Electra HR · UK-wide HR consultancy · Kent roots

HR on your side.Not the paperwork's.

Straight-talking HR for founders and SMEs of 5 to 50 people. Same-day answers, no retainers, and qualified HR support backed by Bonsai Law, an SRA-regulated firm, when a matter turns legal.

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Same-day answers Zero retainers Maidstone, Kent → UK-wide

Vanessa Challess, founder of Electra HR, typing at her desk

Backed by Bonsai Law

A direct line into an SRA-regulated firm when a matter turns legal.

The manifesto

Four things we believe. Everything else follows.

On your side

We work for you, not for the process. When things get messy, our only agenda is your side of the table.

Human, not corporate

You talk to the person doing the work. Plain English, no scripts, no account managers reading from flowcharts.

Fast & decisive

Same-day answers and fixed-fee quotes. When a people problem is live, momentum beats perfection.

Legal teeth, when needed

Led by a practising solicitor. When a matter needs legal advice, representation or privilege, you go straight into Bonsai Law — an SRA-regulated firm. No handoff limbo.

What we do

Six services. Zero theatre.

All services

Day-to-Day HR Advice

Answers in hours, not invoice cycles.

Dig in

Grievances & Disciplinaries

Handle it fairly. Handle it fast. Handle it once.

Dig in

Contracts & Handbooks

Paperwork that protects you — and people actually read.

Dig in

HR Health Checks

Find the risks before they find you.

Dig in

Training & Change

Managers who can handle people. Change that doesn't break them.

Dig in

Startup HR Packages

HR foundations for teams of 5–50, built in weeks.

Dig in

The bridge

HR muscle now. Legal firepower the moment it's needed.

You start here

Electra HR — your ally

An HR consultancy led by a practising solicitor. Advice, documents, processes, training — the day-to-day work that keeps your people problems small. Fixed fees, plain English, your corner.

You land here

Bonsai Law — the legal teeth

A separate, SRA-regulated law firm. Legal advice, representation and the protection of legal professional privilege — with full context handed over, so you never explain your situation twice.

Electra HR is an HR consultancy, not a law firm, and is not SRA-regulated. Legal services are provided separately by Bonsai Law under SRA regulation — only when your matter genuinely needs them.

Vanessa Challess — solicitor & founder

Who's in your corner

Led by a solicitor. Run like a startup's best friend.

Electra HR was founded by Vanessa Challess, a practising litigation solicitor who watched too many founders get buried by corporate HR firms — retainer-locked, slow, and weirdly keen on process for its own sake. So Electra does the opposite: straight answers, honest pricing, and the confidence of knowing that if a situation turns legal, SRA-regulated lawyers at Bonsai Law are one introduction away.

Based in Maidstone, Kent. Working with founders across the UK.

Read the story

Field notes

What "on your side" looks like in practice

Grievance

A 14-person agency facing its first grievance

Process planned within 48 hours — resolved at the first formal meeting.

Startup HR

A Kent startup hiring fast, contracts a mess

Full foundations — contracts, handbook, probation — delivered in two weeks.

Disciplinary

A founder avoiding a hard conversation for months

Scripted, supported and closed in nine days. Team noticeably lighter.

Illustrative examples based on typical engagements. Named client stories and reviews are on the way.

Briefings

HR thinking, minus the waffle

All briefings

Everyday HR

Can I dismiss someone for poor performance in the UK?

Step-by-step guide to fair dismissal for poor performance in the UK. Capability procedure, warnings, ERA 2025 changes, and when to involve solicitor-led HR support.

11 min read

Everyday HR

Employee off sick — what can I do as an employer?

What UK employers can do when an employee is off sick. SSP rules, long-term sickness absence, Occupational Health, capability dismissal, and how ERA 2025 changes affect sickness management.

10 min read

ERA 2025

Employment Rights Act 2025 — what do employers need to do?

What UK employers need to do about the Employment Rights Act 2025. Unfair dismissal after 6 months, uncapped compensation, day-one family rights, and practical steps for small businesses.

12 min read

No intake forms from hell

Tell us what's going on. We'll take it from there.

Three fields, one human on the other end, and an answer within one working day — usually much faster.

Rapid response, fixed-fee quotes