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An experienced HR consultant can review your sickness absence policy, tighten up your attendance management processes and make sure that your managers are confident handling absence conversations early. We help you to stay compliant and reduce the cost risk that comes with getting this wrong.

While several Employment Rights Act changes have already taken effect in April 2026, many more are scheduled throughout the rest of 2026 and into 2027. At Fluid HR & Coaching, we have organised the new laws into clear milestones so you can see what has changed, what is coming next and when action is required. In this article we set out the Employment Rights Act milestones you need to be aware of.

An experienced HR consultant can review your current processes against the expanded rights under the Employment Rights Act and help you to close the gaps before they become problems. That includes updating manager guidance, sense-checking how you handle dismissals and grievances, strengthening your documentation and stepping in early when issues start to surface. The tribunal system may look the same, but your exposure has changed.

What HR tasks are quietly pulling you away from growing the business? You’re trying to manage HR yourself to save money while also running the business. Most owners start this way. It works for a while. Then the team grows, issues crop up and what used to be simple suddenly eats far more time and headspace than you expected. This is where many businesses stay stuck for too long. What starts as a cost-saving exercise turns into slower decisions, higher risk and con

From a tribunal case where a flawed investigation left one employer £12,000 out of pocket, to new research showing that one in five workers aren't taking their full holiday entitlement, the theme running through this edition is a simple one. Small oversights have a habit of becoming expensive problems. Whether it's your HR processes, your team's wellbeing, or your own time to recharge, the things we quietly ignore rarely stay quiet for long.

You’re planning for the new financial year and allocating spend across the business, but HR often ends up as a reactive pot. Money gets spent only when something breaks. The problem is that reactive HR is the most expensive kind. It costs you time, output, reputation and, in many cases, cash that you didn’t plan to spend. A proactive HR budget, built on real people metrics rather than guesswork, helps you to lift performance, reduce risk and protect business value.

Treating employees differently is one of the fastest ways to end up in an employment tribunal. You’re busy running the business and making people decisions every day. Most of the time you’re acting on what feels reasonable in the moment. But in employment law, fairness isn’t subjective or optional. It’s the standard your decisions are judged against and it sits at the heart of ACAS guidance. When employees are treated inconsistently, or when managers improvise on the spot, yo

t's frustrating when an employee stops following instructions. You're trying to keep things moving and suddenly someone isn't doing what you've asked. Before you take any action, you need to understand why the behaviour is happening. Refusal is one thing. A misunderstanding, lack of training or someone genuinely struggling is something completely different. Getting clear on the reason is what protects the business and gives you the right next step.

A formal grievance is not something that you can afford to ignore or handle casually. You are busy running the business and may not be sure how serious a grievance really is. But once an employee puts something in writing, how you handle it matters as much as the issue they are raising. If you do not follow Acas guidance and your own procedure, you increase the chance of a tribunal claim and the cost that comes with it. A structured response protects you and keeps the situ

You probably haven't heard of the Fair Work Agency yet. That's because it's been slipped in as part of the Employment Rights Act that came into force in April. There is not much information available, but from what we do know, it is going to have a significant impact on your compliance requirements in the future. What we are looking at is not another advisory body. It is an enforcement agency that will expect you to evidence how you comply with employment law

This month’s newsletter is about what’s changing, what’s quietly shifting under the surface, and where it’s worth paying attention before small issues become harder work later on. From the first wave of Employment Rights Act changes now in force, to everyday habits that carry more weight than we realise, there’s plenty here to dip into. If anything prompts a question or a “we should probably look at that”, you’re very welcome to get in touch for a chat.

According to the Office for National Statistics, an estimated 2.3 million adults (aged 16 and over) experienced domestic abuse in 2024. Domestic abuse is sadly common and your employees could be victims. If someone on your team discloses domestic abuse, you might not know how to react and what you should / shouldn't do. And that's why we've created this short guide to offer you some support. Domestic abuse is sensitive and emotionally complex, but you do not need to naviga

Inclusion, put simply, is the term HR consultants use to describe how people feel and are respected in the workplace. If someone feels pushed out, talked over or treated differently to others, it shows up quickly, especially in small businesses.When people feel valued and part of things, they contribute more. They learn faster. They take more ownership. The overall standard lifts and becomes more reliable.Inclusion is not a nice to have. It’s a practical way to improve ou

When an employee gets injured at work, your first responsibility is their health, wellbeing and safety. But it's not always obvious what else you're meant to do. In this blog post, we talk you through the steps you should take to stay compliant and protect your business from any negligence claims.Workplace injuries are stressful and every situation is different. If you want to make sure you’re handling an incident correctly, or you’d like help with tightening up your

Holiday pay is one of those areas that sounds simple in theory but quickly becomes fiddly in practice, especially once you move beyond straightforward, full-time hours. For many business owners, the real challenge isn’t knowing what the rules are. It’s applying them consistently, fairly and confidently across different working patterns, without it becoming a time drain or a source of mistakes. Why holiday pay causes so much confusion Holiday pay isn’t just about paying someon

Poor performance is one of the hardest issues to deal with as a business owner. You rely on your team to keep things running and when someone Before you think about ending someone’s employment, it is important to understand the problem properly. Ask yourself: Is it a skills issue, a workload issue or a motivation issue? Have they had proper training and a fair chance to learn the role? Are your expectations clear and realistic? Honest reflection can often uncover what is ge

Spring has sprung As the days begin to stretch a little longer and the first signs of spring start to appear, March often brings a natural sense of renewal. It’s a time when many businesses begin to look ahead with fresh perspective. Reviewing what’s working well, identifying where things could run more smoothly, and thinking about how to support their teams for the months ahead. Just as spring encourages growth in the natural world, it can also be a great moment to nurture

If you are trying to grow but recruitment feels expensive, slow or frustrating, an apprentice can be one of the safest ways to build capacity in your business. Here is where apprenticeships genuinely help: 1️⃣ You want to grow but cannot justify another full salary Apprentices join at a lower cost and funding support is often available, which makes expansion feel far less risky. 2️⃣ You are struggling to find people with the right skills The talent you want is not a

Your questions answered When's the right time to suspend an employee? In our latest guide, we tell you everything you need to know about suspensions and how to safely suspend an employee to protect your business. Read it here 👇

When things get tricky: suspension, absence, and the people issues you can’t ignore Good HR is not about having all the answers. It’s about taking the next right step. Running a business means making people decisions that are not always straightforward. When something goes wrong at work, it can be tempting to act quickly just to regain control. But the best outcomes usually come from a steadier approach, one that is fair, consistent, and properly thought through. This month w