HR Action List

3 Things HR Teams Should Be Doing During August 2026

1 Training Training Training (anti-harassment)

If you haven’t got your anti-harassment training booked for September get this scheduled NOW !!! Unless you have been living under a rock for the last 9 months you will have been bombarded with the news that from 30 October employers are required to take “ALL reasonable steps to prevent harassment” and that employers will also be liable for harassment from third parties. “All reasonable steps” is a jolly high bar and employers that have not run updated training for their workforce will almost certainly fail to meet it. If you would like to discuss our cost-effective (it really is) tailored workplace training – specifically designed to help you meet your obligations, request a call back below.

1 (I know “1” again but it felt like cheating to call this “2”) Training Training Training (managing probation)

Employees joining after 30 June will need to have to have their probation managed carefully as they (along with longer serving staff members) will have unfair dismissal rights from 1 January 2027. Knowledge is not your problem. Managers not managing ARE YOUR PROBLEM! No one likes dealing with poor performance so it either gets put off, or messages about the requirement to improve are not delivered clearly. This was less of a problem when a) you had two years before the right to bring claims kicked in and b) unfair dismissal claims were capped! It is now more important than ever before that managers understand that it is their job to be on top of this and that a failure to do so is poor performance on their part. We are running training programs for clients to convey the importance of performance management and build confidence in tackling performance effectively. If you would like more information or to discuss what we can do for your organisation, request a call back.

2 Updating Policies and Workplace Signage

Update Policies on probation and performance management – for the reasons above.

Update policies on harassment – and not just those for your workforce. Consider terms of business and policies applicable to clients, contractors, vendors and visitors to the workplace.

Signage – if you don’t have signs up in public areas of your office making it clear that you will not tolerate harassment of staff and reminding visitors to treat staff with dignity and respect then from 30 October you will be falling foul of your obligations (see above).

Update Policies on Right to Work – Update Policies on Right to Work – Section 48 of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 expands illegal working liability beyond direct employees and introduces new obligations in relation to certain workers engaged through intermediaries. The practical effect is that employers will need to look more carefully at agency workers, subcontracted labour and some gig economy arrangements etc. Policies will need updating and teams will need training. Our immigration team is running a webinar on this on – please see registration details below. We also run bespoke workplace training for people teams for more information or to discuss your requirements, contact Adele below or click on the call back button.

3 Trade Union Statements

From 30 October 2026 employers must give employees a statement on their right to join a Trade Union. Draft your statement for existing workers, update your contracts for new hires and build your policies. Make sure line managers are aware of the risks should they seek to deter employees from joining a TU or should employees perceive that they have suffered a detriment for being or becoming a TU member for engaging in TU activities or making use of TU services.