A handbook is a core document for your staff.
It sets out how you handle discipline, grievances, absence, equality and flexible working, and if you do not follow your own stated procedure that failure counts against you.
A handbook that is out of date, contradicts the contracts or promises a process you do not actually run is evidence against you rather than protection. The structure matters too, as policies that are contractual cannot be changed without consent.
The handbook holds the policies that govern day-to-day working life.
We help with:
- building a handbook from scratch, sized to your business;
- reviewing an existing handbook against current law;
- separating contractual from non-contractual policies;
- the policies the law effectively requires, including disciplinary, grievance and equality;
- policies that earn their keep, from sickness absence to social media and AI use; and
- rolling updates as the Employment Rights Act 2025 provisions come into force.
We structure the handbook so you can update a policy without needing every employee’s agreement, and we write it to be read, because if a manager cannot follow the procedure under pressure, the policy is not doing its job.
Our Approach
Legal advice that makes running and growing your business easier.
We start with your business, not the law.
Before we open a document, we want to understand what you are trying to do commercially. The legal answer is only useful if it serves that.
We get to the point.
You get a clear view of what matters and what does not, in plain English, with the real risks separated from the noise.
We give you an answer.
Not a menu of options and a shrug. We tell you what we would do, why, and where there is a genuine judgment call for you to make.
We stay available.
Whether you work with us on a single project or on a subscription, we are here for the follow-up question. We would always rather you asked.
Ways of working together
Fixed-fee projects
A single, defined piece of work for an agreed fixed fee, communicated before we engage. Reviewing a contract, drafting your terms, handling a negotiation.
No surprises and no hidden fees
Flagship Subscription
Ares Access
Ongoing support on a fixed monthly subscription, for businesses that need commercial legal input regularly rather than as the occasional one-off.
- Dedicated lawyer
- Fixed monthly fees
- Commercial advice on demand
From £500 plus VAT per month
Legal Health Check
Fixed fee of £2,000 plus VAT
Any questions?
Phone: 02382 420035
