In light of the recent BAFTAs incident, organisations should be looking closely at how they approach duty of care – especially when non-visible disabilities are involved. The incident, involving an involuntary tic linked to Tourette syndrome (coprolalia), resulted in racist language being broadcast nationwide. It has triggered significant controversy. Not only has it caused understandable outrage and hurt within the Black community, it has also fuelled harmful misunderstandings about Tourette syndrome and coprolalia specifically, with some public responses showing a lack of awareness about what…
In February, LGBTQ+ History Month gives us opportunity to reflect on the history of LGBTQIA+ rights in the UK, and how they have shaped our culture. This year's theme is on Section 28: a controversial law introduced in 1988 which banned local authorities from "promoting" or publishing anything about homosexuality. Poppy, Community Engagement & Impact Manager at our sister company Zellis, and a member of our LGBTQIA+ network Moore Visibility, speaks candidly on its impact on the queer community. Researching Section 28 Section 28 is…
… Well not really! Following a couple of months of parliamentary ping-pong (where a Bill bounces back and forth between the Commons and the Lords), the Government ultimately shifted its position. It accepted pressure from the House of Lords that ordinary unfair dismissal claims need at least six months’ employment. With that hurdle jumped, the Employment Rights Act became law and is now in phased implementation. Today, I’m looking solely at the hidden impact of ordinary unfair dismissal after six months’ employment. But don’t forget…
“Loneliness at work? Surely not!” I hear you say… Well, even though many companies are all hustle and bustle, on the phones all day, even on the checkout counters in supermarkets, there are many places where an employee would work alone every day or night. A trial is currently taking place in Sweden whereby an employee who works on their own and often feels lonely at work is being paid for what they call ‘the friend-care project’ where workers can take anything from 15 minutes…
Ramadan is a significant month in Islam, where Muslims across the globe fast from sunrise to sunset for 29 or 30 days. At the end of Ramadan, comes the first of the two Holy Celebrations for Muslims: Eid al-Fitr. In this article, we look at workplace issues which may arise for both Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr. Fasting in Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. The month of Ramadan is a period of introspection, communal prayer in the mosque, and reading of the…
There’s a lot of noise around the Employment Rights Act at the moment (and for good reason), but one major change that seems to be getting lost in all that noise is the introduction of the Fair Work Agency. It’s not always the big headline item, but it’s one that’s going to have a real impact on what you do day-to-day, especially around pay, holiday and the records you keep. The Fair Work Agency (FWA) is a new enforcement body being introduced as part of…
The latest TUC and HSE statistics point to work-related stress becoming a bigger workplace hazard, putting clearer numbers behind what many businesses are already managing day to day. According to the TUC’s latest survey of more than 2,700 union safety representatives, 79% said stress is a major workplace hazard. That’s higher than slips, trips and falls or manual handling. The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) data backs this up, reporting that nearly one million workers are affected by work-related stress, anxiety or depression, with over…
Last year, the noise around equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) within UK workplaces grew louder, and more polarised. Donald Trump during his presidency has decried diversity programmes, calling them discriminatory and claiming that they drive down performance (without evidence). This caused some large US employers such as Amazon, McDonald’s and Meta to roll back their EDI programmes, bowing down to the presidents’ rhetoric. As a result, some UK employers have followed suit. Freeths reported that 28% of UK businesses have scaled back or completely dropped…
As the saying goes, ‘new year, new you’. Yes, we know it’s a phrase that usually belongs in a January gym advert or alongside a soon-to-be-abandoned New Year’s resolution. But for HR and payroll, 2026 really will mark a new beginning. This year, some of the biggest changes we’ve seen in decades are expected to land as the Employment Rights Bill takes shape, raising expectations around fairness and transparency. Add to that the recent Budget’s impact on pay, tax and employment costs, it’s fair to…
We’re all familiar with the phrase “three strikes and you’re out”. Most know its sporting origins in baseball. Some may associate it with Bill Clinton’s 1994 legislation mandating life imprisonment for those committing three serious, violent, offences. It’s colloquially used in employment – often around lateness and attendance. With the Worker Protection Act now 12 months’ old, we need to be clear about one thing. You don’t clock up three strikes with sexual harassment. One is all it takes. However, harassment often generates (at least)…
