Haylo HR Blog

The way employers manage disciplinary and grievance issues could soon be changing. ACAS has launched a consultation on a revised Code of Practice for disciplinary and grievance procedures, the first significant update in more than 15 years. While the consultation is ongoing, the proposed changes give a clear indication of the direction of travel for workplace relations: encouraging employers to resolve issues earlier, improve communication and place greater emphasis on fair,

A recent Court of Appeal decision is a useful reminder for employers to check whether training cost repayment clauses in employment contracts are fair, proportionate and enforceable. The key message is simple: if a clause goes further than necessary to protect a genuine business interest, a court may strike it out entirely. If you're asking yourself questions like "Can my employer recover training fees from me?" or "my employer wants to deduct training fees from me" or as an

Salary transparency could soon become a much bigger part of recruitment in Great Britain. The Government has launched a consultation on equal pay and pay discrimination reforms, including proposals that would require employers to: Publish pay information in job adverts or Where a role is not publicly advertised, provide it in writing before interview. The proposals form part of a wider review of the equal pay framework. The aim is to make pay rights easier to enforce, improve

Significant changes to unfair dismissal rights are on the horizon under the Employment Rights Act 2025, and employers should already be reviewing their recruitment, probation, performance management and dismissal practices to prepare. What Is Changing? From 1 January 2027, employees will gain protection from unfair dismissal after six months of service, replacing the current two-year qualifying period. Importantly, the changes have a retrospective effect. Employees hired on o

Football has a funny way of bringing people together... and sometimes stirring up a little controversy too. This week, Scotland's qualification for the 2026 World Cup has become the talk of the UK after reports emerged that Scottish fans could be getting a special bank holiday to celebrate the occasion. For Scotland supporters, it's a huge moment. The national team hasn't appeared at a World Cup since 1998, meaning an entire generation of fans has never experienced seeing Sco

What UK Employers Need to Know About the EU Pay Transparency Directive The EU Pay Transparency Directive is one of the biggest shifts in employment and reward practices in recent years — and while the UK is no longer part of the EU, many UK employers will still be affected. For organisations with employees, operations, or recruitment activity in the EU, the Directive introduces significant new obligations around pay transparency, gender pay reporting, and equal pay accountabi

Turning Awareness into Action: How HR and Managers Can Make It Happen Mental Health Foundation’s Mental Health Awareness Week theme of Action is a timely reminder of something many workplaces struggle with: We talk about mental health. We share resources. We raise awareness. But do people actually do anything differently? Working in HR, management or any position really can often feel lonely and with a lot of people working from home, its extremely common for mental health

The UK workplace is undergoing one of its biggest transformations in decades. At the centre of this shift is the Fair Work Agency (FWA), a new government body created under the Employment Rights Act 2025. Launched in April 2026, the agency aims to simplify and strengthen how workers’ rights are enforced across the country. But what exactly will it do, and how will it affect both employees and employers? What Is the Fair Work Agency? The Fair Work Agency is essentially a singl

The Employment Rights Act 2025 (ERA) represents one of the most significant overhauls of UK employment law in recent decades. However, the Act itself does not come into force all at once, giving businesses and employees time to understand it in more detail and adjust. Instead, its provisions are introduced in stages through secondary legislation, such as the ERA (Commencement No.2 and Transitional and Saving Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 . This blog explains what

The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces the most significant reform to the UK’s statutory sick pay system in decades. From 6 April 2026 , the way businesses manage sickness absence and statutory sick pay (SSP) will change fundamentally. For many employers, these reforms will require updates to contracts, sick pay policies, payroll systems and absence management procedures . This article explains the key changes and outlines practical steps businesses should take to ensure

The Employment Rights Act 2025 marks one of the biggest changes to UK employment law in decades. In our latest Haylo HR video series, we break down what the Act really means for employers, not in legal jargon, but in practical, real-world terms. Across both videos, one message is clear: UK businesses will need to rethink how they manage contracts, working hours, dismissals and employee relations over the next few years . Here ’ s a single, simple summary of the key points. A

It's International Stress Awareness week, and whilst stress can impact individuals at work all year round, this week shines a light on the growing impact of stress in the workplace and serves as a timely reminder that employee wellbeing is not a “nice to have", it’s a business essential. According to recent HSE data, over 17 million working days are lost each year due to stress, anxiety and depression. Behind those statistics are people trying to balance workloads, adapt to

Today’s workplace is more age-diverse than ever before. For the first time in modern history, up to five generations are working side by side, from apprentices entering their first role to seasoned leaders with decades of institutional knowledge. But with that diversity comes both opportunity and friction. How do we move beyond stereotypes like “Gen Z are lazy” or “Boomers can’t adapt to change” and instead build teams that thrive across generations? To unpack this, I sat dow

Every October the UK celebrates Black History Month in all its glory, with events, discussions and different ways to raise awareness. This month serves not only as a time to reflect on the past but also as an opportunity to celebrate the contributions, achievements, and histories of Black individuals across the UK. This blog covers a bit about my family history, but even more about what Black History Month means to the masses. Why I'm so proud of my parents I'm so proud of

Reimagining the Psychological Contract: Why Purpose, Flexibility, and Values Now Drive Employee Engagement The traditional psychological...

In today's dynamic work environment, technology continues to shape the landscape, and nowhere is this more evident than in Human...

Our recent a heartfelt podcast conversation sees Trish Hewitt sit down with the vibrant Vicky Campbell to uncover insights about...

The government have recently published a provisional timetable, or roadmap, showing when we are likely to see the changes from the...

The UK government has introduced the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023, set to take effect on 6 April 2025. Representing a...

We got our first view of the Employment Rights Bill back in October 2024, but we've recently seen an ammedment to the originally proposed...

The Autumn budget has been published, and there's a few things from an HR perspective that it's useful for people and business to know....

The Employment Rights Bill represents some of the biggest changes we've seen in Employment Law for quite some time. Introduced to...

The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 comes into force in October 2024 and places new duties and...

The UK Election is almost upon us, so here's a round up of how employment law could change under any of the new parties, and the existing...