Peas in a Podcast®

Kay Coombs & Rebecca Beard
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Before starting our own People and Culture business, we were managers on the other side of the table — held accountable for performance and results, but without the HR advice we actually needed to achieve them. So we became the people we needed. We built Peas in a Pod from scratch and went on to work with hundreds of small business owners, seeing just about every workplace drama you can imagine (and some you probably shouldn’t). We don’t sugar-coat, we don’t sit on the fence, and we don’t just hand you a process and tell you to get on with it. This podcast is candid chats between two female founders — who know exactly what leadership looks like when there’s nowhere to hide and no one coming to do it for you. We’re passionate about people, serious about results, and the ones you want in your corner when shit’s hitting the fan. Peas a Podcast® is a registered trademark owned by Peas in a Pod Consulting Limited. All rights reserved.

  1. 23h ago

    Do I Have to Pay Someone When They’re Off? The 4-Step Absence Framework | Peas in a Podcast

    An employee calls in out of the blue on a Monday morning. Their car has broken down, their boiler has exploded, or they have woken up with a migraine. Your first immediate thought as a business owner is probably: "Do I have to pay them for today?" The short answer? It depends. The longer, more critical answer? You might be asking the wrong question entirely. In Season 3, Episode 4 of Peas in a Podcast, Rebecca and Kay tackle the messy, murky reality of unplanned workplace absences. While statutory leave like maternity or paternity is strictly prescribed in law, everyday short-term call-outs sit in a grey zone where managers often feel powerless. But accepting every absence on face value and paying people by default is the fastest route to setting accidental precedents that become impossible to manage. In this episode, we unpack: Why jumping straight to "do I pay them?" skips the most important leadership steps.Controllable vs uncontrollable absences: How to spot the difference and why advance notice matters.Why text messages should be banned for absence reporting (and why direct phone calls create healthy accountability).How to get curious and gently challenge reasons without being aggressive or accusatory.The 4-step framework every manager needs: Notify, Challenge, Authorise, and Pay.The precedent trap: Why failing to inform payroll turns discretionary generosity into a legal headache.Whether you manage two people or twenty, this practical, zero-fluff episode gives you the confidence to lead with empathy, protect your culture, and take back control of attendance. Subscribe to our channel for weekly, real-talk leadership advice, and share this episode with a fellow founder!

  2. Oct 27

    Malicious Compliance, Union Access & the Quiet Signs of Unhappy Teams | Peas in a Podcast

    What happens when an employee is unhappy with their job, their workload, or your leadership? If your answer is "nobody has complained, so everyone is fine", you might be sitting on a ticking time bomb. In Season 3 Episode 3 of Peas in a Podcast, Kay and Rebecca break down the reality of employee unhappiness, where staff go when they feel unheard, and why keeping communication open is essential for every business owner and manager. With Trade Union Access legislation coming into effect on 30th October for businesses with 21+ employees, ensuring your people feel listened to is no longer just nice to have; it is a critical operational risk strategy. In this episode, we unpack: The myth of "nobody's complained": Why silence in your business is rarely a sign of satisfaction.Loud vs subtle warning signs: How unhappiness manifests, from vocal disruption to malicious compliance, side-eye, working to rule, and "the meeting after the meeting".The "we talk all the time" trap: Why proximity and informal chat do not replace structured, honoured one-to-one check-ins.Trade Union Access: How creating a genuine culture of care stops external parties from needing to step in.Role modelling feedback: How managers can take feedback without getting defensive and coach employees to self-advocate constructively.When whinging turns into a conduct issue: How to handle persistent negativity when support and forums are ignored.People problems do not fix themselves, and healthy cultures never happen by accident. Tune in to learn how to catch quiet discontent before it turns into toxic turnover or legal friction. Subscribe to our channel for weekly, practical leadership and HR advice without the corporate fluff!

  3. Oct 20

    10 Years, 3 Big Mistakes: What a Decade in Business Taught Us | Peas in a Podcast

    Reaching 10 years in business is a milestone that less than 10% of small companies ever achieve. To celebrate our 10-year anniversary on Peas in a Podcast, Rebecca and Kay (decked out in party hats and specs, courtesy of producer Beth) are putting aside the celebration cake to talk about the real stuff: the top three business mistakes made over a decade of running Peas in a Pod Consulting. In this celebratory yet refreshingly frank episode, we dive into the lessons learned from scaling a business without corporate guff. From digital overhaul disasters to boundary traps with clients and learning how to love sales, this episode is packed with real-world insights for founders, directors, and leaders at any stage of their journey. In this episode, we cover: Tech and Digital Infrastructure Overload: Why trying to launch a new website, CRM, and client portal all at once while delivering client work is a recipe for chaos, and why you can never outsource project accountability. The Client Boundary Trap: How being impact-driven led us to care more about our clients' businesses than they did, step into operational roles, and neglect our own growth (plus how we fixed it through structured programmes like Boss Mode). Overcoming the 'Sales Ick': Why relying 10 years purely on word-of-mouth referrals held us back, and how shifting our mindset from "selling" to making our value known changed everything. 10 Years of Friendship & Healthy Conflict: How staying best friends for a decade and separating intention from outcome kept our partnership thriving. Our Biggest Asset: Why our team (the real peas in our pod) is our greatest achievement. Enjoying the podcast? Please hit Subscribe, leave us a 5-star rating, and share this episode with a fellow founder or manager!

  4. Oct 13

    Third-Party Harassment & the Law: What 'All Reasonable Steps' Actually Means | Peas in a Podcast

    Welcome back to Season 3 of Peas in a Podcast! Refreshed, rearing to go, and diving straight into one of the most vital workplace topics facing business owners today: sexual harassment and third-party harassment. Employment law has undergone a massive shift. It is no longer enough to simply have an anti-harassment policy sitting in a drawer and investigate complaints after they happen. Employers now have a proactive, legal duty to take all reasonable steps to prevent harassment before it occurs. Furthermore, this duty extends to third parties: customers, clients, suppliers, service users, sub-contractors, and the general public. In this episode, Kay and Rebecca unpack what these legal changes mean for small business owners and leaders. They tackle the uncomfortable realities of workplace banter, explain why intention is not a legal defence, and break down practical ways to protect your team in environments outside your direct control. In this episode, we cover: The legal shift from taking "reasonable steps" to "all reasonable steps". What third-party harassment actually includes (from client dinners to house visits). The definition of harassment and why "unwanted conduct" is the key phrase. Why a 20-minute tick-box e-learning module will not protect your business or your staff. How to conduct practical risk assessments for high-risk scenarios involving alcohol, networking, and external client events. How to frame zero-tolerance expectations in client onboarding and commercial contracts. Building a genuine culture of care and psychological safety where employees feel empowered to speak up. If you want to ensure your business stays compliant while fostering a culture where your people feel safe and valued, this episode is essential listening. Want to explore this further? Get free access to our recorded employer webinar on preventing sexual harassment, with practical guidance to help you understand your responsibilities and where to start. Watch the free webinar here. For more practical support, look out for our upcoming Harassment: Risk & Readiness working session, where we’ll help you assess your organisation’s risks and turn the guidance into a practical action plan.

  5. Sep 8

    Burning HR Questions: Redundancy, Monday Sickies & Dismissals | Peas in a Podcast

    Welcome to the Season 2 finale of Peas in a Podcast! In this episode, Kay and Rebecca (Directors of Peas in a Pod Consulting) sit down to tackle the burning HR, management, and people management questions submitted directly by small business owners and founders. We strip away the corporate wank to give you commercial, candid, and human answers to the questions keeping you up at night. What we cover in this episode: Immediate Dismissals: Can you make an employee leave straight away when you sack them? We break down Garden Leave, Pay in Lieu of Notice (PILON), and gross misconduct.Redundancy vs Performance: Why using redundancy to offload an underperforming employee is a dangerous avoidance strategy.Managing Feedback Resistance: How to handle team members who react defensively or emotionally to constructive feedback.Sick Pay & Absenteeism: Understanding day-one Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) rules, contractual sick pay traps, and how to tackle recurring Monday absences.Managing Friends: Practical tactics for handling tough performance reviews with employees you are close with without destroying the personal relationship.Dismissal Warnings: Debunking the "three strikes and you are out" myth and understanding proper disciplinary versus capability processes. Whether you are scaling a business or managing a growing team, this Q&A offers zero-fluff, real-world advice to help you protect your business and build a healthy culture. Subscribe to our channel so you never miss an episode, and join us when we return for Season 3!

  6. Sep 1

    Trade Union Access Rights: What Small Businesses Need to Know | Peas in a Podcast

    Trade union access rights are changing at the end of October 2026 under the new Employment Rights Act, and it is set to hit small businesses like a ton of bricks. If you employ 21 or more people, trade unions will soon have a statutory right to request physical and digital access to your team and facilities to recruit and support members. In this episode of Peas in a Podcast, Kay and Rebecca break down the dry legal jargon into plain, actionable advice. From understanding access agreements and strict 15 day response windows to avoiding fines starting at £75,000, we cover everything small business owners need to know before October. In this episode, we cover: Who this law actually applies to (the 21-employee threshold across all sites). What an access agreement looks like and why you cannot ignore it.How to negotiate and compromise on reasonable room access and meeting timings.The severe financial penalties for failing to engage (fines from £75k up to £500k).Why company culture is your best defence and why culture work is no longer pink and fluffy.Practical HR steps to prepare, including contract updates and staff written statements. Connect with us: peasinapodconsulting.org.uk instagram.com/peasinapodconsulting Subscribe for weekly HR and leadership advice without the corporate wank!

  7. Aug 25

    Accidental Managers: The 5 Responsibilities You Weren't Told About | Peas in a Podcast

    Did you know that 82% of managers are appointed without any formal management training? They are "accidental managers", promoted because they were great at their technical job, but suddenly expected to lead people without a roadmap. Expecting a top technical performer to manage people without development is like telling a brilliant chef, "You're cracking with knives, why don't you have a go at open heart surgery?" In this episode of Peas in a Podcast, Rebecca and Kay break down the five core areas of responsibility you actually take on when you step into management. From holding the line on team performance to managing frontline legal risks, we strip away the corporate wank to give you an honest blueprint for real-world leadership. In this episode, we cover: The 82% statistic and the trap of the accidental manager.Why employee underperformance is often a direct reflection of management capability.Mastering difficult conversations, from performance feedback to unpopular leadership decisions.Frontline decisions and legal risks: How casual habits create costly precedents.Psychological safety: Why tiny daily actions build or destroy workplace trust.Role modelling and credibility: Why your behaviour is always under the microscope. Level up your leadership with BossMode® Bootcamp Managing people is hard, but you do not have to figure it out alone. BossMode® Bootcamp is our signature 8 week management programme for founders, team leaders, and new managers who want practical, no-nonsense tools to build high-performing teams with clarity and control. 👉 Explore BossMode® Bootcamp details and enrolment: https://peasinapodconsulting.org.uk/courses/ Connect with us: peasinapodconsulting.org.uk facebook.com/piapconsulting instagram.com/peasinapodconsulting Subscribe for weekly HR and leadership advice without the corporate wank!

  8. Aug 18

    From Fish & Chip Shops to Founder Therapy: Our 10-Year Journey | Peas in a Podcast

    Have you ever wondered why you started your business in the first place, especially on the days when managing people makes you want to pull your hair out? You are not alone. This week on Peas in a Podcast, Rebecca and Kay strip back the corporate front to share their own founding story as Peas in a Pod Consulting turns 10. From 15-year-old Rebecca demanding her £60 holiday pay in a Reading chip shop, to Kay growing up in a vicarage learning servant leadership, this episode is an honest peek behind the curtain at what truly drives our business. We unpack why every business owner needs to reconnect with their original "why", how personal values shape company culture, and why neither of us ever set out to run a traditional HR firm. Plus, we share a few of our most embarrassing early-day c**k-ups (including a website that looked suspiciously like Asda and 17 printed forms for phone calls that never came!). Subscribe for weekly zero-fluff leadership advice!

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About

Before starting our own People and Culture business, we were managers on the other side of the table — held accountable for performance and results, but without the HR advice we actually needed to achieve them. So we became the people we needed. We built Peas in a Pod from scratch and went on to work with hundreds of small business owners, seeing just about every workplace drama you can imagine (and some you probably shouldn’t). We don’t sugar-coat, we don’t sit on the fence, and we don’t just hand you a process and tell you to get on with it. This podcast is candid chats between two female founders — who know exactly what leadership looks like when there’s nowhere to hide and no one coming to do it for you. We’re passionate about people, serious about results, and the ones you want in your corner when shit’s hitting the fan. Peas a Podcast® is a registered trademark owned by Peas in a Pod Consulting Limited. All rights reserved.

Information

  • Creator
    Kay Coombs & Rebecca Beard
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Kay Coombs & Rebecca Beard
  • Show Website
    Peas in a Podcast®