First published on Thursday, June 25, 2026
Last updated on Thursday, June 25, 2026
Everyone’s coming down with football fever
How was attendance after the first World Cup group matches? Scotland fans were given a bank holiday on Monday 15th June, after their kick-off the day before. And initial figures from BrightHR show a rise in sickness, and lateness nearly doubling after England’s match against Croatia.
We’ve predicted that 3.6 million sick days will be taken in the UK during the World Cup: 15% more than the same period last summer. This is also the first time many employers will have to pay Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). Under the Employment Rights Act 2025, SSP is now a day-one right, so SSP needs to be paid from day one of sickness, not day four. So, the odd day of sickness might turn into a real headache for business owners.
Read more about changes to SSP and reviewing your absence management policies in the BrightHR blog.
Pride month – how to support your LGBTQ+ employees
It’s Pride month: time to honour LGBTQ+ communities. But did you know two in five LGBTQ+ employees in the UK still feel the need to hide who they are at work?
It’s part of your employer duty of care to make your staff feel supported and safe at work. But allyship at work doesn’t need to be a grand gesture. It’s about inclusive language, safe spaces, and up-to-date policies. And there are risks if you don’t act. If your staff don’t feel safe raising concerns, issues can escalate, causing legal and reputational risk. And within the workplace, low morale can cause productivity issues, turnover, and quiet quitting.
If you’re not sure where to start, download this practical guide to supporting LGBTQ+ employees in your business.
Fair Work Agency sees rise in reports
The Fair Work Agency has assumed responsibility for enforcing workplace rights including national minimum wage, holiday pay, sick pay and employment agency regulation. Since its formation in April, the agency has seen a rise in reports from employees and workers.
But even without a report, the Fair Work Agency can conduct an unannounced inspection and look at contractual documentation, handbooks, payroll, holiday forms, and more. And as they’ll have the power to investigate breaches up to six years old, so your old records need to be accurate and easily available.
If you haven’t already got an HR software, now’s the time. You can get an audit-ready pack for each employee in just a few clicks, for peace of mind. And you’ll save space and manual admin time by keeping all of your employee records in the cloud.
Want to keep this information to hand? Get a copy of the Fair Work Agency checklist and ensure your business has policies and procedures in place.
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!
