HR Glossary for Business Leaders
HR language can feel technical, but understanding the core terms helps founders, managers and leadership teams make confident, compliant decisions. This glossary from GSR HR explains the concepts we work with every day when supporting startups, scale-ups and established organisations across the UK. Each definition is written in plain English and focuses on what the term means in practice for your business.
- Employee relations
- The management of the relationship between an organisation and its people, including grievances, disciplinary matters, conflict resolution and consultation. Strong employee relations reduce legal risk and protect culture.
- Disciplinary procedure
- A fair, documented process for addressing misconduct or poor behaviour. In the UK, employers should follow the Acas Code of Practice, which covers investigation, written notice, a hearing, the right to be accompanied and the right of appeal.
- Grievance
- A formal concern, problem or complaint raised by an employee. Handling grievances promptly and consistently builds trust and helps resolve issues before they escalate to tribunal claims.
- Performance management
- The ongoing cycle of setting objectives, giving feedback, reviewing progress and supporting development. Effective performance management links individual goals to business strategy.
- Organisational design
- The structuring of roles, teams, reporting lines and decision rights so that an organisation can deliver its strategy. It is especially important for scale-ups moving beyond founder-led ways of working.
- Redundancy
- A form of dismissal where a role is no longer required. UK employers must follow a fair selection process, consult meaningfully with affected employees and, where 20 or more roles are at risk, undertake collective consultation.
- TUPE
- The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations, which protect employees' terms and conditions when a business or service transfers to a new employer.
- Fractional HR
- Senior HR expertise provided part-time or on a retained basis, giving growing businesses strategic leadership without the cost of a full-time HR director.