Deb Rees is the HR Manager at LSN Diffusion, a manufacturing SME in South Wales. Over recent years, her team has halved sickness absence (6% → ~2–3.5%), cut turnover (33% → 7.5%), and strengthened trust and engagement - all without corporate bureaucracy.

In this first episode, Deb joins host Joe Perry to share a practical SME HR “playbook” you can use on Monday morning.

We discuss:

• Why SME HR can move faster - and where it’s uniquely hard [03:13]
• Examples of “small org speed”: shift patterns, medical support, hardship loans [03:50]
• The “family feel”: how proximity helps (and sometimes hurts) engagement [04:52]
• Absence management that works: cost analysis, policy, training, KPIs [08:07]
• Sustaining results: pay, bonuses, data culture, transparency [11:01]
• How absence links to conflict and why honesty + support beat punishment [13:54]
• Lifelong learning as a culture shift [16:31]
• Avoiding overwhelm: imperfect action, self-care, networks [21:39]
• Looking ahead: AI’s promise, EDI shifts, Employment Rights Act (2025) [26:58]

Chapters

• [00:30] Intro & why SMEs matter
• [03:33] The dynamics of SME HR
• [06:22] Managing absenteeism & wellbeing
• [09:38] Making policy & training stick
• [12:22] Professional development that changes culture
• [15:27] Networking, self-care, and focus
• [18:18] The future of HR
• [21:32] Wrap-up & key takeaways

Where to find Deb Rees:

• LinkedIn: Deborah Rees
• Website: LSN Diffusion

Referenced

• Keep Britain Working: Sir Charlie Mayfield
• CIPD: Health and Wellbeing Report 2025
• Daniel Barnett: Employment Law Resources

Recommended books

• Collective Employment Relations

Host: Joe Perry  

• LinkedIn: Joe Perry
• Newsletter: Across the Table
• Website: collaboratER.org

About the show
Across the Table is about the conversations that shape work - and the people who have them. Thoughtful, grounded talks about how work works.

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