Zest Expert HR Solutions

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Zest Expert HR Solutions We help ambitious, values-led businesses grow without the people problems holding them back.

We’re the strategic and hands-on HR partner who gets in, sorts it, and sets up systems that work for real people – not just the policy manual. Every business needs an HR professional – whether it be for hiring staff, drawing up contracts of employment or dealing with employee disputes. Having this resource all in one place will save valuable time, money and reduce risk, therefore helping you to gain a competitive edge from your most valuable asset, your staff. From recruitment to retirement and all the stages in between, our services encompasses the entire employment lifecycle.

"New trade union access rules could take effect from 30 October 2026.A separate duty to tell workers about their right t...
13/10/2026

"New trade union access rules could take effect from 30 October 2026.

A separate duty to tell workers about their right to join a union starts on 1 January 2027.

📌 Save this employer checklist so you know what to prepare.

Every employer:

If you have 21 or more workers:

This isn’t something you want to figure out on the fly.

If you’d like help updating your documents or putting an internal process in place, get in touch and we’ll walk through it with you.

https://zesthr.co.uk?mptk=1e3d0ae614291befdc83450215d10a5b34b734b24da502ad70db6db98752da26_f6669dbbcdacff3089071c98453aedfe

At the time of writing this post (28 September 2026), the workplace access rules still need parliamentary approval."

10/10/2026

""Take a few days off"" is not a welfare response.

If an employee tells you that they're struggling and that's all you do, a tribunal will ask what support you actually put in place. And you won't have a good answer.

Constructive dismissal claims often start here...

Someone flags a problem, the business does the bare minimum and the employee eventually walks.

World Mental Health Day falls on 10 October. If you don't have a proper process for when someone says they're not coping, you're exposed.

We can help you to build one.

Get in touch for a free, confidential assessment.

https://zesthr.co.uk?mptk=62029a705fe6f93693b16599ec46cbbb2b1354a5d86e4d698d9532d5e6fa2fce_7fb961613d58a39b1a940d997ff7f54d

09/10/2026

There's no statutory right to baby loss leave (yet).

But how you respond when something devastating happens to an employee has a huge ripple effect across your business.

It's Baby Loss Awareness Week from 9-15 October.

I strongly recommend having a clear compassionate leave policy that covers pregnancy loss.

We can help you to get the right policy in place. Reach out for a free, confidential chat.

https://zesthr.co.uk?mptk=8a5fb22c567b13ac1de90d128ccbcdd56f38fc51e72ba0396bbe232a723ac763_579bb1c05cb21c22905623e026ea4386

Sober October is a good time to remember that alcohol-related absence costs UK employers £1.7bn a year.£1.7 BILLION.And ...
07/10/2026

Sober October is a good time to remember that alcohol-related absence costs UK employers £1.7bn a year.

£1.7 BILLION.

And 43% of workplaces have no alcohol policy at all. So, when something does come up, you're winging it.

Don't be part of this statistic.

A proper alcohol policy sets the tone before anything goes wrong.

It tells your team what's expected, what support is there if they need it and that you take it seriously.

It keeps things from escalating into absence, accidents or awkward situations that you're not prepared for.

If you want help with putting one in place, get in touch.

https://zesthr.co.uk?mptk=9e44573376419bf00fd5d4c143f43a98b1717665dcbe99b5035d9417f0b52155_a178143fc099a9a5d7b7fa5571f4b858

** Your chance to learn and ask questions about the new 6-month tribunal time limit **As of 1 October, there's a new ERA...
02/10/2026

** Your chance to learn and ask questions about the new 6-month tribunal time limit **

As of 1 October, there's a new ERA rule in place affecting all small business owners.

Employees now have 6 months to bring a tribunal claim, where previously it was 3 months.

This affects how you handle performance conversations, probations, disciplinaries and grievances.

I'm running a short, practical webinar (it's free) on 30 October @ 13h30 to help you to understand what's changed and what to do about it.

I'll walk you through:

• What's changed and what it affects
• What Acas conciliation means
• What your documentation and record-keeping need to look like now
• Getting managers up to speed

Book your spot here: https://zesthr.co.uk/webinar-extended-tribunal-claim-time-limit-what-to-do-now/?mptk=4e90be8962251531248bbea9730ffca9c8e2f119451fcfbb119f5cd150cd15b4_d87056b007db44b9a9d0baf90a48476d

There'll also be a free 30-minute call afterwards for all attendees so you can ask more questions and get help.

See you there!

01/10/2026

October 2026 brings some of the biggest employment law changes in years.

Extended tribunal time limits, new trade union access rights, tighter rules on flexible working refusals, all landing at once.

If you're trying to keep up with this on your own, using Google and hoping for the best, you leave yourself open to mistakes.

And you'll be the one personally liable when something goes wrong.

We're offering free initial consultations this month.

Get in touch and we'll help you to identify where your gaps are.

https://zesthr.co.uk?mptk=4b4f207f04cd948f71f9aff7736c8cef3b94ffb62fdc9278f3b33cda3f612a64_907b51d7fd60664d447fb6a09d51460c

Four employment law changes all happening in October 2026.If you haven't heard about some of these, you're not alone. Bu...
01/10/2026

Four employment law changes all happening in October 2026.

If you haven't heard about some of these, you're not alone. But they're all in effect now and business owners need to take action.

Here's what's changing. Save this list 📌

1️⃣ Tribunal time limits doubled

Employees now have 6 months after an incident to make a tribunal claim.

2️⃣ Harassment prevention duty now live

You need to prove that you've taken "all reasonable steps" to prevent sexual harassment at work and third-party harassment from customers, contractors, etc.

3️⃣ New trade union access rights

Every UK employer now has to tell employees about their right to join a trade union.

And, if you have 21 or more workers, unions can request access to your workplace too.

4️⃣ Tipping rules are getting tighter (possibly October, maybe later 2026)

100% of tips must go to staff, with a written policy to back it up.

This is all a lot for a small business owner to manage (more changes are coming, too).

If you want help with understanding these changes and how they affect your business, reach out for a free consultation call.

Do you know the current pay rates you're legally required to meet?Every year the statutory rates shift.And every year we...
28/09/2026

Do you know the current pay rates you're legally required to meet?

Every year the statutory rates shift.

And every year we see businesses still paying last year's figures without realising.

It's an easy mistake, but HMRC won't care that it was accidental.

Save the below infographic so you know what you should be paying and when to stay legally compliant.

If you need a confidential chat about anything, please get in touch. http://zesthr.co.uk/?mptk=8783e017b12cab1cd2cf935a81eba5c5ebbdc9c140c876388d78bf697d65fada_c8c854345edcde2b7da68ed14c259539

25/09/2026

Cancer is automatically classified as a disability under the Equality Act.

From the point of diagnosis, your duty to make reasonable adjustments kicks in.

Getting this wrong, whether it's pushing someone out, failing to adjust their role or handling things insensitively, can lead to a discrimination claim with no cap on compensation.

Most small business owners wouldn't know what to do if this happened tomorrow.

25 September is Macmillan Coffee Morning. A good prompt to check that you've actually got a plan in place.

If you need help, let us know and we can have a call to talk it over.

24/09/2026

From January 2027, employees will qualify for unfair dismissal protection after just six months, not two years.

This means that anyone hired from July 2026 is covered by the new rules.

If someone on your team isn't performing, you need a documented process already underway. Verbal chats you never followed up in writing won't count. Informal warnings you didn't record won't count either.

Q4 is coming. If you've been putting off those conversations, you're running out of runway.

We can help you to set up a performance management process that actually works for a small business. Get in touch to talk it through. http://zesthr.co.uk/?mptk=4e3d3212840c8e751359147015337c8a6d5a454bc30f2f3d0648c2592fc9a8d2_6ce252c17143eb023bcb6be5462e33c0

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