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 ...
Jun 24, 2025•30 min
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,...
Jun 10, 2025•40 min
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 ...
May 27, 2025•34 min
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… an...
May 13, 2025•34 min
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 ...
Apr 29, 2025•37 min
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—an...
Apr 15, 2025•39 min
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 ...
Apr 01, 2025•37 min
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 emp...
Mar 18, 2025•37 min
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 kno...
Mar 04, 2025•31 min
Emotional Support Animals at Work: Reasonable or Too Far? 🐱 One employee says their emotional support animal helps manage anxiety—but coworkers are complaining about allergies, hygiene, and distractions. ⚖️ What’s a fair accommodation, and what’s impractical? 🗒️ What authority does a doctor's note carry? ⚠️ What workplace issues come with support animals? What’s the right balance for employers? Tune into the HR:ER podcast to find out! With a built-in grievance system and contract generator, ou...
Feb 18, 2025•35 min
When Does Banter Become Sexual Harassment? What happens when workplace "banter" crosses the line? In this episode, our HR consultancy deals with a real HR crisis: a junior employee reports their supervisor for graphic sexual conversations, dismissing concerns as just "a teenage boy's dream." We Diagnose: - The fine line between joking and harassment - How power dynamics impact workplace behaviour - The right way to handle complaints & protect employees Is it just banter, or has a serious bou...
Feb 04, 2025•36 min
Over the past year, we’ve tackled some of the wildest workplace emergencies you could imagine. From "Is sniffing a shirt sexual harassment?" to "HR hires a murderer," and even "When are you too fat to work?" – these jaw-dropping scenarios are real cases we’ve handled through our HR consultancy. In this special birthday episode, hosts Elissa and Oliver take a trip down memory lane, sharing their personal favourites and reflecting on the chaos, the lessons, and yes, the laughs. (Of course, we had ...
Jan 21, 2025•25 min
During a routine ID check, a candidate sent… a nude selfie. 😳 Yes, you read that right. It’s one of those moments our HR consultancy never saw coming. So, what’s the next step? 🤳 Is this considered sexual harassment? 🔒 Could it violate privacy or data protection laws? 🤝 What’s the right move with this candidate's offer? Our platform integrates TrustID, making ID checks simple, secure, and hassle-free in just a few clicks. Keep your workplace safe and compliant with our sexual harassment e-le...
Jan 07, 2025•38 min
What do you do when an employee alleges bullying and a "conspiracy" against them—while refusing to cooperate with investigations? And to top it off, they reveal they've secretly recorded over 300 hours of workplace conversations, including toilet visits? 😱 This is the crisis our HR consultancy handled in our latest HR:ER episode! It raises BIG questions for HR, including: 👉 Are secret recordings a violation of privacy laws? 👉 Can you legally dismiss an employee who won't cooperate? 👉 How can...
Dec 10, 2024•36 min
UK businesses lose over £183 million annually due to employee theft. As an HR and business leader, you play a pivotal role in safeguarding company assets. In the latest episode of HR:ER, our consultancy faced a challenging scenario: an employee was dismissed, stole the company car, and escalated tensions when HR visited their residence to retrieve it, resulting in threats of trespassing from family members. Want to reclaim company property? Our employment lawyers and HR software can help you cre...
Nov 26, 2024•34 min
It’s all fun and games until a holiday party goes off the rails! Recently, our HR consultancy tackled a case that got everyone talking. Dave got a bit too merry at the Christmas party - he climbed onto a table, stripped naked, and then told the CEO to f*ck off… 🎄🙈 Catch the full story and our expert advice on handling holiday party chaos in the latest episode of HR:ER. Follow now - and if you’re gearing up for party season, contact our employment lawyers to keep things merry and manageable! ht...
Nov 12, 2024•32 min
Ever had an employee disappear without a trace? Imagine this – an employee goes radio silent for five days, only to return with an astonishing tale of a “mistaken kidnapping.” Is it real, or just a bold cover-up? In our latest podcast, we tackle this jaw-dropping HR emergency and dive into the challenges employers face with missing team members. Here's what we break down: 🔍 Fact vs. Fiction: Steps to verify an employee's claim when something doesn’t add up 🔐 Monitoring Boundaries: What level o...
Oct 29, 2024•31 min
How do you handle a rule-breaking employee who faces complaints for misogyny, then when confronted threatens to expose an alleged affair with HR? That's what our HR consultancy tackles in our next HR:ER episode! We share our emergency measures to stop sexual harassment from happening in your workplace. Got a workplace emergency of your own? Reach out to us and our expert lawyers will help you confidentially manage the situation - https://hroes.co.uk/ /...
Oct 15, 2024•34 min
How should HR handle an employee's property seized by police?💻👮 Our HR consultancy recently helped a business uncover that an employee, involved in a major criminal drug ring, had their work computer seized by police. The issue only surfaced when the employee requested another computer for work, prompting our further investigation. It was imperative HR acted with caution. Even when an employee is involved in criminal activity, mishandling the situation could result in claims of unfair dismissa...
Oct 01, 2024•27 min
What do you do when a long-standing, trusted employee is caught lying about their qualifications? 💡🫠 Our HR consultancy tackles another workplace crisis! Natalie, a senior accountant on track for a promotion to director, was asked to provide proof of her chartered accounting qualifications - only to reveal that her CV was riddled with lies. As the truth unravels, we dissect how could this slip through during hiring? What are the legal and financial risks for the business? And most importantly,...
Sep 17, 2024•39 min
When are you too fat to work? 😲 Hear how our HR consultancy team tackled another emergency as a small business with an employee who, due to morbid obesity, has already required three specialised chairs - which cost thousands each and becoming unsustainable for the company. What are the employer's legal obligations if no health conditions contribute to the employee’s obesity? How can HR address an employee’s weight when it affects job performance? If accommodation costs become unsustainable, wha...
Sep 03, 2024•43 min
Is your training and development failing to truly develop your staff? If so, it’s not engaging enough. We sit with Gilly Cohen, Head of Global Performance at YMU Group. In her unique role, Gilly has revolutionised learning and development at YMU, a global powerhouse in talent management, representing the biggest stars in entertainment. We discuss: Is Gen Z the laziest workforce generation yet? How to make training not ‘boring’ Training and development initiatives that actually stick Leadership i...
Aug 13, 2024•33 min
Does your organisation use mental health first aiders? Next in our guest series, we sit down with Paul McGregor, founder of Everymind at Work, which provides on-demand support designed for Mental Health First Aiders in the workplace. In this HR:ER discussion, we discuss the legal implications if an employee confides in an MHFA and subsequently causes harm to themselves, share "wellbeing washing" workplace horror stories, and discuss the evolving role of managers in supporting mental health. In o...
Jul 30, 2024•36 min
We're excited to launch our first HR:ER guest series, and we're kicking it off with none other than Lucy Aylen, the founder of Never Fully Dressed! Since its inception in 2009 as a market stall, Never Fully Dressed has succeeded into a renowned international fashion brand, now featured in high street retailers like Flannels, ASOS, and House of Fraser. Join us as we dive into Lucy's journey and discover the people strategies that have made Never Fully Dressed a global phenomenon, including the im...
Jul 16, 2024•37 min
Has your business fallen victim to a phishing scam? Is it gross negligence when an employee loses company money? In our next HR crisis story, a senior Finance Director lost £50k of company funds to an obvious scam. This error led to the company's collapse; a simple check of the email address would have revealed it was a fraudulent email. In this episode of the HR:ER podcast, we discuss Which scams are getting more prevalent? What is gross negligence in the context of company cyber fraud? Legal r...
Jul 02, 2024•33 min
Workplaces often spark new relationships, but what happens when an extramarital affair spirals into a stalking nightmare? This is after a staff member ‘caught’ Matt and Ben in a storeroom. The situation then escalated to Matt bombarding Ben with love letters, trying to change his shifts to be on shift with him, and making ‘heavy breathing’ phone calls to him and his wife. In this episode, we explore whether workplace affairs constitute inappropriate conduct, the dangers of sexual harassment in t...
Jun 18, 2024•34 min
The NHS has issued a record 10.4 million fit notes, with GPs admitting, "We don't want to risk confrontation. We just see the request in our inbox and okay it." This surge has led to significant unproductively, resource strain, and increased costs for businesses. In this week's HR:ER podcast episode, we dissect: What factors have contributed to the rise in 'sick note' culture? How can HR differentiate between genuine health concerns and abuse of sick leave policies? How should HR handle employee...
Jun 04, 2024•35 min
Is HR providing a good onboarding programme? Only 12% of employees feel that their organisation provides a good one. In our next HR:ER episode, our host and founder, Elissa Thursfield, shares her personal onboarding experience and how HR can avoid similar mistakes. Onboarding sets the tone for an employee’s experience with the company, influencing whether they choose to stay long-term or leave. Effective onboarding can improve employee retention by 82%, saving businesses a lot of time and money ...
May 21, 2024•38 min
What happens when HRs skip compliance and DBS checks with a new employee? You accidentally hire a murderer. This was only discovered when staff noticed the "strange vibe" of a new employee around the office. After a social media stalk, it turned out he faked his identity and previously spent time in prison for murdering a woman. As part of his role, he had been visiting homes as a handyman and moreover, the office staff was also mostly female, who were at risk in his presence. This is why it's c...
May 07, 2024•39 min
What do you do when an employee breaches the company dress code? According to research, 63% of the public say they would consider face and neck tattoos to be unprofessional. In this episode of HR:ER, we share the unexpected challenges HR professionals face when an employee's personal choices collide with workplace policies. Our HR crisis story involves an employee in a customer-facing role who let loose on a stag do and returned with a 'middle finger' tattoo. Join us as we dissect the complexiti...
Apr 23, 2024•37 min
