Gemma O'Connor

Head of HR Advisory and Technical Services

About Gemma O'Connor

Gemma is Head of HR Advisory and Technical Services at BrightHR. Throughout her 15 years with the Group, Gemma has worked extensively in HR and employment law and is highly experienced in advising employers across all industries on their toughest challenges. She has experience leading teams on day-to-day operations ensuring strategic goals are met and excellent service standards are maintained in line with client needs.

Published Articles

A man in a blue suit is sitting at a desk, holding a tablet and a smartphone. The tablet has a blue logo with the word "A" on it. The man is also wearing a watch on his left wrist.

How to enhance your recruitment processes with the support of AI

Thanks to advancements in AI technology, it's now easier than ever to implement AI throughout your HR processes. In recruitment, this provides the benefits of cutting admin time and reducing costly hiring overheads. Something all small businesses will be keen to do. At BrightHR we have taken a careful look at how AI can be used in HR whilst...

Health care professionals meeting

HR challenges in the healthcare sector

Human resources in healthcare operates under pressures that go far beyond standard people management. Workforce decisions directly affect patient safety, regulatory compliance, and service continuity. Unlike many other sectors, HR failures in healthcare rarely remain internal; they surface quickly through inspections, incidents, or service...

A man using an ai tool to complete a work task on a laptop

Creating an AI policy for the workplace

Data from our AI pulse report survey suggests that AI tools are being widely adopted by businesses in the UK. With employers favoring the latest technology for tasks such as: Day-to-day administration Marketing content creation Research and analytics Business reporting As useful as AI can be, saving time and money, there are risks associated with...

Employee rights guide book

Day one rights for your employees: Here’s everything you need to know

Thanks to the Employment Rights Act 2025, day one rights have been pushed into the spotlight. With more day one rights on the horizon, our guide explains what your employees are entitled to. What is a day one right? The definition of a day one right is simply a protection or employment entitlement that covers employees from the very first day of...

Ownership transfer certificate TUPE

TUPE guide for UK employers

When a business changes hands, its employees move with it. The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 known everywhere as TUPE, protects employees when ownership, contracts, or services are transferred. For many small- and medium-sized employers, TUPE feels like alphabet soup: rules, reps, measures, liabilities. Yet...

Woman working on holiday

Leavism in the Workplace

Leavism, when employees work during annual leave or personal time — is quietly draining productivity across UK organisations. Coined by Dr Ian Hesketh (2013), the term captures the behaviour of workers who “keep up” by checking emails on holiday, logging in at weekends, or using paid leave to catch up. Research from the University of Manchester...