence. “It’s great to be able to ask questions on the phone and have them answered clearly and accurately,” agrees John. “The Sage HR advisers have been excellent – we usually get put through to the same person and if they say they’ll call back, they actually do!”

John says that he and Roz have been especially impressed with the quality of advice on offer. “Lawyers are so crafty these days that you can’t afford to make mistakes,” he notes. “Unless you get it absolutely right, you can find yourself caught up in an employment
tribunal in no time. We have great trust in the advice we get from Sage. As well as the advice-line, we use the
website almost every day, often in response to one of the Sage HR email alerts.” Cost is also a big consideration for any small company, as John points out: “When we were told the price of Sage HR Advice, we assumed that the fee must be per quarter and were amazed when we realised it was for a whole year! Compared to the cost of using solicitors, it’s incredible value for money. We’ll definitely continue to use the service as well as being cost-effective, it gives us peace of mind.” JJ Williams has been a family business since 1822. The company is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of washers and gaskets and currently employs 12 people at its state-of-theart production facility in Whitstable, Kent. Quality, innovation and attention to detail are paramount, earning the company a reputation that attracts a range of customers from small industrial users to multi-national corporations.

Owners John and Roz Williams have found it increasingly difficult to keep up with the rising tide of employment legislation, so earlier this year the company began using Sage HR Advice. “Employment law has become a minefield in recent years. We had a few delicate issues, particularly in the areas of sickness and absenteeism, that highlighted the need for professional help,” explains John. “Employing an HR manager full-time was out of the question, so we initially tried the consultancy route. The trouble was that the consultants tended to roll up once a year and throw the whole company into chaos. They also weren’t proactive on a day-to-day basis and we felt we weren’t getting value for money.” The company was already using Sage Accounting and Payroll services, so when John and Roz heard about the new Sage HR Advice service, they were keen to try it. “We’ve always been pleased with the service we get from Sage, so we had confidence that the HR Advice

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