HR Projects
Restructuring, TUPE, and HR transformation — delivered end to end by consultants who have done this before.
Some HR work is not day-to-day management. It is a defined project with a clear objective, a timeline, and consequences if it goes wrong. A restructure. A TUPE transfer. An organisational redesign. These situations need experienced project delivery, not just advice.
Esbee delivers HR projects for UK businesses that need senior-level capability without the overhead of a permanent hire. We design the approach, manage the process, handle the difficult conversations, and take accountability for the outcome. From first briefing to final implementation, you work directly with consultants who have delivered these projects many times before.
If you are facing a restructure, navigating a business transfer, or rethinking how your HR function operates, talk to us about how we can help.
What we deliver
Restructuring & Redundancy
Designing and delivering restructures that are legally sound, commercially sensible, and handled with care. Business case development, consultation strategy, selection criteria, individual meetings, and implementation. Most businesses that attempt this without expert support leave themselves exposed — their process would not survive cross-examination.
TUPE & Business Transfers
Managing the people side of acquisitions, disposals, outsourcing, and insourcing. Due diligence, employee liability information, consultation, and post-transfer integration. TUPE is a commercial negotiation, not just an HR compliance exercise — we treat it as one.
HR Strategy & Transformation
Helping leadership teams design HR operating models and people strategies that support commercial objectives — not HR best practice for its own sake. Often delivered alongside broader organisational change and management consultancy.
Restructuring and redundancy consultancy
Restructuring is one of the highest-risk HR activities a business undertakes. Get it right and you create a leaner, more effective organisation. Get it wrong and you face tribunal claims, protective award exposure, and a workforce that has lost confidence in leadership.
The cost of getting redundancy wrong has recently doubled. Protective awards — the penalty for failing to collectively consult — now represent a significant financial exposure for any business making 20 or more redundancies. Many businesses do not even know the obligation exists until it is too late.
We manage restructuring programmes from initial strategy through to completion. That includes building the business case, designing the consultation process, drafting selection criteria that will withstand challenge, conducting individual consultation meetings, and managing settlement negotiations where appropriate. We have delivered restructures ranging from small team reorganisations to large-scale programmes across multiple sites.
A PE-backed services business needed to restructure its operations team following an acquisition. Twenty-three roles were at risk, TUPE obligations applied to a subset of employees, and the timeline was tied to investor reporting deadlines. We designed and led the entire process — consultation strategy, individual meetings, selection criteria, and settlement negotiations for two senior departures. The restructure completed on schedule, with no tribunal claims and an annual cost saving of over £400,000. The investor group cited the process as a benchmark for future portfolio restructures. For PE-specific support, see our private equity people consultancy.
TUPE and business transfer consultancy
TUPE transfers — whether driven by an acquisition, a disposal, an outsourcing arrangement, or an insourcing decision — are technically complex and commercially sensitive. The legal framework is prescriptive, the consultation obligations are strict, and the consequences of non-compliance are material.
But the real risk in most TUPE situations is not legal — it is operational. Poor communication, mishandled consultation, or a failure to plan for post-transfer integration can destroy the value that the transaction was supposed to create. We manage the full people workstream: due diligence, employee liability information, consultation, terms harmonisation planning, and integration support.
If you are going through a transaction, we can also support the broader people due diligence — identifying the risks that the data room will never tell you.
A mid-market manufacturer was outsourcing its customer service function to a third-party provider. Fourteen employees were in scope for TUPE transfer. The receiving employer had different terms and conditions, a different pension scheme, and a different management culture. We managed the consultation process, prepared all employee liability information, negotiated the people-related commercial terms with the third party, and supported the transition for two months post-transfer. No claims arose. The outsourcing delivered the projected savings and the affected employees reported a positive transition experience.
The changing landscape for HR projects
The Employment Rights Act 2025 has introduced significant changes to collective consultation, unfair dismissal qualifying periods, and trade union access. For businesses planning restructures or organisational change, understanding these changes is not optional — it is a prerequisite for managing risk.
The Act has also given unions expanded access rights in the private sector, which has practical implications for how consultation processes are structured and managed. We help businesses navigate this landscape with confidence — ensuring that projects are designed around the current legal framework, not the one that existed two years ago.
If you want your management team to understand these changes, our Employment Rights Act 2025 training provides a practical overview designed for senior leaders and HR professionals.
Related training
Equip your team with the knowledge to support and manage organisational change effectively.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a restructuring programme typically take?
It depends on scale and complexity. A straightforward team restructure might take four to six weeks from consultation to implementation. A business-wide reorganisation — particularly one involving TUPE or collective consultation obligations — can take three to six months. We plan realistically and manage the process to keep things on track.
Do you manage TUPE transfers for acquisitions?
Yes. We manage the full people workstream for acquisitions, disposals, outsourcing, and insourcing. For private equity transactions, we also offer specialist PE people consultancy that covers pre-deal due diligence through to post-acquisition integration.
What is the risk of getting a redundancy process wrong?
Significant. Unfair dismissal claims, protective award claims for failure to collectively consult, discrimination claims if selection criteria are flawed, and reputational damage. The protective award has recently doubled, making the financial exposure for businesses that fail to consult properly more severe than ever.
Can you work alongside our legal advisers?
Absolutely. We regularly work alongside employment law firms. Our role is to manage the operational HR delivery — process design, consultation, documentation, and people management — while your legal advisers handle technical legal risk. The two disciplines are complementary.
Discuss your project
If you are planning a restructure, navigating a TUPE transfer, or rethinking your HR function, we are happy to talk through the options. Confidential and without obligation.
Get in touch