It's All About People - 10th July 2025

READ TIME - 4 minute read

🆕 The Employment Rights Bill – Just Announced
The government unveiled the long-awaited Employment Rights Bill last week, and as you'd expect, we're already busy creating our no-nonsense guide. As with all our guides this will help you understand what’s changing and what you actually need to doin areas including:

• Sick pay from day one

• Unfair dismissal rights from day one

• Stronger protections for casual and zero-hours workers

👉 Click here to be the first to receive the guide the moment it’s ready.

Now on to this week’s topic…

One of the hardest parts of being a manager is knowing where the line is.

We often hear things like:

“I want to support them, but I’m not sure what I’m allowed to say.”
“Is this a HR thing or can I just deal with it?”
“Do we actually have a policy on this?”

Here’s the truth: most managers aren’t trying to break the rules. They’re trying to do the right thing — they just don’t always know what the rulebook says.

And to be fair, the rulebook isn’t always that helpful. There’s the law (must do), the policy (should do), the custom (we’ve always done it this way), and the culture (what we really do).

So when you throw in a grey area — like flexible working, lateness, or how someone speaks to a colleague — managers are left trying to navigate it all with good intentions and crossed fingers.

That’s why one of the best things you can do as an HR team, business owner, or senior leader is make sure your managers:

• Know where to find the relevant policy

• Understand what’s a legal requirement vs organisational choice

• Feel confident asking questions without fear of looking daft

Because confident managers = consistent decisions = fewer headaches down the line.

Until next week…

Best wishes,
Emma

P.S.
We’ve got a brand new CMI-accredited e-learning course launching on 14th July for anyone who wants to build confidence as a manager. No waffle, no lectures — just real, practical development. Claim the early bird offer using code EARLY here.

P.P.S. All our resources in the HR Hub are a huge help to managers. Why not try the HR Hub free for a month here.

Events to Join in the coming weeks

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

🌟 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. 💌🎁 CONGRATULATIONS TO JENN W WHO WON THE VOUCHER THIS QUARTER.