Director & Founder | Employment Solicitor | HR Consultant | Workplace Mediator | Investigator | NED
Career & Leadership Journey
What inspired you to establish your own HR consultancy after working as an employment solicitor?
This was three-fold:
- As a solicitor working in a typical law firm, I always knew the difference that I could make just by applying the employment law advice on the ground with the practical HR support. It was frustrating at times sweeping up the mess after the event, had some positive changes been made on the ground, employers wouldn’t have had so many problems to clear up!
- This felt like a natural fit for me pulling my legal and practical people manager experience together. I felt my role as a solicitor and my experience at JPMorgan provided something different.
- At the time, the lack of consideration for professional working mums’ being able to balance the needs of their role with their personal responsibilities. needing flexibility in working.
Which career moment has shaped your leadership philosophy the most?
Probably when I was 21 and working as a temp at JPMorgan and my manager, said to me, I want you to apply for the JPMorgan Leadership and Management Investment Bank Graduate scheme and I told him not to be so ridiculous as the odds of getting on were 1 in 15,000. He proceeded to hassle me periodically until I applied just to shut him up… the rest is history they say.
The reason this was pivotal for me as a leader was that he recognised my potential, he encouraged my growth and he gave me a safe environment and foundation to thrive to reach my potential. I believe that everyone has something special inside of them, they just need someone to believe in them and champion them when they haven’t quite found it themselves!
How do you balance your roles as founder, solicitor, mediator, and non-executive director?
I’m a mum, juggling is what we do every day! I am not sure I know how not to be balancing things or wearing different hats, which is just as well as no one wants a bored Gemma around them!
Joking aside, I love variety and thinking outside the box, so these roles fulfil these personal traits. I have the most amazing colleagues and fellow directors, who are all so capable and skilled, so we work together to ensure everything is achieved.
Employment Law & HR Strategy
What are the most common legal pitfalls you see organisations fall into, and how can they avoid them?
This is an interesting question as quite honestly there are so many unfortunately.
In reality, the biggest pitfall for employers tends to be the belief that they can simply dismiss anyone with less than 2 years’ service with no process. This is not correct; an employee does not need 2 years’ service to claim automatic unfair dismissal. This means that if they can show that the main reason for their dismissal was linked to a qualifying reason (i.e. making a flexible working request, whistleblowing, discrimination, asking for National Minimum Wage, action over Health and Safety matter) then they could make a claim.
Workplace Investigations
I love investigations, probably because I was born so inquisitive, or as my mum would say, nosey! Investigations are a major part of our work.
What distinguishes a robust, defensible workplace investigation from a flawed one?
A robust workplace investigation is one that is fair, impartial and evidence‑led, following the standards set by the ACAS Code of Practice. In practice, this means the investigator is independent, the scope is clear, all relevant witnesses are spoken to, evidence is gathered objectively, and the employee has a proper opportunity to respond. The findings are then recorded in a balanced, well‑reasoned report based on the balance of probabilities.
A flawed process, by contrast, shows signs of bias, selective evidence-gathering, missing witness interviews, poor documentation, delays or unclear reasoning. These weaknesses can undermine the employer’s credibility and make the outcome appear pre‑determined rather than fair.
So why can we really help employers as external investigators?
In an Employment Tribunal, the quality of the investigation is often the deciding factor in whether a dismissal is ruled fair or unfair. The Tribunal doesn’t ask whether the employer proved guilt beyond doubt, it asks whether the employer had a genuine and reasonable belief, formed after a reasonable investigation. If the investigation is flawed, the dismissal can be judged unfair even if the misconduct itself genuinely occurred.
Personal Perspective & Advice
What’s the best piece of professional advice you’ve ever received?
Surround yourself with people more brilliant than you and let them be brilliant! Give every member of your team the opportunity to grow, don’t cap their potential because it hurts your ego!
What motivates you most about the work you do?
Without a shadow of doubt, my team! I set out to forge a business where people who couldn’t reach their potential in a traditional professional firm could flourish. So that they could manage their life, be that as the mum, the dad, the carer or pet parent, whilst also growing and succeeding at work.
