Cornwall HR Solutions

Cornwall HR Solutions Independent HR Consultant supporting business owners with practical HR solutions

Important update for business owners effective 1 JulyFrom 1 July, significant changes to unfair dismissal rights will co...
08/06/2026

Important update for business owners effective 1 July

From 1 July, significant changes to unfair dismissal rights will come into effect! New hires will now be subject to a reduced qualifying period of 6 months to bring an unfair dismissal claim.
This marks a notable shift from the previous 2-year qualifying period and means business owners will need to exercise greater care much earlier in the employment relationship.

What this means for your business:
- Probation periods and review processes will need to be robust and well-documented
- Performance concerns should be addressed promptly and fairly
- Dismissal decisions within the first 6 months must still follow a fair and reasonable process.

Now is a good time to review your onboarding, probation and dismissal procedures to ensure they remain compliant.

If you’d like support reviewing your processes or updating your documentation, feel free to get in touch: [email protected].

A fresh perspective can make all the difference…After a walk along the coast this morning, it reminded me how important ...
27/05/2026

A fresh perspective can make all the difference…

After a walk along the coast this morning, it reminded me how important it is to step back and review what is really happening in your business, especially when it comes to managing absence.

Did you know that SSP is now payable from day one and more employees qualify? While this is positive, many business owners may start to see an increase in short-term absence.
For SMEs in particular, the challenge is often less about the cost and more about the disruption: unplanned absences, inconsistent management and gaps in processes that only become obvious when pressure builds.

This is where a clear and consistent approach matters and you need to ask yourself:
-Are you spotting absence patterns early?
-Are your managers confident in handling absence consistently?
-Are your policies actually being followed in practice?

A small shift in how absence is managed can make a significant difference to both productivity and employee wellbeing.

If you haven’t reviewed your approach recently, now is a good time to do so! Get in touch so we can look at how I can support your business in putting practical systems in place that work for your business.

Are you ready for the Fair Work Agency?One of the biggest mistakes business owners make is relying on memory instead of ...
15/05/2026

Are you ready for the Fair Work Agency?

One of the biggest mistakes business owners make is relying on memory instead of records.

When issues arise with performance, conduct, absence, grievances or dismissals, the outcome often comes down to one thing: EVIDENCE.

- HR records
- Emails
- Meeting notes
- Witness statements
- Return-to-work conversations
- Leaver documentation

Without proper documentation, even a reasonable business decision can become difficult to defend.

Good HR processes are not about creating paperwork for the sake of it, they protect businesses and employees by creating clarity and consistency.

This week I helped some of my clients:
- Put proper HR records in place
- Improve note-taking and investigation processes
- Manage difficult employee situations
- Reduce risk around disciplinaries and dismissals
- Ensure leavers are handled correctly and professionally

If your HR records and processes could use a review, feel free to message me.

Fridays are for networking only (I wish) ! Today, I attended another fantastic networking event with Shelley Woodley, or...
08/05/2026

Fridays are for networking only (I wish) !
Today, I attended another fantastic networking event with Shelley Woodley, organised by the Sunflower Business Club with lots of fascinating people in the room. I learned something new, thank you Lisa Haywood and Steph Rickaby .
Look forward to the summer social meet up 🙂

The face of a happy HR Consultant when their client gifts them their own mug (with dogs on it no less) for when they vis...
29/04/2026

The face of a happy HR Consultant when their client gifts them their own mug (with dogs on it no less) for when they visit their offices 💚

Monday update!!! Unfair dismissal and what this means for employers and managers!Unfair dismissal is a major risk area f...
20/04/2026

Monday update!!! Unfair dismissal and what this means for employers and managers!

Unfair dismissal is a major risk area for employers and includes discrimination, pregnancy or maternity-related issues, asserting a statutory right, taking family-related leave, whistleblowing, health and safety complaints, requesting flexible working, union activity and being a part-time worker.

If you’re a business owner you need to be preparing now as the Employment Rights Act 2025 continues to reshape unfair dismissal rights.

What this means for employers:

- The reduction in qualifying service (in Jan 2027) will mean more employees are able to bring unfair dismissal claims, so businesses will need stronger probation and performance processes in place.
- Automatic unfair dismissal protections apply from day one, which increases the importance of understanding the legal reasons behind dismissals and avoiding rushed decisions.
- Grievances, whistleblowing and statutory rights can overlap, so employers need managers who can spot risk early and escalate issues correctly.
- Further reforms are already on the way, including changes expected in 2027, so policies, procedures and manager training should be reviewed well before then.

How I can help:
I support employers to review dismissal procedures, update HR policies and make sure their processes are aligned with current and upcoming employment law changes.
The key takeaway for employers is simple: now is the time to get ahead of the changes, not wait until they become a problem.

A simple ERA checklist for April 2026: Key changes every employer should know!!!With the introduction of the Employment ...
02/04/2026

A simple ERA checklist for April 2026: Key changes every employer should know!!!

With the introduction of the Employment Rights Act 2025 and the launch of the new Fair Work Agency (FWA), 2026 brings several important updates for UK employers.

The FWA will have new powers to inspect workplaces, request employee data and issue fines or tribunal claims where employers fail to comply with statutory entitlements (particularly around holiday pay, sick pay, and the National Minimum Wage).

To help business owners stay compliant, I’ve put together a simple ERA 2026 compliance checklist covering these updates, including:

- Increased National Minimum and Living Wage rates (from 1 April 2026)
- Statutory Sick Pay now payable from day one
- Paternity Leave and Unpaid Parental Leave as Day 1 rights
- New Bereaved Partner’s Leave entitlement
- Enhanced protection for whistleblowers reporting sexual harassment
- Expanded rights for zero-hours workers
- Guidance on menopause support and gender equality plans

If you’d like a free copy of my updated ERA Employer Checklist (April 2026) to identify compliance gaps in your contracts and policies, drop me a message.

Appraisals/ development conversations/ employee evaluations/ supervisions!!!Be honest… when was the last time you review...
20/03/2026

Appraisals/ development conversations/ employee evaluations/ supervisions!!!

Be honest… when was the last time you reviewed your appraisal process for your team?

If it feels like a tick-box exercise, awkward conversation or something your managers avoid you’re not alone. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
A strong process can be a game changer for your business:
~ Clearer expectations
~ More confident managers
~ Better performance
~ Higher engagement across your team

But only if it’s done right.

Ask yourself:
~ Are your appraisals actually driving performance or just documenting it?
~ Do your managers know how to have effective, motivating conversations?
~ Are your objectives meaningful and aligned to your business goals?
~ Is your process simple, practical and consistently applied?

The truth is, most systems aren’t broken they’re just outdated or overly complicated.

That’s where I come in. I help businesses turn their appraisal / performance review processes into something that actually works for leaders and their teams.

If your current approach isn’t delivering what you need, let’s change that.



ps. I think spring is here :)

I’ve always loved Barbie cartoons, so I thought I’d jump on the trend of using Barbie in my posts too!In this one, I can...
13/03/2026

I’ve always loved Barbie cartoons, so I thought I’d jump on the trend of using Barbie in my posts too!

In this one, I can definitely see Barbie channelling the awesome Judge Judy talking about working with independent advisors and having sound people processes in place.

It’s a short exchange, but it reflects a conversation needed more often for business owners.

As teams grow, so do the people challenges: contracts, policies, tricky situations and compliance questions. Most founders didn’t start their business to become HR experts. That’s where independent HR support can help.

I work with small and growing businesses to put practical people processes in place that support their teams and protect the business.

If your people processes feel a bit patchy, feel free to message me for a chat.
hashtag


Thinking about letting someone go for poor performance? Read This First.It’s one of the most common and most uncomfortab...
24/02/2026

Thinking about letting someone go for poor performance? Read This First.

It’s one of the most common and most uncomfortable questions managers and business owners ask me.
When someone isn’t delivering, the impact spreads quickly:
• Productivity drops
• Team morale suffers
• Your time gets pulled into managing issues instead of growing the business.

Before even thinking about termination, you need clarity on:
- Is this a skills gap?
- A training issue?
- Unclear expectations?
- Burnout?
- Or something else entirely?

Most performance problems aren’t solved by dismissal. They’re solved by structure and that means having:
- Clear expectations
- Measurable standards
- Honest, documented conversations
- A genuine opportunity to improve
- Proper follow-through

And if improvement doesn’t happen? Then you move carefully through a fair, documented capability process aligned with your internal procedures and the ACAS Code.

Because if a dismissal is ever challenged, the question won’t just be:
“Were they underperforming?”
It will be:
“Was the process fair?”

This is where many businesses unintentionally expose themselves to risk. Handled well, performance management:
• Protects your business
• Improves accountability
• Strengthens culture
• And often turns performance around

Handled poorly, it can lead to grievances, tribunals, reputational damage and significant cost.

If you’re dealing with a performance issue right now and aren’t sure what your next step should be, it’s far better to get advice early than to fix mistakes later.

That’s exactly what we support business owners with: practical, commercially focused HR that protects both your people and your business.

If this is something you’re navigating, feel free to get in touch!

Address

Falmouth

Website

Alerts

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

Shortcuts

Share

Category