Grounded Human Resources

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Grounded Human Resources

Grounded Human Resources is a York based Human Resources (HR) Consultancy designed to give you down to earth, jargon free, compassionate HR advice and support.

04/06/2026

Happy Birthday to our boss, our mentor and our friend!

05/05/2026

Did you know May is National Walking Month? And week beginning 18th May is Walk to School Week! It’s the perfect excuse to join the challenge—just 20 minutes of walking a day can transform your mood and energy levels. Perfect for those hybrid office days!

One of the best perks of a hybrid schedule isn't just the flexibility—it’s the reclaimed time. Instead of sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic or a packed train, use those extra minutes to get outside and walk.

Why Step Away from the Screen?

The "Reset" Button: A 15-minute walk acts as a mental palate cleanser between your morning deep-work session and afternoon meetings.

Creative Spark: Stuck on a problem? Movement is scientifically proven to boost divergent thinking. Fresh air = fresh ideas.

Physical Health: It’s an easy, low-impact way to hit your activity goals without needing a full gym kit.

Vitamin D Boost: If you’re working from home, it’s easy to stay indoors all day. Getting some sunlight helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle.

Caroline recently started a ‘fake commute’ but found it uninspiring until she realised that she could drop her daughter off at sixth form and then stop at a local park on the way home. Doing just a 15min lap of the park has definitely improved her morning energy levels and it is much more enjoyable listening to the birds and looking at the blossom.

Whether it’s a "fake commute" walk before you start your day or a midday stroll to grab coffee, don't forget to move. Your brain (and your step counter) will thank you! 👟✨

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14/04/2026

At Grounded HR, we work hard to apply the same principles we recommend to clients. Not as a glossy wellbeing statement, but because it genuinely creates better work and stronger performance.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

Flexible working that’s truly flexible.

- We each manage our own schedules and take leave when we need it. There’s no holiday cap and no micromanagement. The expectation is simple: deliver great work, communicate clearly and respect the team.

Using technology intelligently.

- We regularly review tools and systems that can streamline what we do. If something helps us work smarter, we adopt it. Efficiency reduces unnecessary stress and frees us to focus on higher value work.

Transparent planning and communication.

- We share our capacity, workloads and time off openly. If clashes happen, we talk as adults and solve them. This reduces friction and ensures clients always receive consistent, high quality support.

Compassionate check-ins.

- We make time for honest conversations, not just about tasks, but about how we’re doing. Understanding the whole person helps us maintain sustainable performance.

Why are we sharing this?

Because these approaches can help any organisation create healthier, more productive teams. They don’t require huge policy change, just intention, trust and consistency.

If you’re exploring how to build high performance without burnout, we offer a Power Hour designed to give practical, grounded advice you can use straight away.

31/03/2026

April is Stress Awareness Month and a useful moment for employers to pause and consider how pressure shows up at work. High performance doesn’t require people to push themselves to breaking point, in fact, sustainable performance relies on the opposite.

Stress is often subtle. It’s not always tears or crisis moments, more commonly, it looks like:

- A drop in focus or quality

- Reduced collaboration

- Shorter tempers or emotional fatigue

- Increasing hours without increasing output

- Quiet withdrawal from team activity

Spotting these changes early is essential, because recovery from burnout can take far longer than prevention.

So, what helps?

- Clarity and prioritisation. People cope far better when expectations and deadlines are clear.

- Realistic workloads. High performance can only happen when teams have the time, tools and resources they need.

- Encouraging honest conversations. Leaders who create the space for people to talk openly about capacity reduce hidden pressure dramatically.

- Building psychological safety. Employees should feel able to say, “I’m struggling” without fear of judgement - it’s a key part of risk management.

- Supporting balance. Flexible working, sensible boundaries and trust-based management all protect long-term performance.

Stress awareness isn’t about grand initiatives, it’s about paying attention, asking good questions and creating conditions where people can perform without burning out.

24/03/2026

The Employment Rights Bill changes start to come into effect from 6th and 7th April 2026. There are quite a few changes for you to be aware some bigger than others but all of them are easily managed.

Here’s your second and final (for the time being wait for October) update...

6th April Redundancy Changes

The collective protective award is a compensation payment employers may have to pay if they fail to consult employees properly when making 20 or more redundancies. This will double from 90 to 180 days

6th April Whistleblowing

Sexual harassment disclosures now covered by Whistleblowing protection

7th April Fair Work Agency

New body overseeing statutory payments comes into being. No enforcement powers yet. Let’s see what happens!

For help keeping your policies, procedures, contracts and Managers up to date just get in touch, drop us a message here or email us at [email protected]

20/03/2026

Goodbye ....
....and the start of a New Era

We are very sad to announce that our wonderful Julia will be leaving us for an exciting new adventure. Julia has been with Grounded HR from the very beginning and we will miss her knowledge, her sense of humour and her great friendship. Of course, this will not be the end of the story - Julia will remain our friend and mentor for ever.

Our clients will be in safe hands as Charlotte will be returning to case work bringing her many years of experience to maintain the excellent service Julia has always provided.

Join us in wishing Julia the best of everything in her next chapter!

17/03/2026

The Employment Rights Bill changes start to come into effect from 6th and 7th April 2026. There are a few changes for you to be aware some bigger than others but all of them easily managed.

Here’s your first three...

6th April Statutory Sick Pay Changes

The 3-day waiting period will be removed and SSP will be payable from Day 1 of the absence.

The lower earnings limit will be removed so all employees will qualify.

Make sure you update your policies, contracts, and brief all managers.

6th April Paternity and Parental Leave Changes

All become Day 1 rights BUT pay and notice rules remain the same

Shared Parental Leave can be taken before Paternity Leave

Bereaved Partners Leave is introduced

6th April Flexible Working Changes

Can make two requests a year

Tighter rules on need to fully consult with Employees, show decision making in writing in two months.

For help keeping your policies, procedures, contracts and Managers up to date just get in touch, drop us a message here or email us at [email protected]

10/03/2026

1st April Statutory Pay Changes

With April just around the corner here is a useful reminder of the annual statutory pay changes coming into force from 1st April.

National Living Wage increases to £12.71 per hour (21+)

National Minimum Wage increases to £10.85 per hour (18–20) and £8.00 (16–17 & apprentices)

- Statutory Sick Pay increases to £123.25 per week

- Family-related statutory payments increase to £194.32 per week

- Lower earnings limit increases to £129 per week

- Maternity allowance remains at £30 per week

For help keeping your policies, procedures, contracts and Managers up to date just get in touch, drop us a message here or email us at [email protected]

13/02/2026

Raising the HR Bar this Good Business Week.

It has been Good Business Week this week.

At Grounded HR we strive to provide warm, creative and compassionate HR whilst supporting business owners with tough decisions. HR does not need to be tough and we work with employers who are raising the bar in their HR practices by

- Creating a culture where teams feel valued, supported and heard

- Receive fair and transparent benefits

- Hold a real commitment to employee well being

And as a 3 year accredited member of the Good Business Charter we mirror this approach for our own employees.

Is your business raising the bar this year? Let's chat about how we can help you build a workplace to be proud of.

If you’d like to explore ways to create this culture in your business, drop us a message here or email us at [email protected]

02/02/2026

Who remembers this great day last February as we celebrated our 5th birthday! And in the blink of an eye another year has gone by so here we are and Grounded HR is 6 years old today. It has been another amazing year and we want to thank all our clients and friends we have worked with – here’s to another great year ahead.

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https://linktr.ee/groundedhr

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