HR Guides
Running a small or medium‑sized business means juggling many responsibilities - from day‑to‑day operations to keeping pace with ever changing employment legislation. Our HR Guides are designed to make that easier.
Each guide tackles HR challenges specifically for UK SMEs, breaking down complex legal requirements into straightforward, actionable steps.
At HR Results Ltd, we believe HR should empower, not overwhelm. Our goal is to give you clarity, confidence, and peace of mind, so you can focus on running your business with a strong, compliant foundation.
Explore the guides below and use them as a reliable resource for effective, legally sound HR management. And if you need tailored support, we’re here to help every step of the way.
HR Guides to download
The employers guide to October 2026 harassment rule changes
From October 2026, employers will have two tougher legal duties around harassment.
The first: if you're taken to tribunal over a sexual harassment claim, you need to be able to show that there were genuinely no further steps you could reasonably have taken to prevent it from happening.
On top of that, employers will also be liable for third-party harassment.
This means that you also need to take all reasonable steps to prevent harassment by clients, customers, contractors and members of the public.
If you haven't started preparing yet, now is the time.
Our latest guide walks you through what this all means and includes a 6-step checklist to make sure that you're covered if anything happens.
Why you can't afford to get dismissals wrong anymore
Here's how dismissing employees is getting riskier and more expensive for small business owners like you...
From January 2027, employees can claim that they were unfairly dismissed after just six months of employment.
Anyone hired from 1 July 2026 is already in that window.
The compensation cap is being removed entirely from January too.
That means potentially unlimited payouts for employees who win a tribunal.
One employer recently paid £66,295 plus costs for a single unfair dismissal claim.
Here's what to have in place now:
1. A watertight probation process.
During probation, make sure that you run structured reviews, document all concerns in writing and give employees a genuine opportunity to respond.
Your probation period should also include a clear review process and give you the right to extend it if needed.
2. A probation period of less than 6 months.
A 6-month probation that runs right up to the point an employee gains unfair dismissal rights gives you no room to act if concerns emerge late.
Whereas 3-4 months means that if you decide to let them go as a result of your end-of-probation review, you're doing it in a window where they can't make a claim.
3. Trained managers.
Check that your managers know what a fair dismissal process looks like in practice. Most don't and this can leave you exposed if they handle the dismissal process poorly.
If you're already thinking about dismissing someone, get advice before you act. The earlier you bring in support, the more options you have.
The employer's guide to HR software
A new law was introduced in April stating that employers must keep “adequate records of annual leave and holiday pay”.
This is to prove that you're calculating and paying holiday correctly.
In practice, that means keeping records for up to six years (because that’s how long you could be challenged on it).
If you can’t evidence how holiday was calculated, you don’t have a defence.
This is where HR software becomes essential.
Not only does it help you to manage and automate annual leave and holiday pay, it also provides you with a complete record.
If you're still managing employee documents and records in filing cabinets or on spreadsheets, it's now time to centralise everything within your chosen HR software.
To help you, we’ve put together a simple employer’s guide that breaks down:
What HR software actually does
Why this change matters now
How to choose the right system for a small business
If you'd like a free copy, please comment or send me a DM saying "HR Software".
The employer's guide to the new 6-month dismissal rules
From 1 July 2026, anyone you employ can claim unfair dismissal after just 6 months.
No more 2-year grace period or informally managing people out.
That changes how you hire, how you onboard, how you run probation and how you manage performance.
Our latest guide breaks down:
1: What's actually changing and when it takes effect
2: What it really costs when it goes wrong (spoiler: it's a lot more than the headline tribunal figure)
3: The 3 things you need to get right before 1 July, onboarding, probation and performance management
4: A practical checklist for protecting your business now
How to get the right HR support for your buisiness
You know you need HR support for your business, but how do you know which is the right type?
Should you hire someone full-time? Outsource it to a big provider? Work with an independent consultant?
Each option has different strengths, risks and costs.
It's a lot to consider, but our latest guide breaks all of this information down so you can more easily work out what's best for a small business like yours.
The employers guide to suspensions
When's the right time to suspend an employee?
In our latest guide, we tell you everything you need to know about suspensions and how to safely suspend an employee to protect your business.
The importance of creating an HR budget
This is the most costly way to manage your people...
Most business owners don't create an HR budget like they do for other areas of their business.
Instead, they only spend money on HR when they have to in order to fix problems when they arise, like disciplinaries and grievances.
But managing HR in this reactive way is incredibly expensive, disruptive and delivers no return.
Whereas, when you create an HR budget and proactively invest in people management, it does the opposite.
You improve HR metrics, get better performance out of your team and it helps to protect/grow the bottom line.
So why not take the money you spend on bad HR and put it to some use in a proactive HR budget?
You haven't got anything to lose.
Lawful right-to-work checks
If you’re hiring someone new, you must check that they have the legal right to work in the UK before they start.
That applies to any role and any nationality.
Get it wrong and you risk fines of up to £60,000, plus serious damage to your business and reputation.
We've put together a step-by-step guide to lawful right-to-work checks.
The business owner's guide to protecting your company when key people leave.
When someone important leaves your business, the impact is immediate.
Without a plan for who can step up, knowledge walks out the door.
You pay higher wages for external replacements.
Your business value drops when everything depends on specific people.
Succession planning simply means knowing who could take over key roles and getting them ready before you need them.
Contact Us Today
For advise and guidance on all HR matters
Call today on 07813 084152 or complete and send form below for a free callback