The Podcast

Welcome to The Podcast! 


Series Five - Don't be a Mandy

For those who haven't listened before, Mandy was my daughter's ex-boss who led by bullying her, and the team. Our intention is to share advice, tools and techniques to avoid this style and to bring the human touch into the way you lead your people.


We'll be sharing the highlights of the month's news from the world of employment law and HR and answering the questions you have sent us from a leadership and HR perspective.

Season Two - Episode Four:

Shared in HR news is the focus on Stress Awareness this month, the cost of getting a job and a caution around using technology ethically and in line with GDPR.



And in our e-mail bag, we share our advice on an issue relating to mental health and another around the complexities of redundancy involving pregnant women or those on maternity.


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Interview with a GenZ manager:

A short interview with Lucy Stranks - the inspiration behind the name of our regular podcast "Don't be a Mandy"



Lucy shares the three things she's learnt in her role as a manager including making sure the team are recognised, involved and developed.

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Season Two - Episode Three:

In our round-up of HR news, Patricia talks about some of the changes April brings to employment laws including flexible working, carers leave and the guidance around menopause in the workplace. We also appreciate many of the religious observances, giving us the perfect opportunity to celebrate the beliefs and backgrounds our teams may have.

And as usual, we end the episode by digging into our e-mailbag to answer a couple of your questions.

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Season Two - Episode Two:

Patricia shares some statistics (we love our stats!), in HR news this month,  including some high numbers for sickness absence, the amount of people working multiple jobs and how AI continues to impact, and will impact, the world of work.


And as always, we dip into our e-mailbag to share our experience and advice on issues you are facing as leaders.

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Season Two - Episode One:

We're back with season 2!

This episode has us sharing a January checklist for anyone who deals with planning annual leave, minimum wage, gender pay gap and wellbeing.

And of course, we dip into our e-mailbag to share our advice and thoughts on the situations you are facing.

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Episode 6:

Welcome to the festive edition!


This month, we discuss being mindful of mental health challenges during the holiday season and what being an employer of choice means.

Plus, we'll hear some funny yet awful stories about office Christmas fails.

So grab a cup of hot chocolate, or a mulled wine, and join us for a cosy and fun conversation.

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Episode 5:

In HR news, Patricia shares November HR news including Movember and Christmas parties

In the second p
art, we answer a couple of questions you have sent into our e-mailbag around bringing in a new HR system and the challenge of dealing with flexible working requests when the working from home policy has been ended.

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Episode 4:

In HR  news, Patricia shares the implications of the Right to Request Predictable Hours bill gaining royal assent, 1 in 5 workers will have significant health issue by 2040 and October being "Awareness month"

And from our e-mailbag, we share advice, tools and techniques for handling a tricky conversation and supporting your team during the cost of living crisis

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Episode 3:

In this episode, Patricia shares news of an employment tribunal, the pending bill to bring more clarity to workplace bullying and the campaign for the right to switch-off.


And we share
our tips and activities from two scenarios we had come into our "e-mailbag" this month - one about leading a multi-generational workforce and the other managing unplanned time-off.

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Episode 2:

Episode 3:

Talking Points

Based on the success of our monthly podcast "Don't be a Mandy", we'd like to welcome you to Talking Points, our new spin-off podcast series where we take a fresh look at the latest news and give you some practical tips every week.



We'll pick a particular news story from the past 7 days and share how to tackle something similar in your workplace, whether it's dealing with a new law, a viral scandal or new innovations, we'll help you navigate the challenges and the opportunities.

Episode 6:

Are we getting more inclusive? A recent study found 67% of men are willing to talk about family issues at work versus 74% of women. It looks like the gap is narrowing. In this episode, Patricia and I talk about all the family leave options available for employers and employees to explore.

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Episode 5:

Tune in to hear about the recent ONS study which revealed record numbers of workers over the age of 50 are working part time - a 12% increase since 2021. We share our thoughts about how you can take advantage as an employer.

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Episode 4:

The CIPD has released a report about the impact of menopause in the workplace and with October being Menopause Awareness Month we spend the episode talking through what this means for businesses and leaders

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Episode 3:

On World Mental Health Awareness Day, we talk about how you can really make a difference above and beyond the tools and initiatives you have in place and measure if it's truly making a difference.

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Episode 2:

Tune in and join us this week for a conversation about the impact, and much wider implications, of the cost of living crisis on those who earn the least.

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Episode 1:

Tune in and join us this week for a conversation about tackling inappropriate behaviour in the workplace.

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If you'd like to listen to older episodes of the podcast, follow the link!

The Podcast - Seasons 1-4


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