That HR Girl

25/09/2026

Sexual Harassment Law Changes

Sexual harassment law is changing in October 2026. Here’s what pub, bar and nightclub employers need to do to protect staff and prepare their venues....

https://thathrgirl.co.uk/sexual-harassment-law-changes-pubs-2026/

09/07/2026

Hot weather can be great for trade, busy b**r gardens, outdoor bars, BBQs, events and full terraces.

But it can also create extra risks for your team, especially in kitchens, glass collection, garden service and outdoor event areas.

There isn’t a fixed legal maximum workplace temperature in the UK, but employers still need to manage heat sensibly as part of health and safety.

A few practical things to consider:

✅ Make sure staff have easy access to drinking water
✅ Keep kitchens and indoor areas as ventilated as possible
✅ Rotate staff where you can, especially between hot/outdoor areas and cooler duties
✅ Provide shade or cooling-down opportunities for outdoor workers
✅ Keep an eye on glass collectors, runners and anyone doing more physical work
✅ Check in with young workers, new starters and anyone who may be less confident speaking up
✅ Review risk assessments for outdoor bars, BBQs, events, kitchens and busy b**r gardens
✅ Remind managers to record any incidents, concerns or welfare issues properly

This isn’t about overcomplicating things.
It’s about showing you’ve thought about the risk, taken sensible steps and looked after your team during busy summer trading.

30/06/2026

23/06/2026

**Is your staff handbook actually being issued?**

A staff handbook sitting in a folder behind the bar is not much use if your team have never seen it.
It might cover all the important stuff:
-Holiday rules.
-Sickness reporting.
-Uniform standards.
-Conduct.
-Social media.
-Disciplinary rules.

But if staff don’t know where it is, haven’t been given access to it, or only hear about it when something goes wrong, it’s not doing the job it should.

A handbook should be part of onboarding and issued on an employee's first day. This helps set expectations from day one and gives managers something clear to refer back to when issues crop up.

Because “it’s in the handbook somewhere” only works if staff have actually been given the handbook.

Backbar HR gives managers a live digital handbook link they can issue to staff ensuring up to date policies and procedures can be viewed at anytime.

16/06/2026

**Summer rota chaos is coming… are your contracts ready? ☀️**

Summer is usually when pubs start bringing in extra pairs of hands. But before someone starts picking up shifts, it’s worth making sure you are using the right type of contract.

Are they casual?
-Zero-hours?
-Fixed-term?
-Part-time?

Because each one works slightly differently, and using the wrong contract can cause confusion later around hours, holiday entitlement, notice periods and expectations.

A quick “can you just help us out over summer?” might feel simple at the time, but it can become messy if nothing is properly confirmed in writing.

My advice?

Get the contract sorted before they start, make sure the arrangement reflects how they will actually be working, and don’t rely on old templates that no one has checked for years.

Summer trade is busy enough without contract confusion in the background.
Need a contract template that actually fits pub life?
Drop me a message.

12/06/2026

**The sunshine sickness pattern ☀️**

You know the one…
It’s suddenly warm outside.
There’s a big football match on.
A festival is happening nearby.
It’s a bank holiday weekend.

And somehow, the same staff member who was absolutely fine on Thursday is now too unwell to work their Saturday night shift.

Now, people do get genuinely sick. That’s important to say.
But when absence starts to form a pattern around weekends, sunny days, big events or busy shifts, it needs to be managed properly.

The mistake a lot of pub managers make is letting it build up quietly in the background until they eventually snap.
Then instead of a calm, fair process, it becomes:
“You’re always off sick when it suits you!”
And that is where things can get messy.

The better approach is to record each absence properly, carry out return-to-work meetings, look at the pattern objectively, and then deal with it through the correct process if there are concerns.

That might include:

✅ Recording the dates and reasons given
✅ Holding return-to-work meetings after each absence
✅ Looking for patterns around weekends, events or key shifts
✅ Asking if there is any underlying health issue
✅ Making it clear that attendance is being monitored
✅ Taking formal action if the pattern continues

The key is not to accuse someone without evidence.

But equally, you do not have to ignore repeat absence that is causing problems for the business.

Hospitality relies on people turning up when they are rota’d, especially during peak trading periods. One no-show or last-minute sickness call can put pressure on the whole team.

So my advice?

Patterns matter. Record, review and manage it properly, don’t just ignore it until you snap.

09/06/2026

**Holiday requests: is it first come, first served?**

Two staff members want the same Saturday off.
One asked first.
The other says it’s for an important family event.

So… who gets it? 👀

A lot of pub managers automatically work on a “first come, first served” basis, and in many cases, that can be a perfectly reasonable approach.

But the key word is consistent.

Holiday requests can become messy very quickly if there is no clear process in place, especially in hospitality where weekends, bank holidays and busy trading periods are usually the hardest to cover.

As an employer, you can manage holiday requests based on the needs of the business. You do not have to approve every request, and you can refuse holiday if there is a genuine business reason.

However, you should avoid making decisions that feel random, unfair or based on who shouts the loudest.

A good holiday process should make it clear:

✅ How staff request holiday
✅ How much notice they need to give
✅ Whether busy periods are restricted
✅ How clashes will be handled
✅ Who approves holiday requests
✅ That holiday is not confirmed until approved

For pubs, I’d also recommend being extra clear around weekends, Christmas, bank holidays, race days, match days, festivals and other peak trading dates.

The biggest risk is inconsistency.

If one person is allowed every big Saturday off, but someone else is refused without a clear reason, that can quickly cause resentment in the team.

My advice?

Have a simple holiday policy, apply it fairly, keep a written record of requests and approvals, and make sure managers are not making promises they later cannot keep.
Because “I mentioned it to someone behind the bar three weeks ago” is not the holiday process we want to be relying on.

19/05/2026

Running a pub is busy enough without having to search for HR templates every time something happens.

Backbar HR gives hospitality operators access to contracts, onboarding forms, absence templates, staff handbook guidance, compliance documents and practical HR support when you need it.

It has been designed with hospitality in mind, fast-paced, practical, and easy to manage straight from your phone

£30 per week, no long tie-in, and support from me when you need a second opinion.

15/05/2026

Taking on summer staff?
Before they start, make sure the basics are covered:

Right to work check
Correct contract
Emergency contact details
Bank details
Health questionnaire
Staff Handbook issued
Payroll information completed
Training records started

Good onboarding doesn’t need to be complicated, but it does need to be consistent.
Backbar HR helps managers issue the right documents and keep the process simple.

12/05/2026

Quick reminder for pub and hospitality employers: SSP rules changed in April. If a member of staff is off sick, don’t assume the old three waiting days still apply.
Your absence policy, manager guidance and payroll process may all need updating.
If you need support, drop me a message to see how That HR Girl can help