The HR Practice

09/09/2026

Employment law changes are one thing.

Understanding what you actually need to do differently in your business is another.

Our upcoming Employment Rights webinar will look at four key areas employers should have on their radar:

Sexual harassment prevention and the steps employers are expected to take.

Third-party harassment involving customers, clients, suppliers and others your employees may interact with.

Changes around trade union rights and information.

Plus the unfair dismissal changes coming in January 2027.

We’ll be looking at the practical implications for employers, managers and HR teams, including where policies, procedures and management practices may need to change.

Join us on Thursday 17th September from 2pm - 2.30pm via Microsoft Teams.

Book your place here: https://tinyurl.com/bd86u6dp

08/09/2026

The HR document that could save your business £45,000?
Right to work evidence.

It sounds basic, but it is one of those areas where a simple admin gap can become a very expensive problem.

For a British citizen, that means keeping the correct evidence of their right to work, such as a copy of their passport.

For a non-British citizen, you need the appropriate evidence confirming their immigration status and right to work in the UK.

It is not enough to assume everything is fine because someone has already started working for you.

If the Home Office visits and you cannot demonstrate that the correct checks were completed, the penalties can be significant, with fines starting at £45,000 for the first breach and increasing for repeat non compliance.

That is the kind of cost that could seriously damage a small business, all because the right evidence was not in place.

In this video, Fiona explains why right to work checks should be treated as a core part of your recruitment process, not an admin job to come back to later.

Not sure whether your employee records are complete? Speak to the HR Practice and we can help you review what is in place.

07/09/2026

Not every HR conversation starts with a problem. Sometimes it starts with coffee.

A quick catch-up in the office before the day gets going is usually a mix of weekend stories, general chat and, of course, the very important update on what is on the agenda for the week ahead.

And at the moment, there may also be a little discussion about The Celebrity Traitors returning this autumn.

With a line-up including Michael Sheen, Bella Ramsey, James Acaster, Joanne McNally, Maya Jama, Miranda Hart, Rob Beckett, Romesh Ranganathan and Ross Kemp, there are already a few opinions around the office about who might make a brilliant Faithful... and who we absolutely would not trust at the Round Table.

We might need to get everyone’s predictions on record before it starts!

Because HR is not all policies, difficult conversations and formal processes.

A strong HR team also needs time to talk, share what is happening, support each other and, occasionally, debate something far less serious over the morning coffee.

Then it is back to the important update on what is actually on the agenda for the week.

04/09/2026

One late start might not be a problem.

When someone is regularly arriving late, it starts to affect rota cover, customer service and the colleagues who are picking up the slack.

The temptation can be to let it slide until you've finally had enough. That is usually when it becomes much harder to deal with fairly.

Start earlier.

Speak to the employee, understand what is causing the lateness, remind them of the expected start time and agree what needs to change.

Keep a record and review it.

The key is consistency. If similar issues are happening with different employees, make sure they are being approached in a similar way.

Top tip: A simple lateness log can make patterns much easier to spot and discuss.

Dealing with repeated lateness in your retail team and not sure what your next step should be? Speak to The HR Practice before it becomes a bigger issue.

02/09/2026

Employment law is changing. Is your business ready?

We are hosting a practical webinar covering some of the key Employment Rights changes employers need to be preparing for now, including:

➡️Sexual harassment prevention
➡️Third-party harassment
➡️Trade union rights and information
➡️ Unfair dismissal changes coming in January 2027

We’ll focus on what these changes mean for employers in practice and the steps you should be considering now to make sure your policies, processes and managers are prepared.

Thursday 17th September
2pm - 2.30pm
Online via Microsoft Teams

If you employ or manage people, this is one to get in the diary.

Book your place here: https://tinyurl.com/bd86u6dp

31/08/2026

People problems rarely start as big problems.

They start as the employee who is suddenly arriving late more often.
The manager who keeps putting off a difficult conversation.
The team member whose performance has dipped, but nobody is quite sure what to say.
Very often, the reason nothing happens is simple:

Managers are worried about getting it wrong.

→ Can I say this?
→ Can I challenge that?
→ Do I need to start a formal process?
→ Am I actually allowed to do anything yet?

So the issue gets left until something that could have been handled with one clear conversation becomes a much bigger problem for the business and the wider team.

Fiona McKee often describes good HR support as being a bit like an umbrella:

“An umbrella doesn't stop the storm, but it protects you when the storm starts.”

Having the right support doesn't mean you'll never have an absence issue, a difficult employee conversation, a performance problem or workplace conflict.

It means that when something does happen, you have someone there to help you understand your options, act early and deal with it fairly.

And sometimes, that support can stop a small people problem turning into a big storm that you are not prepared for.

Got a people issue you're not quite sure how to handle? Get in touch with The HR Practice and talk it through with us before it becomes a bigger problem.

20/07/2026

The manager who avoids the awkward conversation is usually trying to keep the peace.

They do not want to upset anyone. They do not want to make things formal. They hope the issue will sort itself out. They tell themselves it is not that bad, or that they will speak to the person if it happens again.

Then it does happen again.

And again.

By the time the conversation finally takes place, the manager is frustrated, the employee feels blindsided and the situation has become much harder to handle than it needed to be.

Avoiding a conversation does not make the issue disappear. It usually just gives it more time to grow.

This is especially true with performance concerns, poor attitude, lateness, absence patterns or behaviour that is starting to affect the wider team. Early conversations do not need to be aggressive, formal or uncomfortable. They can be calm, clear and fair.

A good conversation at the right time can stop a small issue becoming a bigger one. It can also give the employee a chance to understand what is expected and make changes before the situation escalates.

Managers need support with this. Difficult conversations are a skill, and like any skill, people need guidance and practice.

If your managers are avoiding the conversations they know they need to have, The HR Practice can help.

Find out more here: https://thehrpractice.co.uk

17/07/2026

Summer can be brilliant for morale, but it can also create a few extra people challenges for employers.

Annual leave requests increase. Childcare arrangements change. Managers are trying to plan cover. Some team members are away while others are picking up extra work. Before long, the small gaps in your people processes can become much more noticeable.

This does not mean your business is doing anything wrong. It simply means summer has a way of showing where expectations are clear and where a little more structure may be needed.

In our latest blog, we look at some of the most common HR issues that show up during summer, including annual leave clashes, poor holiday handovers, sickness absence, flexible working requests, workload pressure and inconsistent manager decisions.

We also share practical steps employers can take to manage these situations more fairly and consistently, without making things overly complicated.

If your business is already feeling the pressure of summer holidays, cover gaps or last minute requests, this blog is worth a read.

Read the blog here: https://tinyurl.com/4auh7d7x

The HR Practice offers organisations a full range of HR services to support their people strategy and enable them to focus on their core business function.

15/07/2026

A good onboarding process does more than welcome someone to the business.

It helps them understand the company, meet the team, know what is expected of them and feel supported from the beginning.

The first week should have structure. That includes a clear schedule, access to the right resources, introductions to key people, a mentor or buddy and time for a proper check-in at the end of the week.

When onboarding is rushed or unclear, new employees can feel overwhelmed, disconnected or unsure of where to go for help. When it is done well, they are much more likely to feel confident, included and ready to contribute.

If your onboarding process could do with more structure, The HR Practice can help.

Find out more here: https://thehrpractice.co.uk

13/07/2026

Gallup found that employees who received feedback in the past week are 4x more likely to be engaged.

That’s not a complex programme or major investment – just a regular check-in.

Yet the UK currently ranks 33rd out of 38 European countries for employee engagement.

If your team isn’t motivated, they won’t stick around. 40% of UK workers plan to leave their job in the next year, and disengagement is a top reason.

Small steps from managers = big results for culture.

📌 Sources: AOEC.com - https://tinyurl.com/mpfkkfjy

State of the Global Workplace Report - Gallup