People Puzzles Midlands September Newsletter

Now autumn is upon us (pumpkin latte season in our house) you may well be planning ahead 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 it to avoid significant and unnecessary costs.  Our People Directors recommend reviewing business processes and people policies and are already doing this with 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 extra 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 Midlands 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 1 factor for ongoing business success. You can see the impact of better engagement in action with our client Total Enterprise Solutions in this short video.

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.

With best wishes for the coming month

Nicola