PRACTICAL GUIDANCE FOR UK EMPLOYERS
Clear answers for owners and managers dealing with people, workplace risk and the situations where HR and health and safety overlap.
LATEST GUIDES
43 guides found
A protected conversation is not a shortcut to dismissal. Employers need a voluntary process, valid written terms, realistic time for advice and a plan if no agreement is reached.
A current LEV test label does not prove dust or fume is controlled today. Employers need commissioning data, routine checks, maintenance and action on defects.
An annual PAT sticker does not prove electrical equipment is safe. Employers need a risk-based system of user checks, inspection, testing and defect control.
A report does not need to use the word whistleblowing to require protection. Employers need to identify the concern, control retaliation and investigate it fairly.
A fire action notice is not the complete plan. Workplaces need arrangements that cover real occupants, every operating period, assisted escape and lessons from drills.
A DBS check is not a general character test. Employers must establish the lawful level, verify the certificate and assess relevant information fairly.
A temperature log is not the risk assessment. Employers need a site-specific system that identifies stagnation, susceptible people, control limits and failed-control action.
A reference can be brief, but it must be fair and accurate. Employers need consistent authority, evidence and a clear process for giving and checking references.
An asbestos register does not complete the duty to manage. Dutyholders need a current plan that controls maintenance, contractors, damage and changing material condition.
Pregnancy-related sickness should not be treated as ordinary attendance failure. Employers need separate records, safe adjustments and the correct maternity-leave trigger.
A service record or annual sticker is not automatically a compliant LOLER thorough examination. Employers must identify the equipment, correct interval and competent person.
A debt to the employer does not automatically authorise a payroll deduction. Check the legal basis, written terms and minimum-wage effect before taking money from pay.
A ladder is not automatically the starting point. Employers must avoid work at height where possible, select suitable equipment and plan the complete task.
Employers cannot refuse an eligible carer's leave request. This guide explains who qualifies, how notice works and when leave may be postponed.
A form alone does not fix a poor workstation. Employers must assess real DSE use, act on findings and cover office, home and hybrid arrangements.
Leave can be a day-one right even when statutory pay is unavailable. This checklist explains eligibility, notice, records and protected rights.
The three headline noise values trigger different duties. This guide explains what employers must assess, control, provide and monitor.
Seeing a passport or share code is not the same as completing a compliant check. Use this practical process before a new starter begins work.
New trade union duties are expected from 30 October 2026—even for some businesses that do not currently recognise a union. Here is the practical employer checklist.
A TILE form can organise observations, but it does not decide whether the task should exist, which assessment tool fits or what must change.
A grievance needs more than a sympathetic conversation. Use these seven steps to protect fairness, evidence and a workable outcome.
Not every workplace accident is reportable. Apply these seven tests to decide who reports, whether the event is work-related and which deadline applies.
Since 6 April 2026, employers must keep detailed annual-leave and holiday-pay records for at least six years. Here is what a reliable record should show.
PUWER does not impose one annual inspection rule for every item. Employers must decide what needs inspection, when and by whom from the equipment risk.
Employees and workers need key written terms when they start. Check what belongs in the day-one principal statement and what can follow within two months.
A safety data sheet describes a product. A COSHH assessment must decide whether your actual task, exposure and controls are safe enough.
Redundancy is about a reduced need for work, not choosing a person to remove. Follow these steps before making and communicating a final decision.
Buying a first-aid kit and sending one person on a course is not a needs assessment. Here is how to decide what your workplace actually requires.
An allegation is not a finding. Follow these seven steps to gather the facts fairly before deciding whether a disciplinary hearing is needed.
Vehicles and pedestrians sharing a yard is not a traffic plan. Here is how employers can assess routes, remove avoidable reversing and control deliveries properly.
From 1 January 2027, ordinary unfair dismissal protection starts after six months rather than two years. Here is what employers should change before then.
Introducing or changing lithium-ion charging can make the existing fire risk assessment unsuitable. Learn when to update the FRA, apply RC59 and investigate compartmentation.
Certified fire-door contractors can already issue certificates for eligible work—but those certificates do not automatically replace Building Control approval. Here is what the Building Safety Regulator is actually considering changing.
AI promised to make shortlisting faster. Instead, an untested screening rule nearly removed the strongest applicant. This composite case study shows how UK employers can use recruitment AI without surrendering fair judgment.
Working alone is not automatically unsafe, but an ordinary incident can become far more serious when nobody is nearby to help. This guide explains how employers can assess lone-working risks, set practical limits and build a reliable emergency response.
Every employee can make a statutory flexible working request from their first day. This practical guide explains how employers can assess requests fairly, protect operational needs and prepare for further legal changes in 2027.
A compressed spring incident caused facial injuries. The investigation looked beyond the immediate event to identify the controls needed to prevent recurrence.
Employers already have a positive duty to prevent workplace sexual harassment. From 30 October 2026, that duty becomes stronger and third-party harassment protections expand.
Most health conditions can be managed through support, adjustments and good communication. But what should an employer do when an employee may no longer be able to perform their role?
A practical guide to identifying work-related stress hazards, using HSE’s six Management Standards and turning staff feedback into actions that reduce risk.
A practical checklist for responding sensitively, understanding the work impact and turning a difficult conversation into clear actions.
A polished document is not proof of a controlled job. These five checks reveal whether the system is working where the risk actually exists.
The two disciplines have different legal roles, but many everyday management problems sit directly between them.
Need an answer for your business?
Guides are useful. A named adviser who understands the facts is better when the issue is live, sensitive or safety-critical.
Start a conversation