Scotgold Resources

Scotgold Resources is a gold mine based in Stirlingshire, Scotland. HR Manager & PA to the CEO, Pam Dumas-Ekin, fills us in on the organisation’s growth:

“We are a developing gold mine,” states Pam, “The mine itself has been operating since February 2019. We are currently working on construction of the process plant to utilise the resources coming out of the mine.

“We started out very small, but now we’re up to 26 employees, with 14 of them working within the mine. Additionally, there is a Project Manager and Process Manager handling the development of the process plant. In the head office—a few miles from the mine itself—we have two geologists as well as those working in HR, Finance and Procurement.

A desire to ensure the business was legally compliant was what drove Pam to take on Croner’s services. When developing and growing, the last thing you want is to be hit with a major HR issue. So Pam was proactive rather than reactive:

“There was no particular issue that brought us to Croner, we just wanted to ensure we were compliant and safe. Although I’d been a manager previously, I’d never managed HR. So we didn’t have the knowledge in-house to deal with HR matters.

“I went on a half-day course that Croner was running and they really seemed to know their stuff. I knew I’d be able to call up with any queries I had and get an answer the same day. It all seemed very convenient and useful, so we signed up.”

Without a dedicated HR department, managing every-day issues tends to fall on one person. And, in most cases, that individual has other responsibilities. Managing this dual responsibility can be a challenge, but having a lifeline helps ease the burden.

“How often I use the advice line really depends on what’s happening at the time,” explains Pam, “There have been periods where I use it every single day, sometimes just once a month. But it doesn’t matter how little—or how much—I call, the advice is consistently good.

“The main issues I tend to call about are regarding staff absences or general questions on policies and contracts. Absence in particular has been a problem, to the point where we’ve had to go through a disciplinary procedure. We sought Croner’s assistance with that as well, which was incredibly helpful. We’ve had very good advice, and the support of Croner has made the whole process much easier to manage.

“Specifically, we’ve had great advice from Amy Paxton, and wonderful support from Danielle Malins with regard to our policies. They’re both incredibly helpful and quick to get back to me. And, it’s always good to have reassurance that your documentation is legally compliant.”