Employment Law

If a tribunal claim lands on your desk, what you do next really matters. You have 28 days to act. And how you act can be the difference between successfully defending the claim and paying a large sum of money you potentially can't afford. For most small business owners, it's territory they've never been in before. So, what do you do if a claim happens tomorrow?

Recent changes in the law mean that you can't just let someone go and assume that everything will be okay. It's easier (and therefore more likely) that an employee will claim that they were let go unfairly and the amount they can claim will be uncapped from January 2027. Right now there's a limit on what a tribunal can award in most unfair dismissal cases. But, from January, there will be no compensation cap. This rule change directly affects how you hire, manage and dis

There’s a big employment law change being enforced on 1 January 2027 that will affect every hire you make on and after 1 July this year. Anyone you hire on or after 1 July 2026 could gain the right to claim unfair dismissal after just six months of service (down from two years). What this actually changes You no longer have two years as a buffer and the risk of dismissing someone and getting sued for unfair dismissal has dramatically increased. If something goes wrong early,

An engineering worker was awarded £66,295 plus £1,800 costs after his employer dismissed him for raising concerns about his manager's competence. The employer thought they had a reasonable case. The tribunal thought otherwise. And, from January 2027, cases like this are about to get a lot more expensive. Whether you have two employees or two hundred, the same principles apply. Dealing with a difficult employee situation right now? We can help.

From 1 July 2026, anyone you employ can claim unfair dismissal after just 6 months. No more 2-year grace period or informally managing people out. That changes how you hire, how you onboard, how you run probation and how you manage performance. Our latest guide breaks down: What's actually changing and when it takes effect What it really costs when it goes wrong (spoiler: it's a lot more than the headline tribunal figure) The 3 things you need to get right before

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.

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.

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

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

Political and social issues are everywhere right now. You can't escape them in the news, on social media or in daily conversation. Whatever your own views, political and social debates are causing real problems in workplaces everywhere. The challenge is managing this without becoming the thought police. You need to maintain a respectful, productive workplace while letting people be themselves. It's about how views are expressed, not controlling what people think.

Freelancers look like the perfect solution for small businesses. But this seemingly simple arrangement can hide unexpected risks that could impact your business.

When an employee is grieving having clear policies can be one less worry When an employee is grieving, you're managing compassion and business needs at the same time. Balancing support with keeping your business running isn't easy. But the right approach can protect your team and your company. Understanding your legal obligations The law provides some clear guidelines for supporting bereaved employees: Parents who lose a child under 18 (or experience a stillbirth aft

If you're hiring someone new, you must check that they have the legal right to work in the UK before they start. That applies to every role and every nationality. Skip it and you risk fines of up to £60,000, plus serious damage to your business and reputation. Get the complete step by step guide to lawful Right to Work checks Get in touch if you need some support with getting this process right internally.

Protecting your investment in good people makes business sense. If you're not confident about how you handle maternity returns or want help with creating a process that works for everyone, get in touch. Losing employees after maternity leave is frustrating and expensive. And when it costs you around £30,000 to replace each employee, every loss matters. 1 in 4 mothers leave their job within a year of returning from maternity leave. This contributes to £650 million in

Growing your business feels amazing. More customers, more revenue, more people wanting to join your team. You're finally getting somewhere. But growth brings some unexpected legal challenges along with it that weren't even on your radar when you started. Those casual ways of doing things that worked perfectly with 3 people can cause real problems once you hit 10 or 15 employees.

You can do everything you think is right and still get hit with a massive fine. That's exactly what happened to a fish and chip shop owner in Surrey. They thought they'd covered all the bases. The person they hired had a National Insurance number, benefit paperwork and was already on PAYE with another employer. Everything looked legitimate. But the Home Office disagreed and the business was fined £40,000.

The truth is that staying legally compliant is often about managing the small details... Outdated contracts, missing paperwork, unpaid training hours. Easy to overlook, but costly if you get them wrong. We see the same 7 areas catching business owners out time and time again.

The Employment Rights Bill is expected to introduce changes to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) in the coming months. As a business owner,...