Melanie Lang

Established in 1947, with a reputation for quality craftmanship and excellent service, manufacturing kitchens through each technical process from raw material to installation, in partnership with private developers, social housing and general public across the UK.

Acting HOHR (August 2024 to June 2025)

• Objective setting and management of the HR and Payroll Team (5 employees)
• Accountable for budget management of recruitment, legal, training and occupational health
• Headcount management approvals process
• Stakeholder management with Executive Team, producing HR Metrics for the SLT meetings.
• Lead on complex exits

HR Manager (March 2022 onwards)

• Instrumental in the research of and implementation of new HRIS system (Cezanne) and TMS system (HFX)
• Responsible for HR governance, producing policy and procedure in line with current employment law, including updates in accordance with legislative changes of the Employment Rights Bill
• Lead on complex ER cases, tribunals and COT3 settlements, restructure and redundancy exits
• Promoting wellness action and mental health within the workplace
• Manage the Apprentice Levy spend, developing employees at entry level to those who qualify at Level 7 in manufacturing and professional disciplines across the business, reporting quarterly to the Executive Team
• In partnership with Head of HR, launching the Voice of the Employee Survey 2025 and the analysis of data
• Responsible for core labour requirements to ensure annual FSC accreditation
• Creation of manager effectiveness training module suite
• Stakeholder relationships across senior management and line management, providing timely and pragmatic solutions.
• Transactional training modules to upskill line management and first line management
• Mentoring and developing two HR Business Partners sharing expert knowledge and guidance in complex ER.
• HR Lead facilitating the Colleague Engagement Forum with the Operational Director and CEO
• Manage Occupational Health from screening to management referrals, including budget spend
• HR project work as required

Leading the HR Team (including Advisor and Administrator) to provide timely, pragmatic, business and commercially focused advice to Management in line with current legal requirements. Abraham Moon are a versatile vertical textile company who design and produce woven textiles from ethically sourced raw wool through yarn production, cloth production and technical finishing to despatch and worldwide export to a wide range of high end customers. My achievements are as follows:

• Lead and manage the employment life cycle from attraction, recruitment, onboarding, development, retention and exit.
• Lead on SMETA Two Pillar Ethical Trade Initiative in terms of Labour Standards, manage the two day semi announced Audits with External Auditor Company.
• HR Lead on Company Values development and roll out
• Encouraged and implemented introduction of Informing and Consulting Committee which led to an Employee voice at quarterly meetings
• Manage Apprentice Levy spend and those on textile and leadership programmes giving pipeline talent and developing career paths
• Promote employee wellbeing via introduction of Mental Health First Aiders, Access to Employee Assistance Programme, raise mental health awareness, manage Occupational Health referrals and outcomes, and also on site flu vaccinations for all under 50’s
• Promote employee financial well being by confidential external advice on financial issues with providers, organising six monthly Pension Clinics with our Pension Broker
• HR Lead on large scale site wide redundancy (COVID related) programme including one month collective consultation and individual consultations over a two month period which led to a 25% reduction in headcount.
• Large scale site wide recruitment ramp up commencing March 2021 to date, offering 60 positions during 2021.
• Payroll and pension administration
• Lead on COT3 and Settlement Agreements
• Developed and delivered the Management Development Programme (Managers and Supervisors) across seven people focused modules
• Coach Management on all people issues including complex disciplinary and grievances
• Small scale TUPE in bringing cleaning contract in house

Providing pragmatic operational HR support to Senior Management / Managers within the largest Contract of Customer Management, across sites and business streams (unionised) in line with Company approach, procedures and legal requirements. My achievements are as follows:

• Working with Senior Management to assist in the transformation and change management of the Partnership which has a large TUPE and Acquired population, alongside a Capita population.
• Building strong, professional relationships with Management teams
• Providing commercially focused advice and support to Managers on all Employee Relations issues in line with Company procedures including disciplinary, grievance and sickness absence issues.
• Supporting the business by timely use of Occupational Health assessments in order to facilitate safe return of employees on sickness absence.
• Producing and delivering short workshops to Operational Managers on effective management of sickness, disciplinary and grievance
• Raising and improving Managers awareness of current and new Employment Legislation
• Producing Monthly HR report and associated accurate statistics in timely manner.
• Effective and timely management of Employment Tribunal claims, including formulation of responses bundle preparation, compilation of witness statements and attending case management discussions
• Maintain positive relationships with local Trade Union representatives and employee forums.
  
  

• Responsible for Human Resource Management across three highly diverse Service Companies across three unionised sites. Reporting to Managing Director and working alongside Senior Management Team, my achievements are as follows:
• Successful integration of IETG and 40SEVEN into IDEX Corporation
• Played an instrumental role with regard TUPE transfer of employees from IETG to 40SEVEN in April 2007 and Cartographical Surveys Ltd into 40SEVEN Ltd in September 2008
• Ensured harmonisation of terms and conditions between IETG and 40SEVEN employee, consulting with employee representatives
• Involved in Management of Pipeline Talent
• Developed new Contract of Employment for all staff of IETG and 40SEVEN incorporating main terms of Employee Handbook
• Report to Board Meeting in a strategic HR capacity on monthly basis
• Involved in Health and Safety at Management level
• Responsible for Strategic and Operational HR at all sites
• Responsible for Payroll using Outsourced Provider
• Negotiated severance packages up to Managing Director level
• Undertaken redundancy programmes at Director, Management, Staff and Site level
• Restructured divisions within IETG and 40SEVEN
• Responsible for implementing IETG and 40SEVEN Pension Scheme
• Delivering of Management Leadership Training across IDEX UK Ltd
• Mentoring and Developing Management in all areas of People Management including disciplinary, grievance, dismissal and absence management

Responsible for Human Resource Management across a highly unionised four-site company. My achievements are as follows:

• TUPE In of employees in the MBO from Polestar Group to Boxstar Ltd in September 2004.
• Effectively negotiated with the BPIF Trade Union relating to a range of employment issues, including wage collective bargaining.
• Attended Board Meeting in a strategic HR capacity on monthly basis
• Senior member of the Group Health, Safety and Environment Committee
• Boxstar Employee Handbook written and implemented
• Managing direct reports of HR Manager and HR Officer across four sites
• Negotiated severance packages up to Managing Director level
• Undertaken redundancy programmes at two sites
• Restructured divisions within packaging sector
• Responsible for creating policy and procedure in line with employment legislation
• Responsible for implementing Boxstar Pension Scheme, Boxstar Health Scheme
• Create and presenting employment training programmes for management
• Coordinate employees Personal Development Reviews and training that follows
• Responsible for policy and procedure, training, recruitment, selection and induction, disciplinary and grievance, absence management and contracts of employment