Fractional HR Services
What Is Fractional HR?
Fractional HR gives your business access to an experienced, senior HR professional on a flexible, part-time basis. Rather than hiring a full-time HR director — which most growing businesses simply don’t need — you get the same level of expertise for a fraction of the cost and commitment.
It’s not a helpline. It’s not a templated service. A fractional HR consultant becomes part of your team, understanding your business from the inside, attending meetings, handling complex situations, and building the HR foundations you need to grow with confidence.
How Is Fractional HR Different from Interim HR or an HR Consultant?
These terms get used interchangeably, but they mean different things:
- Fractional HR — an ongoing, strategic partnership. Your fractional HR director works with you regularly (typically one to three days per week), gets embedded in the business, and provides continuity. Think of it as having your own HR director who happens to work part-time.
- Interim HR — short-term, hands-on cover. Usually brought in to fill a gap (maternity leave, sudden departure, restructure) for a fixed period. Full-time hours, temporary arrangement.
- HR consultant — project-based, external expertise. Engaged for specific initiatives like a policy overhaul, TUPE transfer, or tribunal preparation. Defined scope, defined outcome.
Popoki offers all three models, but fractional HR is where growing businesses get the most value — senior expertise without the commitment of a permanent hire or the cost of full-time interim cover.
Who Benefits from Fractional HR?
Fractional HR is particularly effective for:
- Startups scaling past 10-20 employees — where informal approaches to people management start to break down
- SMEs without in-house HR — where the founder or office manager is handling HR on top of everything else
- Businesses going through change — restructuring, rapid growth, acquisitions, or leadership transitions
- Organisations with a junior HR person — who needs senior guidance and mentoring
If you’ve outgrown DIY HR but aren’t ready for a full-time hire, fractional HR fills that gap.
How Popoki Delivers Fractional HR
Marie Hart, Chartered FCIPD (Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development), brings over 20 years of HR leadership experience across high-growth, complex, and regulated environments. Based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, she works with businesses across the UK.
What does Chartered Fellow status mean? FCIPD represents the highest level of professional recognition in UK HR, held by fewer than 10% of CIPD members. It requires a minimum of 10 years’ relevant experience (including 3+ years at senior level), demonstrated thought leadership, and strategic influence in the profession. When you work with Marie, you’re getting a consultant whose expertise has been independently validated to the highest professional standard.
Fractional HR engagements are tailored to what your business actually needs:
- Retained arrangements — a set number of days per month, giving you consistent HR presence and strategic input
- Project-based support — focused on specific initiatives like restructuring, policy overhauls, or TUPE transfers
- On-demand advisory — available when you need expert guidance on employee relations issues, disciplinary matters, or tribunal preparation
There’s no one-size-fits-all package. The arrangement flexes as your business changes.
What’s Included
A fractional HR engagement typically covers:
- HR policy implementation — creating or updating contracts, handbooks, and policies to ensure legal compliance
- Employee relations — managing grievances, disciplinaries, absence, and performance issues
- People strategy — aligning your people approach with your business goals
- Recruitment guidance — improving your hiring processes without the cost of an agency
- Compliance and risk management — keeping you on the right side of employment law
- Leadership coaching — developing your managers to handle people issues confidently
Why Fractional HR, Not Full-Time?
| Full-Time HR Director | Fractional HR | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | £120k-£180k+ total (salary, NI, benefits) | Typically £2,500-£5,000/month for 1-2 days/week |
| Commitment | Permanent headcount | Flexible — increase or decrease as needed |
| Expertise | One person’s experience | Breadth of experience across multiple sectors |
| Availability | 5 days/week (whether needed or not) | Exactly the hours your business requires |
| Ramp-up | Months of onboarding | Experienced consultants hit the ground running |
For most businesses under 100 employees, fractional HR delivers better value and broader expertise than a permanent hire — at 40-60% less than the total cost of a full-time equivalent.
2026 Employment Law Changes: Why Fractional HR Matters Now
The Employment Rights Act 2025 — which received Royal Assent in December 2025 — introduces the most significant employment law changes in a generation. From April 2026: statutory sick pay from day one (removing the three-day waiting period), day-one paternity and parental leave rights, and strengthened flexible working protections. From January 2027: the unfair dismissal qualifying period drops from two years to six months, and “fire and rehire” becomes automatically unfair dismissal. ACAS conciliation has already been extended from 6 to 12 weeks.
For businesses without dedicated HR, these changes create real compliance risk — and the penalties for non-compliance are serious (right-to-work failures, for example, now carry potentially unlimited fines as a criminal offence).
A fractional HR director monitors legislative changes, updates your policies, and ensures your business stays compliant — without you having to track every update yourself. It’s one of the most common reasons businesses move from ad hoc HR to a retained fractional arrangement.
Getting Started
Every fractional HR engagement begins with an honest conversation about where your business is, where it’s heading, and what gaps exist in your people management. There’s no obligation and no hard sell.
If your business needs proper HR support but not a full-time salary, get in touch to discuss how a fractional arrangement could work for you.
Looking for broader HR consultancy services? We offer the full range of HR support, from mediation and coaching to organisational change.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does fractional HR cost?
Most fractional HR engagements for SMEs run between £2,500 and £5,000 per month for one to two days per week. Compare that to the total cost of a full-time HR director — typically £150,000+ per year once you factor in salary, national insurance, pension, and benefits. The exact cost depends on the level of support your business needs and the complexity of your HR requirements.
How many days per month does fractional HR typically involve?
It depends entirely on your business needs. Some clients use one day per week, others two days per month. The arrangement is designed around what you actually need, not a fixed package.
Is fractional HR the same as outsourced HR?
Not quite. Outsourced HR often means a call centre or templated service. Fractional HR means a named, senior consultant who gets to know your business deeply and works alongside your team — more like having your own HR director on a flexible basis.
Can a fractional HR consultant handle sensitive employee issues?
Absolutely. Fractional HR consultants handle disciplinaries, grievances, redundancies, and tribunal preparation regularly. The key is choosing someone with genuine senior experience, not just a generalist.
How quickly can a fractional HR consultant start?
Typically within one to two weeks. Because experienced consultants have seen most situations before, there’s far less onboarding time compared to a permanent hire.
Do you work with businesses outside Hertfordshire?
Yes. While Popoki is based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, we work with businesses across the UK. Much of the work can be done remotely, with face-to-face time where it matters most.