The Employment Law & HR Podcast

In this episode 260 of the employment law and HR podcast, I bring you a run down of the new law coming in October 2026 which provides a legal duty on employers to prevent harassment of employees by third parties and provides for employer liability for the actions of third parties towards their employees.
In this episode we cover:
The background to third party harassment law including the case that started it all, the 'Bernard Manning' case.
The law on harassment currently.
What the new law says about third party harassment.
When third party harassment may arise.
What steps employers need to take.
Why you need to take action now.
Legal liability for employers.
Why you need to start considering who your 'Finchy' from the Office is!
Key takeaway:
Employers need to start taking action now to assess and identify the risks of third party harassment. 
In order to take the necessary steps and ensure everything is in place by October 2026 you need to act now. 
Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to stay informed on the latest in UK employment law. If you have questions or need tailored advice, feel free to get in touch – we are here to help.
Training for your Team
Would you like to arrange training for your team to reduce the risk of both unhappy employees and claims being made against you? Please get in touch for a no obligation discussion, we can offer training anywhere in the UK in person or delivered remotely via MS Teams.
Please drop me an email [email protected]
Fixed Price Advice from Real Experts
As part of our HR Harbour annual subscription service for employers we provide guidance and training for employers, supervisors and managers. If you would like to know more about the HR Harbour Service and how you can get unlimited support from as little as £234 per month please contact me for a no obligation discussion – [email protected] or you can find full details here: HR Harbour
Don't forget you can contact us by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001, 020 3470 0007, 0191 375 9694 or 023 8098 2006
We have a variety of free documents and letters which are available to download here: DIY Documents
We are also on YouTube! You can find a range of topics and also listen to this podcast on YouTube here: YOUTUBE
Zoes Law
Raising awareness of melanoma and skin cancer. You can find more information here: https://www.facebook.com/zoepanayilaw

In this episode 259 of the employment law and HR podcast, we delve into some of the detail of the forthcoming changes under the Employment Rights Act 2025. In this episode I am covering the key changes taking place from April 2026.

In this episode we cover:


Changes to Paternity Leave
Paternity Leave will become a day 1 right for all employees
Statutory paternity pay will still have the qualifying period of 26 weeks
Unpaid Parental Leave will become a day 1 right
The requirement for all employers to keep holiday records for 6 years
All employers need to keep records of annual leave entitlement and time taken off
Employers also need to keep records of how much an employee is paid when they take holiday
Why it is important to reconsider how you hold holiday records
The new Fair Work Agency
The risks to employers in terms of penalties and reputation if the Fair Work Agency intervene
Changes to Statutory Sick Pay
The impact on employers of the new SSP rules
Why managers need to be aware and to tighten up the management of short term regular sickness absence
Why it is important to start taking action now to get ready for the new law.
Key takeaway:





Employers need to start taking action now to educate and empower managers to proactively manage employees for success. 


You need to review and update policies on Paternity Leave, Parental Leave and Statutory Sick Pay. 
You also need to consider how you store your holiday records and how you are going to store them going forward. 










Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to stay informed on the latest in UK employment law. If you have questions or need tailored advice, feel free to get in touch – we are here to help.
Training for your Team





Would you like to arrange training for your team to reduce the risk of both unhappy employees and claims being made against you? Please get in touch for a no obligation discussion, we can offer training anywhere in the UK in person or delivered remotely via MS Teams.





Please drop me an email [email protected]
Fixed Price Advice from Real Experts





As part of our HR Harbour annual subscription service for employers we provide guidance and training for employers, supervisors and managers. If you would like to know more about the HR Harbour Service and how you can get unlimited support from as little as £234 per month please contact me for a no obligation discussion – [email protected] or you can find full details here: HR Harbour





Don't forget you can contact us by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001, 020 3470 0007, 0191 375 9694 or 023 8098 2006





We have a variety of free documents and letters which are available to download here: DIY Documents





We are also on YouTube! You can find a range of topics and also listen to this podcast on YouTube here: YOUTUBE

In this episode 258 of the employment law and HR podcast, we delve into some of the detail of the forthcoming changes under the Employment Rights Act 2025. In this episode I am covering the key changes in regards to unfair dismissal including an analysis of the impact and the practical steps employers need to take.
 
 
In this episode we cover:
 
 
Changes to the rules on who can claim unfair dismissal
Why it is important to start taking action now to get ready for the new law.
Why you need still consider probation periods and how you manage them. despite the fact that a mandatory probation period is no longer included in the Employment Rights Act 2025.
Suggested contract changes to deal with the new unfair dismissal risks. 
Training for managers that is going to be critical. 
The importance of robust induction and onboarding processes. 
An emphasis on proactive management of performance, behaviour and conduct issues. 
The importance of honest conversations and expectation setting at the outset.
 
 
Key takeaway:
 
Employers need to start taking action now to educate and empower managers to proactively manage employees for success. 
Gone are the days where managers can be vague on expectations of employees and fail to follow up when standards are not met and then dismiss an employee 'out of the blue' without due process. 
 
Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to stay informed on the latest in UK employment law. If you have questions or need tailored advice, feel free to get in touch – we are here to help.
 
 
 
Training for your Team
 
Would you like to arrange training for your team to reduce the risk of both unhappy employees and claims being made against you? Please get in touch for a no obligation discussion, we can offer training anywhere in the UK in person or delivered remotely via MS Teams.
 
Please drop me an email [email protected]
 
 
 
Fixed Price Advice from Real Experts
 
As part of our HR Harbour annual subscription service for employers we provide guidance and training for employers, supervisors and managers. If you would like to know more about the HR Harbour Service and how you can get unlimited support from as little as £234 per month please contact me for a no obligation discussion – [email protected] or you can find full details here: HR Harbour
 
Don't forget you can contact us by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001, 020 3470 0007, 0191 375 9694 or 023 8098 2006
 
We have a variety of free documents and letters which are available to download here: DIY Documents
 
We are also on YouTube! You can find a range of topics and also listen to this podcast on YouTube here: YOUTUBE
 
 
Zoes Law
 
Raising awareness of melanoma and skin cancer. You can find more information here: https://www.facebook.com/zoepanayilaw

What is the status of the changes under the new law?
 
In this episode 257 of the employment law and HR podcast, as we reach the end of the year and the last podcast for 2025 I cover an update on the status of the Employment Rights Bill, the changes and what has been happening to delay the new law.
 
In this episode we cover:
 
The latest issue causing contention and subsequently delays in the parliamentary process.
 
What the impact could be of a removal of the compensation cap for unfair dismissal claims.
 
A rundown of the other changes to the Bill from the initial version published.
 
What the key changes are and what employers need to be aware of.
 
Why it is important to start taking action now to get ready for the new law.
 
Key takeaway:
There are going to be significant changes to employment rights for employees but those employers who are proactive, fair and have robust procedures and policies in place, coupled with management training will find that the risk of a claim does not increase. For employer who do nothing or think that it will not apply to them there is a significant increased risk of an employment tribunal claim.
 
You may also find the following helpful:
Employment Rights Bill 2024: Key information
 
Employment Rights Bill
 
Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to stay informed on the latest in UK employment law. If you have questions or need tailored advice, feel free to get in touch – we are here to help.
 
Training for your Team
 
Would you like to arrange training for your team to reduce the risk of both unhappy employees and claims being made against you? Please get in touch for a no obligation discussion, we can offer training anywhere in the UK in person or delivered remotely via MS Teams.
 
Please drop me an email [email protected]
 
 
Fixed Price Advice from Real Experts
 
As part of our HR Harbour annual subscription service for employers we provide guidance and training for employers, supervisors and managers. If you would like to know more about the HR Harbour Service and how you can get unlimited support from as little as £234 per month please contact me for a no obligation discussion – [email protected] or you can find full details here: HR Harbour
 
Don't forget you can contact us by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001, 020 3470 0007, 0191 375 9694 or 023 8098 2006
 
We have a variety of free documents and letters which are available to download here: DIY Documents
 
We are also on YouTube! You can find a range of topics and also listen to this podcast on YouTube here: YOUTUBE
 
 
 
Zoes Law
 
Raising awareness of melanoma and skin cancer. You can find more information here: https://www.facebook.com/zoepanayilaw

An effective tool to resolve disputes
In this episode 256 of the employment law and HR podcast I cover an overview of Settlement Discussions and how you can use them to resolve difficult situations in the workplace.
 
In this episode we cover:
When settlement discussions can be used
The difference between 'without prejudice' conversations and 'protected conversations'
How to safely make an offer
What to avoid to prevent claims
Why the frequent use can be a problem
Practical tips on how to deal with settlement discussions
 
Key takeaway:
Settlement discussions can be a useful tool but care needs to be taken about how you approach the discussion and when you decide to use an offer, and the frequency with which you use settlement discussions.
 
 
You may also find the following helpful:
https://realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk/podcast/when-are-settlement-discussions-protected/
https://realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk/2025/05/27/settlement-agreements-in-employment-what-uk-employers-and-employees-need-to-know/
 
Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to stay informed on the latest in UK employment law. If you have questions or need tailored advice, feel free to get in touch – we are here to help.
Training for your Team
Would you like to arrange training for your team to reduce the risk of both unhappy employees and claims being made against you? Please get in touch for a no obligation discussion, we can offer training anywhere in the UK in person or delivered remotely via MS Teams.
Please drop me an email [email protected]
Fixed Price Advice from Real Experts

As part of our HR Harbour annual subscription service for employers we provide guidance and training for employers, supervisors and managers. If you would like to know more about the HR Harbour Service and how you can get unlimited support from as little as £234 per month please contact me for a no obligation discussion – [email protected] or you can find full details here: HR Harbour
Don't forget you can contact us by telephone 01983 897003, 01722 653001, 020 3470 0007, 0191 375 9694 or 023 8098 2006
We have a variety of free documents and letters which are available to download here: DIY Documents
We are also on YouTube! You can find a range of topics and also listen to this podcast on YouTube here: YOUTUBE
 
Zoes Law
Raising awareness of melanoma and skin cancer. You can find more information here: https://www.facebook.com/zoepanayilaw