Disciplinary
Protected the business from legal risk
A gross-misconduct dismissal completed without a tribunal claim, after the owner had already confronted the employee.
No tribunal claim lodged.
View case study →Employee Relations for owner-managed businesses
A difficult employee situation on your hands, and one wrong move could cost you thousands. Let's make sure it doesn't.
When a good employee becomes a problem, I sort it, properly and quietly.
I'm Samantha Newton, an Employee Relations specialist for owner-managed businesses. I help you handle it properly, commercially, and in plain English, before it becomes a legal problem.
3 minutes · Confidential · No login · Every one seen by Samantha personally
Rather talk now? Message Samantha on WhatsApp →
★★★★★ 5.0 from 18 Google reviews · FCIPD Chartered Fellow · 25+ years
- ✓FCIPD Employee Relations specialist
- ✓25+ years' HR experience
- ✓Trusted by owner-managed SMEs
- ✓Practical, commercial advice
What's happening right now?
Tap your situation for a free, instant read on where you stand.
★★★★★ 5.0 from 18 Google reviews | Senior experience at Williams Racing, Pets at Home & the NHS | Published in Health & Wellbeing Magazine
FCIPD
Chartered Fellow of the CIPD
25+
years in employee relations
1 day
reply within one working day
48hr
written action plan
Watch
Worried about an employee situation?
How I help, in under a minute.
Prefer to handle it yourself?
Practical, tribunal-proof systems for each situation, the letters, checklists and process, written by a specialist. From £197.
Most employee problems don't get expensive because they're complicated. They get expensive because they're left too long. Handled early, it's a conversation. Handled late, it's a claim.
How Samantha helps
Practical support, not HR theory
✓
Practical, commercial advice
Plain-English answers you can act on, not HR theory or a document full of caveats.
✓
Legally defensible processes
The right steps, in the right order, so a fair decision stays a fair decision.
✓
Manager coaching
Support for you and your managers before the difficult conversation, not after it's gone wrong.
✓
Independent investigations
Fair, impartial fact-finding when you need someone outside the situation.
✓
Clear documentation
The letters, notes and records that protect you if it ever escalates.
✓
Difficult conversations, guided
Exactly what to say, what to avoid, and how to handle the response.
The Magenta Method
From problem to sorted, in four clear steps
A clear, four-step approach to any difficult employee situation, so you always know where you stand and what happens next.
1
Understand
A clear, honest picture of what's really going on, beneath the surface.
2
Assess the risk
Your legal exposure and commercial impact, in plain English.
3
Plan the right path
Realistic options and the correct steps, in order, written within 48 hours.
4
Resolve & protect
Support through it, then keep you protected so the next issue is caught early.
Recent situations · anonymised
Real situations. Clear outcomes.
Long-term sickness
Employee back at work, no formal process
Four months' stress-related absence with no plan, OH referral or return date.
Phased return agreed within weeks.
View case study →Grievance
Resolved before it escalated
A formal grievance against the owner, from a business that had never handled one.
Resolved without escalation. The employee stayed.
View case study →What business owners say
Trusted by owner-managed businesses
"We've decided to continue working with Samantha for all of our HR needs."
"Samantha helped us through a long-term sickness issue and saved us from expensive employment law problems. Her advice was invaluable."
"Her guidance helped us feel confident in our decisions, while keeping respect and dignity for everyone involved."
"HR savvy, pragmatic and commercially driven, no matter how big or small the problem."
Why owners choose Magenta
Your solicitor explains the law. ACAS sets the rules. Samantha actually handles it with you.
When a people problem hits, you have options. Here's the honest difference, and why owner-managed businesses choose a specialist who deals with the situation itself, not just the theory.
Handle it yourself Free, but one wrong step can turn a manageable issue into a costly claim. You carry all the risk.
A national HR helpline A script and a call centre. A different person each time, usually on a long, tied-in contract.
Your solicitor Explains the law and handles litigation, at solicitor rates. Not the day-to-day people management.
ACAS Sets out the rules and the Code. Genuinely useful, but it won't handle your situation for you.
Magenta HR (Samantha) A named FCIPD specialist who handles the situation with you, in plain English, with no call centre and no junior. And if you can handle it yourself, she'll tell you.
What it's worth
Early advice is the cheapest it will ever be.
A mishandled dismissal can run into five figures, with unfair dismissal awards reaching up to £115,115, plus 12 to 18 months of management time and stress. A focused session with Samantha starts from £495 + VAT, with a written action plan within 48 hours. The maths usually makes itself.
See how it works and pricing →Who I help
Owner-managed businesses, typically 5 to 100 employees.
Owners who want a difficult employee situation handled properly, without a corporate HR department or corporate fees. If that's you, we'll get on well.
Start the Free Situation Check
About Samantha
You deal directly with the specialist, not a call centre
Samantha Newton FCIPD · Chartered Fellow of the CIPD
An Employee Relations specialist with 25+ years' experience, including senior roles at Williams Racing, Pets at Home and NHS Primary Care. You deal directly with Samantha, no call centre, no junior, no jargon.
FCIPD Chartered Fellow · Published author and speaker on employee relations and workplace wellbeing.
Learn more about SamanthaThe free Employee Situation Check · 3 minutes
Not sure how serious it is? Find out in 3 minutes.
Answer a few quick questions and get a clear, honest read on what you're dealing with, the risks, and your best next step. No login, no sales pitch. Built by Samantha from 25 years of real situations.
Start with your situation:
An employee grievance →Underperformance →Long-term sickness →Conduct or behaviour →Redundancy →Letting someone go →I'm not sure →
- ✓A clear read on what you're actually dealing with
- ✓The key risks to be aware of
- ✓A recommended next step
- ✓An honest view on whether you need support at all
Confidential · No login required
Example summary · prepared for you
Worth getting rightWhat you're dealing with
A formal grievance is now on record, so how you respond matters more than what caused it.
The 3 things to get right now
- ✓Acknowledge it in writing and follow a clear process
- ✓Get someone genuinely neutral to look into it
- ✓Give a clear answer, and allow an appeal
Your recommended next step
A free 20-minute call with Samantha to confirm the right way forward.
Illustrative example. Your summary is tailored to your answers.
Prefer to speak to Samantha?
Already know you'd like to talk it through?
Book a free 20-minute consultation. Samantha will listen, give you an honest view, and confirm the right next step, no obligation, no sales pitch.
Book a Free ConsultationCommon questions
Questions business owners ask
What exactly happens in the £495 + VAT session?+
A focused 60–90 minute conversation where we work through your situation and agree exactly what to do next. You get a written action plan within 48 hours.
How is this different from calling a lawyer?+
I handle the practical, commercial side, the process, the conversations, the documentation, in plain English. I'll tell you if and when you genuinely need a solicitor.
What if the situation is already serious?+
That's exactly when to get advice. Even mid-process, the right next steps in the right order can change the outcome.
Can I get ongoing support after the session?+
Yes. Many owners keep me on hand so the next situation is caught early, from £350 + VAT a month.
Not sure what to do next?
Start with the free Employee Situation Check, or book a consultation and talk it through with Samantha directly.
If I think you can handle the situation yourself, I'll tell you. The purpose of the call is clarity, not a sales pitch.
Samantha Newton FCIPD · Oxfordshire · UK-wide support · Reply within one working day