by Claire Ward | Jul 15, 2025 | HR Data & Systems
With summer holidays in full swing, now’s a good time to ask: is managing time off still a headache in your business?
If you’re battling spreadsheets, chasing approvals, or trying to keep track of who’s off when, it’s worth knowing there’s a simpler way.
We partner with Breathe, a brilliant HR tool that makes managing holiday (and all things people-related) quick, easy, and paper-free. Here’s what it sorts for you:
✅ Save Time – Ditch the back-and-forth emails and automate requests, approvals, and reminders.
✅ Stay in Control – See who’s off, when, and spot resourcing gaps before they happen.
✅ Empower Your Team – Staff can check balances and book leave on the go via the app.
✅ Reduce Hassle – No more outdated spreadsheets or last-minute confusion.
✅ Protect Data – Secure records and smart reporting help you stay compliant and ahead.
💡Did you know? Breathe even prompts team members to book time off if they’ve not taken any in 10 weeks – a small thing that supports wellbeing and avoids burnout.
If you’re curious, we’d be happy to show you a 10-minute demo – or better yet, get you set up with a free trial so you can see how it fits your business.
Just drop me a note if you’d like to take a look.
Cheers
Claire
Founder, The HR Hub
by Jenny Stark | Nov 6, 2024 | HR Data & Systems, Uncategorized, Vision, Values & Culture
Think that you can’t afford an HR consultant?
Know that you could do with a helping hand with some issues that are bubbling away under the surface, but wondering whether you can really spare the budget?
Considering whether you’d be better off just hoping for the best and carrying on as you are?
We get you!
We know that it can be scary to make that leap and bring in some HR help. The reality here though is that we can often actually SAVE you a big chunk of money.
And that’s a no-brainer investment to make in your business.
Let’s have a look at just a few of the ways in which we could slash your costs…
We can keep you out of tribunals
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that because you’re a fair employer who tries to do your best by all your employees, that you’re not at risk of having to face a tribunal. This isn’t necessary true though.
Employment law is complicated, and if you miss something, you could find yourself with a potentially very costly situation on your hands. We can make sure that your people practices are on the right side of the law.
We can skyrocket the performance of your workforce
Imagine if you could double the output of your workforce overnight. Realistically, that’s probably not going to happen. But a good HR consultant can dive deep into your business, pinpoint the exact issues that are at play, and create a step-by-step plan to fix them.
This can absolutely skyrocket your productivity and make sure that your staff are firing on all cylinders. You might think that a big marketing budget, or some fancy social media tactics are what are going to give you the edge. But the real breakthrough happens when you look INSIDE your business, rather than outside.
We can educate your managers
We don’t just come into your business, work some temporary magic, and then leave. We can give your managers the skills to ensure that they’re playing an active role in driving your business forward. This means less of a learning curve, less mistakes, and more strides forward.
Your staff are the most important investment that you can make, so it makes sense to nurture that investment. If you know that your managers have room for improvement, then stop blaming, take responsibility, and talk to someone who can help you to get things moving in the right direction.
We can provide a flexible, pick-and-mix service
Maybe you’re not quite at the stage where you need full-time, permanent HR help. That’s exactly why we can assist you. We don’t tie you into ridiculously long contracts that you don’t need, and we can create a package that’s perfect for your needs.
No ongoing retainers that don’t serve you. No off-the-shelf guidance. Just what you really need to move forward and solve your problems, right now. Our aim is to make you a better employer, not tie you up with unnecessary bureaucracy.
We also have a dedicated Monthly Membership
It’s like having an HR Director in your pocket. For £140 a month (or just £1,512 with 10% off annual membership) you get:
– On-Demand Support: HR advice from TheHRhub’s CIPD qualified consultants on the phone or online to help guide you through any queries you have
– Bi-monthly check-in calls: get a strategic sounding board for your HR plans and initiatives
– Access to the exclusive HR Hub portal which includes an extensive library of customisable employment contracts, policies and letter templates
– Access a wealth of templates, policies and guides, including essential contract clauses and practical ‘How-To’ guides
– Expert webinars: boost your knowledge of people-related goals e.g leadership coaching, menopause, DE&I with our regular webinars
– Regular employment law updates: keeping you up to speed with HR & employment law, direct to your inbox
– No lengthy lock-ins: No lengthy commitments. After an initial six-month period, you can cancel anytime with just one month’s notice
– No Limits on Calls: Benefit from our Fair Use policy which allows unlimited advisory calls, with extra casework billed at a reduced rate of £80 per hour
Want to talk about how we can move forward together? Drop us a line via hello@thehrhub.co.uk or give us a call on 0203 951 1208.
If you don’t want to speak to anyone but would like to learn more, read my book The MAGIC of HR.
by Jenny Stark | Oct 21, 2024 | HR Data & Systems, Learning & Development, Wellbeing
Let’s face it: losing your star players can be a right pain in the (ahem! insert anatomical area) — costly, time-consuming and disruptive, especially when you’re trying to scale up. In fact, replacing an employee can cost an average of 33% of their salary, creating a not too insignificant financial impact on businesses. So how do you ensure your best people stick around as your company evolves?
Take care of them, and they’ll take care of you
It sounds obvious but you’d be surprised how many companies miss this one. Employees (but particularly ambitious employees!) join companies to grow their careers, not to partake in a charitable endeavour. So as a leader you really want to encourage a feeling of forward momentum from the get-go by sitting down with them and creating a personalised development plan that matches their career aspirations.
What KPIs do they need to achieve in a year’s time, in order to get promoted? How do they align with your business goals? Can you invest in a course or learning opportunities or online training programme for them to skill up, and therefore become more valuable to you? What mentoring can you offer them to broaden their skills and network within the company?
In other words, what you want is to create a win-win situation where they know exactly what to do to rise up the ranks internally, and you know what they’re doing to help propel your business forward.
The carrot is almost always better than the stick
The days are (thankfully) over when you had to go to the office five days a week, and if you arrived five minutes late you’d be told off. But this flexibility is also a gain to businesses because by prioritising your employees’ needs, you increase the chances of retaining them.
Do you offer flexible working arrangements, such as remote work options or flexible hours? Do you encourage employees to take their full holiday allowance and respect their time off? Consider implementing policies that discourage after-hours work emails or calls to help employees maintain a healthy separation between work and personal life. Lead with the carrot (not the stick), and they will value you more as a business they want to work for.
Check-in before they check-out
If I asked you to give me a list of your star players you probably could rattle off a few names quite easily. But if I asked you – when do you think they’ll leave your company, I bet you that would be harder to answer.
In my experience, it’s often the leaders who don’t do regular check-ins who are most surprised when their talent becomes a flight risk. Schedule frequent one-on-one chats between your Managers and your employees to discuss progress, challenges and goals. Don’t just ask for feedback—actually do something with it! Show your team that their opinions matter by taking action on their suggestions.
And if you’re worried your employees might feel uncomfortable, consider implementing an open-door policy or anonymous feedback channels to encourage honest communication. Regular town hall meetings or company-wide updates can also help keep everyone informed and feeling connected to the bigger picture. The worst thing that can happen is that a dissatisfied employee stays quiet, and then abruptly leaves, taking valuable knowledge and skills with them. Check in, before they check out.
In the wise words of Rihanna…
This one’s a no-brainer so I won’t spend too long on it but let’s face it – money talks. Conduct regular salary reviews to keep an eye on market trends and make sure your pay packages are competitive…no one wants to feel undervalued! Consider offering unique perks that align with your company culture and values, such as wellness programs, sabbaticals for long-term employees, or even equity in the company for key players.
And finally…don’t forget the bigger picture
Employees who feel connected to your company’s mission are far more likely to stick around. What’s the bigger picture – how is your company changing the world for the better in a way that isn’t simply monetary? Keep everyone in the loop about the company’s goals and how each person contributes to the bigger picture.
Where possible, involve your team in strategic discussions; giving them a sense of ownership makes them feel valued. Remember: CSR isn’t just a good thing to do, it also shows that as a company you’re caring about wider society, which will go a long way to earn your employee’s trust, and loyalty.
Need help increasing retention in your company? Drop us a line via hello@thehrhub.co.uk or give us a call on 0203 951 1208.
If you don’t want to speak to anyone but would like to learn more, read my book The MAGIC of HR.
by Jenny Stark | Oct 14, 2024 | HR Data & Systems, Learning & Development
It doesn’t take a business guru to tell you that if you want your company to thrive, you need to make sure your staff are firing on all cylinders. Of course, as is often the case when it comes to the tricky business of managing people, this can be much easier said than done.
If you want to achieve big things, you need clear and effective processes in place to help you to get there. Your line managers play a huge role in creating a productive and high-performing culture, and you need to ensure that you’re driving them in the right direction.
Create procedures that underpin your objectives
Your line managers can often only operate within the constraints that you provide them with. If you want them to excel in particular areas, you need to create a framework that allows them to do so. For this reason, it’s important that you consider what you already have in place that helps staff to reach their full potential.
Do you have a policy that outlines how often and in what format performance discussions should happen? Is there something in place that ensures the work is being carried out? Who ultimately chases things up to ensure that procedures are being followed? It’s not necessarily about ticking boxes, but you do need to create systems that encourage the day-to-day tasks to be carried out.
Give your managers the confidence and skills they need to have meaningful discussions
Unfortunately, making sure that performance discussions are taking place is only the first hurdle. It’s not so much about frequency, as it is about the quality of the conversations that are happening.
At the end of the day, talking about performance and addressing areas of concern can be daunting, even for the most experienced line managers. It’s important that you give them the opportunity to hone their skills, and to keep developing them on a regular basis. Consider how you can do this within your business. It may be the case that you need to roll out some training sessions, or perhaps you need to have your own one-to-one discussions with your management team so you can better understand how you can support them.
Encourage your managers to facilitate career development in their teams
Performance management isn’t just about fixing problems and making sure that the work gets done within a specified frame of time. It’s about looking ahead towards the future and ensuring that your business has the right kind of talent to drive operations forward and achieve growth.
The key takeaway here is that if your employees aren’t being given a chance to flourish, they’re likely to start looking elsewhere. Do you really want to lose your talented members of staff to your competitors? Be sure that your line managers are having open and honest conversations with their direct reports about where they see themselves in the next five years, and that information is taken seriously and considered when it comes to planning the direction of the business as a whole.
If line management capability is something that you want to improve, we can help. Drop us a line via hello@thehrhub.co.uk or give us a call on 0203 951 1208. If you don’t want to speak to anyone but would like to learn more, read my book The MAGIC of HR.
by Jenny Stark | Oct 9, 2024 | Employment Law, HR Data & Systems
It’s starting to turn colder now, the winter jackets are coming back out and the leaves are changing colour. But they’re not the only things changing this autumn, because the UK employment landscape is also going through significant transformation.
While September was relatively quiet on the legislative front (with only the notable cancellation of the previously anticipated Workers Act), October is set to usher in a wave of important changes that will reshape the relationship between employers and employees. So what are the main changes you should be aware of as an SME leader?
Day one right to claim unfair dismissal
The Labour government plans to make unfair dismissal a day one right, a major employment law reform that they intend to introduce within their first 100 days in government. Whether it goes ahead or not is uncertain, and details are actually scheduled to be shared later today when the Employment Rights Bill will be read.
Until then there’s a lot of guesswork about the details. That said, they’ll need to consult with ACAS, employment lawyers, trade unions and businesses (some of whom will resist the new mandate), so it’s unlikely to be enacted quickly.
Hands off the tips jar
It’s hard to believe that Managers would be so cruel as to take their employees’ tips at a cafe or restaurant and claim it as their own, but (*sigh*) there you go. A much welcomed mandate, The Tipping Act is coming into effect on October 1st, promising to bring fairness and transparency to the hospitality and service industries.
This groundbreaking legislation mandates that employers distribute 100% of tips and service charges to their workers, with only legally required deductions permitted. To ensure compliance and promote openness, businesses will need to implement written policies on tip allocation and maintain detailed records for three years. A win for waiters and service staff around the country.
Hands off…in a very different context
Later in the month on October 26th, the Worker Protection Act (an amendment of the Equality Act 2010) will take effect, introducing a new duty for employers to take proactive steps in preventing sexual harassment in the workplace.
This is a new mandate that protects employees and no doubt will create safer and more respectful work environments, with tribunals given the power to increase compensation by up to 25% for employers found in breach of this duty. As an SME leader this is particularly worth noting, as there’s no cap on these claims so the uplift could be material.
A failure to comply with this duty could also lead to an investigation and enforcement action by the EHRC (the Equality and Human Rights Commission), which of course nobody wants. Scary stuff! To avoid this, SME leaders should be proactive and preventative, anticipating scenarios where workers might be subject to unwanted conduct of a sexual nature during their work, and – this is the key – take steps to prevent something bad from happening.
The important thing is not to wait until there’s been an incident to take action. This isn’t just harassment of your workers by other staff but also by third parties – i.e. clients, customers, members of the public, etc.
Let’s pencil it in the calendar
Also anticipated in October is the revised Workers Predictable Terms and Conditions Act. This will give a statutory right to workers to request a more predictable working pattern where their working pattern is unpredictable (which includes those on a fixed-term contract for less than 12 months).
Another noteworthy change is around neonatal care. Soon employees will have a new day-one right to take up to 12 weeks of leave if a neonate (a child aged 28 days or younger) is admitted to hospital for a continuous period of seven days or more. These changes should come into effect in 2025.
A lot of these changes are for the better, and I’m excited about championing workers’ rights and introducing positive changes around neonatal care. That said, as a leader you really don’t want to find yourself caught on the wrong side of these mandates.
I’d always advise seeking professional guidance to fully understand how these changes may impact your specific situation, and being proactive about implementing these new changes into the workplace. Drop us a line via hello@thehrhub.co.uk or give us a call on 0203 951 1208.If you don’t want to speak to anyone but would like to learn more, read my book The MAGIC of HR.
by Jenny Stark | Sep 30, 2024 | Employee Engagement, HR Data & Systems, Reward, Vision, Values & Culture
It’s National Poetry Day today but don’t worry, I’ll spare you the cringe of reading one of my fabulous rhyming HR poems. Instead I thought I’d touch on a topic that affects both poetry and management in the workplace…the subtle art of balancing freedom and structure.
O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou employment contract?
There’s a myth that great poets sit at their desks, quill in hand, pouring mystical inspiration out onto the page by candlelight. But the truth is probably closer to a very boring but necessary routine, where they structure their work according to beginning, middle and end, with various set turning points in the narrative.
Think of all the famous poems across time that have very set structures: Sonnets (three quatrains and a couplet), Haikus (5-7-5 syllables), Villanelles (19 line poems), Sestinas (39 line poems), Limericks (AABBA rhyming schemes). In other words – the structure creates limitations, and it’s in the limitations that creativity can roam wild.
The same could be said about good leadership in the workplace. Too much structure and you become that loathed micromanager, checking and double checking that things are done, on the hour every hour. Too little structure and you’re the manager everyone knows they can get away with doing their own thing and missing deadlines due to a lack of negative consequence.
Structure provides clarity, direction and a sense of security for team members. It establishes clear expectations, roles and responsibilities, which helps reduce uncertainty and allows people to focus on their work. As HR Goldilocks once famously said, “not too strict, not too loose, but just right.” (Yes…that’s as close as you’re coming to getting an HR poem out of me!)
Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
The key of course is finding the right balance between these two elements. That will depend on your leadership style, your company’s culture and your goals. Some teams may require more structure, while others thrive with greater freedom. And even within teams, you’ll find that different personality types require different levels of hand-holding.
To achieve this balance, I recommend creating a framework that provides clear direction while allowing for flexibility. What are the non-negotiable deadlines and tasks you’d like your team to achieve? Set clear goals / objectives / OKRS, and milestones for reviewing and rewarding said performance.
Exactly what you decide to include at each stage will depend on the nature of your business…although (hint!) for most people, annual objectives are a tad too long to be relevant. With this guidance in place, employees can start making autonomous decisions that align with the company’s best interests.
Some people think that goal setting simply involves the member of staff being ‘talked at’, for half an hour. This should never be the case. Always ask individuals to share their thoughts on what they’d like to achieve over the next quarter, and what they think they need to focus on for the year on a personal level. You might unearth important information that you hadn’t previously thought about.
This above all: to thine own self be true
The key takeaway here is that, in the same way different poems need different types of structure to work, different people function differently…so work out where on the spectrum of independence vs management your key talent lies and let them flourish.
Be sure that your line managers are having open and honest conversations with their direct reports, and that information is taken seriously and considered when it comes to adopting the right style of leadership for each individual.
Need help creating leadership processes for your company? Drop us a line via hello@thehrhub.co.uk or give us a call on 0203 951 1208.
If you don’t want to speak to anyone but would like to learn more, read my book The MAGIC of HR.
