Buzzing About HR
🎙️ Buzzing About HR
Straight-talking HR for the people doing payroll, sales and playing workplace therapist before lunch.
If you run a UK small business, or you're the HR-of-one trying to keep the wheels on, this podcast is for you.
No corporate jargon.
No "synergy."
Just real answers to the people's problems no one warned you about.
Hosted by award-winning HR expert Kate Underwood, each episode tackles the moments small business owners actually face:
- The employee who's brilliant at the job and causes chaos in the team
- The manager who avoids hard conversations until they turn into a bonfire
- The "small issue" grievance that suddenly becomes a formal complaint
- The sickness pattern is suspiciously linked to Mondays and payday
- The resignation that makes you think, " What did we miss?"
You'll get plain-English UK employment law, practical advice on performance, absence, hiring and retention, and grown-up culture conversations, all usable the same day. No theory. No paperwork museums. No advice that only works in big HR departments with unlimited budgets.
This is also a permission slip to lead like a human. Clear standards. Fair boundaries. Decent communication. 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" quite like a judgmental stare from a Wellbeing Officer who's never written a policy in her life.
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Buzzing About HR
Your Employees Don't Know the Difference Between FlexiTime and Flexible Working
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If you have ever had someone stroll in late, mutter “I’m on flexi time,” and then later ask to work from home every Friday like it is all part of the same thing, this episode is for you.
In this episode of Buzzing About HR, I get into one of the most common workplace mix-ups I see. FlexiTime and flexible working are not the same, and when businesses blur the line, it creates confusion for managers, employees, and anyone trying to determine what has actually been agreed.
I break it down in plain English.
FlexiTime is usually a workplace perk. It exists only if your contracts or policies state otherwise. Think of it like a little hours piggy bank. Someone works a bit extra, banks the time, and uses it later, usually within clear limits.
Flexible working is different. That is a statutory right. Employees can ask for changes to hours, days, or where they work, and you need to deal with those requests properly. Since the changes in 2024, that right starts from day one.
This episode walks through how to handle flexible working requests without making a mess of it. We cover the right process, the common traps, and why a casual “yes, let’s see how it goes” can come back to bite you later if you do not confirm what was agreed and when it will be reviewed.
We also talk about the mistakes I see all the time. The endless trial that quietly becomes permanent. The inconsistent yes that turns into a discrimination risk. The knee-jerk no that sounds fine in your head but would look shaky under scrutiny.
And yes, I cover the business reasons for refusal too, along with what good documentation actually looks like when you are trying to show your decision was fair and reasonable.
If you want to stop FlexiTime and flexible working from becoming one blurry headache, this episode gives you a simple framework to keep both clear and manageable.
Subscribe, share it with a manager who needs it, and leave a review so more small businesses can stop winging this stuff.
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If you're not sure how your HR is really holding up, take the free HR Health Check. It's short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what's working and what could do with a bit of love.
Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe so you never miss one, and leave a review if you've got thirty seconds. It honestly does help more small business owners find the show, and it's the cheapest good deed you'll do all week.
Got a question or need actual HR support? Find Kate at kateunderwoodhr.co.uk, email buzz@kateunderwoodhr.co.uk, or follow along on social.
Until next time, keep buzzing, and take care of your people.
Introduction: Dave's Flexitime Confusion
Speaker 1Restart whisper 8.59 on the dot . Janet swipes in Gold star 9.03 . Dave breezes through the door , latte in hand , looking smug , chill boss . He says I'm on flexi time , fast forward two weeks Same . Dave plonks a flexible working request on my desk so he can WFH every Friday . Same thing in it . He grins Cue HR migraine line manager meltdown and me air slapping , invisible fish while shouting Flexi time is not flexible working . Today we untangle that hot mess . So you don't end up explaining the difference to a tribunal judge wearing your sad face and holding a checkbook . Welcome buzzing business owners and heroic solo HR warriors .
Speaker 1This is Buzzing About HR , the show that turns spaghetti-like UK employment law into something you can actually serve for dinner conversation . I'm Kate Underwood , hr queen , bee , pun addict and sworn foe of policy sludge . Before we dive in a teeny bit of buzzness , subscribe Review . Five stars equals honey for the hive and a happy algorithm . Email your curly hr conundrums to podcast at kateunderwoodhrcouk . Nothing shocks me anymore , not even the can I pay staff in sourdough query ?
Speaker 1Part one flexi time unpacked . Part one FlexiTime Unpacked . What exactly is FlexiTime ? Picture FlexiTime as a workplace piggy bank for hours . Your team can start early , stay late , clock up credit and cash it in later . Your team can start early , stay late , clock up credit and cash it in later , usually inside set bandwidth hours , say
Part 1: FlexiTime Unpacked
Speaker 17am to 7pm , and core hours perhaps 10 , 12 and 2 , 4 . No legislation forces you to offer it . It's a perk , an employee experience sparkle the HR equivalent of free Friday doughnuts , except fewer crumbs in the keyboard . Real-life snapshot Sam in finance puts in 42 hours during payroll week , then books next Thursday afternoon to binge .
Speaker 1True crime podcasts , champagne moment Maybe . Legal entitlement ? Absolutely not . It only exists if your contract or staff handbook says so . Flexi time the sweet and the sting . Let's not sugarcoat it . Flexi time is a glorious sticky honeypot and occasionally a buzzy swarm . The sweet bits punctuality skyrockets . Traffic on the M5 tails vanish when folks can leave earlier . Parents can nail the school run without sprinting . Doctors Morale bump . Grown-ups like being treated like grown-ups .
Part 2: Flexible Working Legal Requirements
Speaker 1Someone has to referee core hours . Congratulations , that's you . If your policy whispers accrued hours never expire , you'll end up owing a small fortune in time off debt . Urban myth alert staff sometimes think flexitime equals overtime , pay plus extra leave . Get the policy wording crystal clear before that misconception breeds like rabbits .
Speaker 1Flexible working , the legal beast the law in plain English Side on your reading glasses for the Employment Rights Act 1996 and its snazzy 2024 tweak the Employment Relations Flexible Working Act . Here's the bite-sized rundown From 6 April 2024 , every employee has a day one right to request flexible working . Emphasis on request , not demand . They can lodge two requests every 12 months . You must consult and give a written decision within two months , unless you both agree to a longer think . To lawfully refuse , you must lean on one of the eight golden business reasons Extra cost , negative effect on customer demand , inability to reorganise work and five more equally sensible grown-up excuses Bungle the process . A tribunal can give the employee up to eight weeks pay and worse , your name lands in a legal database that Google indexes faster than bees . Find lavender . Walkthrough of the proper process , step by step , so nobody trips .
Speaker 1Step one the ask . The employee sends a written request . Email counts , a napkin technically counts if it's legible , but for the love of GDPR , let's use forms and , dare I say it , even an online one . Step two the chat . Consultation is now mandatory . Brew tea , shut the door , listen , this isn't a courtroom . Think friendly dragon's den .
Speaker 1Step three the decision . Step three the decision . Within two months . Say yes , no , or maybe after a trial , document the rationale Future , you will high five past you .
Speaker 1Step four the appeal . Not legally compulsory , but come on natural justice and good PR .
Part 3: Common Confusion Scenarios
Speaker 1Step five the paperwork . Update the contract within 28 days . Hey , it's not real until it's in writing . Classic banana skins . The endless trial . You agree to see how it goes , but forget to set an end date . Six months later is de facto permanent . The knee-jerk no . If I say yes to you , I'll have to say yes to everyone . Sadly , tribunals don't buy the slippery slope sob story by the Slippery Slopes sob story . The hidden discrimination trap Approve the dad , deny the mum , offer zero evidence . Cue wasp swarm of claims . Stop .
Speaker 1Part three where confusion blooms , fusion blooms . Flexi time and flexible working overlap like distant cousins at a wedding . Similar surname , different backstory . Let's run three mini dramas where people mix them up . Dave's Friday WFH dream .
Speaker 1Dave waves the flexi time policy because it mentions hours , but changing location office to home isn't covered . He needs a statutory flexible working request . Janet's dawn patrol Janet likes clocking in at 7am . Perfectly fine under flexi time if your bandwidth starts at Ernie . No statutory paperwork , just a nod from her manager .
Speaker 1Ali's four-day week gambit . Ali wants four 10-hour days . That changes weekly hours distribution . Essentially , contract surgery Must follow the flexible working process , not a casual flexi time chit . Chat Top alignment hacks . Write in big bold font inside your flexi time policy . This scheme is separate from statutory flexible working rights . Sign post staff to the correct request form like an airport exit sign . No one ends up in baggage . Reclaim Train managers with the mantra flexi time equals hours , bank Flexible working equals contract change . Repeat until they dream it .
Speaker 1Mythbuster parade Quick-fire myths and the reality slaps that follow . Myth Flexi time is a legal right . Reality Nope , it exists only if your contract or handbook says so . Myth we can ignore flexible working requests when workloads bonkers . Reality you still have to consult , examine evidence and issue a reasoned
Part 4: Myths and Takeaways
Speaker 1decision . Myth A flexi-time policy means I don't need a flexible working policy .
Speaker 1Reality they are different beasts . One is a perk , one is law . Keep both docks tidy . Myth Compressed hours mean part-time pay . Reality Pay only drops if total hours drop . Compressed doesn't equal pay cut .
Speaker 1Last takeaways . Let's tattoo these five on your HR soul . Flexi time is a time bank perk . It's your circus , your monkeys , your rules . Flexible working is a statutory process . Answer inside two months or prepare to grovel . Keep two clear policies . Cross-reference like best friends . Train managers Confusion spreads faster than Friday doughnuts . Document the life out of everything Future . You will send past you chocolates .
Speaker 1Part six Hivemind Q&A . The mailbag's buzzing , so let's swat a few questions . Q1 , can I run FlexiTime and still refuse a flexible working request ? Answer yes , if refusal sits on one of the eight legal reasons and you've properly consulted . Explain the distinction or face the side eye of doom .
Speaker 1Q2 . Do I need to pay
Part 5: Hivemind Q&A Session
Speaker 1overtime for fexy time hours ? Answer Answer only if your policy promises it . Most schemes swap hours for hours , no extra cash . Q3 . An employer emailed a request but skipped the form . Can I ignore it ? Answer If the email sets out the change they want , you're in process . Land the form simply keeps HR neat and tidy .
Speaker 1Q4 , can I agree a three-month trial then say no ? Answer absolutely , as long as you set trial parameters up front and refusal still rests on a valid business reason . Q5 , how often can I tweak these policies ? Tech top interpretation Answer any time business demands , just consult , give notice and remember contracts outrank policies . Q6 . Does flexi time Usually no ? Holiday pay is based on hours worked , not when they were worked , but keep clean records or risk a payroll wobble .
Speaker 1Q7 . What if two competing flexible working requests land at once ? Answer assess each on its merits . If only one can work off a compromise or use detrimental impact on performance as a reason for refusal , that evidence it . Question q8 can I terminate flexi time altogether if it's abused ? And just like that we've untangled the flexi-time spaghetti from the flexible working linguine . Keep them separate . Follow the dotted legal lines and you'll dodge tribunal-flavoured indigestion . If today's episode saved you a headache , buzz on over to Apple Podcasts , sprinkle five shiny stars and share it with the mate who still thinks compressed hours is a laundry setting . Until next time , stay compliant , stay caffeinated and keep buzzing .
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