Think your festive spirit is harmless fun? A tribunal might think differently… 👀

​Our HR consultancy shares the do’s and don’ts of workplace Christmas behaviour - from homemade mulled wine to karaoke chaos and questionable Secret Santa gifts. Grab your headphones (and maybe your policy handbook). 🎁🎅

Make sure you’re ready when the Christmas fallout hits. Our HR software includes a Disciplinary Decider to guide you through tricky situations - and when things escalate, our award-winning lawyers are on hand to help with the clean-up. https://bit.ly/4hqTEpA

We’re rated Excellent on Trustpilot. ⭐

Sign up for our webcast, Handling the Xmas Party Fallout, here: https://bit.ly/4ikjDzv

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HR: ER is the emergency room for business owners, HR professionals and anyone else who is responsible for managing or employing a team of people.

Hosted by Hroes founder Elissa Thursfield, with 15 years of first-hand lawyer and consulting experience and software service specialist Oliver Robinson they provide you with a generous dose of insights and practical advice.

From hiring nightmares to compliance chaos, the unexpected to the downright disastrous "HR: ER" pulls back the curtain on events that have unfolded in workplaces around the world, the challenges HR professionals face daily the juicy details of HR missteps, legal blunders, and workplace fiascos.

Sharing real stories that will make you gasp, laugh, and maybe even nod your head in sympathetic understanding, and bringing in industry experts, seasoned HR professionals, and legal minds alike.

So whether you're an HR professional looking to enhance your skills, a business leader aiming to create a resilient workplace, or just wanting to hear workplace drama, this podcast is for you.

"HR: ER” is a judgment-free zone where we share stories, offer solutions, and build a community dedicated to improving the world of work.

Join Us: Subscribe now to "HR: ER" and send us your questions to HRER@hroes.co.uk to become part of the conversation. Learn how to treat your HR, so your workplace can be disaster-free.

If you’re a fan of the show, please leave us a 5-star review kinda thing?

https://lovethepodcast.com/hr-er

We're one of the top 20 UK HR Podcasts - https://podcasts.feedspot.com/uk_hr_podcasts/

Dave has been nodding off at his desk for up to 90 minutes a day… for years. 😬
His manager knows, but no one’s taken action.

So - is it a health issue or a performance issue? Should HR make reasonable adjustments… or start a disciplinary process? And what happens when managers ignore repeated performance problems?

🎧 Listen now - and find out how to wake up your workplace.

Handle performance management the right way with our HR software - featuring a full suite of performance tools, disciplinary processes, and legal guidance to keep your business out of tribunal, from just £2pp. Our top-rated employment lawyers are always on hand for extra support.

https://bit.ly/4hqTEpA

Two maternity leaves. One restructure. Endless risk. So, what should HR do? Our HR consultancy dives into this workplace emergency.

🤰 What protection do pregnant employees really have?

⚖️ Can you pre-allocate roles before consultation ends?

💰 What’s the true cost - legally and culturally - of getting this wrong?

Maternity discrimination can cost £100k+ per case. Build a clear redundancy policy fast with our HR software, including policy generator and redundancy calculators - from £1PP. Get expert legal advice from £6PP when you need it.

https://bit.ly/4hqTEpA

#HRPodcast #MaternityRights #MaternityDiscrimination #Redundancy #HRER

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What do you do when a new hire never actually returns to work… but every absence comes with another heartbreaking reason?

In this episode of HR:ER, our HR consultancy tackles one of the toughest dilemmas small businesses face: chronic absenteeism with limited legal resources.

When does support turn into formal action?

How can you verify absences ethically?

What protections should employers understand when mental health is involved?

Tackle absenteeism before it starts with our Bradford Scoring tool - at the heart of our HR software. It flags risks early, tracks attendance, and streamlines welfare meetings. Get it free today when you purchase any of our e-learning products!

https://hroes.co.uk/

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Too often, HR gets left out of the room when the big financial and strategic decisions are being made. But what if HR was seen as a growth driver - not just a support function?

On this episode of HR:ER, we're joined by Bernard Savage, Director at Size 10½ Boots, to dissect:

- Why HR is still sidelined in business planning

- How leaders can reframe HR as commercially strategic

- How professionals can progress and earn a seat at the table

Follow Size 10½ Boots: https://tenandahalf.co.uk/

Get our software free - including automated Right to Work checks, a grievance module, a disciplinary decider, and custom policies - when you purchase our e-learning.

#Podcast #HRLeadership #BusinessStrategy #CareerProgression #HRER

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HR leaders are under more pressure than ever: deliver better employee benefits, but do it with tighter budgets.

So how do you create benefits packages that actually work - for a hybrid, multigenerational workforce
- without overspending?

That’s exactly what we unpack in our latest podcast with Dipa Mistry Kandola - CEO at Parallel Employee Benefits, Advisor, Chartered Director, and SaaS scale-up expert.

In this HR:ER episode:
✅ What a truly customisable benefits programme looks like in practice.
💰 How expectations have shifted in the last 5 years - and how to keep up cost-effectively.
💡 Where HR should start when building a benefits strategy.

Follow Parallel Employee Benefits: https://www.parallel-eb.co.uk/

Get our software free - including automated Right to Work checks, a grievance module, a disciplinary decider, and custom policies - when you purchase our e-learning.

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HR Professionals, take note! When an employee hands in a sick note citing “work-related stress”… what happens next could make or break your legal risk.

On the latest episode of HR:ER, we sit down with Simon Anderson - barrister at Park Square Barristers and serial winner in complex workplace harm cases.

What we unpack:

⚖️ How often stress leave turns into tribunals - and why.

🚩 Legal red flags HR should never ignore in a stress-related sick note.

🤯 The big mistake employers make when staff on stress leave are spotted on holiday.

Park Square Barristers: https://www.parksquarebarristers.co.uk/

Get our software free - including automated Right to Work checks, a grievance module, a disciplinary decider, and custom policies - when you purchase our e-learning.

#HR #EmploymentLaw #MentalHealth #WorkplaceWellbeing #HRER #HRPodcast

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Where do we draw the line on “any other duties as required”?

From junior staff cleaning up excrement 🧹 to graduates being sent to move cars to dodge parking tickets 🚗 - some workplace “extras” cross into unreasonable (and unsafe) territory.

In this HR:ER episode, our HR consultancy digs into:

- What really counts as a “reasonable” duty?

- Who gets to decide when the line is crossed?

- When does inconvenience tip into health & safety risk?

- Should policies spell out limits - or stay vague?


💬 We’d love to hear from you: What’s the most unreasonable duty you’ve ever been asked to do at work?

🎧 Tune in now! Our HR software includes a custom policy and contract builder, so you can clearly outline duties and save your business from tribunals - starting from just £1 per person, per month.


https://bit.ly/3wiwyyl

#HR #UnreasonableDuty #Podcast #EmploymentLaw #HRER



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We went down the Reddit HR rabbit hole - so you don’t have to! In this episode, our HR consultancy unpacks real workplace dilemmas pulled straight from Reddit’s most popular HR threads.

👉 What should you do if an employee vanishes on short-term disability?

👉 What’s the best way to onboard your staff?

👉 How do you handle final pay for an employee who has passed away?

🎧 Tune in, share your thoughts, and send us your HR threads.

Our HR software features a customisable onboarding process with automated tasks and Right to Work checks powered by TrustID - completed in just a few clicks. It also includes a policy generator with ready-to-use templates, starting at just £1 per person per month.

https://bit.ly/3wiwyyl

#Podcast #OnboardingFails #DisabilityLeave #Payroll #RedditThreads #HRER

Also could someone change the first sentence in the last episode to the below? 😊

In our latest podcast, we bust the most common employment law myths - and reveal what employers really need to know to avoid landing their business in tribunal.

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In our latest podcast, we bust the most common employment law myths - and reveal what employers really need to know to not land themselves in tribunal.

We cover:

- Why “no contract = no liability” is a dangerous assumption

- The truth about dismissing during probation

- What makes restrictive covenants actually enforceable

- Legal risks around long-term sick leave

- Why wage deductions for theft could land you in trouble

Our HR software guides you through essential and complex employment law processes - like disciplinaries and performance management - from just £1PP. Plus, our employment lawyers are available for support for just £6PP.

https://bit.ly/3wiwyyl

#EmploymentLaw #HRCompliance #WorkplaceMyths #HRER #HRPodcast

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A false rumour, claims of micromanagement, and an accusation of trans-related bias - but the employee says she isn’t transgender.

Is this workplace discrimination? In this HR:ER episode, our HR consultancy dissects:

- What the law actually says about gender identity following the Supreme Court Ruling

- How to separate performance management from potential prejudice

- The risk of discrimination claims: they carry uncapped compensation

One claim. Unlimited compensation. Protect your business with our CPD-accredited Anti-Discrimination e-learning course - expertly crafted by award-winning lawyers, completed in just 45 minutes, and available for only £29PP.

https://tinyurl.com/yc29bw4s

#HRER #Transgender #WorkplaceDiscrimination #EmploymentLaw #HRPodcast

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A new chef wants the job - but only if they’re “self-employed” to skip tax. What would you do? 🍳💵

From dodging tax to walking the legal tightrope of contractor vs employee, our HR consultancy dissects:

⚖️ Where the legal line really is

❌ Employer risks of getting it wrong

🤔 Who’s really self-employed-and who’s not

Whether you’re hiring your first employee or scaling a team, don’t guess your way through worker classification - or risk crippling fines.

Our HR software covers all contract types and includes Right to Work checks from just £1PP. Need legal backup? Our top-rated employment lawyers are available for just £6PP. https://bit.ly/3wiwyyl


#OffTheBooks #EmploymentLaw #Onboarding #HRER #HRPodcast

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An autistic support advisor works overnight, misinterprets tasks, and leaves chaos by morning. Is it a performance issue — or a failure to accommodate?

That's what our HR consultancy must dissect in our latest episode!

⚖️ What reasonable adjustments really look like

📉 How HR should approach neurodivergence with performance issues

🧠 Legal and ethical risks of mishandling autism at work

Our CPD DE&I e-learning course teaches your team how to act appropriately and legally. In just 45 minutes, from anywhere, for only £29pp — a small amount for insurance against huge sums.

https://tinyurl.com/yc29bw4s

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One phone call. One moment of distraction. One life almost lost.

That's what our HR consultancy had to deal with when a delivery driver, carelessly using his phone, hit a pedestrian — and claimed, 'It wasn’t that bad.'

📲 Is using a phone while driving gross misconduct?

⚖️ Can employers be held legally responsible if a pedestrian is killed/injured?

⛔ Should you suspend staff immediately after a road incident?

Dealing with gross misconduct? Our HR software features a disciplinary decider to help you manage conduct lawfully — from just £1PP. Plus, our award-winning lawyers are here to provide specialist guidance for only £6PP.

https://bit.ly/3wiwyyl

#DangerousDriving #GrossMisconduct #DialedInSwitchedOff #HRER #HRPodcast

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Sick leave or sly lift? A personal trainer calls in for a "medically required" procedure… but rumours swirl it was a Brazilian butt lift 👀. As HR tries to sort fact from filler, tensions rise:

➡️ Should cosmetic surgery qualify as medical leave?

➡️ Who decides what’s “medically necessary”?

➡️ Can your boss ask what kind of surgery you had — or is that crossing a line?

Plus: What happens when rumours about someone’s body spark inappropriate jokes at work? Where's the line between office chat… and sexual harassment?

Our HR software makes it easy to record absences, track fit notes, and manage investigations—starting from just £1PP. Need legal support? Our award-winning employment lawyers are available from just £6PP.

https://bit.ly/3wiwyyl

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Can you dismiss an employee for not speaking English? 💬❌

With almost 1 million people in Britain unable to speak English fluently, our HR consultancy team addresses a real-life case where an employee’s English skills were poor, causing issues with performance management.

Mishandling could leave you wide open to claims of unfair dismissal or discrimination. Tune into HR:ER to hear how we handled it:

👉 Can poor English be a fair reason for dismissal — or is it illegal?
👉 Where does performance management end... and discrimination begin?
👉 And how can businesses avoid this situation before they hire?

Struggling with poor performance management? Get expert support from our top-rated employment lawyers for just £6PP — or take a look at our HR software, featuring a full suite of performance management tools, starting from £1PP.

https://bit.ly/3wiwyyl

Dead bodies and broken hearts 🚑💔

In this week’s HR: ER, our HR consultancy treats two wild workplace emergencies:

A trainee paramedic at a private ambulance company who couldn’t cope with a key part of the job—dealing with dead people.

A husband-wife duo working in a small team… until an affair with a colleague blew everything up. Cue fist fight, slashed tyres, and countless grievances.
From tackling capability to handling misconduct, we’re breaking down when SOSR dismissals are appropriate—and why it matters to get it right.

🎧 Tune in for real cases and our take on what HR should do!

HRoes has your back. With our Disciplinary Decider, you’ll know exactly when SOSR is the right move—from just £1. And with our CPD-accredited Sexual Harassment e-learning, your team can get prevention training in under an hour.

https://bit.ly/3wiwyyl

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A veterinary nurse is struggling with a mental health crisis, convinced that people on TV are speaking directly to her 😱📺.

Now, here’s the challenge—figuring out if this is a well-being issue or a capability issue, all while ensuring the safety of both animals and colleagues. 🐾

Follow the HR:ER episode to hear how our HR consultancy dealt with it! 🎧

Our HR software, with performance tools from just £1PP helps you manage capability issues easily. Plus, get expert guidance from our employment lawyers with consultancy packages starting at £6PP.

https://bit.ly/3wiwyyl

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Our HR consultancy solved a tricky situation: an employee signed off sick was unengaged at work—tears in meetings, refusing to engage… But the next day? She’s all over Instagram promoting her business and calling herself a #GirlBoss. 🤳💁‍♀️

Tune into HR:ER to find out how we treated this emergency:

➡️ When does it become misconduct, and can you dismiss them?

➡️ Should social media activity factor into fitness for work?

➡️ What policies can prevent side hustles during sick leave?

👀 Think an employee is abusing your sick policy? Our HR software helps you create custom policies, track Bradford scores, and run disciplinaries—with support from our employment lawyers!

Book an intro call: https://bit.ly/3wiwyyl

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That’s how one employee feels—he says it makes the workplace "a nightmare". But is this just a difference of opinion or gender discrimination? How should HR respond? Our HR consultancy is breaking it down in HR:ER:

🤔 Are awareness days effective or just corporate box-ticking?

👨 Should International Men’s Day get the same spotlight?

😬 Is discomfort around IWD a sign of gender discrimination?

💰 The pay gap—myth or reality? And how do we fix it?

Is International Women's Day too much? Let us know your thoughts at HRER@hroes.co.uk and tune in now!

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