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.
☕ Start here: Take the FREE HR Health Check and see where your risks (and quick wins) are hiding.
Episodes
63 episodes
Don’t Paste That: The AI Mistake That Could Leak Your Client List
Stop Playing HR Cluedo: How to Run an Investigation Properly
“Can I Have a Word?” What to Do When Someone Raises a Concern
Later Is Not a Strategy: 3 HR Mini Dramas Every SME Must Fix in 2026
Small Business Survival Guide To The Employment Rights Act 2025
Day-One SSP Is Coming: Sort Your Sickness Process Before It Sorts You
Fix The System, Not The Middle Manager
Hiring Isn’t Tinder: Stop Swiping Right On “We’ll See If We Click”
Recognition Shapes Culture Faster Than Rules
Farewell To The Paper Round
The ERB Procrastination Trap: Why ‘Later’ Will Cost You
January Tsunami: Why People Quit
What Worked, What Hurt, And What To Change In 2026
Start 2026 Strong By Fixing Five Simple HR Jobs Today
Special Edition: The Employment Rights Act in Plain English for Small Businesses
How Small Businesses Can Build an Early Careers Pipeline That Actually Works
How To Keep Morale High And Customers Happy When December Chaos Hits
How To Get Ready For The UK Employment Rights Bill Without Drowning In Admin
Autumn Budget 2025: What It Really Means for Small Businesses
Men’s Health at Work: Posters Don’t Fix Burnout
Quiet Quitting Is Not the Problem. It Is the Warning Light
Practical Ways To Support Menopause And Keep Teams Fair
How To Keep Clients Without Breaking Employment Law
From Cake Crumbs To Fair Perks: How To Spend HR Budget Where It Works
Why Promoting Your Star Performer Can Backfire And What To Do Instead