Buzzing About HR
🎙️ Buzzing About HR
Straight-talking HR for real businesses.
By Kate Underwood HR & Training, this podcast makes people management make sense.
Hosted by award-winning HR expert Kate Underwood, each episode cuts through the jargon to share practical tips, real business stories, and smart ways to handle the people stuff that keeps you up at night.
From tricky conversations to team motivation and staying on the right side of employment law, Kate gives you what you actually need — no fluff, just advice you can use today.
If you run a small business, lead a team, or simply want to make your workplace a little less stressful and a lot more human, this is your weekly caffeine hit of HR wisdom — powered by cake, coffee, and the wisdom of Hazel, our resident Wellbeing Officer.
☕ Start by seeing where you stand: Complete a FREE HR Health Check for your business.
Episodes
35 episodes
How To Get Ready For The UK Employment Rights Bill Without Drowning In Admin
Big HR changes are on the way, and we’re turning the noise into a clear plan. Kate breaks down the Employment Rights Bill for UK small employers with plain-English timelines, practical examples, and the exact places to focus so you protect peop...
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Season 1
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Episode 38
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17:45
How The Autumn Budget 2025 Hits Small Businesses
In this episode of Buzzing About HR, I am digging into the Autumn Budget 2025 and what it actually means for small businesses. The headlines sound promising, but if you run a business, you know the real story is always in the numbers. This epis...
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Season 1
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Episode 37
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16:04
Practical Ways To Support Menopause And Keep Teams Fair
In this episode of Buzzing About HR, I am diving into a question that so many businesses quietly worry about. Does offering menopause support genuinely help you keep brilliant people, or does it risk looking like special rules that create tensi...
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Season 1
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Episode 32
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18:10
How To Keep Clients Without Breaking Employment Law
In this episode of Buzzing About HR, I am diving into one of those moments every HR person and business owner knows too well. A client is pushing for speed, your gut is shouting no, and you are stuck trying to keep the work without dropp...
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Season 1
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Episode 31
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11:57
From Cake Crumbs To Fair Perks: How To Spend HR Budget Where It Works
A birthday cake, a messy keyboard, and a very pleased office dog set up a sharper question: are your perks pulling their weight or just glossing over deeper problems? We dig into a clear, UK‑focused approach to benefits that actually help peopl...
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Season 1
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Episode 30
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8:19
Why Promoting Your Star Performer Can Backfire And What To Do Instead
In this episode of Buzzing About HR, host Kate Underwood tackles a familiar challenge for many businesses: what happens when your best doer becomes your newest manager.You know the story. Someone’s brilliant at their job, s...
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Season 1
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Episode 29
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7:40
Flu Jabs: Perk or Pressure?
Flu-jab season can help teams or harm trust. We show how to offer voluntary, privacy-first vouchers that cut absence without rota penalties, proof demands, or “us and them” culture.• why winter absence spikes disrupt rotas• how a vo...
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Season 1
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Episode 28
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8:20
You Can't Fire Someone Just Because They Called You a Dickhead
Heated words exchanged on a Friday afternoon lead to an instant dismissal that could cost a business thousands in tribunal payments. Why? Because process matters more than the actual language used.Whether you're running a small business...
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Season 1
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Episode 27
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16:44
Beyond the Wagging Tails: The Real Impact of Dogs in the Workplace
Office dogs can transform workplace culture when implemented thoughtfully, but require careful planning to avoid potential pitfalls. From boosting morale and facilitating connections between colleagues to serving as recruitment tools, dogs offe...
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Season 1
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Episode 26
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10:34
How One Appeal Mistake Cost a Pub More Than Halloumi Fries
A shift manager with a clean record was unfairly dismissed for giving a colleague a 50% staff discount for takeaway food instead of the policy-compliant 20%. The tribunal ruled that the appeal process failed to consider proportionality, treatin...
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Season 1
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Episode 25
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10:30
HR Without the Headache: Decoding the Employment Rights Bill
Feeling overwhelmed by the Employment Rights Bill landing in your inbox? Take a deep breath – you've got time. The latest legal roadmap outlines changes rolling out in stages between 2025 and 2027, not crashing down tomorrow.This episod...
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Season 1
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Episode 24
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9:24
The Reality Check Your Business Needs Before Hiring Your Next Freelancer
Have you ever hired someone who invoices monthly, works regular hours, and calls themselves a freelancer? That seemingly straightforward arrangement might be putting your business at serious financial risk. I'm shedding light on the murky world...
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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10:04
Equal Does Not Always Mean Identical
Hiring should reveal real skill, not who can sprint through a noisy, time-pressured hoop. We take a hard look at neurodiversity in UK workplaces and show how to swap tick-box gestures for simple, lawful changes that raise the bar for everyone. ...
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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16:51
Your Business Has a Legal Duty to Prevent Sexual Harassment—Here's Exactly What to Do
Have you caught up with the Worker Protection Amendment yet? Since October 2024, all UK employers have a legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment at work - and there are no exemptions for small businesses.Whether...
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Season 1
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Episode 21
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12:09
Navigating the Complexities of UK Maternity Pay: A Small Business Guide
Drowning in maternity paperwork? Feeling like you're juggling flaming spreadsheets while trying to decipher HMRC emails more terrifying than overdraft notifications? You're not alone.Today's episode dives deep into the complex world of ...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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13:37
Can a Well-Crafted PIP Save Your Business?
Ever hidden a Performance Improvement Plan in your bottom drawer, hoping you'll never need it? You're not alone. Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) are often dreaded by managers and employees alike, but this episode transforms th...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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13:59
Cake, Crisis & Compliance: A Decade in HR
A decade ago, I sat at my Harry Potter desk under the stairs, redundancy papers in one hand and a comforting slice of cake in the other, reluctantly agreeing to "try" consulting for six months. Ten years, countless cups of coffee, and an embarr...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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11:48
The Legal Minefield of Retracting Job Offers in the UK
Every HR professional and small business owner dreads that moment: you've extended a job offer to your perfect candidate, only to discover you need to take it back. Whether it's an unexpected budget freeze, a failed reference check, or a genuin...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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13:05
Between Algorithms and Empathy: The Future of HR
Have you ever wondered if robots are coming for your HR job? After my visit to the HR Technologies UK show at Excel London, I've been buzzing with questions about artificial intelligence in Human Resources—and it turns out you have been too.
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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14:36
Your Employees Don't Know the Difference Between FlexiTime and Flexible Working
The line between FlexiTime and flexible working has become increasingly blurred in today's workplace, causing headaches for managers and HR professionals alike. This episode dives straight into the heart of this common confusion with a relatabl...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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14:39
Build a Workplace Where Everyone Thrives Without Getting Stung
Ever had that gut-dropping moment when you realize a seemingly innocent question might land you in legal hot water? That's exactly what happened to me when I casually asked a new warehouse manager about old sports injuries – and suddenly found ...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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17:46
The £17,000 Problem: Managing Absence in Small Businesses
Sick days are costing British small businesses more than ever. With absence levels hitting a ten-year high at 7.8 days per employee annually, the financial impact is staggering – nearly £17,000 for a 25-person company. That's three weeks of com...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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20:40
Verbal Job Offers: The Hidden Legal Traps
Navigating the legal minefield of verbal job offers can be tricky terrain for even the most experienced HR professionals. Have you ever wondered if that enthusiastic "We'd love to have you!" creates a legally binding contract? The answer might ...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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11:45
HR's Secret Weapon: IP Protection Without the Legal Headache
Every small business has valuable intellectual property—far beyond what you might imagine. Your sales strategies, client lists, training materials, and even the clever copy on your website represent significant assets, but are you protecting th...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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12:22
Sack Races, Sangria, and Solicitors: A Summer Party Manual
Brilliant business owners, do you break into a cold sweat when someone asks about the summer party? You're not alone. That single question can unlock memories ranging from legendary team bonding to legendary legal bills.Summer socials a...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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15:13