The HR Podcast | Built for Business

Why Can't I Just Fire Them... Anymore?

Employment Rights Act 2025: Why You Can't Just Fire Them Anymore When we first answered "why can't I just fire them?", employees needed two years before unfair dismissal protection applied. From 1 January 2027, the Employment Rights Act 2025 reduces that to six months. Unfair dismissal claims are up 72% year on year. The average case takes 33 weeks. The compensation cap is being removed. And if you run a six-month probation, reviews need to happen before that window closes — notice periods included. In this episode: what's changed, what it means for small businesses, and why settlement agreements are about to become a much more common conversation. * From 1 January 2027, unfair dismissal protection applies from six months. Employees whose probation falls into the July 2025 onwards window are already caught by transitional provisions. This isn't a January 2027 problem. * If you run a six-month probation, you need to act earlier than you think. Any notice period eats into the window. On statutory notice, the probation meeting needs to happen at least a week before the six-month mark — or you're in unfair dismissal territory. * The compensation cap is going. Combined with tribunal wait times now stretching toward 2030, the financial and operational cost of getting a dismissal wrong is rising sharply. * Settlement agreements are becoming the rational option. An extra month's pay at seven months may cost far less than management time, legal fees, and a four-year tribunal wait. * ACAS is under serious pressure. Letters are arriving after the conciliation window closes, meaning businesses lose their moment to settle. "Let's see what happens at ACAS" is no longer a reliable strategy. * Process documentation is your only reliable protection. Most dismissals fail at tribunal on process, not on the reason for dismissal. Documented conversations and clear expectations throughout probation are what defend you. * Managers can't afford to wait a few more weeks. The instinct to let underperformance slide is understandable — but within a six-month window, it's operationally dangerous. Conversations need to happen quickly and be documented. * [00:15] What the ERA 2025 changes * [01:16] Why July 2025 matters too * [02:41] Six-month probation notice trap * [05:30] Sharpen performance conversations * [08:19] What fair dismissal process looks like * [13:28] Settlement agreements as alternative * [15:07] AI, employee expectations, backlogs * [17:35] Documentation and tribunal protection Resources Mentioned 1. Employment Rights Act 2025 — qualifying period reduces to six months from 1 January 2027: gov.uk [https://www.gov.uk] 2. ACAS — early conciliation; currently experiencing significant delays: acas.org.uk [https://acas.org.uk] Employment Rights Act 2025, unfair dismissal six months, probation management, settlement agreements UK, performance management, ACAS backlog, dismissal process UK, HR podcast

When is Authenticity at Work Just Oversharing?

Authenticity at Work: Where Does It Cross Into Oversharing? Half of UK workers find oversharing annoying — but many would leave if they couldn't be themselves. Where's the line? This episode unpacks it. Listen now. "Bring your whole self to work" sounds positive until you're sitting next to someone describing their UTI in graphic detail. Authenticity at work genuinely matters — research shows workers would consider leaving a company where they couldn't be themselves — but a poll of 1,000 UK workers found half find it annoying when colleagues overshare. In this episode, Claire and Sarah work through where authenticity ends and oversharing begins, why early-career employees struggle most with the line, how managers face a harder version of the same challenge, and what to do when someone's oversharing is affecting the team. * Authenticity and oversharing exist on a spectrum. The difference is usually context, relationship depth, and whether the other person has any real choice in receiving the information. * "Bring your whole self to work" doesn't mean share everything. It means people shouldn't feel they have to hide who they are. There's a meaningful difference between those two things. * Oversharing tends to involve negativity, not detail. Sharing graphic medical information or divisive political views triggers friction. Describing a holiday in detail, less so. * Managers face a harder version of this challenge. Oversharing at a senior level — especially about internal debates or strategy — can unsettle the whole team in ways that peer oversharing doesn't. * The line varies by workplace culture. Someone moving from a start-up to a corporate will feel the shift. Part of starting somewhere new is reading what professional means in this environment. * If oversharing is affecting the team, address it informally first. Most people aren't aware they're doing it. A direct, empathetic conversation is more effective than any policy. * Sometimes it's a personality clash, not a conduct issue. Know the difference before escalating to a formal process. * [00:02] Is "bring your whole self" good advice? * [01:56] Early-career employees finding the line * [04:46] Crying at work and personal disclosure * [06:09] When oversharing affects team dynamics * [09:33] Medical info, politics and what crosses the line * [12:09] How workplace culture sets the standard * [15:22] Leaders oversharing: a different risk * [17:36] How managers and HR should respond Resources 1. People Management poll — 50% of UK workers find colleague oversharing annoying: peoplemanagement.co.uk [https://peoplemanagement.co.uk] authenticity at work UK, oversharing at work, professional boundaries workplace, psychological safety, bring your whole self to work, workplace culture small business, manager oversharing, HR people management, employee behaviour, workplace professionalism

What Does Great HR Mentoring Look Like?

What Great HR Mentoring Looks Like (And Why Most Gets It Wrong) Most people have had a mentor who didn't really mentor them. The sessions happened, the conversation was pleasant, and nobody was sure what the point was. Mentoring ranked number one in LinkedIn's Learning Report for L&D priorities — yet only 52% of those who say a mentor is important to their career actually have one. In this episode, Claire and Sarah cover what makes mentoring genuinely valuable versus a well-intentioned waste of time, how it differs from coaching, why the mentee carries most of the responsibility, and how to find the right mentor in a small or standalone HR role. * Mentoring and coaching are not interchangeable. Coaching unlocks what's already in you. Mentoring gives you access to someone who's walked the path — and can tell you what they'd do differently. * The mentee drives the relationship. Turning up without clear questions means sessions drift into pleasant but useless conversation. Preparation is everything. * Start with a specific goal. "I need to learn how to influence senior stakeholders in a new HRBP role" is a goal. "I want to develop" is not. The goal shapes who you need and whether it's working. * Three conversations can be enough. Where are you now, where are you going, what next — that structure can be more valuable than a year of vague monthly check-ins. * The right match matters more than the most senior match. Energy and communication style determine whether conversations flow. A mismatched pairing wastes both people's time. * You don't need an HR mentor if you're in HR. The gap is often in emotional intelligence or stakeholder influence — areas where someone from a different background can add more value than a fellow HR professional. * If you're in a small or standalone role, look outside the business. People outside your organisation can see your situation clearly, without the internal politics that can cloud things. * [00:15] Why mentoring matters — the gap * [01:14] Formal vs informal mentoring experiences * [03:05] How to structure a mentoring programme * [05:19] Mentoring vs coaching: the difference * [10:10] Why mentoring sessions stop being valuable * [13:43] Finding a mentor in a small business * [17:03] Why matching beats seniority * [19:20] LinkedIn, networking and mentoring schemes Resources Mentioned 1. LinkedIn Learning Report — mentoring ranked number one L&D priority: linkedin.com/learning [https://linkedin.com/learning] 2. Elevate Hub HR mentoring scheme: elevatehub.co.uk [https://elevatehub.co.uk] 3. CIPD mentoring: cipd.org [https://cipd.org] 4. 70-20-10 development model — 70% on the job, 20% relationships, 10% formal learning HR mentoring, mentoring vs coaching, workplace mentoring, employee development mentoring, HR career development, finding mentor small business, standalone HR, 70-20-10 model, mentee preparation, HR development

Why Are My Job Applicants Ghosting Me?

Why Candidates Are Ghosting You (And What To Do About It) Candidates ghosting your recruitment process? This episode covers why it happens, what your hiring process signals, and how to fix candidate experience. Listen now. If candidates are disappearing after interview invitations — or not showing up on day one — the instinct is to blame applicants. But 56% of UK employers admit they're likely to ghost candidates themselves. If it's happening to you consistently, your hiring process is telling people something you don't intend. In this episode, Claire and Sarah cover why candidate ghosting has become so common, what drives it on both sides, and the specific things — a clunky assessment, slow responses, a bad Glassdoor profile — that make people disappear before they've even met you. * Candidate ghosting is a symptom, not the problem. It's usually telling you something about the experience you're creating — often before a candidate has spoken to anyone in the business. * Employers ghost candidates just as much. If you want people to treat your process with respect, the standard has to start with you. Auto-regrets, timely updates, and brief feedback after interview cost very little. * Too many stages and awkward assessments drive drop-off. If candidates are disappearing at a specific stage, that stage is worth reviewing. Streamline before blaming the market. * The gap between offer and start date is high-risk. Keep candidates warm and communicate regularly — this is where many no-shows originate. * Your Glassdoor profile matters. Candidates research you after being invited to interview. Respond to reviews — positive and negative — to show you're a listening organisation. * Some ghosting reflects the current job market. People apply speculatively, circumstances change, and they stay put. Not all of it is about your process — but it's worth checking. * Candidates who interviewed deserve feedback. A brief personalised email explaining why they weren't successful costs nothing and leaves a lasting impression, even in rejection. * [00:01] Why candidate ghosting is increasing * [02:29] Are job adverts even real vacancies? * [05:44] Speculative applications in a tough market * [08:09] How your process causes drop-off * [11:46] Glassdoor and employer brand * [13:08] Assessments and multi-stage design * [16:43] What candidates deserve after interview * [18:28] What ghosting is really telling you Resources 1. CIPD 2024 research — new starters failing to show up and early resignations data: cipd.org [https://cipd.org] 2. CV Genius survey — 56% of UK employers admit ghosting candidates: cvgenius.com [https://cvgenius.com] 3. Glassdoor — employer reviews: glassdoor.co.uk [https://glassdoor.co.uk] candidate ghosting UK, why candidates ghost employers, recruitment process improvement, candidate experience, employer communication hiring, Glassdoor employer brand, hiring drop-off, HR podcast UK, recruitment best practices, new starter no-show

Is Pet Bereavement Leave a Step Too Far?

Pet Bereavement Leave UK: Should You Offer It? No legal obligation exists for pet bereavement leave in the UK — but what should you actually do? Practical advice for small business owners handling this well.   If an employee came to you tomorrow morning, red-eyed, and told you their dog had died — what would you do? There’s no legal entitlement to pet bereavement leave in the UK, but that doesn’t make the answer straightforward. In this episode, Sarah and Claire work through what small business owners should actually consider when a member of staff loses a pet: whether to offer time off, whether to pay for it, whether a formal bereavement policy helps or just creates rigidity, and why how you handle these moments says more about your culture than almost anything in your employee handbook. Practical, honest, and grounded in real HR experience — including a few stories you won’t forget. Key Takeaways * There is no legal right to pet bereavement leave in the UK — but that doesn’t mean the right answer is automatically no. If someone is too distressed to function, sending them back to their desk helps no one.     * A formal pet bereavement leave policy isn’t always the answer. For smaller businesses especially, handling these situations case by case — with consistency and compassion — often works better than a rigid policy that invites gaming. * Pay is the harder question. Whether time off is paidshould reflect the broader decisions you’re already making in your business — if dependency leave is unpaid, pet bereavement leave probably should be too. * Flexibility matters more than a blanket rule. Somepeople need two days; others are back at their laptop the following morning. Asking “what do you need?” is often more useful than a policy that prescribes the answer. * Consistency across managers is a genuine risk. Onemanager might give three days’ paid leave; another might tell someone to get on with it. HR should be involved to ensure comparable situations are handledcomparably. * If you do have a bereavement policy, consider broadening it to encompass significant pet loss rather than creating a standalone policy — and avoid specifying exact days, which strips out the humanjudgement these situations need. * Proof is a thorny issue. Unlike human bereavement,there’s no death certificate for a pet. The better safeguard is knowing your people well enough to spot when something doesn’t add up — not demandingevidence from someone who’s just lost an animal they loved.   [00:00]  Is pet bereavement leave a step too far? [00:49]  What the data actually shows [01:05]  The honest, human answer [03:15]  Should there be a formal policy? [05:56]  Flexibility over rigid rules [07:41]  Does the type of pet matter? [12:14]  Proof, evidence and trust [15:03]  Small business vs large business approach [19:30]  How to wrap your bereavement policy aroundthis   The statistics cited come from: * UK Pet Food — 60% of UK households own at least one pet(around 17 million homes) * A survey of over 6,000 British adults — 43% supportstatutory paid pet bereavement leave; nearly one in four say employers definitely should offer it pet bereavement leave UK, compassionate leave small business, employee wellbeing UK, bereavement policy UK, HR advice for small business owners, pet loss at work, time off for pet death UK, UK employment law podcast, people management practical advice, HR podcast UK founders