The Employment Rights Bill - Are you Ready?

September has been a busy month for me!?We celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary this past weekend with a hike along the Dorset coastline in some beautiful autumn sunshine. I also managed to squeeze in a day at Lord's to watch the cricket and a short cycling break in Cornwall. Plus I performed in my local theatre group's production of 'Frankenstein' and we were delighted to be able to present a cheque to our chosen charity, Action for Children , for ￡3,000. Since our inception we have raised more than ￡80k for this fantastic charity, something I am super proud of.

It’s back to rain and wind today and the change in the season also marks the beginning, for many of us, of the final business quarter of the year. It’s also the period when businesses start planning for next year, reviewing the year's performance and putting in place the resources to hit new goals. This year, with the added complexities of the Employment Rights Bill coming into force, it's particularly important to be planning with a strong focus on your people strategy.

Preparing for change

To make sure you're all set for the Employment Rights Bill changes (which is due to be introduced at Parliament on 12th October) you will need someone internal to focus on what it means for your company to avoid significant and unnecessary costs.? Our People Directors recommend reviewing current business processes and people policies and are already doing this with our clients. A good starting point is understanding the numbers—for example, how many staff fall into the 18-20 age bracket, how many are on zero-hours contracts, and how many more people you’ll need in which roles to hit your targets for 2025. Carrying out an audit like this gives you a solid foundation for the year ahead.

To help with this, we’ve created a handy tool that takes just a couple of minutes to complete. It provides you with a useful report, highlighting the areas where you may need to focus as the new legislation comes into effect.

Fill in the Employment Rights Readiness Check today and receive a personalised report to see how prepared your organisation is.

Budgeting for 2025

Once your goals for 2025 are clear, it’s time to focus on your budget, particularly with the additional payroll costs the new Bill will bring. Conducting a detailed risk assessment can help you pinpoint financial risks and find ways to mitigate them. Steve Lynas , one of our People Directors, recently shared some valuable insights in his latest blog, where he outlines how to prepare for the financial impact of the Bill. He also suggests practical ways to manage costs such as through implementing innovative rewards and benefits programmes.

Creating a people plan

Defining your business plan for 2025 is just the beginning. The next step is developing an actionable people plan, one that’s defined and aligned with your business objectives. Communicating this to your entire workforce is essential—it ensures everyone understands the goals and the direction you’re headed. While the new Bill might include some surprises, having a clear roadmap that your team supports will help keep your business on track for success.

I was interested to see the latest report from Gallup , yet again reinforcing employee engagement as the number one factor for ongoing business success. It's disappointing to see how the UK continues to lag behind many countries and the negative impact this has on productivity.

You can see the impact of better employee engagement in action with our client Total Enterprise Solutions in this short video.

News from our Partners

Our friends at Freeman Clarke are offering an AI Opportunity Assessment to businesses. It’s a half-day workshop that provides a clear picture of your AI readiness and the steps you need to take to take full advantage of this powerful new technology. This workshop can be delivered pro bono to People Puzzles clients and my personal contacts, so please feel free to email me to find out more and for an introduction.

Finally, to help you prepare for 2025 here is the latest Economic Update from our partners at Vistage UK , always a very interesting read.

As always, if you need support in planning for 2025 or preparing for the upcoming changes, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help guide you through the process.

Best wishes,

Tim