Office lottery syndicates and workplace prize draws: the HR paperwork you actually need
A guide for employers on running office lottery syndicates and workplace prize draws: the legality, the tax position, the insurance angle …
Every article published on solvedhr.co.uk, newest first — the 2025–26 HR Guides for small employers, followed by the original blog from 2015 to 2018 on recruitment, holiday pay, tribunal fees, GDPR and managing people. Use the categories in the sidebar to narrow the list.
Employment Rights Act: October 2026 Changes for Employers
What changes for UK employers in October 2026 under the Employment Rights Act 2025: tribunal time limits, harassment duties and key dates to …
Statutory Sick Pay From Day One: What Changed in 2026
Statutory sick pay now starts on the first day of sickness from 6 April 2026. Learn the rate, who qualifies, and what employers must do.
Contracts of employment: the written statement every worker must get on day one
Written statement requirements: what to include on day one, the difference between principal and wider statements, and common employer …
Employment law changes 2025–2026: a checklist for small employers
Employment law changes 2025–2026: statutory sick pay from day one, parental leave reforms, wage uplifts, and reduced dismissal qualifying …
Flexible working requests: what changed and how to respond
Flexible working requests: day-one right, eight statutory grounds for refusal, two-month decision window, and fair response procedures.
Handling a grievance: what employers must do
Handle employee grievances fairly: informal resolution to formal hearing and appeal, following the Acas Code of Practice.
Holiday entitlement and holiday pay: full-time, part-time and irregular hours
Holiday entitlement: 5.6 weeks for all workers, pro-rata for part-time, 12.07% accrual for irregular hours (from April 2024), and holiday …
How to write an employee handbook for a small business
Write an effective employee handbook: written statement requirements, contractual vs non-contractual policies, essential policies.
Making redundancies in a small business: the process, consultation and pay
Make redundancies fairly: consultation requirements, selection criteria, statutory redundancy pay calculation and timescales.
Managing sickness absence: triggers, return-to-work interviews and fit notes
Fit notes, return-to-work interviews, and SSP: managing sickness absence fairly, supporting long-term absence, and reasonable adjustments …
Outsourced HR or an in-house hire? How small businesses decide
When to hire an HR manager versus outsourcing: what triggers the decision, service models for small businesses, and what to look for in a …
Performance improvement plans: a fair process for underperformance
Performance improvement plans: capability vs conduct, informal support, PIP structure, objectives, support, timescale, review, and fair …
Probation periods: how to run them properly
Probation: contract terms, fair reviews, objectives, extending, and dismissal. From 1 January 2027, unfair dismissal protection begins after …
Right to work checks: how to do them and what it costs to get wrong
Right to work checks: manual checks, online share codes, digital verification, statutory excuse, follow-ups, and civil penalties up to …
Running a disciplinary procedure: a step-by-step guide for employers
Conduct a fair disciplinary procedure from investigation to hearing and appeal, following the Acas Code of Practice.
Settlement agreements: how they work and when to use one
Settlement agreements explained: legal requirements for binding agreements, conditions, tax exemptions, and typical terms.
Managing Long-Term Ill Health
Managing Long-Term Ill Health. Sickness and absence management is part and parcel of managing a team, but it can be particularly challenging …
What Constitutes a Redundancy?
What Constitutes a Redundancy? If a business is considering making staff redundant, it needs to be for specific reasons and has to follow …
10 Things SMEs Need to Know About GDPR
10 Things SMEs Need to Know About GDPR From 25th May this year, privacy laws are going to change with the introduction of the General Data …
Employee Retention Rates
Employee Retention Rates, There is no doubt that high turnover of staff can impact on any type of business. It can make providing a …
Hiring the Right People for your Team
Hiring the Right People for your Team. Smaller or family run businesses often find it challenging to recruit the right people. They often …
Mobile Phone Usage Policy
Mobile Phone Usage Policy. There are a variety of reasons why your company needs to develop a mobile phone usage policy....
Sexual Harassment In The Work Place
Sexual Harassment In The Work Place. Sexual harassment in the work place seems to have dominated the news and social media in recent …
Christmas Employee Rewards
Christmas Employee Rewards. With Christmas fast approaching, many businesses are looking at suitable ways to reward their employees...
The Impact of the removal of Employment Tribunal Fees
The Impact of the removal of Employment Tribunal Fees. A ruling through the Supreme Court this year stated that employment tribunal fees are …
Why You Need a Competency Framework
Why You Need a Competency Framework. A competency framework provides an outline for the clear assessment of your current abilities and...
The Importance of having a social media policy
The Importance of having a social media policy. An excellent tool for businesses but what happens if a disgruntled employee posts derogatory …
Employment Tribunal Fees Illegal
Employment Tribunal Fees Illegal. The Supreme Court which decided that Employment Tribunal Fees are unlawful and therefore should be …
How to Find the Right Employee
How to Find the Right Employee. When it comes to running a business, you are only ever going to be as successful as the people you employ...
GDPR and Your Business
GDPR and Your Business - On the 6th of March, the Information Commissioner explained how new legislation will protect consumers’ …
Flexible Working Applications
Flexible Working Applications. Flexible working seems to be causing some confusion among employers and employees alike...
Tips for Handling a Disciplinary
Tips for Handling a Disciplinary. Being the boss can be extremely rewarding, but as anything involving people does, is also has its …
Stress Awareness
Stress Awareness - Did you know that April was Stress awareness month? Don’t stress if you didn’t, it’s never too late to address the issue …
Retaining Existing Staff
Retaining Existing Staff - As many a business owner will tell you, it’s not enough to hire great people to work for you, you have to work to …
Summary of HR Changes from 6th of April
Summary of HR Changes from 6th of April - As with most years, this April sees several changes coming into effect that employers ...
The Apprenticeship Levy – what on earth is it?
The Apprenticeship Levy – what on earth is it? This April the Government introduces the Apprenticeship Levy which means there will be …
Stereotypes in the Workplace
Stereotypes in the Workplace. Stereotypes are basically assumptions we make about a person based on things such as appearance, gender, …
What is The Role of Unions in Todays Workforce?
What is The Role of Unions in Todays Workforce. The popularity of unions has diminished somewhat in the last 30 years across almost all …
The Cost of a Bad Recruitment Decision
The Cost of a Bad Recruitment Decision the average cost of recruiting the wrong person into a job role is £8,200 rising to £12,000...
15 CoWorker Habits we all Love to Hate
15 CoWorker Habits we all Love to Hate. Most of us spend more time with our work colleagues than we do with our families!
Fantastic Job Titles – What’s in a Name?
Fantastic Job Titles - What's in a name? we receive a high number of CV’s, every now again we get one with a job title that has us …
Confused by How to Calculate Holiday Pay?
Do you get headaches over how to calculate holiday pay for your employees as a result of recent and ongoing changes in legislation?
Using an outside HR Consultant may not be as expensive as not using one
Using an outside HR Consultant may not be as expensive as not using one. For smaller businesses choosing an HR resource can seem a daunting …
National Living Wage
National Living Wage. Not to be confused with either the National Minimum Wage - or the Living Wage. Read about the national living wage...
Recruiting Rare Talent
Recruiting Rare Talent. In this case study we look at how we brought one company the recruitment solution they had been unable to reach …
Preparing for Change Management
Preparing for Change Management. This can be anything from reducing staffing levels to a complete company restructure...
Growing your Team in 2016
So 2016 is the year to start growing your team, but it can seem a very daunting task. Having a great team forms the very core of your …
Criminalising Foreign Workers
Criminalising Foreign Workers In the wake of the crisis in Calais in October 2015 the government have been forced to take a long hard look …
Holiday pay should it include over time?
It seems apt to be discussing holiday pay as we all throw ourselves into the festivities. If you are fortunate to be in an industry that …
Redundancy or Settlement – Case Study
Redundancy or Settlement - The world of HR is a myriad and often troublesome place. Sometimes it takes some assistance to help iron out a …
solved hr joins others for charity walk up Scafell Pike
On Saturday 5th September solved hr joined Braunston Press, Cambells Daventry and two dogs in walking up Scafell Pike; the highest mountain …