It's All About People - 12th December 2024

READ TIME - 4 minute read

Welcome Back

This week’s It’s All About People is all about planning for 2025. This week I have delivered 2 separate webinars for business owners and HR professionals on exactly this.

So if you didn’t manage to get to either then this email is perfect for you, and will cover:

📋️ Get ready for law changes

💷 Budget for cost increases

👩‍🏫 Train managers for better performance management

💰️ Support your team’s financial wellbeing

😀 Retain your key staff

🗓️ Events coming up

At home the tree is up and the family tradition of having a display of Christmas characters in the fireplace - now we just have to stop Daisy Dog stealing them all and hiding them in her bed!

The team at Gateway HR have been super busy getting all our events scheduled for you all for 2025.

We now have all lunch and learns and HR Masterclasses booked in, and of course if you are a HR Hub member or Peace of Mind client you get to come to over £1000 worth of training for as part of your membership.

You can review the events and book your places here.

So…on to your 2025 HR to-do list, but before I do that…if you want a download of all our guidance for 2025 - you can have exactly that with our new Navigating 2025 Guidance here.

📋️ Get ready for law changes

If you have been subscribed to this email for a while, you will have seen lots of emails on all the law changes that have happened and are still due to happen.

Rather than go in to them all again in detail here, you can download our updated guide on this here.

Within this email are our key recommendations in terms of getting ready for the main changes to come - some of which you have all of 2025 and more to get ready for, but you need to start now.

Make sure you have made all the changes you needed to for the new sexual harassment laws that are now in effect, and employers are expected to show proactive prevention measures. Have you:

• Refreshed policies and communicated them to your team?

• Planned or scheduled training to ensure everyone is on the same page?

💡Remember we offer training for team member and managers in this area - and have been very busy delivering it for clients. You can also opt for our e-learning on this for only £29+VAT per place.

💷 Budget for cost increases

With the minimum wage rising in April, alongside potential increases in sick pay and other costs, it’s vital to revisit your budget. Think about:

• How these changes impact your pay structures and overall costs.

• Ensuring deductions (like uniforms or training costs) don’t push anyone below the minimum wage.

👨‍🏫 Train managers for better performance management
Your managers are key when it comes to ensuring expectations are clear and performance is managed effectively. This becomes even more important as unfair dismissal changes come into play.

👥 Focus on:

Managing probationary periods: Setting expectations early and ensuring probation reviews are meaningful.

Regular check-ins and feedback: So team members always know where they stand.

Training managers to handle conduct and performance issues proactively—reducing risks if dismissals become necessary.

💰️ Support your team’s financial wellbeing

With the continuing cost of living crisis, money worries can affect focus and morale, so consider introducing financial education for your team. From budgeting tips to retirement planning, giving people the tools to manage their finances shows you care about their wellbeing.

😀 Retain your key staff
In a competitive market, retaining top talent is more important than ever. Ask yourself:

• Are your benefits still competitive?

• Does your culture make your workplace somewhere people genuinely want to stay?

🔍 Take time to review what you offer and get feedback from your team. Small tweaks could make a big difference.

🚀 The bottom line? A little proactive planning now will set your business—and your team—up for success in 2025.

Until next time, have a great week.

Emma

P.S. If you are not a Hub member why not give it a try for FREE FOR A MONTH you can do that here.

P.P.S. If we have not connected on LinkedIn yet, I would love to connect

Events to Join in the coming weeks (click on the links to join us)

HR Clinic (free to all, come and ask your HR questions) - 17th December 12-1pm