Buzzing About HR
🎙️ Buzzing About HR
Straight-talking HR for real businesses (the kind where you are doing payroll, sales, and playing therapist before lunch).
From Kate Underwood HR & Training, this podcast makes the people stuff make sense, without the corporate jargon and “synergy” nonsense.
Hosted by award-winning HR expert Kate Underwood, each episode is designed for real life. You know, the moments nobody prepares you for:
- The employee who is brilliant at the job but chaos in the team
- The manager who avoids tough conversations until it turns into a bin fire
- The “it’s only a small issue” grievance that suddenly becomes a formal complaint
- The sickness pattern that is suspiciously linked to Mondays and payday
- The resignation that makes you think, “Wait… what did we miss?”
This is practical HR for small businesses and busy leaders. We talk performance, absence, hiring, retention, culture, motivation, and how to stay on the right side of UK employment law without turning your business into a paperwork museum. Expect straight answers, real examples, and steps you can actually use the same day, not theory that only works in perfect-world HR departments with unlimited budgets.
It’s also a permission slip to lead like a human. Clear standards, fair boundaries, decent communication, and 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” like a judgemental stare from a Wellbeing Officer who has never written a policy in her life.
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Buzzing About HR
Navigating the Complexities of UK Maternity Pay: A Small Business Guide
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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 UK maternity regulations and Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), transforming this often-dreaded HR challenge into a manageable process for small business owners. With approximately 600,000 mothers claiming SMP annually and a shocking 77% experiencing some form of discriminatory treatment, getting this right isn't just about compliance—it's about creating a supportive workplace culture that values employees through major life transitions.
We break down the financial advantages many businesses miss: the ability to reclaim 92% of SMP costs from HMRC, rising to an impressive 108.5% for qualifying small employers. You'll get a plain-English rundown of the relevant UK legislation, including the Employment Rights Act 1996, Equality Act 2010, and the freshly-minted Redundancy Protection regulations extending safeguards to 18 months post-birth. Through cautionary tales of real tribunal cases—where mishandled maternity situations led to compensation awards upwards of £350,000—you'll understand the costly consequences of getting this wrong.
The heart of the episode offers my battle-tested 12-step maternity management process, covering everything from the moment an employee shares their news through to their successful return to work. We tackle persistent myths (no, employees don't have to repay SMP if they don't return, and no, small businesses aren't exempt from regulations), and answer your burning questions about everything from milk storage requirements to partner attendance at antenatal appointments.
Whether you're currently supporting an employee through maternity leave or want to prepare for future situations, this episode provides the practical guidance and confidence you need. Subscribe to Buzzing About HR for more straightforward advice that turns HR headaches into opportunities to strengthen your business while staying firmly on the right side of employment law.
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Until next time, keep buzzing and take care of your people!
Legal Lowdown: UK Maternity Laws
Speaker 1Picture 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. 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, 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.
SMP Math and Deadlines
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 records three years. Two cautionary cases records three years. Two cautionary cases Ginterversi's Bridge of Weir Care Home Limited 2025.
12-Step Maternity Management Process
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 straight 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.
Myth Busting and Mini Dramas
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. We 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.
Listener Q&A on Maternity Issues
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. What 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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