People matter - September 2026

Are your managers good people managers?

There is a well-worn saying that people get promoted to their level of incompetence. This often plays out as a good technician rising the ladder until they do little to no technical work, instead spending their time managing a team – which it turns out they are not equipped to do.

One survey looking at ROI gaps, found that about a third of employees said their managers infrequently reviewed their progression whilst nearly 40% said they were not regularly set targets.

People management is surely one of the most direct ways in which you can drive productivity within your business. From enforcing basic disciplines like attendance, punctuality and meeting deadlines, to developing skills sets, maintaining team harmony and nipping problems in the bud.

While natural leadership and management skills count for a lot, there is plenty you can do to train people into effective people managers. Here are a few of the core skills to focus on.

Organisational skills are a bedrock of good management. Timekeeping, processes, goal setting, recordkeeping, knowing your numbers… they not only make for a smooth-running operation, but also set the standard for others and underpin a manager’s own authority.

Communication skills are not just about talking. Active listening helps managers understand their workforce, respond to issues and present ideas effectively. When it comes to speaking, allocating tasks and providing feedback, techniques for persuasion and emotional intelligence can be learned.

Conflict management will be necessary when managing a group of people. Some naturally shrink away from conflict whilst others relish it. A middle ground can calm heated scenarios without letting resentment simmer.

Problem solving. The buck doesn’t necessarily stop with your managers, but if they can think critically and solve problems proactively it does mean that less trouble will make it through to you or distract the wider business.

Delegation or lack of it can make or break a manager’s career. Many people struggle with it, resorting to “just doing it all themselves”. This is a recipe for burnout, though, or neglecting other important responsibilities.

We offer a range of in-person and eLearning courses that cover these kinds of topics. If you are about to promote someone to manager, or want to improve the performance of an existing manager, talk to us about the right suite of training for them.

Dealing with excessive requests from employees

As a manager, there are plenty of pet peeves, and more serious issues, that will crop up from day-to-day, week-to-week.

Something which could fall into either category is employees spamming you on an issue – it’s important to them, but is it for you and the wider business?

When it occurs, urgency is one of the first things to ascertain. Some issues will require dealing with immediately, say a whistle-blowing case, or a complaint of bullying. Others may seem more frivolous.

Assuming it is not serious requiring a timely response according to one of your company policies, lesser requests made repeatedly will often still benefit from being treated head on. Resentment could build in you and them if they are left to simmer.

Hold a private meeting and demonstrably listen to what they have to say. If they are struggling to get to the point, three questions you might ask are: “What do I need to understand?”, “How can I help?” and “Do we need to talk to anyone else in confidence?”. There are then probably three ways it can go from here.

It may be that listening attentively was all they needed, in other words they just needed to get something off their chest and feel heard.

If not, they may expect action; but can you (or should you) deliver on it?

If the answer’s “no”, there is an art to saying this. Even if you feel your time is being wasted, remain professional and courteous. There is no point in damaging a workplace relationship if you can help it. Providing a reason for your decision will help someone accept it, as will an understanding tone.

Or maybe after a productive discussion you can satisfy their request. At the very least it’ll make them happy. And perhaps taking the time to address the issue will make the workplace better for everyone.

The Fair Work Agency’s first strike

We knew it would be coming, but we did not know how because its remit is so broad; but the Fair Work Agency (FWA) has secured its first conviction.

Launched in April 2026 as part of the Employment Rights Act, the FWA is an amalgamation of several regulatory bodies. Two of its priorities are enforcing the national minimum wage and employers’ contractual pay obligations. However, this first conviction was in relation to an illegal gangmaster.

If you know, you know: a gangmaster is not related to gangsterism, but rather someone who supplies workers into agriculture, horticulture, food processing and shellfish gathering etc. They are required to hold a licence to protect these workers from exploitation.

In this case, the FWA conducted a detailed investigation into someone operating without a licence. Dismissing his reasons, they uncovered that he had a history of run-ins regarding gangmaster licencing. He has been fined hundreds of pounds and given a 12-month Labour Market Enforcement Order.

It’s a reminder of the importance of employment law compliance, especially since the formation of the FWA. If you are a gangmaster needing help, or are not but have another compliance concern, please reach out to us.

Holiday pay responsibilities

Calculating holiday pay correctly has become a lot more complicated over the past ten years or so… and more expensive!

A series of court cases has brought more aspects of remuneration into consideration, whilst a lack of clarity about self-employed/worker/employee status and whether someone has holiday pay rights, has also been something employers can trip over.

In fact, a well-known budget airline is currently facing a lawsuit brought by hundreds of former pilots over unpaid holiday. The dispute centres on whether they are/were self-employed.

Most workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday every year (although for some, e.g. part time or irregular hours, there can be complication to calculating the amount of time).

Following case law, four weeks of this 5.6 week allowance should be paid at normal pay. Importantly, this may include things like overtime, bonus, commission and allowances. The remaining time can be paid at the basic rate of pay.

The Fair Work Agency is now responsible for enforcing all things holiday pay, and we expect them to be on the front foot. It is a requirement to keep all holiday pay records for six years. Backdated claims have had their two-year limit removed as well as scope for interest to be added. One dentist who successfully argued he had worker status was awarded more than £83k at an employment tribunal.

If you are concerned you are not doing it right, get in touch and we can help.

Is your business epilepsy aware?

Did you know that about one in every 100 people has epilepsy, but about 70% can have the condition controlled by medication. For the remainder, it varies from person to person, but there is a higher risk of having a seizure at work.

An employee does not have to tell you if they are epileptic, but it’ll be helpful all round if they do disclose it. Whether or not they consider it a disability, the condition is covered by the Equality Act, so they enjoy legal protection.

Conversely, under health and safety law, there may be some restrictions over roles they can perform, but you have a duty to make reasonable adjustments where necessary if these are possible.

HSBC has just partnered with Epilepsy Action to deliver epilepsy awareness training for its first aiders. It is more difficult for an SME to roll this out, but if you know an employee is epileptic it would be sensible for there to be knowledge of how to respond to a seizure within the business. In an open culture, how you do this may be best led by the employee.

Hot Cougar Dates

A facilities management company lost an employment tribunal after they dismissed an employee accused of using his work email for dating sites, including from one called Hot Cougar Dates. The award was nearly £120K!

The case turned on the HR investigation which led to the dismissal. The employee had responded saying that he had not subscribed to the dating sites and that colleagues had access to his email. These possibilities were not explored.

It is a lesson in not prejudging an HR investigation. Investigations should be set up to genuinely establish the facts, not reinforce a narrative already set in the company’s mind. Fail to do this and you might have a “hot date” of your own with an employment tribunal!