At this year’s HR & Recruitment Reset Conference, hosted by MorePeople & Roythornes, Suzanne James, People and Culture Director at Fairfax Meadow, delivered a clear message to HR leaders: the biggest overhaul of employment law is coming, and HR has a choice.

We can treat it as a compliance burden.
Or we can treat it as a catalyst.

Suzanne’s session focused not on legal theory, but on practical action. What should HR teams be doing to prepare their organisations for the sweeping changes under the Employment Rights reforms?

It's a Marathon, Not a Sprint

The scale of change ahead is significant. Statutory reforms are being phased in, many details are still unclear, and organisations must prepare without full visibility of the final framework.

But just like marathon training, success will depend on preparation:

• Start by reviewing policies now

• Stress-testing systems

• Budgeting for hidden costs

• Strengthening management capability

• Building discipline around documentation

The uncertainty here remains around how statutes will play out in practice, secondary regulations and guidance are still to come. Therefore readiness must start now, it's not about waiting for perfect clarity, as if you do, it will be too late.

Statutory Sick Pay: The Immediate Operational Impact

One of the first major changes to land is Day One Statutory Sick Pay.

For operational businesses, where a large proportion of employees receive SSP rather than company sick pay, this shift is significant.

Suzanne highlighted three immediate impacts:

1. Increased Direct Costs

Analysis showed that had the new rules applied last year, businesses could have incurred thousands of pounds in additional SSP payments, before even accounting for indirect costs like:

• Temporary cover

• Overtime

• Productivity disruption

2. Cultural Shift in Absence Patterns

When pay begins from Day One, absence behaviour may change. HR cannot ignore this reality.

3. The Commercial Case for Robust Absence Management

This is where HR’s opportunity lies.

Now is the time to:

• Introduce or reinforce absence trigger systems

• Ensure policies are clear and consistently applied

• Train managers to address patterns early

• Stop "brushing under the carpet” recurring short-term absences

Absence management is no longer just an operational issue, it is a commercial risk lever.

Day One Family Leave Rights: Planning Ahead

The extension of Day One rights for parental and family leave may not dramatically affect every organisation, but it does demand review.

Suzanne stressed the importance of:

• Updating family leave policies

• Ensuring consistency in handling requests

• Integrating workforce planning into manager thinking

Managers must understand that eligibility thresholds are shifting, and HR must prepare them accordingly.

Collective Redundancy: A Wider Risk Lens

Changes to collective redundancy consultation, including the doubling of protective awards from 90 to 180 days, introduce heightened financial risk.

For organisations operating within group structures or PLC ownership, the complexity increases further.

Redundancy planning must now consider:

• Wider organisational thresholds

• Group-level impact

• Updated consultation frameworks

• Early risk identification

The message is clear: redundancy processes must be watertight.

The Fair Work Agency: Enforcement is Getting Real

The creation of a new enforcement body, the Fair Work Agency, signals a shift from guidance to enforcement.

While practical details are still emerging, one thing is certain:

Good intentions are no longer enough.

HR teams must ensure that :

• Data must be accurate and accessible

• Policies must reflect real practice

• Documentation must stand up to scrutiny

Small administrative gaps could now result in financial penalties.

Tribunal Time Limits & Extended Risk Windows

One of the most significant shifts discussed was the extension of time limits for bringing tribunal claims.

Previously, many employers relied, consciously or not, on the three-month limitation window as a psychological “risk buffer.”

That buffer is disappearing.

The consequences:

• Longer exposure to claims

• Increased likelihood of late-stage disputes

• Higher legal costs

• Greater need for document retention

HR teams must now review:

• CCTV retention policies

• Record-keeping systems

• Documentation used in investigations

• Exit management processes

If it’s not documented, it didn’t happen...and documentation must now be kept for longer.

Fire & Rehire: Fewer Options, Earlier Conversations

While “fire and rehire” has long been a last resort, reforms significantly narrow its viability.

Suzanne’s view? The real impact is not that employers frequently use it, but that its removal forces earlier, more transparent conversations.

At Fairfax Meadow, for example, contract structures are already under review. Rather than waiting for legislative deadlines, discussions are happening now.

HR must:

• Start consultation earlier

• Put redundancy options on the table sooner

• Engage in genuine negotiation

• Avoid reliance on last-resort mechanisms

Gender Pay Gap & Menopause Action Plans: An Opportunity, Not a Burden

For Suzanne, proposed requirements around gender pay gap transparency and menopause action plans represent opportunity, especailly as support plans will be mandatory from 2027.

Employers must establish meaningful action plans to justify why any gaps exist, with tangible steps to address them, as well as a clear structure for menopause support.

Unfair Dismissal Reform: Probation Must Become Real

Perhaps the most fundamental shift discussed was the reform of unfair dismissal rules and qualifying periods.

With earlier eligibility for claims and longer windows to bring them, the cost of poor hiring and weak probation management will rise sharply.

Suzanne outlined several proactive changes being implemented:

• Reducing probation periods

• Introducing structured 1, 3 and 5-month reviews

• Strengthening buddy systems

• Embedding early performance conversations

• Considering temp-to-perm hiring models to reduce risk

Probation must move from being a formality to being an actively managed process.

The Bigger Picture: The Cost of Poor People Management Is Rising

When taken together, the reforms mean:

• Earlier claims

• Longer claim windows

• Potentially uncapped compensation

• Greater enforcement scrutiny

• Higher financial exposure

The conclusion is unavoidable: The cost of poor people management is going up, and inconsistent decision-making now equals legal exposure.

HR’s Defining Moment

Suzanne closed with a challenge.

This is HR’s opportunity to move decisively beyond administrative support and into strategic leadership.

Whilst the reforms may feel daunting, they also offer something rare: leverage.

Leverage for HR to influence.
Leverage to improve culture.
Leverage to strengthen leadership.
Leverage to build more resilient organisations.

The marathon has started.

The question is not whether change is coming.

It’s whether HR is ready to lead it.