Black Kat HR

Black Kat HR Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Black Kat HR, Business consultant, Digital Media Centre, County Way, Barnsley.

From January 2027 the right to claim unfair dismissal will apply to new employees from six months of service, reducing f...
20/08/2026

From January 2027 the right to claim unfair dismissal will apply to new employees from six months of service, reducing from two years.

In addition to that, it's expected that there will be uncapped compensation where an employee claim is successful.

That's quite a significant change and one which will place additional strain on employers to get things right from the beginning when a new employee starts work.

Research shows that 44% of businesses have had a claim made against them in the last year for unfair dismissal and yet only around 50% of employers actually train their managers on how to effectively handle probations with their employees.

That feels like a worrying statistic based on the changes coming don't you think?

If you need support to upskill your line managers to handle probation periods effectively to allow you to get new starters up to speed in their roles quickly, increase the likeliness of them remaining in their roles and to avoid the risk of unfair dismissal claims, drop me over a message to arrange a chat about how I can help.

19/08/2026

Are you a smaller business who is currently recruiting?

There is a lot to think about when you are carrying out an interview with a potential new employee..... including what you talk about BEFORE you get into the structured part of it.

Watch my short video where I give you some things to think about on that very topic ⬇️

Are the questions I am talking about here things that you are asking potential new employees and has this given you a different perspective?

It's time to get ready for the changes coming around the right to claim unfair dismissal reducing from two years to six ...
18/08/2026

It's time to get ready for the changes coming around the right to claim unfair dismissal reducing from two years to six months.

Here are my top three tips to prepare:

1- Revisit your recruitment processes
Are they bringing in the right candidates? Is there room for improvement?

2- Get savvy at handling probation periods.
Are your line managers setting clear expectations at the start of employment, do regular reviews and feedback happen and are your line managers adequately trained to deliver this well?

3- Check your employment contracts
What do you have in there around probation periods currently, does it still fit? Do you something in place to allow you to pay in lieu of notice?

If you need help to review these areas and ensure you are prepared and ready, drop me over a message to arrange a chat.

If you are holding a meeting online with your employees, do you expect them to have their camera turned on?As we now car...
06/08/2026

If you are holding a meeting online with your employees, do you expect them to have their camera turned on?

As we now carry out far more of our work online, I'm seeing more businesses wanting to put in place policies around the standards expected in these meetings and one of the hot topics is whether employees are required to have their cameras switched on, or not.....

The argument for having the camera on often centre around how employees would be showing their face at an in person meeting they would be showing their face so why not do the same when its online?

By contrast, some businesses are more relaxed about it and feel it should be down to personal choice for a number of reasons including where someone is carrying out their work from and feelings of anxiety about being on camera are just a few.

How do you approach this in your business? Is it cameras must be on or do you leave it to personal choice? Let me know in the comments.

Also, if this is something you are feeling a need to put a policy in place for currently, drop me over a message to arrange a chat about how I can help you by putting together a suitable policy that reflects how you work in your business.

I was reading an article which said that the introduction of paternity leave as an entitlement from day one of employmen...
04/08/2026

I was reading an article which said that the introduction of paternity leave as an entitlement from day one of employment was the next most significant and impacting change for smaller businesses, after the changes to statutory sick pay.

If you aren't aware, as of April this year, all fathers are entitled to take paternity leave with no minimum service requirement. Previously 26 weeks of service was needed to qualify.

I was initially surprised by this, but after considering it for a moment longer I reflected on the fact that in a smaller business the impact is probably more about the impact on staffing levels, rather than the need to pay as new fathers still need 26 weeks service to qualify for paternity pay.

As a business owner, Id love to hear your thoughts on this change. Has making a paternity leave a day one right had an impact for your business?

AI-generated HR documents are catching businesses out...Here are just a couple of examples of what I have been seeing:- ...
30/07/2026

AI-generated HR documents are catching businesses out...

Here are just a couple of examples of what I have been seeing:

- AI generated employment contract that are missing vital elements to meet even the legal minimum.

- AI generated disciplinary and grievance responses which don't meet with legal requirements.

In these kind of scenarios, by the time a professional gets involved, the document needs rewriting and the situation has potentially already escalated.......what started as saving a few hundred pounds becomes a far more expensive problem to resolve.

I accept that AI has its place, but it can't assess risk, apply judgement or anticipate what could go wrong 6 months from now.

If you've been using AI for employment contracts, HR policies or other employee letters, it' really is worth getting them checked over.

Send me over a message if you would like some help with that

29/07/2026

How often should I review my HR documents?

This is a question I am asked a lot.

Watch my short video where I share my thoughts on this topic.

28/07/2026

These were things that should have been done ready for the start of this month.... have you done them?

If not and you need some help, drop me over a DM to arrange a chat.

How are the changes to statutory sick pay impacting your business?When changes were made in April to effectively mean th...
23/07/2026

How are the changes to statutory sick pay impacting your business?

When changes were made in April to effectively mean that all employees receive statutory sick pay from day one of a sickness absence, it was very much expected that absences would increase.

Im keen to know now that we are a few months down the line, what has the reality looked like?

Have you seen an increase in sporadic absence or have things remained largely unchanged in your business?

Leave me a comment and let me know

Address

Digital Media Centre, County Way
Barnsley
S702JW

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+447738050147

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Black Kat HR posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Black Kat HR:

Shortcuts

Share

Category