Back where it's reet

They call it God’s Own Country for a reason.

Yorkshire will always be home to me.  I was born and raised in Dronfield, Sheffield, and lived there for many years before moving to Warwickshire.  My mum still lives there and I visit regularly.  

It’s a fabulous place to be and, if you have never been, then what are you waiting for?  

THE BASIL HOLIDAY

Earlier this month, we had one of two annual ‘Basil’ holidays.  Twice a year, my wife and I take our dog Basil (AKA kn*bhead) on a UK holiday – an autumn one to Cornwall and a spring one to Yorkshire.  This time, it was the latter.

It’s not a full-on holiday as such – my wife and I are still working, and Basil still sits and waits until we close our laptops.  

And, being in Yorkshire, I can still say that I’m ‘working from home’, as it will always be home to me.

We stayed in a beautiful cottage in Bishops Monkton which is a beautiful little village near Harrogate with a brook running through the middle, a gorgeous pub (The Masons Arms) which is a two-minute walk away; and loads of open space for Basil to run.

…and run and run and run.

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YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS AND PROPER GRAVY

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I try not to work too much – it’s still a holiday after all.  So, after an early morning walk with Basil and then a morning of focused work, we take Basil out again (he is rarely tired, which is about right for a Springer Spaniel).

On the Sunday afternoon, we had lunch at The Masons Arms and it was superb - particularly thanks to the extra Yorkshire puddings and a full jug of thick (proper) gravy.  They also do Yorkshire crisps which are so good – I first tried them in the pub, so that’s another reason to keep coming back, of course.

My mum came up for the weekend from Sheffield to join us too.

It's literally just a change of scenery. The HR world is currently very busy - combining that with planning for a ‘proper’ holiday in a few weeks means time is at a premium.

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But, if I'm going to be busy, I might as well do it someplace nice - such as Yorkshire.

THE EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS ACT TIMELINE

I’m grateful to have a great team around me – Jess, Denise, Lou 1 and Lou 2 (yes there’s now a second Lou who is supporting the team and the business for the foreseeable future, which could get confusing). They will – and always do – hold the fort brilliantly; and it’s rare that anything other than the most important of client issues reach me when I’m away.

Speaking of being busy, April is a packed month for me and the team, to make sure all of our retained clients are suitably compliant to the new employment legislation.

The Employment Rights Act (ERA) came into force this year, and many of the updates and changes started this month, in April.*

When the Labour government came into power, one of their key drivers for policy was economic stability.  Their flagship legislation - which achieved royal assent around the turn of the year - is the ERA.

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One of the key changes is that there is a new statutory obligation for employers which started at the beginning of April.   As part of the ERA, there is now a statutory obligation to record annual leave suitably and comprehensively.

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Employers have to maintain suitable records to track your team’s annual leave and any related payments - and you must keep this information for six years.

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This is a critical time for all employers. With the regulatory landscape changing, there is an increasing need to keep compliant records. I would urge all employers to get in touch with your HR team to discuss this legislative update.**

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There are so many changes coming in over the next couple of years, and a lot of them were ‘front loaded’ to start this month (April 2026).

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ADVANCE NOTICE

I mentioned a ‘proper’ holiday earlier.  My wife and I going across the pond to Canada and America next month (and you will be able to read more about this in next month’s blog).

As an independent HR consultant, I still treat my work like employment, as I work for the good of my retained clients.  I take annual leave like anyone else, and Ithought it was courteous to let my clients know.

I sent them all an email at least four weeks prior to going away, so they know that a) the team will look after them, and b) I am still available for any critical work, with the proviso that there is a time difference.  

If past experiences are anything to go by, I know that my fabulous team will look after my clients with aplomb, and I will rarely have any contact with them.  In fact, Lou 1 makes me take my emails off my phone so I’m not constantly checking them or getting notifications.

YOU NEED A BREAK

Running a business or being an employer isn’t easy.  It’s even harder if you don’t have the right team around you to support you (or manage things while you’re away).

I always recommend that business owners need proper breaks.  When I write blogs about my work and my trips away, I hope they act as a useful reminder that we need certain things in our business – such as a decent team, proper HR processes, a positive workplace culture, and the opportunity to manage our mental and physical health.**

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THE ENDGAME

* I have created a handy, at-a-glance guide to the ERA and its timeline, titled ‘The Roadmap for Employers’.  The guide features the 11 key parts of the Act, listing out the reforms and what you, as an employer, need to do for each one.  Don’t get caught out by surprises, or worse.  If you would like a copy, please contact me and I will send it to you.  Note: I shared this in my subscriber email last month, but happy to share it again in case you didn’t see it.

** If you don’t have HR support or need any help with any of the above, please get in touch with me for a chat about how me and my team can provide cost-effective retained support for your business.

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