In this episode 263 of the podcast I bring you my top tips for managing sickness absence.

In light of the recent change to statutory sick pay and the requirement to pay employees from day 1 of their absence these practical tips for really managing sickness absence with employees are going to be even more critical.

Managing employees who are absent can be difficult and in this episode I breakdown into some easy steps to follow.

In this episode of the podcast I cover:

• The critical point is to manage sickness absence!
• What the barriers are to effective management of absence.
• The importance of a clear reporting process.
• How and why you should maintain contact during absence.
• The exception when you should not make contact.
• The importance of self-certification forms.
• Return to work meetings and the format.
• What to do about frequent absence.
• Why it is important to get to the root cause of the absence.
• How effective management of absence will help you get to the root cause quicker!

Employers need to ensure managers are empowered and trained to deal with sickness absence issues at the earliest stage.

It is also important to create a culture where employees are happy to come to work and only take sickness absence when genuinely sick.

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to stay informed on the latest in UK employment law. If you have questions or need tailored advice, feel free to get in touch – we are here to help.

Would you like to arrange training for your team to reduce the risk of both unhappy employees and claims being made against you? Please get in touch for a no obligation discussion, we can offer training anywhere in the UK in person or delivered remotely via MS Teams.

Please drop me an email alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk

As part of our HR Harbour annual subscription service for employers we provide guidance and training for employers, supervisors and managers. If you would like to know more about the HR Harbour Service and how you can get unlimited support from as little as £234 per month please contact me for a no obligation discussion – alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or you can find full details here: HR Harbour

Don't forget you can contact us by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001, 020 3470 0007, 0191 375 9694 or 023 8098 2006

We have a variety of free documents and letters which are available to download here: DIY Documents

We are also on YouTube! You can find a range of topics and also listen to this podcast on YouTube here: YOUTUBE

Raising awareness of melanoma and skin cancer. You can find more information here: https://www.facebook.com/zoepanayilaw

The information contained in this Podcast and post is provided for guidance and is a snapshot of the law at the time. It is provided for your information only and should not be used as a substitute for obtaining legal advice that it specific to your particular circumstances.

The guidance should not be relied upon in any decision making process. It is strongly recommended that you seek advice before taking action.

In this episode 262 of the employment law and HR podcast, I bring you a rundown and reminder about employment contract terms and section 1 statements and the importance of getting it right.

• The difference between a contract and a section 1 statement.
• Why it is important for both employer and employee to issue a written statement of terms.
• The types of clauses in a contract, including terms implied by law.
• The minimum legal requirements to be set out in writing for employees as set out in Section 1 of the Employment Rights Act 1996.
• Changes to the law that took place in 2020 which many employers have failed to action.
• The legal requirement to issue a statement of terms from day 1 of employment.
• Best practice clauses to include.
• My recommendations about terms and why.
• Common problems we see with employment contracts.
• Changes and additions needed to employment terms as a result of the Employment Rights Act 2025

Employers need to take the time to review their employment contracts or section 1 statements to ensure they are compliant with the law as it stands and as it will be as the Employment Rights Act 2025 starts to be implemented.

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to stay informed on the latest in UK employment law. If you have questions or need tailored advice, feel free to get in touch – we are here to help.

Would you like to arrange training for your team to reduce the risk of both unhappy employees and claims being made against you? Please get in touch for a no obligation discussion, we can offer training anywhere in the UK in person or delivered remotely via MS Teams.

Please drop me an email alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk

As part of our HR Harbour annual subscription service for employers we provide guidance and training for employers, supervisors and managers. If you would like to know more about the HR Harbour Service and how you can get unlimited support from as little as £234 per month please contact me for a no obligation discussion – alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or you can find full details here: HR Harbour

Don't forget you can contact us by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001, 020 3470 0007, 0191 375 9694 or 023 8098 2006

We have a variety of free documents and letters which are available to download here: DIY Documents

We are also on YouTube! You can find a range of topics and also listen to this podcast on YouTube here: YOUTUBE

Raising awareness of melanoma and skin cancer. You can find more information here: https://www.facebook.com/zoepanayilaw

In this episode 261 of the employment law and HR podcast, I bring you all the details about the changes with the rules about payment of statutory sick pay which come into effect from the 6th April 2026.

• The current rules about the payment for employees who are off sick.
• The cost to employers of statutory sick pay (SSP).
• Why many employers will be unaware of the change and impact.
• The types of business or organisation that will be most impacted by the change.
• Why having robust systems in place for the management of sickness absence is more important than ever.
• Why qualifying days of employment are important.
• How much you have to pay if someone is absent for 1 or 2 days out of their working week.
• The weekly flat rate of SSP from 6th April 2026 will be £123.25.

Employers need to start taking action now to understand the additional cost and to factor this in to costs planning for the new financial year.

Employers also need to proactively manage short term sickness absence.

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to stay informed on the latest in UK employment law. If you have questions or need tailored advice, feel free to get in touch – we are here to help.

Would you like to arrange training for your team to reduce the risk of both unhappy employees and claims being made against you? Please get in touch for a no obligation discussion, we can offer training anywhere in the UK in person or delivered remotely via MS Teams.

Please drop me an email alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk

As part of our HR Harbour annual subscription service for employers we provide guidance and training for employers, supervisors and managers. If you would like to know more about the HR Harbour Service and how you can get unlimited support from as little as £234 per month please contact me for a no obligation discussion – alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or you can find full details here: HR Harbour

Don't forget you can contact us by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001, 020 3470 0007, 0191 375 9694 or 023 8098 2006

We have a variety of free documents and letters which are available to download here: DIY Documents

We are also on YouTube! You can find a range of topics and also listen to this podcast on YouTube here: YOUTUBE

Raising awareness of melanoma and skin cancer. You can find more information here: https://www.facebook.com/zoepanayilaw

In this episode 260 of the employment law and HR podcast, I bring you a run down of the new law coming in October 2026 which provides a legal duty on employers to prevent harassment of employees by third parties and provides for employer liability for the actions of third parties towards their employees.

• The background to third party harassment law including the case that started it all, the 'Bernard Manning' case.
• The law on harassment currently.
• What the new law says about third party harassment.
• When third party harassment may arise.
• What steps employers need to take.
• Why you need to take action now.
• Legal liability for employers.
• Why you need to start considering who your 'Finchy' from the Office is!

Employers need to start taking action now to assess and identify the risks of third party harassment.

In order to take the necessary steps and ensure everything is in place by October 2026 you need to act now.

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to stay informed on the latest in UK employment law. If you have questions or need tailored advice, feel free to get in touch – we are here to help.

Would you like to arrange training for your team to reduce the risk of both unhappy employees and claims being made against you? Please get in touch for a no obligation discussion, we can offer training anywhere in the UK in person or delivered remotely via MS Teams.

Please drop me an email alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk

As part of our HR Harbour annual subscription service for employers we provide guidance and training for employers, supervisors and managers. If you would like to know more about the HR Harbour Service and how you can get unlimited support from as little as £234 per month please contact me for a no obligation discussion – alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or you can find full details here: HR Harbour

Don't forget you can contact us by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001, 020 3470 0007, 0191 375 9694 or 023 8098 2006

We have a variety of free documents and letters which are available to download here: DIY Documents

We are also on YouTube! You can find a range of topics and also listen to this podcast on YouTube here: YOUTUBE

Raising awareness of melanoma and skin cancer. You can find more information here: https://www.facebook.com/zoepanayilaw

In this episode 259 of the employment law and HR podcast, we delve into some of the detail of the forthcoming changes under the Employment Rights Act 2025. In this episode I am covering the key changes taking place from April 2026.

• Changes to Paternity Leave
• Paternity Leave will become a day 1 right for all employees
• Statutory paternity pay will still have the qualifying period of 26 weeks
• Unpaid Parental Leave will become a day 1 right
• The requirement for all employers to keep holiday records for 6 years
• All employers need to keep records of annual leave entitlement and time taken off
• Employers also need to keep records of how much an employee is paid when they take holiday
• Why it is important to reconsider how you hold holiday records
• The new Fair Work Agency
• The risks to employers in terms of penalties and reputation if the Fair Work Agency intervene
• Changes to Statutory Sick Pay
• The impact on employers of the new SSP rules
• Why managers need to be aware and to tighten up the management of short term regular sickness absence
• Why it is important to start taking action now to get ready for the new law.

Employers need to start taking action now to educate and empower managers to proactively manage employees for success.

You need to review and update policies on Paternity Leave, Parental Leave and Statutory Sick Pay.

You also need to consider how you store your holiday records and how you are going to store them going forward.

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to stay informed on the latest in UK employment law. If you have questions or need tailored advice, feel free to get in touch – we are here to help.

Would you like to arrange training for your team to reduce the risk of both unhappy employees and claims being made against you? Please get in touch for a no obligation discussion, we can offer training anywhere in the UK in person or delivered remotely via MS Teams.

Please drop me an email alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk

As part of our HR Harbour annual subscription service for employers we provide guidance and training for employers, supervisors and managers. If you would like to know more about the HR Harbour Service and how you can get unlimited support from as little as £234 per month please contact me for a no obligation discussion – alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or you can find full details here: HR Harbour

Don't forget you can contact us by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001, 020 3470 0007, 0191 375 9694 or 023 8098 2006

We have a variety of free documents and letters which are available to download here: DIY Documents

We are also on YouTube! You can find a range of topics and also listen to this podcast on YouTube here: YOUTUBE

In this episode 258 of the employment law and HR podcast, we delve into some of the detail of the forthcoming changes under the Employment Rights Act 2025. In this episode I am covering the key changes in regards to unfair dismissal including an analysis of the impact and the practical steps employers need to take.

• Changes to the rules on who can claim unfair dismissal
• Why it is important to start taking action now to get ready for the new law.
• Why you need still consider probation periods and how you manage them. despite the fact that a mandatory probation period is no longer included in the Employment Rights Act 2025.
• Suggested contract changes to deal with the new unfair dismissal risks.
• Training for managers that is going to be critical.
• The importance of robust induction and onboarding processes.
• An emphasis on proactive management of performance, behaviour and conduct issues.
• The importance of honest conversations and expectation setting at the outset.

Employers need to start taking action now to educate and empower managers to proactively manage employees for success.

Gone are the days where managers can be vague on expectations of employees and fail to follow up when standards are not met and then dismiss an employee 'out of the blue' without due process.

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to stay informed on the latest in UK employment law. If you have questions or need tailored advice, feel free to get in touch – we are here to help.

Would you like to arrange training for your team to reduce the risk of both unhappy employees and claims being made against you? Please get in touch for a no obligation discussion, we can offer training anywhere in the UK in person or delivered remotely via MS Teams.

Please drop me an email alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk

As part of our HR Harbour annual subscription service for employers we provide guidance and training for employers, supervisors and managers. If you would like to know more about the HR Harbour Service and how you can get unlimited support from as little as £234 per month please contact me for a no obligation discussion – alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or you can find full details here: HR Harbour

Don't forget you can contact us by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001, 020 3470 0007, 0191 375 9694 or 023 8098 2006

We have a variety of free documents and letters which are available to download here: DIY Documents

We are also on YouTube! You can find a range of topics and also listen to this podcast on YouTube here: YOUTUBE

Raising awareness of melanoma and skin cancer. You can find more information here: https://www.facebook.com/zoepanayilaw

In this episode 257 of the employment law and HR podcast, as we reach the end of the year and the last podcast for 2025 I cover an update on the status of the Employment Rights Bill, the changes and what has been happening to delay the new law.

• The latest issue causing contention and subsequently delays in the parliamentary process.

• What the impact could be of a removal of the compensation cap for unfair dismissal claims.

• A rundown of the other changes to the Bill from the initial version published.

• What the key changes are and what employers need to be aware of.

• Why it is important to start taking action now to get ready for the new law.

There are going to be significant changes to employment rights for employees but those employers who are proactive, fair and have robust procedures and policies in place, coupled with management training will find that the risk of a claim does not increase. For employer who do nothing or think that it will not apply to them there is a significant increased risk of an employment tribunal claim.

You may also find the following helpful:

Employment Rights Bill 2024: Key information

Employment Rights Bill

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to stay informed on the latest in UK employment law. If you have questions or need tailored advice, feel free to get in touch – we are here to help.

Would you like to arrange training for your team to reduce the risk of both unhappy employees and claims being made against you? Please get in touch for a no obligation discussion, we can offer training anywhere in the UK in person or delivered remotely via MS Teams.

Please drop me an email alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk

As part of our HR Harbour annual subscription service for employers we provide guidance and training for employers, supervisors and managers. If you would like to know more about the HR Harbour Service and how you can get unlimited support from as little as £234 per month please contact me for a no obligation discussion – alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or you can find full details here: HR Harbour

Don't forget you can contact us by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001, 020 3470 0007, 0191 375 9694 or 023 8098 2006

We have a variety of free documents and letters which are available to download here: DIY Documents

We are also on YouTube! You can find a range of topics and also listen to this podcast on YouTube here: YOUTUBE

Raising awareness of melanoma and skin cancer. You can find more information here: https://www.facebook.com/zoepanayilaw

In this episode 256 of the employment law and HR podcast I cover an overview of Settlement Discussions and how you can use them to resolve difficult situations in the workplace.

• When settlement discussions can be used
• The difference between 'without prejudice' conversations and 'protected conversations'
• How to safely make an offer
• What to avoid to prevent claims
• Why the frequent use can be a problem
• Practical tips on how to deal with settlement discussions

Settlement discussions can be a useful tool but care needs to be taken about how you approach the discussion and when you decide to use an offer, and the frequency with which you use settlement discussions.

You may also find the following helpful:

https://realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk/podcast/when-are-settlement-discussions-protected/

https://realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk/2025/05/27/settlement-agreements-in-employment-what-uk-employers-and-employees-need-to-know/

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to stay informed on the latest in UK employment law. If you have questions or need tailored advice, feel free to get in touch – we are here to help.

Would you like to arrange training for your team to reduce the risk of both unhappy employees and claims being made against you? Please get in touch for a no obligation discussion, we can offer training anywhere in the UK in person or delivered remotely via MS Teams.

Please drop me an email alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk

As part of our HR Harbour annual subscription service for employers we provide guidance and training for employers, supervisors and managers. If you would like to know more about the HR Harbour Service and how you can get unlimited support from as little as £234 per month please contact me for a no obligation discussion – alison@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk or you can find full details here: HR Harbour

Don't forget you can contact us by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001, 020 3470 0007, 0191 375 9694 or 023 8098 2006

We have a variety of free documents and letters which are available to download here: DIY Documents

We are also on YouTube! You can find a range of topics and also listen to this podcast on YouTube here: YOUTUBE

Raising awareness of melanoma and skin cancer. You can find more information here: https://www.facebook.com/zoepanayilaw