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.
☕ Start here: take the FREE HR Health Check and see where your risks and your quick wins are hiding.
New episodes every Tuesday.
Buzzing About HR
Navigating the Complexities of UK Maternity Pay: A Small Business Guide
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If maternity paperwork makes you want to lie down in a dark room, you are not alone.
In this episode of Buzzing About HR, I break down maternity leave and Statutory Maternity Pay in plain English, so you can stop panicking every time HMRC sends you something that looks vaguely threatening.
Because this is one of those areas where a lot of small business owners worry they are going to get it wrong. The rules feel fiddly, the paperwork can be a pain, and the fear of saying the wrong thing is very real. But getting it right matters. Not just because of compliance, but because of how you handle maternity says a lot about your business and the kind of employer you are.
We cover the basics you actually need. Who qualifies for SMP, what notice employees need to give, how much you can reclaim from HMRC, and why some small employers can recover more than they realise. We also talk through the legal side, including maternity rights, pregnancy discrimination, and the newer redundancy protection rules that extend protection well beyond the birth itself.
I also share the step-by-step process I use to manage maternity properly, from the first conversation through to return to work. The aim is to help you feel calm, organised, and clear on what happens when, instead of juggling paperwork and hoping for the best.
And yes, we tackle the questions people actually ask. What if they do not come back? What if the role changes while they are off? What are you meant to do about KIT days, antenatal appointments, and all the practical things no one explains properly?
This episode is here to make maternity feel manageable, not overwhelming.
If you run a small business, manage people, or know this is one of those HR topics you tend to put off until it is urgent, this one is worth a listen.
Subscribe, share it with a manager who needs it, and leave a review so more small businesses can find straightforward HR support that actually makes life easier.
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 30th October 2026 you’ll get a bonus 7 Pillar Strategy-on-a-Page, tailored to help you manage HR brilliantly for the year ahead.
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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.
Picture this it's half seven on a drizzly Monday and I've nipped into one of my lovely clients who runs a tiny indie cafe for my chai latte fix . The owner vaults the counter brandishing a fistful of crumpled payslips , like she's caught a rogue seagull . Kate , I'm drowning . Paul is about to start maternity payroll's sulking and HMRC keep pinging me scarier emails than my overdraft notifications
Cafe Crisis: Maternity Pay Panic
Speaker 1. Cue coffee foam on the floor , one bleary-eyed barista and the statutory deadline ticking louder than the grinder Sound the tiniest bit familiar . Grab your brew and stick with me . By the end of this episode you'll pour latte art and run maternity leave smoother than a llama zocco . Hey , hrbs , kate Underwood here buzzing at you from sunny New Forest with another episode of Buzzing About HR . Show notes and all the notey things can be found online . No frantic scribbling needed . Part one setting the scene . Let's talk numbers before the latte calls . Roughly 600,000 mums tap statutory maternity pay every year , with most working in outfits our size A landmark . Equality and Human Rights Commission study found 77% of mums hit at least one negative or downlight discriminatory wobble at work . Equalityhumanrightscom
Legal Lowdown: UK Maternity Laws
Speaker 1, if maternity admin feels like juggling flaming spreadsheets , you are definitely not alone .
Speaker 1Part 2 . Benefits vs Headaches . Perks first . Loyal staff return sharper and armed with adorable baby pics . Hmrc lets you reclaim 92% of SMP , or a whopping 108.5% if last tax year's Class 1 NI bill was 45k or under . Small employer relief , govuk Headaches , cash flow gaps , rota chaos and that creeping fear of an employment tribunal . Envelope . Part three the legal lowdown . The legal lowdown .
Speaker 1Key UK laws , plain English cheat sheet . I warn you . Now there are many . Employment Rights Act 1996 . The right to maternity leave and paid antenatal appointments . Equality Act 2010 . Bans pregnancy or maternity discrimination . Statutory Maternity Pay Regs 1986 sets how SMP is calculated and paid . Health and Safety Regs 1999 . Employers must do a pregnancy risk assessment . Workplace Regs 1992 , provided clean private space , not the loo for rest or expressing milk . Employment rights increase of limits order 2024 delifts the cap on tribunal awards . Redundancy protection rage 2024 , extra protection against redundancy up to 18 months after birth . To 18 months after birth . Money maths 2024-2025 tax year Weeks 1 to 6 , 90% of average weekly earnings . Weeks 7 to 39 , current S&P rate or 90% of a war , whichever's lowergovuk Deadlines you dare not miss .
Speaker 1Employee notifies you by the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth , ewc and hands over the MAT B1 . You confirm leave and pay within 28 days . Smp can start 11 weeks pre-due date . Keep all
SMP Math and Deadlines
Speaker 1records three years . Two cautionary cases records three years . Two cautionary cases Ginterversi's Bridge of Weir Care Home Limited 2025 .
Speaker 140 ignored calls , missing pay slips , no-transcript . Ms N Hines , the mighty limited 2024 manager , dubbed her emotional and hormonal , blocked her return . Pay up , boosted to 350k on appeal . Moral pay on time . Talk often diarize everything . Six part four step-step process walkthrough Biro ready . Here's my 12-step sanity saver Celebrate first , then paperwork . Log the MATB1 the same day it lands .
Speaker 1Run an individual pregnancy risk assessment
12-Step Maternity Management Process
Speaker 1straight away . Note hazards lifting long shifts , chemicals , agree tweaks . Review each trimester and again before the return Green light every antenatal appointment . Paid time off . No quibbles . Partners get two unpaid visits up to 6.5 hours each .
Speaker 1Check SMP eligibility . 26-week service . By that 15-week mark Earnings above the statutory minimum . This changes each year . Send a friendly confirmation letter . Plot an SMP calendar in payroll including each employer payment summary date for reclaim . Watch for pay rises between the eight-week AWE window and the end of leave .
Speaker 1Recalc or risk claims Plan cover fixed term hire agency temp or upskill the team remember cheap if you outsource . Book up to 10 kit days paid by mutual agreement only . Paid by mutual agreement only . Prep the return to work . Risk review . Incorporate breastfeeding needs , private room , not the loo , extra breaks , fridge shelf for express milk . Archive everything for three years Future . You will thank you .
Speaker 1Part five myth buster parade she has to pay back S&P if she resigns . Note statutory equals non-returnable . Micro businesses are exempt . Wishful thinking . The law doesn't care . How many staff you have are exempt . Wishful thinking . The law doesn't care how many staff you have .
Myth Busting and Mini Dramas
Speaker 1We can delay S&P until cash flow improves . Ask Bridge of Ways finance team how that turned out . Cover contractors can just be self-employed Only if HMRC agrees . Test the status . Back to work . Chats are intrusive . Actually they slash tribunal risk and boost retention .
Speaker 18 Part 6 Mini Dramas Drama 1 . The Vanishing Paceslip . I'll ping Sally's Paceslip next quarter . Drama 1 . The vanishing payslip . It's already six weeks late . What a way to do ? Fix Auto-email payslips . Each SMP instalment must be crystal clear . Remember Ginter . Drama 2 . The ghost promotion we filled your role while you were off . Seriously feeks . Unless genuine redundancy , her job or a better one must be waiting . Ask Mighty's HR what ignoring that costs . Drama 3 . The Forgotten Pay Rise . Charlotte's 5% rise happened after she left . Ignored in SMP . Drama three the forgotten pay rise . Charlotte's 5% rise happened after she left . Ignore it in SMP . Hmrc says that's illegal .
Speaker 1Chief Six recalculate average weekly earnings . Top up SMP . Adjust your reclaim . Part seven practical takeaways Diary every key date , automate payroll and EPS filings . Check in monthly . Even a nothing new email builds trust . Document decisions screenshots . Count Upskill line managers on pregnancy etiquette .
Speaker 1Part eight listener Q&A . Can I pay SMP in one lump slash ? Engage Only if she agrees in writing , otherwise stick to normal pay cycles . Engage only if she agrees in writing , otherwise stick to normal pay cycles . Q2 . We're skint . Can HMRC front the cash ? Yes , file form CA3822 or ring the statutory payments helpline .
Speaker 1Q3 . She's not entitled to SMP .
Listener Q&A on Maternity Issues
Speaker 1What now ? Issue from SMP1 within seven days . Signpost her to maternity allowance on govuk . Q4 . Does holiday still build up ? Yep , full 5.6 weeks Accruing throughout leave . You can agree carryover and don't forget the back holidays . Q5 . Daily WhatsApps OK , only if she invites them . Reasonable kit days equals fine Bombardment equals discrimination . Q6 , we offer enhanced pay . Can we claw it back if she doesn't return ? Yes , but only if a signed policy says so and you apply it fairly . Q7 . Do dads get the same master reclaim ? They do 92% or 108.5% , just like SMP for qualifying small employers , govuk .
Speaker 1Q8 . Must I supply a fridge for expressed milk . Milk , the law says suitable storage . Hse and ACAS both praise a dedicated fridge . Shelf Tribunals frown on warm milk . Q9 . How many antenatal appointments are we talking ? The average is 10 , but it's whatever the GP or midwife recommends . You pay her usual rate . Partners get two unpaid slots up to 6.5 hours each . Q10 . Do I really need a separate risk assessment for each pregnancy ? Pregnancy Autumn absolutely . Regs 16 to 18 . Make it a bespoke exercise that you update as bump or breastfeeding progresses . And there we have it . If my client , the the rooster , can tame maternity mayhem , you can too . I'm Kate Underwood . Thanks for buzzing about hr with me . Until next time , keep calm and comply on .
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