Ask the wrong question in an interview and you could be facing a discrimination claim before you've even picked a candidate. Often these kinds of questions get asked innocently. The interviewer is usually just making conversation. But "I was just being friendly" doesn't matter under discrimination law. The law judges the effect of a question on the candidate, regardless of what you meant by asking it. If a question relates to a protected characteristic and the candidate

If an employee abuses their sick leave, understandably it's a stressful and frustrating time for you as an employer. It can be tempting to get proof they're "faking it". But spying on your workers is a risky game and could get you into more trouble than it's worth. Three recent tribunal cases prove that covert surveillance not done properly can end in unfair dismissal and disability discrimination claims. In one of those cases, the employer is facing a bill of over £329

One in five businesses not offering sexual harassment training From October 2026, two separate legal duties around workplace harassment are changing under the Employment Rights Act 2025. The first: the duty to prevent sexual harassment is being upgraded. The current standard, taking "reasonable steps", is being replaced with "all reasonable steps". This means that a policy alone won't cut it anymore. You need to show that you've done everything you reasonably could to prevent

If a client complains about one of your employees, reacting to please the client without considering your employee's rights could be a costly mistake. Understandably, you have a commercial relationship to protect. Many business owners over-apologise to the client, pull the employee in for a sharp word and hope it blows over. But, as the £66k Andrew Estcourt unfair dismissal case earlier this year showed, simply acting on what a client wants, without proper process, can

If your business breaches basic employee rights, the consequences could be huge. You could be ordered to pay back everything you owe, going back years. A worker can make a tribunal claim without a lawyer. The new Fair Work Agency (FWA) can audit your records, issue financial penalties and name you publicly. And, if your staff find out that their rights have been breached, even accidentally, this breaks their trust and can damage your business from a retention point of

If you can't measure every employee benefit you offer and how it impacts your bottom line, you're not doing it right. Yes, perks are primarily there to support your employees. They keep your people happy and improve your work culture. But you're running a business, not a charity. Any perks and benefits you offer must also have a positive, measurable impact on your metrics, whether that's performance, retention or revenue. You need a strategy to measure whether your perk