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Traditional Recruitment, time to change? You've posted the job, sifted through 40 CVs, interviewed three people, and you're still not sure you've found the right person. Sound familiar? Here's the reality: AI isn't just something the big HR teams are experimenting with. If you're an SME, you're probably already using it to write job ads and you can be certain your applicants are using it to write their CVs and applications. The question isn't whether AI is part of your recruitment process. It already is. The question is whether you're using it deliberately or just letting it speed up a process that was already broken. Your Job Ad Is a Starting Point, not Spec When you put out a job advert, it's tempting to treat it as a precise specification. It isn't. It's a shopping list, a negotiation starting point. The perfect candidate who ticks every box is either very expensive or bored within six months. The more useful question is: what do you actually need someone to do on day one, and what are you prepared to invest in teaching them? In a world where AI can help anyone craft a polished application, recruiting on credentials alone is increasingly unreliable. The shift you need to make is towards recruiting on attitude and then investing in the person you hire. That's not a compromise, it’s smart hiring. The AI Race And Why It Changes the Rules The traditional recruitment process assumed a level playing field: a candidate sat down, wrote their CV, and you assessed their ability to communicate their experience. That assumption no longer holds. If you're using AI to write the job ad and the interview questions, your candidates are using AI to write their applications. This isn't a problem to solve, it’s a reality to think about and redesign your process. CV writing services have existed for decades and yet we’ve never asked candidates to declare whether they paid someone to write their CV. As long as the content reflects their genuine experience, how it's presented isn't the point. The same logic applies to AI-assisted applications. Stop trying to catch people out and start designing a process that tells you what you actually need to know. The Case for Sending Interview Questions in Advance This is the change most people resist and the one that makes the biggest difference. The traditional interview model puts candidates under pressure to recall great examples on the spot, in a room where they're nervous, in front of people who hold power over their next career move. For some roles where thinking on your feet under pressure is the actual job, that's a reasonable test. For most roles, it just tells you who interviews well, that's not the same as who does the job well. Send the questions in advance. Here's what you get in return: · Candidates who are prepared, not panicked which means you hear their actual thinking, not their best guess under stress. · The ability to go deeper. When you already know their prepared answer, your follow-up questions reveal far more about how they think and operate. · A more inclusive process. Anxiety is a real barrier for many candidates, including some of your strongest potential hires. · A better reflection of your culture. Candidates leave the interview with a positive impression of how you operate, regardless of the outcome. Worried they'll use AI to prepare their answers? Good. Prepare your follow-up questions. Design the interview to go one level deeper than any prepared answer can reach. That's where you find out what someone is really made of. Culture Fit Over Credentials: The Hire That Actually Sticks The interview should answer one question above all others: is this the person who will work hard, fit into the team, and grow with the business? Skills can be taught, attitude can't. This matters more in an SME than anywhere else. You don't have the headcount to absorb a bad hire and wait it out. One wrong person on a small team has an massive impact on everyone else. Think carefully about what you're actually trying to understand about a candidate and whether your current interview process gives you that information. If the answer is no, redesign it. The interview is also a reflection of your business. The best candidates are assessing you as much as you're assessing them. Make sure they leave wanting the job. The First Six Months: Where Good Hires Go Wrong Getting someone through the door is only half the job. How you onboard and induct them determines whether they stay, perform, and become the hire you were hoping for. Map out what the first six months look like before the person starts. From day one through to the end of month six: what do they need to know, what support do they have, what does success look like, and how will you measure it? Set them up to succeed. With statutory employment rights kicking in at six months of service, your onboarding plan isn't just good practice, it's risk management. If someone isn't working out, you need to know early, and you need to have the documented process to show you've managed it properly. The Bottom Line AI isn't going anywhere, and it's already inside your recruitment process whether you've invited it in or not. The businesses that get this right won't be the ones who try to eliminate it, they'll be the ones who design a process that works with it. Spend more time on your recruitment. Invest in getting it right. If you don't, you'll be doing it again in six months — and that costs far more than doing it properly the first time. 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Holiday and SSP pay From April, Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) will be payable from day one for all employees regardless of earnings. At the same time, the introduction of the Fair Work Agency (FWA) brings increased scrutiny around holiday pay and record keeping. For small businesses, this means greater cost exposure, higher compliance expectations, and less room for error. Here’s what’s changing and what to review now. 1. SSP Changes – What’s New - SSP will be paid from day one of sickness absence - Applies to all employees, including lower-paid and part-time workers What this means: Your wage costs may increase, and absence management becomes more critical. 2. Why Absence Management Matters More Than Ever - Clear reporting process - Return-to-work conversations - Track absence patterns - Use absence triggers (e.g. 3 occasions / 10 days) 3. Practical Steps to Take - Review sickness reporting process - Train managers on return-to-work conversations - Monitor absence trends - Update your absence policy 4. Holiday Pay & Record Keeping - Keep records for 6 years - Must show entitlement, leave taken, and payments - FWA can investigate without complaints - Penalties up to 200% of underpayments 5. Where Businesses Get It Wrong - Incorrect part-time calculations - Ignoring irregular hours - Excluding overtime pay from holiday payments - Poor record keeping 6. What You Should Do Now - Review calculations - Check records - Ensure employees take entitlement - Manage carry-over correctly Need a sense check? If you’re unsure whether your approach is compliant, it’s worth reviewing now. BDHR Consultancy supports small businesses with practical, no-nonsense HR support.

Employment law updates April 2026 Employment law changes are getting a lot of attention right now. While many reforms are still coming, there are several things employers should already have implemented. If you run a small business or manage people, these are the key updates to review now. 1. Inform Employees of Their Right to Join a Trade Union As of February, employers must inform employees of their right to join a trade union, even if the organisation is not unionised and does not recognise a union. Suggested contract wording: You have the right to join or associate with any union of your choice, as well as participate in trade union activities. We respect and will facilitate these rights as required by law. However, we do not recognise any trade union for collective bargaining purposes and there are no collective agreements in place which affect your terms of employment. From April, the process for recognising a trade union in the workplace will also be simplified. 2. Day One Rights Arriving in April · Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) will be paid from the first day of sickness. · The Lower Earnings Limit for SSP will be removed. · Paternity leave will become a Day One right. · Ordinary parental leave and unpaid parental leave will become Day One rights. · The restriction on taking paternity leave after shared parental leave will be removed. Action: Update your sickness, parental leave and payroll processes to ensure they reflect these changes. 3. Bereaved Partner Leave Eligible fathers or partners will be entitled to up to 52 weeks of unpaid bereaved partner’s leave if the mother or primary adopter dies. This must be taken within 52 weeks of the child’s birth or adoption placement. Ensure this entitlement is reflected in your family leave policies. 4. Whistleblowing Changes Sexual harassment will become a qualifying disclosure under whistleblowing legislation. This means employees who report it will be protected from dismissal or detriment. Update your whistleblowing policy to reflect this change. 5. Gender Pay Gap and Menopause Action Plans For organisations with 250 or more employees, gender pay gap reporting and menopause action plans will be required. These will initially be voluntary but are expected to become mandatory from 2027. Getting these plans in place now will make the transition much easier when they become mandatory. 6. Redundancy Consultation Penalties Increasing The requirement to consult in redundancy situations remains the same, but the penalty for failing to consult will double from 90 days’ pay to 180 days’ pay. What Should You Do Now? · Review and update employment contracts · Update key HR policies · Check payroll systems are ready for SSP changes · Brief managers on the new rights If you're unsure whether your policies or contracts reflect these changes, BDHR Consultancy can help you review and update them so your business stays compliant. BDHR Consultancy – Practical HR support for small businesses.

How to deall with the little HR issues It has been an interesting start to the year. It feels like there must be something in the air as many of my clients are phoning to talk to me about the same issue, employee attitude and behaviour. It feels like we live in a world now where everyone complains more or is just unhappy. Chat GPT is being used to create grievances and complaint letters, what probably starts off as a small niggle, suddenly becomes an overblown 5 page letter. It also feels like there is a lack of accountability, everything is someone else’s fault, this issue has happened to me and not because of me. I have various conversations with clients about how to approach an employee’s attitude, they will react badly, they won’t be happy, they might want to leave. Dealing with an employees attitude is difficult and it is tempting to make excuses, like they don’t mean it, its just how they are. By taking that view you are enabling the behaviour. If they are rude to colleagues, if they stir up trouble or talk about people behind their back, they know what they are doing. If you don’t speak to them and address their behaviour they will carry on. Examples of bad behaviour are sitting on their phone when they are meant to be working. You may allow employees to have their phones at work and that’s fine, however, if they are constantly scrolling, shopping, on social media or texting, that is not ok. Be clear around your expectations and boundaries, what is acceptable and what is not. They may take longer for lunch, again you need to highlight that this is not acceptable. This is your time and you are paying them, it is ok to expect them to stick to the times. What happens when other team members are complaining about someone to you? Often, they will tell you what has happened, followed by but I don’t want you to say anything to them. They don’t want them to know they have complained about them. I’ve had this happen in my own team, HR is not immune to these issues. So, what should you do? Well, it depends, if it is bullying, harassment or serious abuse then you have to deal with, it is illegal, unacceptable and you have a duty of care. Often it is silly little things, which if left unchecked will soon be big problems. I often encourage the employee to speak their colleague and resolve it themselves. However, if they keep complaining then it is a case of you are either going to speak to them regardless or they have to stop moaning about it. Of course, if there are lots of team members complaining about the same person then you will have to step in. When two employees are not getting on, sitting down round a table and having a discussion to clear the air can help. Misunderstandings happen and things get taken out of context. Having that group chat and being clear on how you expect them to work together, lets them know that you are not going to put up with the backbiting. Lastly, speak to employees about accountability. Help them to understand what they could have done better and how they can handle situations differently. Honest conversations are not bad. People react to situations and coaching them on how they could deal with it differently next time can be powerful. If they refuse to accept that they have done anything wrong, then you will need to think about whether they are right for your business. If feels like the world is fraught right now and times are uncertain. Take the time every week to check in with your team. Schedule a 10 minute chat, ask them how they are feeling, what challenges are they facing, tell them what they have been doing well and where they can make changes, lastly ask them what support they need from you. Keeping on top of your teams challenges and understanding how you can support them will keep you ahead of problems and hopefully, stop some them happening at all.

Probation periods I dislike the term probation, it just has a very negative feel to it. Often when people have been offered a new role they are bringing a lot of experience with them and the term probation feels quite judgemental. Now don’t get me wrong we have all had bad hires. This happens for many reasons, for my own part the worst hire I had was due to lack of clarity around the job description. I had a limited budget at the time and there was a lot of discussion around what was required in my team. We had a lot of ongoing recruitment and no-one enjoyed doing it, the problem was it was not a full time job. There was also demand for training and learning and development. At the time the training team was focussed on the Operation and training customer service, complaints and quality. The rest of the business was left to its own devices, there was a focus on development. However, I did not have the budget for a full time L&D expert, nor the budget for the training if I recruited one. I ended up recruiting for a hybrid role, which was muddled. It very quickly became apparent that the new hire was not working out, they didn’t want to do the recruitment side of it, did not fit into the team and their behaviour and attitude was poor. Now I have to take responsibility for this, conversations were had very quickly and they exited the business roughly a month after joining. A bad experience for them and us. Probation is in place as we start off from a position of wanting to check that the new hire can do the job and if they don’t work out we can get rid of them quickly. In the example above, there was no probation period, I had done away with it. Why? Well, I couldn’t see the point or what purpose it served. This is what would consistently happen, new employee joins, probation period in place for 6 months, time passes and the probation period would (automatically) be passed and then the manager would be at HR’s door complaining that, they are not doing the job, or their absence is high, or they are late all the time or they have a bad attitude. Did these problems start as soon as the probation had been passed? 9 times out of 10, no. These issues had existed at a low level and not been dealt with. In the majority of cases they worsened after probation had passed, there seemed to be a view from the employee that they were now safe. At the time, there was a 2 year period in place before employees had employment rights. Meaning that you can dismiss without fear of being taken to a tribunal (provided there is no discrimination). So as a result I did away with the probation period, lets just assume that from day one new hires will show up and do a good job. If they don’t, have a conversation, find what is going wrong, see if things can be worked out and if not agree to end the working relationship in a fair and equitable way. I still believe that is the best way forward. Sometimes things don’t work out whether it is because the employee is not the right fit, or they are not happy in the company and the role. If this happens look at what has gone wrong. Did the advertisement clear lay out what the role was? Was the screening process robust enough? Is the recruitment process fit for purpose and do you have a good onboarding process. Of course it is important to set expectations and set deliverables when new hires join and to meet with them regularly to make sure they are getting on ok. Address any issues as soon as they arise and have conversations about what is going well and not so well, don’t ignore those small problems otherwise they will escalate. As we rapidly head towards new starters having employment rights after 6 months, the need for “probation” will be crucial. Employers will need to be clear on what they expect and how they are going to integrate new starters into the company culture. Recruit for attitude and behaviours, skills can be taught but if your new employee has a bad attitude you cannot train that out of them. Attitude will be apparent in how they behave in the recruitment process, how they greet other members of staff when they arrive for interview. How they present themselves, I am not taking about being suited and booted, rather are clean and presentable. Are they polite, are they on time, do they phone if something unexpected happens and they are late. Have they done some basic research and are interested in the company and role. These small things will give you an insight into their general behaviour. When they do start have a robust onboarding period. Be clear on what you expect them to achieve in the first 6 months. What are the priorities and key deliverables? How do they interact with other team members and the broader business? Are they on time for meetings? Make sure you get a wide range of feedback on performance and attitude. If you do make a mistake deal with it quickly, it is difficult but better in the long run to not let things drag on.

AI in HR Back in the 90’s (late 90’s), I was reading psychology at university and Artifical Intelligence (AI) was part of one of the modules. Fascinating at the time, this was, of course, before mobile phones were really a thing, the internet was around but not like it is now and social media still in the future. At the time I didn’t really give it much thought but fast forward a few decades and here we are. AI is everywhere, popping up in google searches, offering to transcribe Teams meetings or provide an overview of a document you are reading. I am all for technology, it can make life easier. However, if the press is to be believed, AI will replace us all and it is evolving fast. In the meantime, we have to figure out not only how to incorporate AI in the workplace but how to upskill teams and manage fears of being replaced. AI is already in HR, candidates using AI to write their CV’s or job applications, employees using AI to write grievances and appeal letters. Often these end up being pages long, most of which is not relevant to the actual issue, causing more work for HR teams as they still need to read through. Although, to be honest in my time I have seen grievances, appeals and resignation letters which were pages long. At least though you were dealing with the employees feeling and thoughts, as opposed to a generated letter full of key words. On a positive note AI can be used for; · analysing information, · spotting trends, · automating repetitive tasks and · pulling together updates on employment law. AI can also help with; · Drafting job descriptions · Drafting job ads · Drafting template letters AI is still learning at the moment, albeit fast, however, you must be careful to check whether the information you are putting into the AI system is used for learning, and if it will be shared or can be accessed. It is wise not to share confidential business information or any sensitive data on applicants or employees. In addition, be cautious if using AI as a tool to screen applicants, you may end up missing applicants, the criteria you use to screen will have a bias and the recruitment world is moving away from credentials to capability. You do not want to replace to human decision making process when it comes to who you hire. Whilst AI is good for research purposes it cannot be solely relied upon. As we all know there is much misinformation out in the world and AI will look at everything, this means there will be inaccuracies. When it comes to employment law and writing contracts and policies it is a good idea to get these checked. You cannot automate everything. Managing people involves difficult conversations, feedback and a human approach. AI will not replace as it will be very black and white view, HR operates in the grey area where common sense is needed. Humans need to be at the centre of the decision making process. Final thought AI can support people teams and will be able to replace those mundane tasks which can be automated. It will also make data analysis quicker and more accurate, freeing up HR professionals so they can support managers and spend more time with employees. Look at ways to incorporate AI in to your HR teams whilst still maintaining that human touch. Work with your teams to manage fears about AI, upskilling them is key to figuring out how to use AI and make it an investment into your business. It is here to stay and we all need to figure out how to make it work for us.

TheFair Work Agency As part of the UK Governments employment rights bill the Fair Work Agency (FWA) has been created as an Executive Agency of the Department for Business and Trade. The agency will take on enforcement for employment rights and be a single place where workers and employers can turn for help. The FWA will support employers to ensure that they comply with the law, however they will also have strong powers to investigate and take actions against businesses that flout the law. The Act will bring together existing enforcement and have new powers including; · Power to inspect workplaces and require employers to produce relevant documents and evidence to demonstrate compliance with employment law. · The ability to issue Notices of Underpayment if they find that employers have underpaid their employees and issue a penalty notice. · The power to bring proceedings in an employment tribunal on behalf of employees and offer legal advice. · Enforcement to ensure employers correct their behaviour by issuing a Breach of a Labour Market Enforcement Order which if breached can result in imprisonment. · Recover costs from employers where action has been taken for non-compliance. The act will bring all employment legislation together in one place to ensure greater compliance and where, currently breaches of employment law go unchallenged the agency will have the power to deal with them. Causes of concern are predominantly around underpayment of holiday pay, the minimum wage and SSP. Statistics suggest that; · 900,000 workers have their holiday pay withheld, valued at around £2.1bn · It is thought around 1-10 of the lowest paid workers receive no paid holiday · Around 19.4% of workers were underpaid the minimum wage in 2024. The Government wants to crack down on these practices and the FWA will have the power to both recoup monies owed for employees, enforce payment of monies and issue criminal notices and take tribunal action on behalf of employees. In addition, the FWA will be tackling exploitation taking over responsibility for overseeing cracking down on modern slavery and human trafficking. The aim of the FWA is to make enforcement of employment legislation more efficient and stop bad practices going under the radar. Ending a fragmented system to put a stop to exploitative businesses and enforce compliance. Making sure workers are properly paid whether that is wages, SSP and holiday pay. The FWA will have significant powers and will be able to enter businesses without notice. Make sure you review your payroll and employee salaries to ensure that they are being paid minimum wage, remembering the hourly rate increases in April to £12.71 per hour for over 21’s. SSP will be paid from day in April and there will be no lower earning limit. All employees are entitled to 28 days or 5.6 weeks holiday per year, review your holiday calculations and make sure they are correct. Take action now so that you are compliant.

Get ready for employment law changes We all know about the Governments Employment Rights Bill, after much back and forth and amendments it finally achieved royal assent in December 2025. The act will make amendments to existing legislation as will as introducing additions, most of which will take place in 2026 and 2027. What can we expect over the next 12 months and beyond. One change which happened as soon as the Bill became law was the removal of the minimum service levels required for strikes. February will see further changes regarding industrial action and dismissal due to taking part in in strike action will be automatically unfair. Other amendments include: · A reduction in the time required for notice for industrial action from 14 days to 10 days. · A simple majority vote only will be needed for industrial action · There is no longer a requirement for picket supervisors · Industrial action mandates have been increased to a 12 month period · Industrial Political action and ballot notices will be simplified · Political fund rules will change. April is generally when increases to statutory amounts happen in line with the new tax year. · The 3 day waiting period for SSP will be removed and it will become a day 1 right · In addition the lower earnings limit will be removed meaning there is no minimum amount for eligibility. Paternity leave will also become a day 1 right, removing the need for 26 weeks of employment. Ordinary parental will also be a day 1 right, an employee currently needs 1 year of service and the restriction on taking paternity leave after shared parental leave will be removed. The maximum protective award for failure to consult when making redundancies will double from 90 to 180 days from April. Current whistleblowing law will be updated to include sexual harassment as a qualifying disclosure, meaning protection from detriment and unfair dismissal if a sexual harassment disclosure is made. Action plans for gender pay gap and menopause will be voluntary from April 2026 and mandatory in 2027. The fair work agency will be established in April 2026 and this will have a significant impact, more on this in a later update. Further updates will happen in October including, · Unfair fire and rehire dismissals will be banned, meaning that employers cannot force contractual changes by issuing new contracts. In effect this practice involves dismissing on old contracts and then rehiring on new terms and conditions · Tribunal claim limits will be increased from 3 months to 6 months, meaning an employee will have longer to make a claim. Further changes to trade union rules will include; · Duty on employers to inform workers of the right to join a union · Updated rules on the trade unions right to access workplace · A new right to time off for trade union reps to carry out their duties as well reasonable accommodations for trade reps carrying out their duties. Harassment protections will undergo further changes; · Employers will need to take ‘all reasonable steps’ to protect employees from harassment from 3rd parties or be liable · Employers must take ‘all reasonable steps’ instead of ‘reasonable steps’ to prevent sexual harassment. Changes which are currently expected in 2027 include; · Unfair dismissal rights after 6 months rather than the current 2 years · Stronger protections against dismissal for pregnant employees and those returning from maternity leave, · Changes to zero hour contracts · New statutory right to bereavement leave · A legal requirement when declining a flexible working request to State the reason for the refusal Explain why the decline is reasonable These changes in conjunction with the establishment of the fair work agency will have a considerable impact on employers and will ensure greater enforcement. Make sure you get your contracts, policies and practices updates now in readiness for these changes. Further updates on how to implement these changes will follow so subscribe to my blog now.

HR should be empathetic HR is there to protect the business and ensure that employment legislation is followed so you don’t end up in a tribunal or paying money out to avoid tribunal. That is part of HR’s role, compliance is a key area. In the UK there is a lot of employment legislation and it is there to ensure fairness and protect employees, after all employers hold the power in the relationship. That is only part of the story though. I pondered this question recently when a junior HR advisor asked for feedback, they are currently studying for a CIPD qualification and there is a module which requires them to ask how they work with the business. It made me think about my own journey in HR, how my approach has changed now from when I first started. There is a perception in the business from employees that HR are the ones that make the decisions when it comes to employee relations, but that isn’t or shouldn’t be the case. Our role is to advise and give guidance, understand both sides of the situation and then provide a balanced view. However, when you first start out the inclination is to think that HR should tell managers. I have noticed this with the junior HR advisor, they tend to go in like a bull in a china shop having already made their mind up about the situation and the employee. Managers find them too confrontational and prefer to avoid seeking advice from them. Experience teaches you to take a step back and look at all angles, things are very rarely black and white. It is also true that you can believe that dismissal is the right outcome whilst still feeling sorry for the employee. Their actions have led them to be in the disciplinary hearing however, that doesn't mean you cannot have empathy for them and question the decision, in fact you absolutely should do that. When you work in HR you are privy to confidential information, you are involved in investigating employees, looking at their emails, discussing their behaviour with other team members, it can be easy to get swept up in the situation and get ahead of yourself. You look at the employee and make a decision about why they have behaved in a certain way, or respond to them in judgemental, confrontational or aggressive way which makes the situation worse. HR’s role is to be calm, non-judgemental and neutral. Once you have reviewed the information it is human nature to form an opinion, however, you must be willing to hear from the employee and then form a rounded decision. Experience teaches you that there are two sides to every story. Often when tribunal decisions are published in favour of the claimant it is because pre-determinations have been made and a conclusion jumped to. Always, take a step back and ask yourself why has the employee behaved in this way? It might not ultimately change any decisions but it will help you ask questions to understand where things went wrong. Think through all the possible decisions which could be made and question whether your initial point of view is the right one. HR’s role isn’t to be judge, juror and executioner but to challenge managers decision, test it against all the evidence and chat through the consequences of any decisions. We are there to be the voice of reason in what are often inflammatory situations not to throw fuel on the fire. HR are employed by the business and we walk a line between protecting the business and making sure employees are treated fairly. It is easy to get frustrated and annoyed with an employees behaviour, particularly when it has been addressed on previous occasions or if they have the experience to know better. Regardless, treat them as you want to be treated, give them the time and opportunity to discuss the situation, the decision will impact their life particularly if it is dismissal. It maybe the right or only option but never lose sight of the humanness of situation. I don’t like ‘fluffy’ HR difficult decisions have to be made but they can be done with empathy.

The office Christmas party It’s that time of year and once again the Christmas party is looming. It should be a fun event, the is Company paying for employees to get together, let their hair down and have fun. I used to have many an argument with the CEO about the Christmas party and normally get accused of being the fun police. However, after several serious incidents he realised that in fact, my lets be sensible approach actually meant employees had more fun because things didn’t get out of hand. A recent statistic shared on People Management stated that 40 tribunals a year are linked to Christmas parties. Inappropriate comments fuelled by alcohol not to mention a sudden blurring of professional lines, is a recipe for disaster. Employers are responsible for taking reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment and this includes social work events which are an extension of the workplace. In addition, a quarter of employees have stated that they fell under pressure to drink alcohol at work events when they did not want to. Older workers will remember a time when getting drunk at the Christmas do was expected and acceptable. There is still a culture of being surprised when people do not drink. Inhibitions are shed when large amounts of alcohol are consumed, accidents can happen and reputations can be ruined in an instant due to drunken behaviour. Then we have the hangover of the hangover. The following day will result in lower productivity due to not feeling well or phoning in sick. If drinking has been encouraged the employer can hardly complain. So what can you do to ensure that your work Christmas party doesn’t turn into an HR nightmare? Consider lunch instead. It is less likely to be centred around alcohol and more around colleagues having a few hours away from the office. This also means that everyone can attend. Employees with home commitments may not be able to attend after work, similarly if employees live further away they may struggle to attend. Limit the amount of alcohol and make sure there are plenty of non-alcoholic alternatives. Lay on transport to ensure everyone gets home safely and do not need to drive. Consider working from home the following day to limit absence and need to drive. Work social events should be fun and a thank you to employees for their hard work. Consider your work demographics, ask employees what they would like and make sure everyone knows what behaviour is expected. Setting boundaries and catering for everyone will ensure your party is an end of year celebration.

Consistency in teams and HR, more than process We talk a lot about consistency in HR. We have policies to follow to ensure that the same process happens every time someone raises a grievance, finds themselves in a disciplinary or submits a flexible working request. This type of consistency is needed, the process is the process. But what do we really mean by consistency? I used to think that having consistency meant treating everyone the same and applying the same outcome to similar circumstances. For example, I worked for an insurance company and we had a call centre to take incoming calls from customers, agents would sometimes be found to be avoiding calls, meaning they would not speak to customers. They could do this in a number of ways from entering various codes so that calls would not come through to them, answering and immediately disconnecting calls putting them at the back of the queue and many other creative ways. Calls were monitored so if an employee was found to be doing this they would be invited to a disciplinary and typically the same sanction of a first written warning (assuming first offence), would be issued. Now of course in the above example there isn’t necessarily anything wrong with this, you aren’t treating people differently or better or worse. Same type of behaviour, same outcome. Looking back now, I am not sure we ever stopped to really consider why an employee might behave in that way or what we could do to support them. Working in a call centre is a thankless task and customers can be challenging to deal with. Whilst an investigation would have taken place and employees would have been asked why they were call avoiding, I think there was an assumption and an automatic decision to ensure consistency. Managers are under pressure to ensure their teams perform and if you treat people differently you may be accused of favouritism. Perception is everything and employees talk and gossip. The thing is though that people aren’t consistent, HR is not black and white we operate in the grey most of the time. The reason one person does something often, will not be the same reason someone else does it. Managers also manager differently, some take a very rigid approach to following policies and some would take a more human approach. Such as when it comes to taking time off for GP or dentist appointments. Some managers will make employees book time off and others have a more give and take approach, giving the time for the appointment knowing that the employee will often come in early or work a bit later. Equally what works in one department or area might not work in another. If you are in retail employees will need to work in the shop at specific times to serve customers, however, the support functions may be able to have a remote first policy. A flexible working approach may work for some departments however, if you operate a call centre and need employees at peak times and they cannot flex their hours in the same way. Again, we should take an approach of finding out what works and what different benefits can be applied depending on the needs of the department, rather than decide something is unfair or doesn’t work because not everyone can do it. The desire for consistency in approach was to instil a feeling that everyone was treated the same and create a “good” culture. However, really what we should do is empower managers to do the right thing depending on the circumstances. Ideally you want to be able to treat employees as the adults they are. Life doesn’t stop at work, people get ill, their family / kids get ill, appointments happen during work time, employees might behave in a certain way for lots of different reasons. Some will want to find ways not to do their jobs but some might need support or training, some might be anxious or worried and some might just be in the wrong job and need an honest conversation. Empowering managers to make decisions and take an employee centred approach rather than applying a one size fits all approach to employees will ultimately provide a more consistent approach. Not with the same outcome regardless of the situation but with a human approach that makes the best decision based on the circumstances. Rather than insisting on a strict process, trust managers to know their staff and make decisions in the best interest of the employee, team, department and company.

Redundancy and dealing with job loss Redundancies are always a difficult conversation, you are making decisions to cut costs in order to ensure the survival and profitability of an organisation. For the majority of businesses, people are the biggest cost and inevitably when money needs to be saved, people is one of the first areas to be looked at. Whilst it is jobs that are redundant we all know the reality is here are people attached to those jobs, who for no fault of their own find themselves facing the prospect of losing that job. Of course there is a process behind any redundancy situation, a review of the organisation, a grouping of jobs, working out redundancy payments, starting consultations, organising employee representatives and figuring out the selection process. Employees go on a list to be put at risk and may come off again as resource is reviewed and departmental needs decided. You can plan the process to within an inch of its life, and have all the paperwork and announcements lined up. However, the reality of making that announcement and then dealing with the subsequent fall out is still never easy. Difficult decisions There are of course difficult decisions to be made, the process needs to fair and transparent. Equally, there are conversations about how to keep the staff you do want to stay. This is naturally difficult, through the process itself, employees that you don’t want to lose may find other roles. The level of uncertainty and disruption caused unsettles people. The process is kept confidential up until the time it is announced with only senior managers and HR involved. At the appropriate time when the announcements are made this will often come out of the blue for employees. We have heard the expression death by a thousand cuts and sometimes in large organisations cuts are made to a department and then the next department or by location. This leads to prolonged uncertainty and creates a culture of fear and often competition as people try to protect themselves as they wait to see who is next. Often the uncertainty is worse than actually being told you are at risk of redundancy. We all need to feel in control and when we are put at risk of redundancy, we feel like the decisions are out of our control. Many employees will have a perception that the process isn’t fair and has already been decided. You must ensure that you have a meaningful consultation process and really take the time to listen to and consider suggestions put forward by employees. From an HR and management perspective the time leading up to an announcement is incredibly stressful, you are in a position where you know that colleagues lives are going to be affected, these are people you work with and like. Knowing what is about to happen and not being able to say anything is hard. In addition, often HR is restructured last, meaning you support the rest of business knowing that your own department will also go through it. Understanding employees reactions The redundancy process follows a grief cycle, denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. This cycle is not linear and often when employees are told they at risk they are angry that this is happening. This is understandable and is as a result of fear. Losing our jobs is a frightening prospect for many reasons, lack of status, fear of finding another job and of course money, we all have bills to pay and the fear of not having money to keep a roof over our heads will give us sleepless nights. As the face of HR, I have been shouted at, employees have cried, stormed out of meetings and criticised the process. You have to understand that it is not about you and just listen. So, what we can do? Understand the human reaction to redundancy, cut employees slack if they do get angry or defensive. Make sure you explain the process, next steps and consult with employees at all stages. Make sure you bring employees into the decision stage as soon as possible, listen to concerns, take questions away and come back with a response quickly. Give employees as much notice as you can and accept that you might lose employees that you want to keep if they find other jobs. Think about what help you can put in place to support staff whose jobs are redundant. What practical steps can you take, time off for interviews, CV support, interview support, outplacement support and helping with LinkedIn profiles or recommendations. Final thoughts. How you treat the employees who are exiting the business will be seen and remembered by the employees who remain in the organisation. It might be necessary to restructure the organisation however, remember that there are humans attached to the jobs you are cutting and you have a responsibility to support them through an emotionally difficult time. Supporting employees as they exit and helping them find new roles should be central to the process.