First published on Wednesday, December 17, 2025
Last updated on Wednesday, December 17, 2025
Welcome to HR Heartbeat, where we take a look at this year’s most pressing HR and employment law stories, month by month.
January: Weather chaos for the UK. Download a free severe weather policy in case 2026 has a similarly stormy start.
February: The first Monday in February is National Sickie Day. Statutory Sick Pay, or SSP, is the highest search term on BrAInbox, our AI search tool.
March: Employment tribunals linked to menopause have tripled. Businesses can educate managers with e-learning tools, implement more menopause-friendly policies.
April: Rises in the National Living Wage (NLW) came in. Make sure your payroll software is updated to avoid financial and compliance trouble next April.
May: The Government pledged to create 120,000 new training routes for workers. Interested? Think about proper onboarding, clear training plans, and up-to-date HR documents.
June: HR professionals topped the charts for absenteeism, with increased admin to blame. Invest in smart tools to automate your admin, like holiday tracking and absence management from BrightHR.
July: HR data like payroll data and CV information appeared in 82% of cyber breaches. Our cloud-based unlimited document storage keeps your information secure.
August: Every new hire costs employers a staggering two days in admin tasks: an estimated £17,000 in lost productivity every year! Speed up the recruitment process with an AI-assisted recruitment model.
September: The beginning of September was National Payroll Week. It was a great opportunity to thank our hard-working payroll professionals, who have saved our clients admin time and provided knowledge and training to teams across the UK.
October: A fifth of employees have never been thanked by their employer. Make sure your employees feel appreciated with Bright Exchange, our perks platform with exclusive offers, discounts, and deals.
November: Men’s Mental Health Month. With 43% of working British men urging their employers to provide greater mental health support, investing in an Employee Advice Programme (EAP) might be a smart move.
December: The Employment Rights Bill will pass into law this month. It will affect all employers in England, Scotland, and Wales. Keep up with all the changes in our guide for business owners.
And that’s a wrap from me. Tune in next year for my take on the latest headlines and employment law stories, helping keep your business ahead!
