People Matter - April 2026

You can’t spell bias without “AI”

There may be “no ‘I’ in team” but there is certainly “AI” in bias. And also, unfortunately, bias in much of AI.

AI is increasingly being used within business to speed up processes and cut costs. It comes with a number of downsides too, one of which is bias.

It turns out that these large language models (LLMs), one of the main technologies behind AI as we know it, are trained on a vast amount of historical data. Unfortunately, it is data that has all kinds of human bias baked into it.

A classic example could be in CV sorting where the data an AI was trained on showed a preference for male candidates over female. Now it applies this same bias automatically. Not only would this expose you to legal risk under the Equality Act, but it could also mean you miss out on the best candidates due to the bias.

Worse, because two of AIs superpowers are its speed and scale, it can significantly amplify these biases if left unchecked.

And worse still, because it is software, biases may be less visible than if it were a human showing bias traits.

What is an SME to do? You don’t want to get left behind as technology develops. You may not have much control over how an AI is trained if it is off the shelf from Silicon Valley, so the bias may be there. 

The quality of the prompts you put into it are within your control though, so taking time to get these right will help. This can be reinforced by making sure a human is checking the AI outputs at the other end too. An experienced eye should be able to pick up on biases and intervene at key moments. Longer term review mechanisms will be an additional help, as your use of AI technology evolves over time. 

Written policies are a powerful tool in managing most things HR. So formalising all of the above in an AI framework for your business will further stand you in good stead.

Keeping records

Keeping records has long been an important part of being an employer. Tax, absence, performance, working time, minimum wage are just a tiny part of the overall need for record-keeping.

It became more complicated in 2018 with the introduction of GDPR. This placed many extra requirements on employers, with the potential for costly penalties if you get something wrong.

2026 feels like another standout year for the need for record-keeping. It is just one more thing that arises from the introduction of the Employment Rights Act.

There are several ways this plays out.

The biggest risk to you of not keeping good records may be down to the heightened unfair dismissal rules which are introduced in 2027 (but keeping records now is relevant). This sees your protection against unfair dismissal slashed from two years to six months and is expected to lead to a big rise in claims. The cap on compensation is also removed which could lead to larger payouts.

Contemporaneous records showing performance, misconduct investigations, informal/formal warnings, reasoning for decisions and fair process followed will help you defend such cases, should they arise.

From this April, there is an explicit new duty to keep holiday records for six years, which show compliance with entitlement and pay rules. These records should include holiday taken, holiday accrual and pay calculations as well as evidence of payments made.

The newly launched Fair Work Agency has powers to investigate general compliance and, in some cases, enforce employment rights outside of tribunals. They can demand to see employment records, and it is expected they will take a dim view where they do not exist or are inadequate.

A great place to start your upgrade of record-keeping is through HR software, which will give you a GDPR compliant framework. For a record-keeping audit, or a demo of the software, please contact us.

Dealing with political tension in the workplace

The mix of global events, social media echo chambers and culture wars is seemingly polarising opinion more than ever. 

That said, from the French Revolution to the Roman invasion of Britain, bitter points of contention have always existed. Back then it didn’t fall on a beleaguered employer to play referee or pick up the pieces of a debate gone awry, though.

It is generally good practice to discourage political conversation in the workplace. The Equality Act is relevant here, where you need to protect people based upon nine characteristics including race, sex and religion or belief. 

Politics is not mentioned specifically but some of the characteristics have been politicised in recent years. The Equality Act can provide you with both a soft suggestion that topics are avoided and a hard reason for acting if someone goes too far.

Consider also practical consequences of global events – particularly things like holidays being cancelled due to acts of war, or employees having relatives living in affected areas.

The pen is mightier than the pay rise?

With cost pressures coming from every angle, from additional sick pay to higher energy bills, you may find it difficult to offer the pay rises your team want right now. But could the answer to any dissatisfaction already be budgeted for?

A survey by an insurance company in 2025 found that 67% of staff did not know what was in their core benefits package. And when asked about why they weren’t using certain benefits, about 40% didn’t realise they had them.

This suggests that getting that metaphorical pen out and drafting regular internal comms like a newsletter could be a wise idea for informing staff on the total remuneration package you already offer. 

Employee benefits are usually a win-win where you can provide added value by bulk purchasing and achieving tangible benefits for them that would cost much more if they were to buy them independently. While few would turn down a pay rise if it were offered to them, they might feel better about not receiving one if they realised they were benefiting in many other ways.

If you want a review of your employee benefits or would like to explore how you could add to them, please get in touch.

Allergy season

New seasons… If you are a sports fan, you’ll look forward to one with blind optimism: “This will be my team’s year!” If you are a Bridgerton fan, uncontrollable anticipation: “What’s going to happen with Francesca and Michaela?” 

If you are a hay fever sufferer, not so much. Sneezing, itching, impossible to breathe… a new season brings nothing but suffering while others are enjoying the sunshine!

If you have got employees in this situation, helping them with reasonable adjustments may give a major boost in their productivity – and show you care. From simple things like having tissues and hand sanitiser nearby to more formal approaches like risk assessments and staff training – especially if their work unduly exposes them to allergens.

A dismissal that really grated

A former manager at a well-known pizza chain (franchised) in Scotland has won an unfair dismissal case and been awarded more than £11K.

He was effectively dismissed by the franchisee after making a string of what would be deemed protected disclosures (whistleblowing) relating to food hygiene standards. This included a claim that he himself suffered food poisoning after eating food prepared at the branch.

The claims were not well received, being described as “malicious complaints”. He was demoted, given a pay cut and advised that work would only be available in a branch two hours away. The judge, when handing out this “slice” of justice, observed this was effectively a dismissal, and (unsurprisingly) that it was unfair.