The HR Podcast

Sarah Ropek

Big ideas, sized to fit your business. Every other week I bring in an expert to unpack a people topic on a UK small business owners' desks: AI adoption, leadership, culture, hiring, performance, difficult conversations and often the employment law underneath it. Dealing with a difficult employee? Trying to work out your approach to AI? Building the kind of leadership and culture that keeps good people? This is practical HR guidance and people management advice, for founders, HR and managers building a team in a small business Hosted by Sarah Ropek, founder of The Fractional HR Department

  1. 6d ago

    The Unexpected Things That Support Parents at Work | With Katie Guild

    Most employers assume supporting working parents comes down to pay, but when Nugget Savings surveyed parents about positive leave experiences, money came up only 30 to 40% of the time. In this episode, co-founder Katie Guild explains what makes the real difference: an enthusiastic welcome back, a clear plan for keep in touch days, and flexible working for parents that doesn't need a big budget. You'll hear why contacting staff on leave isn't illegal, where parental leave policies like enhanced pay and clawbacks can backfire, and what the changes to maternity and paternity leave will and won't do. It's practical, low-cost advice for small businesses without an HR team. Key Takeaways An enthusiastic welcome back costs almost nothing and matters a great deal. Printed photos of the kids on the desk, a card and genuine questions about how the juggle is going all help. No acknowledgement at all can feel cold and isolating, especially after a year of silence.It isn't illegal to contact staff on parental leave. Many employers think it is. Ask before they go what level of contact they'd like, then check in again after a couple of months, because how people feel often changes. And do invite them to the Christmas party.Pay matters, but it isn't the whole story. In Nugget's survey of positive parental leave experiences, money came up only 30 to 40% of the time. Communication, flexibility and reasonable adjustments for pregnancy count for a lot and cost little. A knowledge gap on maternity pay, including the fact that small businesses can reclaim statutory pay, often creates the tension, so lean on your accountant or payroll provider early.Plan keep in touch days rather than ad-libbing them. Decide whether it's a social catch-up or a working day, and say so upfront. Using one near the end of leave to catch up on changes, and to discuss flexible working, beats an unplanned chat when someone is holding a baby and isn't being paid for their time.Enhanced pay with a clawback is better than no enhanced policy, but watch the length. Clawbacks are typically three to six months, and the longest Nugget has seen is two years. Add a qualifying service period and it becomes a "double handcuff", so review it as you grow. Low pay is also why a third of dads don't take their full paternity leave, so making it a day-one right will help some people but not most. Timestamps [00:55] The simple power of a warm welcome back[03:32] Why contacting staff on leave is fine[06:30] Maternity pay knowledge gaps[11:10] Making keep in touch days work[17:22] Will day-one paternity leave help?[21:09] Enhanced pay and clawback clauses[25:44] A child sickness policy for parents[32:53] Three things small businesses should do Resources Mentioned Nugget Savings (nuggetsavings.com) — Katie Guild's company, with a section for small businesses on supporting working parents, plus masterclasses and corporate memberships for larger organisationsNugget Savings on Instagram and TikTok — where Katie shares advice and where parents ask questionsNugget's database of UK parental leave policies — described as the UK's biggestWorking Families research — cited for the gap in understanding of how maternity pay worksUK family leave reforms, including day-one paternity leave and the bereavement leave changes — discussed for their likely impact Katie Guild is co-founder of Nugget Savings, which helps a community of nearly 300,000 parents through the money side of maternity, paternity and parental leave and has built the UK's biggest database of parental leave policies. Sarah Ropek has written a book. HR That Nobody Notices is aimed at businesses employing between one and 50 people, and it is out in November. To be first to hear when it lands, sign up to the email list: hrthatnobodynotices.co.uk

  2. Oct 21

    Can You Stop Someone From Working for a Competitor? With Kathryn Evans

    Can you actually stop someone working for a competitor? Most business owners assume a clause in the contract does the job, but courts are reluctant to enforce non-compete clauses and the costs of trying can be eye-watering. In this episode, employment partner Kathryn Evans explains how post-termination restrictions really work, why one template for every role rarely holds up, and how enforcing employment contracts works in practice, from the first letter to an injunction. Key takeaways Post-termination restrictions are several different clauses, not one. A non-compete stops someone working for a competitor, non-solicitation stops them approaching your customers, non-dealing stops them working with customers who approach them, and non-poaching protects your staff.Courts don't like restraint of trade, so every restriction needs a clear "why". You need a legitimate aim and a restriction that goes no further than necessary.One contract for the whole team rarely works. A finance director holds lots of information but may never speak to a customer, while an account manager holds the relationships.Without a clause, only true trade secrets are protected after someone leaves, and that is a very high bar. A well-drafted definition of confidential business information matters.Taking information while still employed is a stronger breach than anything after they leave. Auditing who accesses your data helps you spot it.Enforcing employment contracts means evidence, cost and often an injunction. Garden leave and introducing someone new to key customers during the notice period are practical alternatives.A full ban on non-competes looks unlikely, but confidentiality provisions are worth reviewing now. Timestamps [00:57] What post-termination restrictions are[01:52] Non-compete, non-solicit and non-dealing explained[03:37] Protecting confidential business information[05:28] Why courts resist enforcing restrictions[09:44] Tailoring clauses to the role[19:14] Garden leave as a protection tool[20:43] Could non-competes be banned?[24:37] How enforcing employment contracts really works Resources Trethowans (trethowans.com) - the law firm where Kathryn Evans is a partner in the employment and immigration teamKathryn Evans on LinkedIn - recommended as a way to get in touch for adviceGovernment consultation on non-compete clauses - closed in February, with the outcome not yet published at the time of recording About the guest Kathryn Evans is a partner in the employment and immigration team at Trethowans, where her specialism is strategy: working out where a client wants to end up and how to get them there. Her firm describes her as direct and to the point, which makes her a useful voice on a topic where business owners often hold unrealistic expectations. A note from Sarah Sarah Ropek has written a book. HR That Nobody Notices is aimed at businesses employing between one and 50 people, and it is out in November. To be first to hear when it lands, sign up to the email list: hrthatnobodynotices.co.uk non-compete clauses, post-termination restrictions, employment law for business owners, protecting confidential business information, enforcing employment contracts, non-solicitation clause, garden leave, restrictive covenants UK, springboard injunction, small business HR advice

  3. Oct 14

    Small Businesses and the New Rules | With Tina McKenzie MBE

    Twenty-eight changes to employment law, arriving all at once, for businesses already paying more to hire people than they were a decade ago. If you run a small business and handle the people side yourself, this episode is for you. Sarah Ropek talks to Tina McKenzie, National Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses, about what the Employment Rights Act means for UK small businesses in practice. Tina brings the view from the government meeting room and from her own recruitment and property businesses. You'll hear what's changing from October 2026 and January 2027, including longer tribunal time limits, new trade union and harassment duties, and the six-month qualifying period for unfair dismissal. KEY TAKEAWAYS The FSB warned this would hit hiring. Before the law passed, 69% of small businesses told the FSB they'd recruit fewer staff and 56% said they'd scale back investment. One business out of 1,270 said it would make them hire more.October 2026 brings three changes you need to plan for. The time limit for bringing an employment tribunal claim doubles from three months to six. You'll have a duty to tell workers about their right to join a trade union. And you'll need to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, including by third parties such as customers.Unfair dismissal rights start at six months from January 2027. That's down from two years. It was the compromise the FSB negotiated against day-one rights. With tribunal waits of 38 to 39 weeks and 64,000 open single claims, Tina expects many small employers to settle rather than go through the process.The cost of hiring employees matters as much as the law. The cut in the employer National Insurance threshold to £5,000 hit part-time and student roles hardest. Tina argues the tax gained is outweighed by the jobs that no longer get created.Zero hours contracts: the detail is still to come. Tina calls it flexible labour and makes the case for it, from the pub that needs extra hands during the World Cup to the butcher on the first sunny weekend. Her view is to go after the bad actors, not every employer. If your staffing relies on flexible workers, keep an eye on the consultations. TIMESTAMPS [00:06] Meet Tina McKenzie, FSB National Chair[01:00] Small business confidence at a record low[09:23] 28 employment law changes at once[13:02] No small business impact assessment[18:45] October changes: tribunals, unions, harassment[23:59] Unfair dismissal after six months[27:46] Zero hours contracts and flexible labour[43:20] What would get small businesses hiring RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED Employment Rights Act 2025 (referred to in the episode as the employment bill)Federation of Small Businesses (fsb.org.uk). Tools on the site are free to use without being a memberStatutory Sick Pay from day one (in force from April 2026)Employment Allowance (employer National Insurance relief)Companies House reporting requirementsSmall business regulatory taskforce, co-chaired by Tina with the Small Business Minister, and its "tell government once" proposal ABOUT THE GUEST Tina McKenzie is National Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), which represents around 200,000 UK businesses, having spent four years before that as its Policy and Advocacy Chair. She co-chairs the government's small business regulatory taskforce and has spent years putting the small business case to ministers on employment rights and the cost of doing business. Since 2013 she's started and scaled her own recruitment and property businesses, so she's living these changes as an employer too. small business employment, UK small businesses, employment law changes for small businesses, Employment Rights Act 2025, cost of hiring employees, zero hours contracts, flexible working, unfair dismissal qualifying period, Federation of Small Businesses, HR for small business owners.

  4. Oct 7

    Could Doing Less Make HR More Effective?

    HR has had a rough year in the press. Too big, too slow, not enough impact. In this episode, you'll hear a genuinely honest debate about whether that criticism is fair, and what commercially focused HR actually looks like in practice. You'll learn the difference between what's legally required and what's been quietly added under the banner of “best practice,” why measuring HR ROI properly changes what gets prioritised, and how HR efficiency and automation, including AI in HR, can free people up for more strategic work rather than threaten their jobs. If you've ever wondered whether your own HR strategy and business impact are properly aligned, or whether you're spending time on the wrong things, this one's for you.  Key Takeaways  HR strategy and business impact should start with a hard question: are we doing the wrong things well, rather than the right things at all? Recent media criticism of HR's size and impact is contested and not always backed by solid comparative data, but the underlying question about prioritisation is worth taking seriously regardless.  There's a real difference between what's legally required and what's been added under “best practice.” In interviews, the vast majority of HR candidates answer scenario questions based on internal policy rather than actual statutory minimums — which suggests many HR processes have grown well beyond what risk genuinely requires.  Understanding a business's risk appetite should shape how much process HR builds in. A low-risk, short-service dismissal can often be handled simply and still be legally sound — the extra layers are a cultural and engagement choice, not a legal necessity.  Commercially focused HR means knowing the numbers, not just the policies. One simple, practical starting point: ask what the business spent on recruitment last year. Many HR teams don't know, and reviewing agency spend alone can pay for outsourced HR support within the first year.  Measuring HR ROI should go beyond headcount, absence, and turnover. Metrics like leadership time saved on people-management processes, or time-to-hire for critical roles, tend to resonate far more with the board than standard HR reporting.  AI in HR is best positioned as a way to free up capacity for strategic work, not a threat to jobs. Given how widespread burnout and capacity issues already are in the HR profession, automating manual and administrative tasks is a genuine opportunity rather than something to fear.  A good HR system is foundational to HR efficiency and automation. Reliable, up-to-date data and automated transactional processes make it possible to focus HR's time on genuinely commercial and strategic priorities instead of admin.  Timestamps  [00:56] Why this episode is a departure from the usual format [01:30] Is the media criticism of HR actually fair? [04:08] Why HR looks different in every business [09:48] Legal minimums vs “best practice” policies [13:29] Bells and whistles service vs risk protection [20:39] Metrics that actually get the board's attention [23:36] Why commercially focused HR needs to be a priority [27:52] AI in HR: automation, not replacement  Resources and Links Mentioned  Policy Exchange report — referenced regarding the growth and scope of HR functions, and the increasing length of reports such as gender pay gap submissions. ACAS codes of practice — referenced as the correct legal benchmark for HR scenario decision-making, as distinct from internal policy  Bolt CEO's decision to replace the HR team with AI and an operations function — referenced as a recent, widely discussed example in the HR press  HR strategy and business impact, commercially focused HR, HR efficiency and automation, measuring HR ROI, AI in HR, HR best practice vs legal minimum, strategic HR for small business, HR metrics that matter, HR advice for small business, future of the HR profession

  5. Sep 29

    Are Your Employees Ready for AI? | With Katie Jacobs

    You've rolled out a new AI tool and half your team seem to be working around it rather than with it. That's not stubbornness, it's a trust problem, and journalist Katie Jacobs has spent the past year finding out why. In this episode you'll hear what's actually driving AI adoption in business right now, why some workers are quietly sabotaging AI strategy instead of getting on board, and what that tells you about AI in HR going forward. Katie has spent fifteen years writing about workplace technology and brings real examples from the businesses and leaders she's spoken to, not theory. You'll get a clear look at the gap between businesses using AI well and those creating more problems than they solve, the risk to junior roles and what she'd tell any owner shaping their own AI workplace culture. If your team's reaction to AI has surprised you, this one's worth your full attention. Key Takeaways Nearly a third of workers admit to sabotaging their company's AI strategy, and that figure rises among younger staff, according to the Writer and Workplace Intelligence survey Katie discusses.Most AI problems aren't really failures of the tool. They're a mismatch between how fast people adopt AI on their own and how slowly policy and governance catch up.Cognitive atrophy is a genuine risk. Using AI to do your thinking from scratch is different to using it to stress test thinking you've already done, and the order you do that in matters.Small businesses can't promise job security in an AI world, but they can offer people the chance to stay relevant, and staff take that more seriously than most leaders expect.If you don't have a rule on what can and can't go into an external AI tool, you already have a shadow AI problem, whether you know about it or not.Businesses getting AI adoption right treat it as a leadership and culture challenge first, with honest conversations about trade-offs rather than a top-down rollout.If you're running a small business with no HR team and no legal department, the useful move isn't more process. It's making one person responsible for watching what's changing, and making it safe for anyone to say when something's gone wrong. Timestamps [00:04] Introducing Katie Jacobs [01:14] Why AI feels different this time [11:13] Shadow AI and the governance gap [21:49] The AI sabotage survey explained [26:36] What HR can actually promise staff [29:07] Businesses getting AI adoption right [33:18] The cognitive atrophy risk [38:31] Katie's three tips for business owners Resources Mentioned Writer and Workplace Intelligence survey on AI sabotage in the workplaceMcKinsey research on AI pilot ROI, referenced from memory during the conversationResponsible AI Institute and King's College London report on UK public sentiment toward AIMercer Global Talent Trends reportKatie Jacobs's white paper for the Business Culture Awards and Connected CommunityKatie Jacobs's piece in Work, the CIPD's journal for fellows, on AI and cognitive impactSarah O'Connor's columns for the Financial Times on AI and workAmazon's internal AI leaderboard, shut down after staff began "token maxing" About The GuestKatie Jacobs is a journalist who has spent around fifteen years writing about work, with the last year focused almost entirely on AI's impact on people and culture. She has worked at the CIPD and writes for a range of HR and business titles, alongside long-form research and reports for organisations including Mercer and the Business Culture Awards. Katie speaks regularly to chief people officers and HR leaders about what's actually happening as AI reshapes how people work. Follow Katie on LinkedIn AI in the workplace, AI and HR, AI adoption in business, future of work, AI workplace culture, small business HR, workplace technology, HR podcast UK, employee AI resistance, AI and culture change

  6. Sep 22

    Right to Work Checks: The Compliance You Can't Ignore | With Ian Hamilton

    When Sarah and her team audit a new client, right to work checks are non-compliant somewhere between 80 and 90% of the time. In this episode, business immigration advisor Ian Hamilton joins the podcast to walk through exactly what employer right to work compliance actually requires — for British and Irish nationals, EU nationals, and everyone on a visa in between. You'll learn the difference a share code does and doesn't prove, the working-hours traps that catch out employers with student or skilled worker visa requirements on their books, and why sponsor licence compliance has become a far higher-stakes game under the current government. You'll also get Ian's honest, practical view on what genuinely protects a business when the Home Office comes calling. Key Takeaways A right to work check must be completed before someone starts work, not after. Ian flags this as the single most common non-compliance issue he finds when auditing sponsors — if in doubt, delay the start date until the check is properly done and filed.A share code is not proof of a right to work check on its own. It only lets an employer view part of an individual's e-visa, so the actual check — and reading the full detail on any restrictions or conditions — still has to be done and recorded properly.EU nationals do not automatically have the right to work in the UK. Without settled or pre-settled status, they need a skilled worker visa or another eligible route, and this is one of the areas Ian sees businesses get caught out on most often.Working-hour limits are easy to miss and carry real risk. Students can typically work up to 20 hours a week during term time; skilled workers can do up to 20 hours a week of supplementary work for a different employer — going beyond either is a right to work compliance failure.Fines for non-compliance run up to £60,000 per employee (reduced to £45,000 for a first offence), alongside reputational risk and, for sponsors, the possibility of losing a sponsor licence entirely — which immediately affects every skilled worker that business sponsors.The Home Office increasingly cross-checks sponsor data against HMRC records. A mismatch between a certificate of sponsorship's stated salary and actual tax records is one of the most common triggers for a compliance investigation. Timestamps [00:41] What a right to work check actually is[01:24] Checks for British, Irish, and other nationals[04:10] Why EU nationals are often assumed wrongly[05:28] Working-hour limits for students and skilled workers[09:46] The real financial penalties for non-compliance[19:27] How the Home Office finds non-compliance[25:06] Section 3C leave and the two-limb test[34:00] Key takeaways for staying compliant Resources Mentioned OTB Legal — Ian Hamilton's firm, specialising in sponsor licences, skilled worker visas, and Home Office complianceImmigration Act, Section 3C — referenced regarding the extension of existing leave while a valid, in-time visa application is under considerationHome Office sponsor guidance — referenced as spanning four separate documents, described as complex and containing inconsistenciesIan Hamilton is a Business Immigration Advisor at OTB Legal, where he specialises in sponsor licences, skilled worker visas, and helping businesses stay compliant with the Home Office's sponsor management system. Drawing on his experience auditing sponsors of all sizes, he's worth listening to for a genuinely practical, on-the-ground view of where employers most often go wrong with right to work compliance — and what a strong audit trail actually looks like in practice. Follow Ian on LinkedIn right to work checks UK, employer right to work compliance, skilled worker visa requirements, sponsor licence compliance, Home Office immigration checks, UK immigration law for employers, HR compliance for small business, hiring overseas workers UK, small business HR advice, UK employment law compliance

  7. Sep 15

    What The Fair Work Agency Looks at When Investigating a Business | With Lisa Pinney OBE

    If an enforcement officer knocked on your door tomorrow, would you know what they'd be checking? The Fair Work Agency launched in April, bringing four enforcement bodies under one roof. In this episode, CEO Lisa Pinney OBE explains Fair Work Agency compliance, from National Minimum Wage to holiday pay, how enforcement actually decides who to visit, and what a risk-based approach to employment law compliance UK looks like in practice. Key Takeaways Nearly 400,000 employees were paid less than minimum wage in 2024, and 900,000 workers a year have holiday pay withheld, worth around £2bn — much of it unintentional.The Fair Work Agency merges four bodies: the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, employment agency compliance, the Office of the Director of Labour Market Enforcement, and National Minimum Wage compliance.Fair Work Agency enforcement is risk-based and intelligence-led, not random — businesses in a targeted area are often written to first, giving them a chance to self-correct.A Working Lives survey found 14% of workers experienced at least one clear legal violation over two years, across sectors and geographies.Don't assume your payroll provider is handling compliance for you — responsibility sits with the business owner.A simple gap analysis is the recommended starting point: review pay rates, deductions, and holiday pay against the legal minimum. Timestamps:[00:05] Why every employer needs to understand this[01:31] Bringing four enforcement bodies into one[07:05] What the Working Lives research revealed[09:54] How the risk-based approach works[14:00] Rising contacts since launch[39:33] What to do if this feels risky now[44:10] What success looks like in five years Resources Mentioned: Low Pay CommissionResolution FoundationWorking Lives research (May 2025)ACASgov.uk employment hubFair Work Agency LinkedIn and website About the Guest: Lisa Pinney OBE is the first CEO of the Fair Work Agency, the UK's newly formed employment enforcement body. She leads the merger of four former compliance functions into one organisation, and offers a first-hand view of how UK employment law compliance is being enforced right now. Fair Work Agency, Fair Work Agency compliance, employment law compliance UK, Fair Work Agency enforcement, employer compliance checks, National Minimum Wage, holiday pay compliance, HR compliance for small business, UK labour market enforcement, Lisa Pinney Fair Work Agency

  8. Sep 8

    What Do You Do When Half Your Team Wants The Same 6 Weeks Off?

    Half your team wants the same six weeks off, and most of them aren't asking to change their contract — they're stitching together annual leave, dependant leave, and adjusted hours to get through the summer. In this episode, Sarah Ropek and Claire Cathcart discuss practical, tested ways to manage school holiday annual leave without a rigid policy getting in the way, why flexible working for parents tends to pay you back in loyalty, and how tools like annualised hours contracts can genuinely solve the problem for the right role. You'll also get a clear, honest take on keeping things fair between parents and colleagues without children, and why a blanket corporate policy on this often causes more problems than it solves. Key Takeaways The average cost of six weeks of summer childcare is now £1,145 per child, according to Coram's 2026 holiday childcare survey — and around 4 million UK employees have changed careers, with roughly 2 million leaving a job in the past year, because an employer wouldn't offer enough flexibility, per CIPD research.Most parents manage school holiday annual leave informally, using a mix of annual leave, dependant leave, and temporary changes to hours — a formal flexible working request usually isn't the right tool for a temporary, seasonal problem.Childcare and flexible working challenges often aren't about money at all. Even parents who can afford full-time holiday clubs sometimes simply can't find one that runs the full working day, or runs during specific weeks — meaning the real constraint is availability, not willingness to pay.Annualised hours contracts can solve the problem properly for the right role. Structuring a contract so hours are averaged across the year, rather than fixed weekly, lets an employee take an extended block off in the school holidays while still meeting annual commitments — though it typically only suits a limited number of roles in most small businesses.A genuine conversation beats a rigid policy every time. Asking what a parent actually needs — can they work from home, take some calls, or need to be finished by a fixed time — produces far better outcomes than assuming a one-size-fits-all approach.Fairness between parents and non-parents needs deliberate attention. Getting ahead of summer, Christmas, and half-term leave with an early team conversation about who wants what, rather than a first-come-first-served scramble, helps prevent resentment building on either side.Flexibility offered in good faith tends to be repaid. Employees who've been supported through school holidays often come back more engaged and productive — treating this as pure cost misses the loyalty and retention benefit that comes with it. Timestamps [00:01] What do you do when everyone wants time off?[02:20] Balancing team wellbeing with client service[04:23] Why flexibility gets repaid in loyalty[06:33] Is it fair to non-parents on the team?[13:15] Annualised hours as a genuine solution[16:54] Why a rigid policy can backfire[17:43] Christmas, Easter, and half-terms too[22:02] Recap: staying fair and getting ahead of it Resources Mentioned Coram — 2026 holiday childcare survey, cited for the average cost of six weeks of summer childcare (£1,145 per child)CIPD research — cited for the statistics on employees changing careers or leaving jobs due to insufficient flexibility"Can I Make My Team Return to the Office?" — a related episode of The HR Podcast covering similar ground on flexible working school holiday annual leave, flexible working for parents, managing annual leave requests, childcare and flexible working, annualised hours contracts, flexible working policy UK, working parents at work, small business HR advice, employee retention and flexibility, HR advice for small business

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About

Big ideas, sized to fit your business. Every other week I bring in an expert to unpack a people topic on a UK small business owners' desks: AI adoption, leadership, culture, hiring, performance, difficult conversations and often the employment law underneath it. Dealing with a difficult employee? Trying to work out your approach to AI? Building the kind of leadership and culture that keeps good people? This is practical HR guidance and people management advice, for founders, HR and managers building a team in a small business Hosted by Sarah Ropek, founder of The Fractional HR Department

Information

  • Creator
    Sarah Ropek
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    49
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Sarah Ropek
  • Show Website
    The HR Podcast

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