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.
Episodes
98 episodes
We Change The Test, Not The Bar
Hiring should show you who can do the job. Not who can cope best with a noisy room, a vague task, and a stopwatch.In this episode of Buzzing About HR, I talk about neurodiversity in the workplace and how small, sensible changes ca...
Sexual Harassment Law Changed. Small Businesses Need to Catch Up
If you have not looked properly at the Worker Protection Amendment yet, this is your nudge.Since October 2024, all UK employers have a legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment at work. And yes, that includes small...
Navigating the Complexities of UK Maternity Pay: A Small Business Guide
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 ti...
Can a Well-Crafted PIP Save Your Business?
Ever shoved a Performance Improvement Plan to the bottom of a drawer and hoped the problem might somehow sort itself out?You are not the only one.In this episode of Buzzing About HR, I talk about PIPs properly. Not as scary...
Cake, Crisis & Compliance: A Decade in HR
Ten years ago, I was sitting at my Harry Potter desk under the stairs with redundancy papers in one hand and cake in the other, agreeing to “give consulting a go” for six months.Well. Those six months escalated.In this special ann...
The Legal Minefield of Retracting Job Offers in the UK
There are few hiring moments more awkward than this one.You have found the right person. You have made the offer. Everyone is happy. Then something changes, and suddenly you are asking yourself, “Can we actually take this back?”In...
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.
Your Employees Don't Know the Difference Between FlexiTime and Flexible Working
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 i...
Build a Workplace Where Everyone Thrives Without Getting Stung
Ever asked what felt like a harmless question and then immediately thought, “Oh no… was that allowed?”In this episode of Buzzing About HR, I talk about one of those moments. I casually asked a new warehouse manager about old sport...
The £17,000 Problem: Managing Absence in Small Businesses
Sick days are costing small businesses more than most people realise.When absence starts creeping up, it is not just a few inconvenient mornings. It hits productivity, piles pressure onto the rest of the team, and quietly drains money fr...
Verbal Job Offers: The Hidden Legal Traps
Verbal job offers can feel quick, friendly, and harmless. Until they are not.One enthusiastic “We’d love to have you” can carry a lot more legal weight than many small business owners or managers realise. And if things change afterwards,...
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...
Sack Races, Sangria, and Solicitors: A Summer Party Manual
Does the phrase “summer party” make you smile… or sweat?For many small business owners, that one question brings back memories. Some brilliant. Some legally expensive.In this episode of Buzzing About HR, we talk about summe...
Beyond Borders: Turning Immigration Headaches into Hiring Wins
Hiring internationally is not what it used to be.Since Brexit, EU candidates are treated the same as applicants from anywhere else in the world. For many small businesses, that has turned what used to feel straightforward into something ...
Beyond Compliance: The Human Side of Implementing Neonatal Care Leave
The clock is ticking.In just days, neonatal care leave and pay becomes law. From April 2025, eligible employees will be entitled to up to 12 weeks of additional leave if their newborn needs hospital care. For some families, that will mak...
Employment Rights Bill : A Guide for Small Businesses
The Employment Rights Bill is not a small tweak. It is one of the biggest shifts in UK employment law in years, and it will change how small businesses hire, manage, and exit people.In this episode of Buzzing About HR, Kate breaks...
Salary Sacrifice: Beating the 15% NI Increase
National Insurance rises to 15 percent in April 2025.For small businesses, that is not a headline. It is a hit to cash flow.Payroll is already one of your biggest costs. Margins are tight. And now employer NI is climbing again. Th...
Fair Pay or Favoritism
Have you ever given a quick pay rise to keep someone from leaving, only to watch it snowball into resentment across your team? That knee-jerk decision might be costing you far more than you realize.With International Women's Day approac...
The Great Office Debate: Let’s Talk Hybrid and In-Office
The future of work is a hot topic, especially as we navigate the intricate dynamics of hybrid and in-office models. In this episode, we dive deep into the battle of work styles, examining the perks and pitfalls of each approach. With many emplo...
Weathering the Storm: Strategic Approaches to Rising National Insurance for SMEs
In this episode of Buzzing About HR, host Kate Underwood takes a closer look at the rise in National Insurance contributions coming in April 2025 and what it really means for small and medium-sized businesses.With co...
Unlocking Success: Boosting Your Business with Mental Health Strategies
In this episode of Buzzing About HR, host Kate Underwood explores one of the most important topics for any workplace: mental health.For small and medium-sized businesses, the impact of poor mental health can be huge....
Buzzing About HR: Navigating Redundancy with Compassion and Compliance
In this episode of Buzzing About HR, host Kate Underwood tackles one of the hardest parts of running a business: redundancies.Whether it’s financial pressure, restructuring, or simply the need to evolve, making roles...
