Buzzing About HR

Kate Underwood
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🎙️ Buzzing About HR Straight-talking HR for real businesses (the kind where you are doing payroll, sales, and playing therapist before lunch). From Kate Underwood HR & Training, this podcast makes the people stuff make sense, without the corporate jargon and “synergy” nonsense. Hosted by award-winning HR expert Kate Underwood, each episode is designed for real life. You know, the moments nobody prepares you for: The employee who is brilliant at the job but chaos in the teamThe manager who avoids tough conversations until it turns into a bin fireThe “it’s only a small issue” grievance that suddenly becomes a formal complaintThe sickness pattern that is suspiciously linked to Mondays and paydayThe resignation that makes you think, “Wait… what did we miss?” This is practical HR for small businesses and busy leaders. We talk performance, absence, hiring, retention, culture, motivation, and how to stay on the right side of UK employment law without turning your business into a paperwork museum. Expect straight answers, real examples, and steps you can actually use the same day, not theory that only works in perfect-world HR departments with unlimited budgets. It’s also a permission slip to lead like a human. Clear standards, fair boundaries, decent communication, and less drama. The goal is a calmer workplace, fewer sleepless nights, and a team that actually wants to stick around. And yes, Hazel the office dog pops up too, because nothing says “people management” like a judgemental stare from a Wellbeing Officer who has never written a policy in her life. ☕ Start here: Take the FREE HR Health Check and see where your risks (and quick wins) are hiding.

  1. 5D AGO

    The Friday Flu: Sickness Patterns That Catch Small Businesses Out

    In this episode of Buzzing About HR, we are talking about sickness absence. Not the tidy policy version where everyone follows the rules and no one texts at 6:58am saying they are not coming in. The real small business version. The one where something feels a bit off, but you are not quite sure what you are allowed to say. Because let’s be honest. Most absence issues in SMEs are not about one serious long-term illness. They are about patterns. The Friday specialist. The day-after-payday disappearance. The “fine all week, sick on the shift with that manager” situation. The holiday flu expert. The Instagram contradiction. And that is where people get stuck. You do not want to be unfair. You do not want to say the wrong thing. You do not want to upset someone or wander into discrimination territory. So what do most managers do? Nothing. They wait. They hope it stops. They quietly get more annoyed. And the rest of the team starts wondering why the rules seem optional. This episode is about handling that properly. I talk through how to address sickness patterns without accusing someone of faking illness. We focus on attendance and impact, not motive. I cover the simple process that keeps this fair and calm. Notice the pattern. Write it down. Hold a return to work chat every time. Stay curious. Be consistent. We also talk about why this matters even more with the direction of travel in employment law. Earlier rights, more challenge, and less room for managers to improvise badly under pressure. And yes, we cover the legal side too. How sickness absence can overlap with disability, pregnancy, mental health, and other protected issues, and why your protection is not suspicion. It is a clear process, reasonable questions, and proper records. You will also come away with practical small business fixes. Better absence reporting rules. Simple trigger points. Follow-up calls that are supportive, not intrusive. One recording system. And manager scripts that stop these conversations feeling awkward or accusatory. If you are tired of guessing, muttering into your tea, and hoping patterns sort themselves out, this episode is for you. Subscribe, share it with a manager who needs a reset, and leave a review if it helps you handle sickness absence with a bit more confidence and a lot less drama. If you’re not 100% sure how your HR is really holding up, take our free HR Health Check. It’s short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what’s working — and what needs a bit of love. And if you do it before 1st April 2026, you’ll get a bonus 7 Pillar Strategy-on-a-Page, tailored to help you manage HR brilliantly for the year ahead. That’s it for today, but if you fancy a bit of friendly HR advice in your inbox (with zero waffle), come and join our newsletter. We send out bite-sized tips, plain-English updates, and handy things you’ll actually use — no spam, no fluff. You can sign up here  Thank you for tuning in to Buzzing About HR with Kate Underwood! If you enjoyed today’s episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review—your feedback helps us grow and reach more people like you. Have questions or need HR advice? Reach out to Kate Underwood HR & Training at www.kateunderwoodhr.co.uk, email us on buzz@kateunderwoodhr.co.uk or follow us on social media for more tips, resources, and updates. Until next time, keep buzzing and take care of your people!

    16 min

  2. MAR 24

    Don’t Paste That: The AI Mistake That Could Leak Your Client List

    In this episode of Buzzing About HR, I am talking about one of the quietest risks sitting inside small businesses right now. Not hackers. Not competitors. Not some dramatic cyber attack. Someone on a deadline, with good intentions, pasting confidential information into AI because they want an email to sound better, a proposal to feel slicker, or a tricky message to be “tidied up”. And that is where the trouble starts. Because most people do not see AI as risky. They see it as a clever version of Google, spellcheck, or an extra pair of hands. What they forget is that the moment they paste something into a tool, they may have moved it outside their systems and outside your control. This episode is about how to stop that from becoming a mess. I walk through the real-world copy-and-paste disasters I am seeing in small businesses. Customer emails full of personal data. HR case notes. Pricing and margins. Contract wording. Investigation timelines. All being dropped into AI tools like it is no big deal. Then I strip it right back to what SMEs actually need. Not a 40-page tech policy. Just a few clear rules, a short list of approved tools, and a calm response plan for when someone gets it wrong. We talk about the three non-negotiables that prevent most of the chaos. If it is confidential, do not paste it. If it identifies a person, do not paste it. If it affects money or legal risk, do not paste it. I also cover what to do when someone already has. How to respond without shaming them, how to get the facts, how to contain the issue, and how to fix the root cause so it does not happen again. This is not about banning AI or pretending your team is not using it. It is about using it safely, with boundaries that make sense in a real business. If you want a simple, sensible way to put AI guardrails in place before someone accidentally hands over something they should not, this episode is for you. Subscribe, share it with a business owner who needs it, and leave a review so more small businesses can get ahead of this before it gets expensive. If you’re not 100% sure how your HR is really holding up, take our free HR Health Check. It’s short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what’s working — and what needs a bit of love. And if you do it before 1st April 2026, you’ll get a bonus 7 Pillar Strategy-on-a-Page, tailored to help you manage HR brilliantly for the year ahead. That’s it for today, but if you fancy a bit of friendly HR advice in your inbox (with zero waffle), come and join our newsletter. We send out bite-sized tips, plain-English updates, and handy things you’ll actually use — no spam, no fluff. You can sign up here  Thank you for tuning in to Buzzing About HR with Kate Underwood! If you enjoyed today’s episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review—your feedback helps us grow and reach more people like you. Have questions or need HR advice? Reach out to Kate Underwood HR & Training at www.kateunderwoodhr.co.uk, email us on buzz@kateunderwoodhr.co.uk or follow us on social media for more tips, resources, and updates. Until next time, keep buzzing and take care of your people!

    15 min

  3. MAR 17

    Stop Playing HR Cluedo: How to Run an Investigation Properly

    If someone says “Can I have a quick word?” and your stomach drops, last week was about grievances. This week is what comes next. Investigations. And this is where most small businesses wobble a bit. Not because you’re doing anything wrong. Because you’re trying to figure it out on the spot, while everyone else is already feeling stressed. In this episode of Buzzing About HR, I walk you through how to run a workplace investigation properly. No drama. No overcomplicating it. And definitely no “corridor justice.” At its core, an investigation is simple. It’s a fact-finding exercise. Not a disciplinary. Not a verdict. You are gathering information so you can make a fair decision later. We go step by step through what that actually looks like in real life. How to pause and steady things first if emotions are high How to write a clear scope so it doesn’t spiral into “and another thing…” How to focus on the right evidence without dragging half the team into it And how to keep a simple log so you are not relying on memory later We also talk about the bit people find hardest. The conversations. You will get simple ways to open meetings so people feel calmer, and questions that get to the facts without putting words in someone’s mouth. Because “everyone knows” is not evidence. It’s gossip in a nice outfit. Then we bring it back to what really protects you. Not a perfect process. Just a fair one. Clear steps. Consistent approach. Short, factual notes. And giving people a proper chance to respond. If you run a small business or manage people, this is one of those moments where a bit of structure makes everything feel more manageable. Press play, take what you need, and next time something lands on your desk, you will know exactly where to start. If you’re not 100% sure how your HR is really holding up, take our free HR Health Check. It’s short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what’s working — and what needs a bit of love. And if you do it before 1st April 2026, you’ll get a bonus 7 Pillar Strategy-on-a-Page, tailored to help you manage HR brilliantly for the year ahead. That’s it for today, but if you fancy a bit of friendly HR advice in your inbox (with zero waffle), come and join our newsletter. We send out bite-sized tips, plain-English updates, and handy things you’ll actually use — no spam, no fluff. You can sign up here  Making AI Work for Small BusinessSecure AI for SMEs: streamline processes, cut costs, train teams to work smarter.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Thank you for tuning in to Buzzing About HR with Kate Underwood! If you enjoyed today’s episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review—your feedback helps us grow and reach more people like you. Have questions or need HR advice? Reach out to Kate Underwood HR & Training at www.kateunderwoodhr.co.uk, email us on buzz@kateunderwoodhr.co.uk or follow us on social media for more tips, resources, and updates. Until next time, keep buzzing and take care of your people!

    14 min

  4. MAR 10

    “Can I Have a Word?” What to Do When Someone Raises a Concern

    If someone in your business says, “Can I speak to you privately?”, most leaders feel a small jolt of panic. Are they resigning, raising a grievance, or about to report something serious? In this episode of Buzzing About HR, Kate breaks down whistleblowing in small businesses and how to handle it calmly, legally, and fairly. From the UK legal definition of whistleblowing to the simple scripts managers can use in the moment, this is a practical guide to turning a difficult conversation into a protective step for both the employee and the business. We explain what qualifies as whistleblowing under UK law, why the “public interest” test matters, and how whistleblowing protection works for employees. Many small business leaders assume whistleblowing only applies to large organisations or major scandals. In reality, concerns about health and safety, financial wrongdoing, harassment, discrimination, or regulatory breaches can all fall under whistleblowing legislation. We also explore the biggest mistakes employers make when someone raises a concern. Defensive reactions, informal “investigations,” workplace gossip, or subtle retaliation can quickly turn a genuine concern into a serious employment law risk. You will hear simple manager scripts, the key questions that surface facts without blame, and how to create a calm, structured response when someone speaks up. We also touch on the changing Employment Rights Act landscape, including stronger expectations around harassment prevention and workplace accountability. For SMEs where everyone knows everyone, confidentiality can feel difficult. That is why we talk about practical safeguards such as offering more than one reporting route, allowing concerns to be raised externally, documenting concerns properly, and having a predictable investigation process. If you want to strengthen your whistleblowing process, you can also explore SafeVoice, our confidential whistleblowing support service designed for small businesses. Speaking up should feel safe, not risky. A clear whistleblowing process protects employees, protects your culture, and protects your business. Press play to learn how to handle whistleblowing concerns with confidence, clarity, and fairness. If you’re not 100% sure how your HR is really holding up, take our free HR Health Check. It’s short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what’s working — and what needs a bit of love. And if you do it before 1st April 2026, you’ll get a bonus 7 Pillar Strategy-on-a-Page, tailored to help you manage HR brilliantly for the year ahead. That’s it for today, but if you fancy a bit of friendly HR advice in your inbox (with zero waffle), come and join our newsletter. We send out bite-sized tips, plain-English updates, and handy things you’ll actually use — no spam, no fluff. You can sign up here  Thank you for tuning in to Buzzing About HR with Kate Underwood! If you enjoyed today’s episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review—your feedback helps us grow and reach more people like you. Have questions or need HR advice? Reach out to Kate Underwood HR & Training at www.kateunderwoodhr.co.uk, email us on buzz@kateunderwoodhr.co.uk or follow us on social media for more tips, resources, and updates. Until next time, keep buzzing and take care of your people!

    19 min

  5. MAR 3

    Later Is Not a Strategy: 3 HR Mini Dramas Every SME Must Fix in 2026

    If your phone’s been pinging all morning, you’ve nodded through a meeting while quietly panicking, and you’ve already said “I’ll deal with that later” twice… you’re in the right place. It’s World Hearing Day, so we’re talking about the skill that prevents most HR mini dramas from turning into a full series: proper listening. Not the “uh huh” while you type kind. The kind where you hear what’s said, what’s not said, and what’s really going on underneath. In this episode of Buzzing About HR, Kate runs through three mini dramas every small business will recognise, the Employment Rights Act 2025 angle, and the simple fixes that stop things escalating. Mini drama one: “I thought you said I could.” Flexible working, hours changes, pay promises, and working from home. Agreed casually, remembered differently. Fix: treat changes to hours, days or location as a proper flexible working request. Use a form, confirm the decision in writing, and keep an audit trail. Mini drama two: “He got the holiday, I didn’t.” Most of these aren’t discrimination. They’re messy processes. Fix: one tracker, quick decisions, a clear fairness method, and a reasonable no that stays about cover, not character. Mini drama three: WhatsApp turns into a headline. A post or comment spills into work, and suddenly the team feels tense. Fix: keep work chats work-focused, set respectful boundaries, and use your dignity at work approach if someone feels targeted or unsafe. The thread across all three is the same: clear decisions, consistent processes, short notes, calm conversations. That’s what protects you, especially as expectations around reasonableness and consistency tighten under the Employment Rights Act 2025. Want support and the templates to make this easy? That’s Cake, Coffee and Compliance. One hour a month, plain English updates, three actions, and manager scripts so you’re not winging it when the If you’re not 100% sure how your HR is really holding up, take our free HR Health Check. It’s short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what’s working — and what needs a bit of love. And if you do it before 1st April 2026, you’ll get a bonus 7 Pillar Strategy-on-a-Page, tailored to help you manage HR brilliantly for the year ahead. That’s it for today, but if you fancy a bit of friendly HR advice in your inbox (with zero waffle), come and join our newsletter. We send out bite-sized tips, plain-English updates, and handy things you’ll actually use — no spam, no fluff. You can sign up here  Making AI Work for Small BusinessSecure AI for SMEs: streamline processes, cut costs, train teams to work smarter.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Thank you for tuning in to Buzzing About HR with Kate Underwood! If you enjoyed today’s episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review—your feedback helps us grow and reach more people like you. Have questions or need HR advice? Reach out to Kate Underwood HR & Training at www.kateunderwoodhr.co.uk, email us on buzz@kateunderwoodhr.co.uk or follow us on social media for more tips, resources, and updates. Until next time, keep buzzing and take care of your people!

    16 min

  6. FEB 24

    Small Business Survival Guide To The Employment Rights Act 2025

    If you have heard the words “Employment Rights Act 2025” and thought, “I’ll deal with that later,” you are not alone. Deadlines that sit a little further away feel manageable. Plenty of time. Nothing urgent. Until it is suddenly urgent and you are trying to untangle years of informal habits in the middle of an emotional people issue. In this episode of Buzzing About HR, Kate breaks down what the Employment Rights Act 2025 really means for small businesses and why the biggest risk is not the legislation itself. It is what happens in the meantime. The corridor, yes. The kitchen table promise. The “go on then” message has no detail and no review date. The inconsistent manager decision made on a busy day does not match last week’s answer. Those small moments turn into patterns. Patterns turn into expectations. Expectations turn into disputes. We talk about how risk really builds in small teams. Informal promises. Inconsistency. Silence. Silence is where minor performance issues grow roots, behaviour gets excused instead of addressed, and resentment quietly brews until it lands as a grievance or a resignation. The thread running through this episode is reasonableness. Not saying yes to everything. Not hiding behind “that’s just how we do it.” Reasonableness means decisions that fit your business, are applied consistently, and are explained clearly. You will hear what a reasonable no sounds like, why blanket refusals are risky, and the one consistency check that exposes hidden problems fast. If two people in the same role ask for the same thing, do they get the same answer, and can you explain why? You will leave with a phased approach that does not take over your life. Habits first. Alignment next. Refinement later. Clear decisions in sentences. Yes decisions confirmed with review dates. Notes that protect you without becoming novels. Managers trained to respond, not react. If you’re not 100% sure how your HR is really holding up, take our free HR Health Check. It’s short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what’s working — and what needs a bit of love. And if you do it before 1st April 2026, you’ll get a bonus 7 Pillar Strategy-on-a-Page, tailored to help you manage HR brilliantly for the year ahead. That’s it for today, but if you fancy a bit of friendly HR advice in your inbox (with zero waffle), come and join our newsletter. We send out bite-sized tips, plain-English updates, and handy things you’ll actually use — no spam, no fluff. You can sign up here  Making AI Work for Small BusinessSecure AI for SMEs: streamline processes, cut costs, train teams to work smarter.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Thank you for tuning in to Buzzing About HR with Kate Underwood! If you enjoyed today’s episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review—your feedback helps us grow and reach more people like you. Have questions or need HR advice? Reach out to Kate Underwood HR & Training at www.kateunderwoodhr.co.uk, email us on buzz@kateunderwoodhr.co.uk or follow us on social media for more tips, resources, and updates. Until next time, keep buzzing and take care of your people!

    19 min

  7. FEB 17

    Day-One SSP Is Coming: Sort Your Sickness Process Before It Sorts You

    Sick pay changes are coming fast, and messy sickness processes will feel every bump. In this episode of Buzzing About HR, we unpack what day one SSP, the removal of the lower earnings limit, and the new rate calculation could mean for small businesses, especially if you rely on part-timers, casual hours, or weekend shifts. Then we turn policy into practice with a simple framework managers can use at 7:58 a.m. when the first text arrives. We walk through the Four Cs: Clear, Consistent, Calm, Captured. You will hear how one reporting route, a firm cut-off time, and a few short, respectful questions stop absence from turning into WhatsApp drama. We cover the minimum information to collect without prying, how to set expectations while someone is off, and why a five-minute return to work chat after every absence is one of the most effective tools in attendance management. We also talk about fit notes. When they are needed, sensible deadlines, what to record and where, and how to avoid risky over-sharing of health details. This matters because health information is sensitive data, and it is easy to store more than you need. To keep culture steady, we share manager scripts you can lift and use. Warm openers that show care, and fair trigger conversations that address patterns without being harsh. Part-timers matter here, too. With more people qualifying for SSP, their admin needs the same consistency as full-timers, or resentment creeps in fast. Want the full training session and toolkit for managers? This topic is covered inside Coffee, Cake and Compliance, click to find out more  If this episode helps, share it with a manager who handles sickness calls, and leave a quick review so more small businesses can find practical HR support that actually works. If you’re not 100% sure how your HR is really holding up, take our free HR Health Check. It’s short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what’s working — and what needs a bit of love. And if you do it before 1st April 2026, you’ll get a bonus 7 Pillar Strategy-on-a-Page, tailored to help you manage HR brilliantly for the year ahead. That’s it for today, but if you fancy a bit of friendly HR advice in your inbox (with zero waffle), come and join our newsletter. We send out bite-sized tips, plain-English updates, and handy things you’ll actually use — no spam, no fluff. You can sign up here  Thank you for tuning in to Buzzing About HR with Kate Underwood! If you enjoyed today’s episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review—your feedback helps us grow and reach more people like you. Have questions or need HR advice? Reach out to Kate Underwood HR & Training at www.kateunderwoodhr.co.uk, email us on buzz@kateunderwoodhr.co.uk or follow us on social media for more tips, resources, and updates. Until next time, keep buzzing and take care of your people!

    15 min

  8. FEB 10

    Fix The System, Not The Middle Manager

    Ever find yourself stuck in the middle? One side asking, “Why isn’t this sorted yet?” The other asking, “Why are you doing this to us?” That awkward, lonely space is middle management. And for a lot of people, it feels like being squeezed from both ends with very little room to breathe. This episode is about why that role so often feels impossible, and how to make it workable without burning people out. We start by naming the real reasons middle managers struggle. Accountability without authority. Promotions based on being good at the job, not good with people. And the quiet emotional load of being the first person everyone comes to with complaints, tears, frustration, and the occasional snap. None of that is in the job description, but it shows up every day. From there, we look at the friction points that stall progress. Mixed messages from senior leaders. Managers being undermined in front of their teams. The two-job trap, where someone is expected to lead people and still be the top doer. That combination drains confidence fast and turns small issues into constant firefighting. Then we get practical. I share simple system tweaks that make a big difference. Clear standards written in plain language. Decision rights that explain who decides what. Light-touch documentation that protects the manager as much as the business. Nothing heavy. Just enough structure to stop everything feeling personal. You will also hear starter scripts managers can actually use. For performance conversations. Attendance issues. Behaviour that needs addressing early. We talk about how public backing and private coaching protect a manager’s credibility, why consistency matters more than perfection, and how removing just one admin blocker can give managers hours back each week. This episode is not about telling people to be more resilient. It is about building resilience properly. Through clarity. Authority. Skills. Backing. And time. I also share a quick audit for owners and senior leaders to check whether their setup is helping or quietly hindering their managers, plus a one-thing challenge to make next week easier than last week. If you are a manager who wants confidence rather than constant self-doubt, or a leader who is ready to stop firefighting and start seeing progress, this episode is your playbook for calmer, fairer, faster delivery. Subscribe, share it with a colleague who needs some backup, and leave a review telling us the one If you’re not 100% sure how your HR is really holding up, take our free HR Health Check. It’s short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what’s working — and what needs a bit of love. And if you do it before 1st April 2026, you’ll get a bonus 7 Pillar Strategy-on-a-Page, tailored to help you manage HR brilliantly for the year ahead. That’s it for today, but if you fancy a bit of friendly HR advice in your inbox (with zero waffle), come and join our newsletter. We send out bite-sized tips, plain-English updates, and handy things you’ll actually use — no spam, no fluff. You can sign up here  Thank you for tuning in to Buzzing About HR with Kate Underwood! If you enjoyed today’s episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review—your feedback helps us grow and reach more people like you. Have questions or need HR advice? Reach out to Kate Underwood HR & Training at www.kateunderwoodhr.co.uk, email us on buzz@kateunderwoodhr.co.uk or follow us on social media for more tips, resources, and updates. Until next time, keep buzzing and take care of your people!

    14 min
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About

🎙️ Buzzing About HR Straight-talking HR for real businesses (the kind where you are doing payroll, sales, and playing therapist before lunch). From Kate Underwood HR & Training, this podcast makes the people stuff make sense, without the corporate jargon and “synergy” nonsense. Hosted by award-winning HR expert Kate Underwood, each episode is designed for real life. You know, the moments nobody prepares you for: The employee who is brilliant at the job but chaos in the teamThe manager who avoids tough conversations until it turns into a bin fireThe “it’s only a small issue” grievance that suddenly becomes a formal complaintThe sickness pattern that is suspiciously linked to Mondays and paydayThe resignation that makes you think, “Wait… what did we miss?” This is practical HR for small businesses and busy leaders. We talk performance, absence, hiring, retention, culture, motivation, and how to stay on the right side of UK employment law without turning your business into a paperwork museum. Expect straight answers, real examples, and steps you can actually use the same day, not theory that only works in perfect-world HR departments with unlimited budgets. It’s also a permission slip to lead like a human. Clear standards, fair boundaries, decent communication, and less drama. The goal is a calmer workplace, fewer sleepless nights, and a team that actually wants to stick around. And yes, Hazel the office dog pops up too, because nothing says “people management” like a judgemental stare from a Wellbeing Officer who has never written a policy in her life. ☕ Start here: Take the FREE HR Health Check and see where your risks (and quick wins) are hiding.

Information

  • Creator
    Kate Underwood
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    64
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Buzzing About HR
  • Show Website
    Buzzing About HR