Expert HR, without the HR department
Contracts, policies, difficult conversations and the employment law behind them. Our HR consultancy is led by a consultant with a master's degree in human resource management, and it is built for employers who need sound advice without hiring a full HR team.
- Led by a consultant with a master's degree in human resource management
- One named consultant for your business, not a call centre
- Scope, fee and timings agreed in writing before any work starts
- Straight advice on where HR support ends and where you need a solicitor
What we can take off your desk
Each one is a defined piece of work with a clear result. Pick what you need, or describe the problem and we'll tell you honestly which fits, if any.
- HR audit and compliance reviewA structured check of contracts, policies, records, working time, pay and leave against Irish employment law, with a written fix plan, for owners unsure they would pass an inspection.
- Contracts, policies and handbooksContracts of employment, the written statements Irish law requires and a plain English handbook, drafted or updated for employers who have outgrown a downloaded template.
- Disciplinary, grievance and investigationsHands on support through a disciplinary, grievance or workplace investigation, for owners and managers who need a fair, well documented process for a live people problem.
- Outsourced HR supportAn ongoing HR partner for a business with no HR department or a stretched one: a named consultant on call for day to day questions, regular reviews and project work when needed.
- Manager training and performancePractical training for owners and line managers on probation, difficult conversations, absence and underperformance, plus a simple review process the business will really use.
- Pay structures and pay transparencyPay bands, job levels and gender pay gap reports for Irish employers, with clear preparation for the EU Pay Transparency Directive and pay decisions you can explain.
- Restructuring and redundancyPlanning and running a fair redundancy or reorganisation for Irish employers: selection, consultation, statutory calculations, letters, meetings and support for everyone affected.
- Hiring process and onboardingA fair, quick hiring process for Irish employers: job descriptions, structured interviews, interviewer training, offer paperwork and an onboarding plan through probation.
Who it's for
Owners with no HR department
You are the HR department, on top of everything else. You need contracts that are right, policies people can follow and someone to ring when a problem lands.
Teams that are growing
Headcount is climbing and the informal way of doing things has stopped working. You want structure in place before the first dispute, not after it.
HR teams that need a hand
You have HR in house but not the hours. We take on a project, an investigation or a busy quarter and hand it back finished.
As much help as you need, and no more
You don't need a long contract to get one question answered. Whatever the arrangement, the scope, the fee and the timings are agreed in writing before any work starts.
A defined project
One piece of work with a clear finish: an HR audit, a new handbook, a pay structure, a redundancy programme. The scope is fixed and agreed in writing.
Ongoing support
A named HR consultant on call for day to day questions, with regular reviews and project time when you need it.
An urgent issue
A grievance, a disciplinary matter or a complaint that needs an independent investigator. We step in, run a fair process and document it properly.
Hiring and HR together
We recruit the person, then set up the contract, the onboarding and the probation reviews, so the hire has the best chance of lasting.
Employment law: what's changed and what's coming
The changes employers ask about most. This is general information, so check the detail with the authority named or with an adviser before you act.
In force since 1 January 2026
Pension auto enrolment is live
Employees aged 23 to 60 who earn €20,000 or more and are not already in a pension through payroll are enrolled in MyFutureFund automatically. The employer pays 1.5% of pay for the first three years, matching the employee. Taking part is mandatory and employers who do not can be fined.
In force since 29 June 2026
Retirement ages now need consent
Under the Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Act 2025, an employee whose contract sets a retirement age below 66 can say in writing that they do not consent to retire, and stay until 66 unless the employer can objectively justify the age. The employer must give a reasoned written reply within one month.
Since 1 October 2026
PRSI has gone up
The main employer PRSI rate rose to 11.40% and the employee rate to 4.35%. Budget 2027 also announced that the weekly earnings threshold for the lower employer rate will rise from €552 to €600 during 2027.
From 1 January 2027
Minimum wage rises to €14.94
The national minimum wage is €14.15 an hour today. Budget 2027, delivered on 6 October 2026, confirmed an increase of 79 cent to €14.94 from 1 January 2027. Review any pay scales that sit just above the minimum before then.
By the end of November 2026
Gender pay gap reports are due
Employers with 50 or more employees are now in scope, down from 150 before 2025. The report uses a snapshot date in June 2026 and must be published by the end of November. Government guidance also asks for it to be uploaded to the Gender Pay Gap Portal, so check gov.ie before you file.
EU deadline of 7 June 2026 missed
Pay transparency is not law yet
Ireland did not transpose the EU Pay Transparency Directive on time. As of early October 2026 there is no legal duty to show a pay range in a job advert and no ban on asking candidates about pay history, although both are proposed. It is coming, so a pay structure you can explain is worth building now.
Unchanged for 2026
Statutory sick pay stays at five days
After 13 weeks of service an employee is entitled to five days of statutory sick pay a year at 70% of normal pay, capped at €110 a day, with a medical certificate. The Government confirmed in April 2025 that the entitlement would stay at five days.
From 2 December 2027
AI in hiring: the rules are deferred
The EU AI Act treats software that screens or ranks job applicants as high risk. The duties on employers who use such tools, including telling workers, keeping a person in control and keeping logs, now apply from 2 December 2027, put back from August 2026.
The people who help you hire can help you keep them
Most agencies stop at the start date. Most HR firms start after it. We do both, so the contract, the onboarding and the probation reviews are ready before your new hire walks in.
- Job descriptions and adverts that are fair and legally sound
- Interviewer training on what you can and can't ask
- Contracts issued on time, with the terms the law requires
- An onboarding and probation plan for every new starter
Questions employers ask before they call
FH Recruitment provides HR advice and practical support. We are not a law firm and we do not give legal advice. Where a matter needs a solicitor we will tell you, and we are happy to work alongside yours.
What does an HR consultant do for a small business?
The work an HR manager would do, without the cost of employing one full time. That usually means getting contracts and policies right, advising you through day to day people questions, guiding you through a disciplinary or grievance fairly, training your managers, and putting simple processes in place for hiring, probation, pay and performance. You decide how much help you need and when.
Is HR advice the same as legal advice?
No. We give HR advice and practical support: what good practice and the codes of practice expect, how to run a fair process, and how to document it. We are not a law firm and we do not give legal advice. If a matter needs a solicitor, for example a claim that is heading to a hearing, we tell you early and work alongside yours.
How much does HR consultancy cost?
It depends on the work. A defined project has a fixed scope and fee. Ongoing support is a regular arrangement sized to your headcount and how much help you expect to need. In every case the scope, the fee and the timings are agreed in writing before any work starts, so you know the cost before you commit.
Do we have to recruit through FH Recruitment to use the HR service?
No. The HR consultancy stands on its own, and most HR questions have nothing to do with hiring. Where the two meet, such as contracts for new starters, interview training or onboarding, having both under one roof saves you explaining your business twice.
Can you help with a problem that is already under way?
Yes, and the earlier you call the more options you have. Ideally get in touch before any letter is sent or any decision is made. The first step is always to understand what has happened so far and what your own contracts and procedures say, because a fair outcome depends on following them.
Do you work on site or remotely?
Both. Most advice, document work and reviews are done by phone, video call and email. Investigations, training sessions and sensitive meetings are usually better in person, and we travel to employers across Ireland for those.
How do we get started?
Send the consultation request on this page with a line or two about what you need. Our HR consultant will contact you within one working day to arrange a conversation. After that you receive a short written proposal setting out the scope, the fee and the timings, and nothing starts until you have agreed it.
HR guides for Irish employers
- HR, 6 Oct 2026HR compliance checklist for Irish employers in 2026What every Irish employer must have in place as of October 2026: written terms, payslips, minimum pay, working time records, leave, sick pay, pension enrolment, policies and inspection records.
- HR, 6 Oct 2026Pension auto enrolment in Ireland: what employers must doMy Future Fund began on 1 January 2026. Who is enrolled, what employers pay, what payroll must do each pay date, opt outs, existing schemes and penalties as of October 2026.
- HR, 5 Oct 2026Probation periods in Ireland: a guide for employersHow long probation can last in Ireland, when it can be extended, what the contract must say, the notice that applies and when an employee on probation can still bring a dismissal claim.
- HR, 4 Oct 2026How to run a fair disciplinary procedure in IrelandWhat Irish law expects of a disciplinary procedure: the Code of Practice, fair procedure, warning stages, gross misconduct, suspension, records and the unfair dismissal limits.
- HR, 2 Oct 2026Outsourced HR in Ireland: when a small business needs HR supportWhen HR duties start to bite as an Irish business grows, what outsourced HR covers, how it is packaged, what to ask before you sign, and when an in house HR hire makes more sense.
- HR, 1 Oct 2026How to run a fair workplace investigation in IrelandA step by step guide for Irish employers: when to investigate, terms of reference, choosing an investigator, fair procedures, the report, confidentiality and the common mistakes.
Request a consultation
A few lines is enough. Our HR consultant will contact you within one working day, and no work starts until you've agreed a written scope and fee.
- What you send is stored privately and seen only by our HR consultant.
- If something is happening this week, say so and we'll prioritise the call.
- Prefer email? employers@fhrecruitment.ie
Hiring as well?
One named consultant, a first shortlist target of 48 hours on permanent roles, and nothing to pay until your hire passes probation.