2026 Is Coming: What You Need to Prepare For Now

READ TIME - 4 minute read

Last weekend I finally got our Christmas decorations up at home, seems strange to have done it on my own as we are now officially an empty nest, but also excited the Uni holidays start soon. However, the prize for the best Christmas tree for our team has to go to Maria for her spectacular pink themed tree.

In less than an hour, I’ll be delivering our Lunch & Learn session on How to Create Your People Plan for 2026 — a session that’s all about giving you clarity, simplicity, and a structure you can actually use (rather than yet another complicated framework to file away and never look at again!).

Whether you’re joining me today or not, I wanted to share some of the key themes here, because planning your people priorities for 2026 is more important than ever.

Why a People Plan Matters Even More for 2026

Between a very full Autumn Budget, the ongoing developments in the Employment Rights Bill, and the usual January flurry of business planning, many organisations will hit the new year with overflowing priority lists and not enough time or headspace to action any of it.

A People Plan cuts through the noise. It helps you:

• focus on what actually moves your organisation forward

• keep leaders aligned

• plan capacity, capability, and engagement

• get ahead of the workload created by upcoming legal changes

Today’s Lunch & Learn walks through a simple, practical method that attendees can use immediately, and of course a template document to use.

A Quick Word on What’s Coming in 2026…

The Employment Rights Bill is bringing some major reforms, and although many take effect from April 2026 onwards, the smart move is to start preparing early. Only last week was it confirmed Unfair Dismissal will be a right from 6 months (currently 2 years) and this may come in early 2026 (rather than 2027).

The biggest shifts include:

• Day-one rights for various types of parental and paternity leave

• New workplace protections

• More flexibility for family-friendly leave

• Wider changes taking shape around sick pay, menopause, and harassment prevention

And of course, the Budget has brought its own set of considerations for HR teams, finance leads, and business owners — meaning many of you will be juggling planning, budgeting, and legal changes all at once.

In other words… January is going to be busy.

Speaking of January… Join Our Budget Events

We’ll be running both in-person and online events in January. Practical, hands-on sessions designed to help you:

• translate the Budget and legal changes into real-world HR actions

• prioritise your 2026 people agenda

• leave with a clear, structured plan (not a list of worries!)

If you can make it in person, we’d love to see you there. There’s something special about starting the year surrounded by people who get the same challenges and are determined to get ahead of them.

Dates and booking links are below for you to use.

Until next week.

Best wishes,
Emma

P.S. Want to attend all next year’s events, including lunch and learns and HR Masterclasses (worth over £1000) for free? Become a Hub member and get your first month for free. HR Hub free for a month here.

P.P.S. All our events (lunch and learns, HR Masterclasses and HR Clinics) for 2026 are now planned and in the calendar. Take a look here and get booking your places. T

Events to Join in the coming weeks

🎥 Free Webinar- Managing Sickness Absence - — understanding the real costs, reducing absenteeism, and preparing for the 2026 changes.

🎥 Free Webinar- Managing Conflict - recognising conflict, understanding the causes and how to manage conflict when it occurs.

🎥 Free Webinar on The Value of Values - Coming later in December, click the link to join the list to be sent it as soon as it is released.

🎥 LinkedIn Live on Sexual Harassment Legislation and How to Be Complaint - Click on re-watch it.

🌟 Our Referral Program!

Do you know someone who would benefit from reading this weekly newsletter? Once a quarter we do a prize draw with all those who have referred this newsletter in with the chance of winning a £250 voucher! The more referrals you make, the higher your chances of winning – let’s spread the word and help even more people navigate HR with confidence. 💌🎁