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 a decade of experience as a solicitor working in employment law, I give my opinion on current trends impacting your business, as well as my own personal commentary on all things HR and legal.
Preparing for time off for the World Cup?
Ireland are through to the World Cup qualifiers! Next March will no doubt see a flurry of time off requests and absences – whether authorised or unauthorised. So, how can you make sure you have a full team on the pitch?
Make sure everyone knows their responsibilities with an absence management policy. We’ve created a handy guide to creating an absence management policy here. You can also think about absence management software, which lets you manage leave requests and other absences, wherever you are. If you need to advertise an open shift at short notice, you can send a notification to everyone at the click of a button. It levels the playing field for all of your employees and takes the guesswork out of shift planning. It’ll even work out the budget for you, so you can check how much all of your shifts are going to cost!
The financial cost of auto-enrolment
According to new research, just over three quarters of businesses expect pension auto-enrolment to negatively impact profitability in 2026. And many companies are planning to raise prices or freeze hiring to mitigate any additional costs.
There are ways to make the process easier. If you need support with HR and employment law, speak to us for up-to-date advice. Any change in employment law is an opportunity to check and update your policies and procedures, making sure you’re clear about your responsibilities and your employees’ rights. Our document library, BrightBase, contains over 500 documents and policies that are all up to date and legally compliant, so you can make sure everyone has the information they need.
How to maintain morale when budgets are low
Are financial constraints are making it difficult for you to show appreciation to your workforce? There are things you can consider. In my experience, the first step could be asking what your employees value. Many people value something that’s completely free: time. An early finish on a Friday, time off to go Christmas shopping, or a wellbeing day in January could make all the difference to morale. It’ll also reinforce your trust in your teams and show you care about their work/life balance.
You could make them smile with a workplace perks platform. Our online marketplace, Bright Exchange, gives access to unique benefits, exclusive deals, and local, countrywide, and international discounts. It’s free to use, and it’s free for BrightHR clients to advertise on. So, you could put your business in front of 1 million pairs of eyes! And you can encourage your teams to treat themselves, and their loved ones, for less.
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!
