Time for a quick check-in now it's almost halfway through 2026. Ask yourself these 3 questions: Are you getting the best out of your team? Do people issues take up more of your time than they should? Are you managing your people in the right way or are you just reacting to problems as they land? If the answer to any of those is "I'm not sure," the 5 areas below will help you to work out where the gaps are and what to focus on before H2. 1. Absence: what are the trends t

You might be looking at the new unfair dismissal rules and thinking that probation periods have become pointless. After all, if employees gain unfair dismissal protection after just 6 months from 1 January 2027, and most probation periods last 3 to 6 months, doesn't the whole concept lose its teeth? Actually, the opposite is true. Probation periods are more important now than they have ever been. Here's why. What's changing At the moment, employees can only claim

If you've noticed that employing people is getting more expensive, you're not imagining it. The cost of having a team has gone up across the board: NI increases from the budget Day-1 SSP under the Employment Rights Act Expanded leave entitlements Plus a growing list of compliance obligations So, when the government offers you money to take someone on, it's worth paying attention. What's actually on offer The Youth Jobs Grant gives you £3,000 towards hiring an unemploy

Short answer: yes, you can. But from 1 January 2027, the way you do it has to be different. And, if you get the process wrong, it could cost you. The Employment Rights Act is reducing the unfair dismissal qualifying period from 2 years to 6 months. Anyone you hire from 1 July 2026 will be covered by the new rules. That doesn't mean you've lost the ability to let someone go during their early months. It means you can't afford to do it casually. What the new rules actua

If you're hiring right now, there's a date you need to have on your radar. Anyone you hire on or before 1 July 2026 will gain unfair dismissal protection on 1 January 2027. Anyone hired after that date will gain it once they've been with you for 6 months. Why this date matters: The qualifying unfair dismissal period is dropping massively from 2 years to 6 months. It changes how you need to think about every hire you make from now on. Under the current rules, most empl

Thinking about reversing remote working for your employees? It's something many business owners are considering right now. But rushing the process or missing out crucial steps could end up costing you more in the long run. Before making any changes, you need to understand the risks and how to do things properly. Risk 1: You could lose good people If you bring people back to the office on a whim, you could lose people you can't easily replace. Good employees who've been workin