Edinburgh and Glasgow-based law firm Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie has taken the next step in diversifying its service to clients by offering its own human resources department for use by clients and potential clients.
The move is aimed at ensuring that clients who cannot afford their own HR resources avoid making the sort of employment mistakes that can often end up in lengthy and costly tribunal proceedings.
Ultimately, it now means that clients of WJM will have access to an experienced HR manager at a fraction of the cost of employing their own.
The move comes at a time when many Scottish law firms are looking at ways to offer an increased range of services to clients in order to offer added value. Heading up the new service is Fiona Graham, HR Manager for WJM. She said: “We have been piloting this scheme for the last year and after fantastic feedback from clients we are now fully committed to rolling the services out. Our team is able to assess strategic problems and provide the best possible solutions. Not only will we be assisting clients with everything from performance management to disciplinary issues and appraisal systems, we can help steer the strategic direction of their company.”
Head of WJM’s employment group, Martin Head, said: “This shows we are being pro-active and are positioned now to deal with things before they happen.
“This really defies normal perceptions of a law firm. The new service continues to reflect on WJM’s commitment to working with our clients to identify potential problems before they emerge and to minimise exposure to claims.”