First published on Thursday, November 27, 2025
Last updated on Thursday, November 27, 2025
Welcome to HR Heartbeat, where we take a look at the week’s most pressing HR and employment law stories. With over 18 years’ experience in employee relations, I give my opinion on current trends impacting your business, as well as my own personal commentary on all things HR and legal.
We’ve won a 2026 Buyer’s Choice Award from TrustRadius!
The award goes to the products that have the most reviews highlighting best capabilities, best value and best customer relationship. This award is based on good, honest, customer feedback. And I couldn’t be prouder of the hard work our teams put into customer experience. From sales and marketing to service operations, finance and R&D, I’d like to give a huge thank you to our dedicated teams.
Office Christmas parties are linked to 40 tribunals per year
Your Christmas do should be a time for your staff to relax and enjoy themselves, but here’s a warning to stay vigilant. An average of 40 tribunals a year are tied to incidents at Christmas parties, including after-party drinks and posts in WhatsApp groups. And as an employer, you’re responsible for all of that.
So how do you avoid bad behaviour without cancelling Christmas entirely? It’s your duty to take reasonable steps to prevent harassment, so my advice is to choose your do carefully and consider your teams’ wellbeing and inclusion. For instance, if you choose a venue with a free bar, you could be seen as encouraging drinking to excess. And then you can be deemed responsible for bad behaviour caused by booze.
And before the event, not after, remind your teams that your code of conduct still applies. If you need a refresh, or need support dealing with a difficult member of staff, don’t forget BrightHR are here to help 24/7.
Most employers unprepared for an ageing workforce
A recent survey showed that only 7% of employers believe that existing wellbeing and absence management policies are enough to support over 55s. And here’s why this is important: 1 in 3 workers in the UK is over 50, birth rates are falling, and the increasing retirement age means people are working for longer.
You don’t want to risk accusations of age discrimination. But you need to look after your employees who are over 50. Just 47 per cent of over 55s feel their current role offers good development, compared with 73 per cent of younger workers aged 18 to 24. So there’s a case for supporting staff with reskilling and career guidance.
It's always worth checking in with your teams about their career aspirations, whatever their age. You can use performance management software to set goals and arrange review meetings. Our AI-powered software has prompts and talking points about job satisfaction, team and company, and work life. So, you can spend your time getting to know your employees instead of doing paperwork.
And that’s a wrap from me. Tune in next time for my take on the latest headlines and employment law stories, helping keep your business ahead!
