HR Heartbeat: fish & chips, temp staffing, and 8m sick days

Chippy boss going self-service

What’s that got to do with the price of fish? In this case, everything. A fish and chip shop owner in Pembrokeshire is installing self-service tills. And it’s to protect staff, not to replace them. The average price for a takeaway fish and chips reached over £11 this year, and rumour has it that cod will double in price by September. The business owner said he is losing staff, especially younger team members, due to ‘abrupt’ questioning about pricing from customers.

Recent figures show that nearly half of retail staff are abused or attacked every week. It’s a shocking figure. And from October under the Employment Rights Act 2025, it’ll be the employer’s duty to prevent harassment by third parties like customers or contractors. My advice is to get a bullying and harassment policy in place. It’ll let your employees know you’ve got their back, set behavioural standards, and outline how issues will be handled. You can find over 400 ready to use policies, templates, and guides on the BrightBase document library. They’ve been written by qualified experts, so you can meet your legal obligations and protect your staff at the same time.

Employers are hiring more temporary than permanent staff

Hiring for permanent roles in the UK is falling. Instead of increasing permanent headcount, employers are planning budgets carefully due to rising cost pressures. And some employers are trying to future-proof costs while roles and responsibilities are changing due to AI. In order to fill skills gaps, temporary staff might seem like a good idea.

But I’d advise you to think carefully about what suits your business. The costs of recruitment, onboarding, and training can top £5,000 per employee. If they leave for a more stable position, you’ll pay that again and again. Not to mention the effect on team morale and dynamics. And with changes to unfair dismissal rights under the Employment Rights Act 2025, you need to make sure you manage the end of any fixed term contracts properly. Check out the BrightHR article on hiring temporary staff for a checklist of considerations.

8 million mental health sick days taken in the UK this year

It’s not a milestone to celebrate. 8 million working days have been lost in the UK already this year as anxiety, depression and burnout continue to rise. Nearly a third of employees in a recent survey had experienced depression or anxiety in the last 12 months, and a quarter reported stress and burnout. Mental ill health is the leading cause of long-term sickness and the second leading cause of short-term absence.

It’s time for employers to act. Make sure your employees have support before they reach a crisis point. Create an open culture where people can ask for help without worrying about their jobs. And get some third-party support from an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). It’s a confidential resource for your employees to access.

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!