Buzzing About HR

There's a box in the walkway. It's been there for three weeks. Your team member nearly trips over it. They say nothing because the last time someone mentioned something, the list went into a drawer.

In the break room, someone's been hunched over since January with back pain they haven't told anyone about. Because it feels like making a fuss. Because no one has ever asked.

Your manager knows about the box. Has a vague memory of someone mentioning a bad back. But neither has blown up yet, so they're waiting.

That's how health and safety fails in small businesses. Not with a dramatic incident. Quietly. In near-misses, no one writes down. In aches, people shrug off. In conversations that never start.

Today is World Day for Safety and Health at Work. The 2026 theme is prevention, and prevention isn't a poster on the wall. It's the conversation your manager is avoiding.

In this episode:

• Why the physical side of health and safety usually gets done, and why the human side keeps getting missed in small businesses
• What the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 actually covers (welfare, stress, mental health — not just slips and trips)
• The numbers, 776,000 work-related stress, depression and anxiety cases last year, and what they mean for SMEs
• The three conversations every manager should be having and isn't: "What almost went wrong?" "How's your body holding up?" "Are you actually okay?"
• Four myths, including "we've got the policy so we're covered" and "my team would tell me if something was wrong"
• Seven actions for this week — including the one that's a legal requirement if you have five or more staff

If you've got a team of any size, an unread health and safety policy, and a quiet feeling that "no one's mentioned anything, so we must be fine" — this one's for you.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Blog: Health and Safety — the policy and legal side

HSE Management Standards for work-related stress

HSE work-related ill health statistics

Free HR Health Check — short, jargon-free, tells you what needs attention

Join the newsletter — plain-English HR updates, no waffle

If you’re not 100% sure how your HR is really holding up, take our free HR Health Check. It’s short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what’s working — and what needs a bit of love.

And if you do it before 30th October 2026 you’ll get a bonus 7 Pillar Strategy-on-a-Page, tailored to help you manage HR brilliantly for the year ahead. That’s it for today, but if you fancy a bit of friendly HR advice in your inbox (with zero waffle), come and join our newsletter.

We send out bite-sized tips, plain-English updates, and handy things you’ll actually use — no spam, no fluff.

You can sign up here 

If you're not sure how your HR is really holding up, take the free HR Health Check. It's short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what's working and what could do with a bit of love.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe so you never miss one, and leave a review if you've got thirty seconds. It honestly does help more small business owners find the show, and it's the cheapest good deed you'll do all week.

Got a question or need actual HR support? Find Kate at kateunderwoodhr.co.uk, email [email protected], or follow along on social.

Until next time, keep buzzing, and take care of your people.

The minimum wage went up to £12.71 in April 2026. Your newest team member got a pay rise. Great.

But what happened to the person who's been with you for four years?

When the floor rises, and nothing else moves, experienced staff notice. They don't always say anything. They start looking.

That's wage compression. It's one of the most common retention problems I see after every minimum wage increase, and it's quietly costing small businesses some of their best people.

In this episode:

• What wage compression is, and why it happens to good employers (not just bad ones)
• The real cost, to morale, to retention, and to your recruitment budget
• A five-step pay structure review you can do this week, no spreadsheet wizardry needed
• Four myths preventing owners from taking action
• Eight actions to take this week, in order

If you've got a team of any size with at least one person on or near minimum wage, this one's for you.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Free HR Health Check — short, jargon-free, tells you what needs attention

Blog: Statutory Pay Rates 2026/27 Cheat Sheet

Employment Rights Act Advice

Join the newsletter — plain-English HR updates, no waffle

If you’re not 100% sure how your HR is really holding up, take our free HR Health Check. It’s short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what’s working — and what needs a bit of love.

And if you do it before 30th October 2026 you’ll get a bonus 7 Pillar Strategy-on-a-Page, tailored to help you manage HR brilliantly for the year ahead. That’s it for today, but if you fancy a bit of friendly HR advice in your inbox (with zero waffle), come and join our newsletter.

We send out bite-sized tips, plain-English updates, and handy things you’ll actually use — no spam, no fluff.

You can sign up here 

If you're not sure how your HR is really holding up, take the free HR Health Check. It's short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what's working and what could do with a bit of love.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe so you never miss one, and leave a review if you've got thirty seconds. It honestly does help more small business owners find the show, and it's the cheapest good deed you'll do all week.

Got a question or need actual HR support? Find Kate at kateunderwoodhr.co.uk, email [email protected], or follow along on social.

Until next time, keep buzzing, and take care of your people.

In this episode of Buzzing About HR, I am doing the debrief that a lot of small business owners needed last week but did not have time to sit down for.

The sixth of April 2026 was the biggest single day in UK employment law in a generation. Five things changed at once. Day-one Statutory Sick Pay. Day-one paternity and parental leave. The Fair Work Agency went live. The redundancy protective award doubled. The National Living Wage rose to £12.71. All of it, on the same day.

This episode is the calm, practical walkthrough of what each change actually means for your business, not the legal version, the real-life version.

I cover what the removal of SSP waiting days means for your absence process. I explain the day-one paternity and parental leave change and the two things to update before your next hire. I break down the Fair Work Agency and what it signals about enforcement. I go through the doubled redundancy protective award and why you need proper advice before starting any redundancy process. And I cover the National Living Wage rise and the checks to run this week.

Then I give you five specific actions to complete before the end of April, in order, with clear reasons why each one matters.

HR HealthCheck

Not sure how your HR is really holding up after 6 April? Take our free HR Health Check; it is short, jargon-free, and tells you clearly what is working and what needs attention.

For plain-English HR updates in your inbox with no waffle, join our newsletter. Bite-sized tips, employment law updates, and things you will actually use.

Newsletter

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Blog: SSP Now Starts on Day One — Should You Change Your Sick Pay?

Blog: Statutory Pay Rates 2026/27 Cheat Sheet

Employment Rights Act Advice

Thank you for tuning in to Buzzing About HR with Kate Underwood!

If you enjoyed today's episode, do not forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Your feedback helps us grow and reach more people like you.

If you’re not 100% sure how your HR is really holding up, take our free HR Health Check. It’s short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what’s working — and what needs a bit of love.

And if you do it before 30th October 2026 you’ll get a bonus 7 Pillar Strategy-on-a-Page, tailored to help you manage HR brilliantly for the year ahead. That’s it for today, but if you fancy a bit of friendly HR advice in your inbox (with zero waffle), come and join our newsletter.

We send out bite-sized tips, plain-English updates, and handy things you’ll actually use — no spam, no fluff.

You can sign up here 

If you're not sure how your HR is really holding up, take the free HR Health Check. It's short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what's working and what could do with a bit of love.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe so you never miss one, and leave a review if you've got thirty seconds. It honestly does help more small business owners find the show, and it's the cheapest good deed you'll do all week.

Got a question or need actual HR support? Find Kate at kateunderwoodhr.co.uk, email [email protected], or follow along on social.

Until next time, keep buzzing, and take care of your people.

In this episode of Buzzing About HR, I am talking about day one rights and why they change the rhythm of employment for small businesses.

Because day one is no longer just about laptops, logins, uniforms, and trying to remember where that one cable has gone. It is also the point where new starters can ask better questions, challenge unclear processes, and spot very quickly when your paperwork says one thing and your business does another.

This episode is about getting ahead of that before it turns into a week one wobble.

I break down the places day one rights catch SMEs out most often. Contracts that do not match reality. Onboarding conversations that accidentally create promises. Managers answering questions on vibes instead of process. And new starters being left to guess what the rules are until something goes wrong.

We talk about the practical fixes that make the biggest difference. A simple contract versus reality audit. Clear onboarding language that stays warm without overpromising. The magic of “trial and review” instead of casual yeses. And the three manager scripts that stop people improvising themselves into a problem.

I also look at the questions new starters are most likely to ask early on. Can I change my hours? How does holiday approval work? What happens if I am sick? How do I raise a concern? What support do I get in probation? If you cannot answer those clearly on day one, that is where your risk starts to build.

This is not about becoming corporate. It is about becoming clearer.

Because day one rights do not mean you have to say yes to everything. They mean you need to show you are reasonable, consistent, and clear from the start.

You will come away with simple actions you can do this week. Audit your onboarding language. Check where your contracts and reality do not match. Train managers on three key scripts. And create a one-page day one FAQ so your new starters are not left guessing.

If you want a calmer, clearer start for new hires and fewer week one surprises, this episode is for you.

Subscribe, share it with another business owner who needs a sanity check, and leave a review if it helps you tighten things up before your next new starter walks through the door.

If you’re not 100% sure how your HR is really holding up, take our free HR Health Check. It’s short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what’s working — and what needs a bit of love.

And if you do it before 30th October 2026 you’ll get a bonus 7 Pillar Strategy-on-a-Page, tailored to help you manage HR brilliantly for the year ahead. That’s it for today, but if you fancy a bit of friendly HR advice in your inbox (with zero waffle), come and join our newsletter.

We send out bite-sized tips, plain-English updates, and handy things you’ll actually use — no spam, no fluff.

You can sign up here 

If you're not sure how your HR is really holding up, take the free HR Health Check. It's short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what's working and what could do with a bit of love.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe so you never miss one, and leave a review if you've got thirty seconds. It honestly does help more small business owners find the show, and it's the cheapest good deed you'll do all week.

Got a question or need actual HR support? Find Kate at kateunderwoodhr.co.uk, email [email protected], or follow along on social.

Until next time, keep buzzing, and take care of your people.

In this episode of Buzzing About HR, we are talking about sickness absence. Not the tidy policy version where everyone follows the rules and no one texts at 6:58am saying they are not coming in. The real small business version. The one where something feels a bit off, but you are not quite sure what you are allowed to say.

Because let’s be honest. Most absence issues in SMEs are not about one serious long-term illness. They are about patterns. The Friday specialist. The day-after-payday disappearance. The “fine all week, sick on the shift with that manager” situation. The holiday flu expert. The Instagram contradiction.

And that is where people get stuck.

You do not want to be unfair. You do not want to say the wrong thing. You do not want to upset someone or wander into discrimination territory. So what do most managers do? Nothing. They wait. They hope it stops. They quietly get more annoyed. And the rest of the team starts wondering why the rules seem optional.

This episode is about handling that properly.

I talk through how to address sickness patterns without accusing someone of faking illness. We focus on attendance and impact, not motive. I cover the simple process that keeps this fair and calm. Notice the pattern. Write it down. Hold a return to work chat every time. Stay curious. Be consistent.

We also talk about why this matters even more with the direction of travel in employment law. Earlier rights, more challenge, and less room for managers to improvise badly under pressure.

And yes, we cover the legal side too. How sickness absence can overlap with disability, pregnancy, mental health, and other protected issues, and why your protection is not suspicion. It is a clear process, reasonable questions, and proper records.

You will also come away with practical small business fixes. Better absence reporting rules. Simple trigger points. Follow-up calls that are supportive, not intrusive. One recording system. And manager scripts that stop these conversations feeling awkward or accusatory.

If you are tired of guessing, muttering into your tea, and hoping patterns sort themselves out, this episode is for you.

Subscribe, share it with a manager who needs a reset, and leave a review if it helps you handle sickness absence with a bit more confidence and a lot less drama.

If you’re not 100% sure how your HR is really holding up, take our free HR Health Check. It’s short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what’s working — and what needs a bit of love.

And if you do it before 30th October 2026 you’ll get a bonus 7 Pillar Strategy-on-a-Page, tailored to help you manage HR brilliantly for the year ahead. That’s it for today, but if you fancy a bit of friendly HR advice in your inbox (with zero waffle), come and join our newsletter.

We send out bite-sized tips, plain-English updates, and handy things you’ll actually use — no spam, no fluff.

You can sign up here 

If you're not sure how your HR is really holding up, take the free HR Health Check. It's short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what's working and what could do with a bit of love.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe so you never miss one, and leave a review if you've got thirty seconds. It honestly does help more small business owners find the show, and it's the cheapest good deed you'll do all week.

Got a question or need actual HR support? Find Kate at kateunderwoodhr.co.uk, email [email protected], or follow along on social.

Until next time, keep buzzing, and take care of your people.

In this episode of Buzzing About HR, I am talking about one of the quietest risks sitting inside small businesses right now. Not hackers. Not competitors. Not some dramatic cyber attack.

Someone on a deadline, with good intentions, pasting confidential information into AI because they want an email to sound better, a proposal to feel slicker, or a tricky message to be “tidied up”.

And that is where the trouble starts.

Because most people do not see AI as risky. They see it as a clever version of Google, spellcheck, or an extra pair of hands. What they forget is that the moment they paste something into a tool, they may have moved it outside their systems and outside your control.

This episode is about how to stop that from becoming a mess.

I walk through the real-world copy-and-paste disasters I am seeing in small businesses. Customer emails full of personal data. HR case notes. Pricing and margins. Contract wording. Investigation timelines. All being dropped into AI tools like it is no big deal.

Then I strip it right back to what SMEs actually need. Not a 40-page tech policy. Just a few clear rules, a short list of approved tools, and a calm response plan for when someone gets it wrong.

We talk about the three non-negotiables that prevent most of the chaos. If it is confidential, do not paste it. If it identifies a person, do not paste it. If it affects money or legal risk, do not paste it.

I also cover what to do when someone already has. How to respond without shaming them, how to get the facts, how to contain the issue, and how to fix the root cause so it does not happen again.

This is not about banning AI or pretending your team is not using it. It is about using it safely, with boundaries that make sense in a real business.

If you want a simple, sensible way to put AI guardrails in place before someone accidentally hands over something they should not, this episode is for you.

Subscribe, share it with a business owner who needs it, and leave a review so more small businesses can get ahead of this before it gets expensive.

If you’re not 100% sure how your HR is really holding up, take our free HR Health Check. It’s short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what’s working — and what needs a bit of love.

And if you do it before 30th October 2026 you’ll get a bonus 7 Pillar Strategy-on-a-Page, tailored to help you manage HR brilliantly for the year ahead. That’s it for today, but if you fancy a bit of friendly HR advice in your inbox (with zero waffle), come and join our newsletter.

We send out bite-sized tips, plain-English updates, and handy things you’ll actually use — no spam, no fluff.

You can sign up here 

If you're not sure how your HR is really holding up, take the free HR Health Check. It's short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what's working and what could do with a bit of love.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe so you never miss one, and leave a review if you've got thirty seconds. It honestly does help more small business owners find the show, and it's the cheapest good deed you'll do all week.

Got a question or need actual HR support? Find Kate at kateunderwoodhr.co.uk, email [email protected], or follow along on social.

Until next time, keep buzzing, and take care of your people.

If someone says “Can I have a quick word?” and your stomach drops, last week was about grievances. This week is what comes next.

Investigations.

And this is where most small businesses wobble a bit.

Not because you’re doing anything wrong.

Because you’re trying to figure it out on the spot, while everyone else is already feeling stressed.

In this episode of Buzzing About HR, I walk you through how to run a workplace investigation properly. No drama. No overcomplicating it. And definitely no “corridor justice.”

At its core, an investigation is simple. It’s a fact-finding exercise.

Not a disciplinary. Not a verdict.

You are gathering information so you can make a fair decision later.

We go step by step through what that actually looks like in real life.

How to pause and steady things first if emotions are high

How to write a clear scope so it doesn’t spiral into “and another thing…”

How to focus on the right evidence without dragging half the team into it

And how to keep a simple log so you are not relying on memory later

We also talk about the bit people find hardest. The conversations.

You will get simple ways to open meetings so people feel calmer, and questions that get to the facts without putting words in someone’s mouth. Because “everyone knows” is not evidence. It’s gossip in a nice outfit.

Then we bring it back to what really protects you.

Not a perfect process.

Just a fair one.

Clear steps.

Consistent approach.

Short, factual notes.

And giving people a proper chance to respond.

If you run a small business or manage people, this is one of those moments where a bit of structure makes everything feel more manageable.

Press play, take what you need, and next time something lands on your desk, you will know exactly where to start.

If you’re not 100% sure how your HR is really holding up, take our free HR Health Check. It’s short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what’s working — and what needs a bit of love.

And if you do it before 30th October 2026 you’ll get a bonus 7 Pillar Strategy-on-a-Page, tailored to help you manage HR brilliantly for the year ahead. That’s it for today, but if you fancy a bit of friendly HR advice in your inbox (with zero waffle), come and join our newsletter.

We send out bite-sized tips, plain-English updates, and handy things you’ll actually use — no spam, no fluff.

You can sign up here 

Making AI Work for Small Business
Secure AI for SMEs: streamline processes, cut costs, train teams to work smarter.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

If you're not sure how your HR is really holding up, take the free HR Health Check. It's short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what's working and what could do with a bit of love.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe so you never miss one, and leave a review if you've got thirty seconds. It honestly does help more small business owners find the show, and it's the cheapest good deed you'll do all week.

Got a question or need actual HR support? Find Kate at kateunderwoodhr.co.uk, email [email protected], or follow along on social.

Until next time, keep buzzing, and take care of your people.

If someone in your business says, “Can I speak to you privately?”, most leaders feel a small jolt of panic. Are they resigning, raising a grievance, or about to report something serious?

In this episode of Buzzing About HR, Kate breaks down whistleblowing in small businesses and how to handle it calmly, legally, and fairly. From the UK legal definition of whistleblowing to the simple scripts managers can use in the moment, this is a practical guide to turning a difficult conversation into a protective step for both the employee and the business.

We explain what qualifies as whistleblowing under UK law, why the “public interest” test matters, and how whistleblowing protection works for employees. Many small business leaders assume whistleblowing only applies to large organisations or major scandals. In reality, concerns about health and safety, financial wrongdoing, harassment, discrimination, or regulatory breaches can all fall under whistleblowing legislation.

We also explore the biggest mistakes employers make when someone raises a concern. Defensive reactions, informal “investigations,” workplace gossip, or subtle retaliation can quickly turn a genuine concern into a serious employment law risk.

You will hear simple manager scripts, the key questions that surface facts without blame, and how to create a calm, structured response when someone speaks up. We also touch on the changing Employment Rights Act landscape, including stronger expectations around harassment prevention and workplace accountability.

For SMEs where everyone knows everyone, confidentiality can feel difficult. That is why we talk about practical safeguards such as offering more than one reporting route, allowing concerns to be raised externally, documenting concerns properly, and having a predictable investigation process.

If you want to strengthen your whistleblowing process, you can also explore SafeVoice, our confidential whistleblowing support service designed for small businesses.

Speaking up should feel safe, not risky. A clear whistleblowing process protects employees, protects your culture, and protects your business.

Press play to learn how to handle whistleblowing concerns with confidence, clarity, and fairness.

If you’re not 100% sure how your HR is really holding up, take our free HR Health Check. It’s short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what’s working — and what needs a bit of love.

And if you do it before 30th October 2026 you’ll get a bonus 7 Pillar Strategy-on-a-Page, tailored to help you manage HR brilliantly for the year ahead. That’s it for today, but if you fancy a bit of friendly HR advice in your inbox (with zero waffle), come and join our newsletter.

We send out bite-sized tips, plain-English updates, and handy things you’ll actually use — no spam, no fluff.

You can sign up here 

If you're not sure how your HR is really holding up, take the free HR Health Check. It's short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what's working and what could do with a bit of love.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe so you never miss one, and leave a review if you've got thirty seconds. It honestly does help more small business owners find the show, and it's the cheapest good deed you'll do all week.

Got a question or need actual HR support? Find Kate at kateunderwoodhr.co.uk, email [email protected], or follow along on social.

Until next time, keep buzzing, and take care of your people.

If your phone’s been pinging all morning, you’ve nodded through a meeting while quietly panicking, and you’ve already said “I’ll deal with that later” twice… you’re in the right place.

It’s World Hearing Day, so we’re talking about the skill that prevents most HR mini dramas from turning into a full series: proper listening. Not the “uh huh” while you type kind. The kind where you hear what’s said, what’s not said, and what’s really going on underneath.

In this episode of Buzzing About HR, Kate runs through three mini dramas every small business will recognise, the Employment Rights Act 2025 angle, and the simple fixes that stop things escalating.

Mini drama one: “I thought you said I could.”

Flexible working, hours changes, pay promises, and working from home. Agreed casually, remembered differently. Fix: treat changes to hours, days or location as a proper flexible working request. Use a form, confirm the decision in writing, and keep an audit trail.

Mini drama two: “He got the holiday, I didn’t.”

Most of these aren’t discrimination. They’re messy processes. Fix: one tracker, quick decisions, a clear fairness method, and a reasonable no that stays about cover, not character.

Mini drama three: WhatsApp turns into a headline.

A post or comment spills into work, and suddenly the team feels tense. Fix: keep work chats work-focused, set respectful boundaries, and use your dignity at work approach if someone feels targeted or unsafe.

The thread across all three is the same: clear decisions, consistent processes, short notes, calm conversations. That’s what protects you, especially as expectations around reasonableness and consistency tighten under the Employment Rights Act 2025.

Want support and the templates to make this easy? That’s Cake, Coffee and Compliance. One hour a month, plain English updates, three actions, and manager scripts so you’re not winging it when the mini dramas land.

Subscribe, share with a manager who needs a reset, and leave a review telling us which mini drama you want next.

If you’re not 100% sure how your HR is really holding up, take our free HR Health Check. It’s short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what’s working — and what needs a bit of love.

And if you do it before 30th October 2026 you’ll get a bonus 7 Pillar Strategy-on-a-Page, tailored to help you manage HR brilliantly for the year ahead. That’s it for today, but if you fancy a bit of friendly HR advice in your inbox (with zero waffle), come and join our newsletter.

We send out bite-sized tips, plain-English updates, and handy things you’ll actually use — no spam, no fluff.

You can sign up here 

Making AI Work for Small Business
Secure AI for SMEs: streamline processes, cut costs, train teams to work smarter.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

If you're not sure how your HR is really holding up, take the free HR Health Check. It's short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what's working and what could do with a bit of love.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe so you never miss one, and leave a review if you've got thirty seconds. It honestly does help more small business owners find the show, and it's the cheapest good deed you'll do all week.

Got a question or need actual HR support? Find Kate at kateunderwoodhr.co.uk, email [email protected], or follow along on social.

Until next time, keep buzzing, and take care of your people.

If you have heard the words “Employment Rights Act 2025” and thought, “I’ll deal with that later,” you are not alone. Deadlines that sit a little further away feel manageable. Plenty of time. Nothing urgent. Until it is suddenly urgent and you are trying to untangle years of informal habits in the middle of an emotional people issue.

In this episode of Buzzing About HR, Kate breaks down what the Employment Rights Act 2025 really means for small businesses and why the biggest risk is not the legislation itself. It is what happens in the meantime. The corridor, yes. The kitchen table promise. The “go on then” message has no detail and no review date. The inconsistent manager decision made on a busy day does not match last week’s answer.

Those small moments turn into patterns. Patterns turn into expectations. Expectations turn into disputes.

We talk about how risk really builds in small teams. Informal promises. Inconsistency. Silence. Silence is where minor performance issues grow roots, behaviour gets excused instead of addressed, and resentment quietly brews until it lands as a grievance or a resignation.

The thread running through this episode is reasonableness. Not saying yes to everything. Not hiding behind “that’s just how we do it.” Reasonableness means decisions that fit your business, are applied consistently, and are explained clearly. You will hear what a reasonable no sounds like, why blanket refusals are risky, and the one consistency check that exposes hidden problems fast. If two people in the same role ask for the same thing, do they get the same answer, and can you explain why?

You will leave with a phased approach that does not take over your life. Habits first. Alignment next. Refinement later. Clear decisions in sentences. Yes decisions confirmed with review dates. Notes that protect you without becoming novels. Managers trained to respond, not react.

If you’re not 100% sure how your HR is really holding up, take our free HR Health Check. It’s short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what’s working — and what needs a bit of love.

And if you do it before 30th October 2026 you’ll get a bonus 7 Pillar Strategy-on-a-Page, tailored to help you manage HR brilliantly for the year ahead. That’s it for today, but if you fancy a bit of friendly HR advice in your inbox (with zero waffle), come and join our newsletter.

We send out bite-sized tips, plain-English updates, and handy things you’ll actually use — no spam, no fluff.

You can sign up here 

Making AI Work for Small Business
Secure AI for SMEs: streamline processes, cut costs, train teams to work smarter.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

If you're not sure how your HR is really holding up, take the free HR Health Check. It's short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what's working and what could do with a bit of love.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe so you never miss one, and leave a review if you've got thirty seconds. It honestly does help more small business owners find the show, and it's the cheapest good deed you'll do all week.

Got a question or need actual HR support? Find Kate at kateunderwoodhr.co.uk, email [email protected], or follow along on social.

Until next time, keep buzzing, and take care of your people.