Get one free delegate place when you play full price for a place on any of our open ILM Awards commencing before the 1st May 2025. Register delegate details for the relevant course via the booking page on the website and we will contact you to offer your free place. Alternatively call us on 01452 331331 to discuss options or complete the feedback form.

Terms:

• Offer applies only to live, open ILM awards operated by HR Champions Limited, that are scheduled to commence before 1st May 2025
• The free delegate place must be used on the same course as the paid for delegate place
• The offer does not apply to the ILM registration fee which is entirely transferred to the ILM
• Purchased delegate places must be paid for prior to the commencement of the training course
• HR Champions Limited retains the right to withdraw this offer at any time and without notice or explanation
• The offer is open to UK businesses only 

At HR Champions Ltd, we are proud to offer a range of ILM-accredited leadership and management courses, designed to equip managers at all levels with the skills and knowledge they need to immediately enhance performance and productivity in the workplace. Our courses at Levels 2, 3, 4, and 5 provide structured, practical training that can be applied straight away, helping leaders to manage their teams more effectively, drive engagement, and improve business outcomes.

With decades of experience in both HR and professional training, we bring real-world expertise into the classroom, ensuring that our training is not just theoretical but deeply rooted in practical application. Our trainers incorporate real-life business scenarios into the learning process, giving depth and relevance to the course content. This approach allows delegates to relate their learning to their own workplace challenges, ensuring they leave with actionable strategies to implement immediately.

The ILM qualification structure provides a clear and recognised progression path for individuals on their leadership journey. Whether you are an aspiring manager looking to develop foundational skills or a senior leader refining strategic leadership abilities, there is an ILM level tailored to your stage of career development:

• ILM Level 2 – Designed for those in entry-level management or supervisory roles, focusing on essential leadership skills such as communication, delegation, and motivation.
• ILM Level 3 – Ideal for first-time managers, covering key aspects of team management, performance coaching, and problem-solving.
• ILM Level 4 – Targeted at experienced managers seeking to enhance their ability to lead complex teams, drive change, and implement strategic decisions.
• ILM Level 5 – Developed for senior managers and leaders looking to deepen their understanding of organisational leadership, strategic planning, and high-level decision-making.

By undertaking an ILM-accredited course with HR Champions Ltd, individuals gain a globally recognised qualification while businesses benefit from better-trained, more confident managers who can inspire and lead their teams effectively. Our training provides the right tools, insights, and frameworks at the right time in an individual’s career, ensuring that businesses can nurture and develop their leadership pipeline with skilled, capable managers at every level.

Please contact us for future dates for this course.

Who should attend?

This course is suitable for people in their first management roles including team leaders and people managers. Equally, for those seeking to develop confidence in coaching as part of their role

Why should you attend?

Coaching is an essential non-directive form of development. From workplace training to performance management, the managers in your business must know how to get the best out of your employees.  According to the CIPD, 51% of businesses consider coaching a crucial part of their strategy. The rise of ‘quiet quitting’ has shone a light on the importance of keeping a motivated team, management communication and early intervention. Our three day Level 3 Award in Coaching, accredited by the ILM, will demonstrate best coaching practice to your team and give them the skills to develop their employees. 

Get in touch to find out more or book now

Please contact us for future dates for this course.

Who should attend?

This course is suitable for any employee who has HR responsibilities as well as aspiring HR professionals. Do you have HR responsibilities but have never received adequate training to complete them? Then this course is perfect for you to have an understanding of the fundamental aspects of your role. 

Why should you attend?

This programme has been designed to support managers as well as new and aspiring HR professionals with essential HR knowledge to assist in the day-to-day people management aspect of their role. By clarifying HR processes and legal nuances, you can empower managers and new HR professionals to confidently execute their duties, foster a harmonious work environment and allow the senior HR team and business leaders to work on long term strategic plans. Delegates will understand the fundamental aspects of HR to support employee engagement, maintain productivity and develop high performing teams. 

Get in touch to find out more or book now

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Disciplinary and Grievance are amongst the top issues that come to mind when HR is the topic of conversation. As we return to business-as-usual following Covid, we have seen a steady increase in the number of cases. We are quite often asked to intervene for businesses in disciplinary and/or grievance cases as, understandably, most people don’t find it a pleasant process to go through.

It can be very tempting, and all too easy, to err towards taking a relaxed approach when somebody raises a grievance or when an incident arises that requires some form of disciplinary action. There are times when keeping a situation informal can be the right approach. It saves time and, as colleagues still need to work with one another, can keep a lid on conflict in the workplace.

However, the main problem with informality however is that there is rarely proper closure to a matter. We would recommend that only experienced managers who have a good understanding of their team members try to handle issues informally.

Whilst taking the formal route will be a lot more time consuming, handled properly it will put an issue to bed. Formality also means notes and records are kept so that if a situation ever escalates, there is a documented audit trail to refer to.

By law, your disciplinary and grievance policy must be readily available for scrutiny by any employee and should ordinarily reside within your staff handbook. Make sure that your procedure is clear and unambiguous and plainly states the various levels of disciplinary action which is usually verbal warning through to dismissal.

All disciplinary and grievance matters should undergo a fair investigation in the first instance, and this would normally be carried out by a line manager. The investigation should gather all relevant evidence and interviews should be held with all involved parties and with anyone who is able to provide evidence for the case. This may be any number of employees or just the subject of the disciplinary matter. Since Covid and the rise of working from home, it can be acceptable to hold these interviews via Zoom or Teams.

At the investigation stage, for a disciplinary subject there is no right of representation. However, where someone has raised a grievance, they do have a right to be accompanied by a representative, but his person should be a work colleague or appointed official of a recognised Trade Union during the investigation.

Once your investigation is concluded, for disciplinary matters, if some form of discipline is required, you may then call the subject to a disciplinary meeting. You must give reasonable notice of a disciplinary meeting and we recommend at least 48 hours.

In grievance cases, you should again call a meeting to discuss your findings and whether the grievance point(s) have been upheld or not.

Employees have a right to appeal any disciplinary or grievance decision and this should be heard in a timely manner and by someone at least equal in status to the original case handler.

Representation during the disciplinary meeting should be offered. If the employee chooses not to be represented, make sure he or she is aware of their right and have this minuted.

Because of the difficult conversations that are usually involved it’s easy to see why disciplinary and grievance procedures are often carried out poorly, consequently becoming costly. However, you should apply rigour in all policies, procedures and processes.

You'll be pleased to know that we’re here to help, assist with, attend at, and carry out disciplinary procedures and grievance hearings for clients and customers. If you require some support call us on 01452 331331 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

A recent survey by the job board company CV-Library has revealed that 91% of inactive workers in the 50-64 age bracket are planning to return to the job market. That’s good news for an economy that remains in a position of record vacancies.

Employers who wish to take advantage of this turnaround may wish to modify their recruitment strategies or look at ways to make themselves more attractive to this demographic. Of course, avoiding anything that could be construed as age discrimination must always be a consideration, remembering that discriminating against the young is equally as wrong as discriminating against the old.

This return to work by the over 50s, reverses the trend we saw during and immediately after the Covid pandemic when many employees of a certain age were electing to quit their jobs. The stresses of the pandemic, including the loss of loved ones, brought about a re-evaluation of life goals. A desire to simply retire early and enjoy the latter years became the main reason for giving up work early.

These early retirees probably didn’t factor in the current cost of living crisis, and now, as they feel its grip they are being propelled back to the jobs market. Indeed, according to the CV-Library survey, 72% of the 2500 respondents cited increases in the cost of living as their reason for returning to work.

Older employees come with a lot of advantages. Their attitude to work is probably quite deeply entrenched and born from parents and grandparents for whom tough manual work and long hours was the norm. They will also have experience, if not specifically in the job that you have on offer, perhaps of something from which they can transfer skills; and very likely they will be experienced in interacting with people generally.

They’re also less susceptible to common colds and other common infections as there is more chance they have already caught them and have immunity.

To be attractive to these returners then, employers need to look at what they have on offer. If income is the predominant motive to re-join the workforce, then anything that doesn’t offer a consistent and regular income probably isn’t going to provide enough incentive.

Flexibility is also likely to score highly in the appeal stakes. This group are having to let go of what may have been a long-held dream of early retirement. Returning to work full time may be too much of a shock to the system so being open to discussions for part-time/flexible options might give you the edge.

Consider advertising full time jobs as potential job-share to broaden the appeal. Potential candidates might even act as your recruiter to fill the shared role. Extra holiday may also give you an edge, particularly as this group are less likely to want to take holiday during peak periods such as school holidays.

The second reason given in the survey for returning to work was, surprisingly perhaps, boredom. Over 50s these days want to be active, involved and have purpose. From an employer’s point of view, enthusiastic employees are ready to learn and prepared to undergo training. Again, you may be surprised at the extent of transferable skills that the over 50s have to offer.

And also, consider their adaptability. Boomers, as they might be referred to, have lived and worked through the most dramatic technological advances in the history of mankind. From a time where having a landline telephone wasn’t a ‘given’ to a point where high-speed broadband connects most homes to the Internet and relatives in Australia can be face-timed on a hand-held device. When it comes to adapting to change, there is no group of people with more experience. Underestimate it at your peril.

With so many advantages to employing the over 50s, you might wonder why you would ever consider employing younger people. As mentioned earlier, age discrimination cuts both ways, so whilst you can highlight the elements of a job that might make it more attractive to the older generation, you can’t turn down younger applicants purely because of their age. In fact, evidence suggests that the younger generation want flexibility and part-time roles too.

For further help and support with your recruitment strategy, or simply for a reassuring confirmation that your job advert isn’t age discriminatory, call us on 01452 331331 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

At the last Football World Cup hosted in Russia in 2018, we predicted that owing to the timings of the England games, business had little to fear from alcohol-induced staff absences in the days following matches. How wrong we were!

Last time, the day after England’s opening game of the tournament, which they won, some reports claimed that absences in the UK increased by as much as 36% above normal levels. The rise was largely blamed upon sore heads after an evening of celebration and revelry.

This year, England’s and Wales’s group games are scheduled at what might be described as potentially disruptive times. Therefore, with just over a week until the start of the tournament, employers might want to decide on a stance they take on absences that is communicated across the organisation.

As England are expected to proceed beyond the group stages, employers are also likely to have to consider whether the knockout stages have potential to cause disruption too.

In agreeing a contract of employment, employees are committing to make themselves available for work at the times laid out within the contract. They must therefore make every effort to present themselves fit to do so. Overindulging in alcohol in the evenings to the extent where it compromises attendance and/or timekeeping is in breach of the contract and so subjects the employee to an investigation and potentially disciplinary action.

Furthermore, employees who fail to attend work claiming to be sick can be at risk of disciplinary action up to and including dismissal if their employer has evidence that they are not actually sick.

There may be a temptation to let the odd “sickie” go, considering the fact that we’re in the midst of a World Cup competition. After all, unless you have a company sick-pay scheme that dictates it, you don’t have to pay an employee for one day of sickness absence. However, this sends the wrong message and could make it difficult to meaningfully enforce any action or sanctions on future occasions.

Whilst we understand that businesses may not want to interfere with their staff’s leisure time, they will want to remain productive, and so having a planned approach is probably a good idea. Let’s look at each of England’s group games in turn, but remember that as a multicultural society you’re likely to have employees who are supporting other teams.

Game 1: England vs Iran. Monday 21st November – Kick-off 1.00pm

As this game is in the middle of the day, staff who want to watch it will probably need to take the day-off as holiday, or at least a half-day. If you offer flexi-time, an extended lunch break might cover it. Be conscious of staff returning from watching the game down the pub. If you’re a consumer led business, you may find that you don’t get many customers whilst the match is on anyway and so having a radio on in the workplace might be OK.

Game 2: England vs USA. Friday 25th November – Kick-off 7.00pm

Unless you’re open on Saturday’s, this isn’t likely to cause you any issues. For those that do operate on the weekend, a reminder of expectations will probably be well placed. Where company drivers are concerned, a reminder about your breathalyser policy, if you have one might also be a good idea.

Game 3: England vs Wales. Tuesday 29th November – Kick-off 7.00pm

Yes, England and Wales are in the same group and the added rivalry is going to make this a game with broad appeal. Even though it’s on a ‘school-night’, we should expect that people will want to watch this in an environment where alcohol is present. You could be generous and allow employees a late start the following day but is that’s not appropriate then a pre-booked day’s holiday might be an option. Even then, if you’re inundated, you may have to refuse some requests.

Don’t forget your duty of care as an employer and if it transpires that alcohol dependency or another underlying health issue exists, you’ll need to take a different approach. Also, whatever your approach, ensure that you exercise fairness, equality and offer choices to all members of your team. After the success of the England women’s team, don’t fall into the trap of assuming it’s just the men that want to go to the pub to watch the football. That’s something that could easily get you into trouble for discrimination.

For any help and support with your approach to the World Cup, call us on 01452 331331 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Despite the UK still being in the position of record employment according to latest figures, this week’s rise in interest rates and the forecast by the Governor of the Bank of England that we are hurtling towards the longest recession since records began, are a worry for us all.

In its efforts to bring inflation under control, the BOE’s interest rate rise will affect borrowers and mortgage payers, the latter of which is likely to hit renters too as landlords look for ways to cover rising costs. As disposable income reduces, demand for goods and services will weaken and leading to inevitable job losses.

We all hope the BOE Governor is wrong of course, but he is just one voice amongst many who are forecasting a gloomy outlook for the UK economy, and indeed, the wider, global outlook.

Making the decision to cut jobs is unenviable, gut-wrenching choice for any business owner or senior manager to have to make. Nobody wants to put people out of work. The longer-term survival of the business overall must be the main consideration however, to maintain jobs that can be sustained and hopefully put the business in a position from which it can grow stronger again and rebuild.

If and when the time comes to make redundancies, implementing a process is carried out transparently and equitably is paramount. There are legal responsibilities of course, but moreover, the welfare and mental health of everyone who is involved must also be considered. Going through the redundancy process is always going to be a stressful experience for all parties, particularly when the job losses are not attributable to any acts of wrongdoing or poor management.

Whenever redundancies occur, the main factor to remember is that it is positions that are made redundant and not people. Therefore, where a position or job role is identified as being redundant and more than one person is currently employed to fulfil it, implementing a fair selection process, coupled with the appropriate consultation period for the numbers being made redundant, is a must.

We recommend that employees who are to be put at risk of redundancy are scored against a ‘selection matrix’ that awards points for each requirement of the redundant position. This should include skills, qualifications, track record and experience and best practice is that scores are agreed with each employee. This takes some of the emotion out of the process and results in a much, robotic, statistically driven result.

The scoring could include minus points for poor attendance and any history of disciplinaries, so your most committed staff stand the better chance of keeping their jobs. The lowest scores are those who are dismissed.

Below is our previously published list of key considerations, but these are really just a guide to help steer you clear of some common redundancy pitfalls. If a restructure looks like it’s on the cards however, you should speak to us for specific and more detailed support.

• Give full and careful consideration to your business case rational and which employee groups are at risk
• It is not an easy process for you or your staff, so getting the communication strategy right, including a consistent message, cannot be overstated
• Remember it is always jobs that are at risk of redundancy, never the person
• You’ll need to formally open a consultation for two to three weeks if less than 20 jobs are at risk
• You’ll need a selection criteria that’s fair AND transparent and stands up to scrutiny
• Conduct meaningful 1-2-1 meetings; preferably face to face and if your using technology, find a platform that allows this
• Employees have a right to request representation at all 1-2-1 meetings. This can often be helpful for both parties
• Once consultation is closed and you’re giving formal notice of dismissal hearings, be sure to follow the correct procedure including adequate notice, the right to representation and the right of appeal
• You don’t have to have all the answers on the spot. It’s OK to come back later
• Keep notes of all discussions with staff, and send confirmation

We’re hoping that things won’t get as bad as forecast, but if redundancies look inevitable we recommend that you don’t delay. Putting off those tough decisions will mean your business continues to throw good money after bad making it less sustainable for employees who remain. By acting quickly, you’ll also be giving those employees you do have to let go the pick of the existing vacancies.

We have a redundancy pricing matrix structure available here, so you can see the potential costs in engaging us to support you should the need arise. We also have a range of documents available in our toolkits.

In the meantime, if you require support or have any questions, please call us on 01452 331331 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Did you know that October is Domestic Abuse Awareness month? October was first declared as National Domestic Abuse Awareness Month in 1989. It’s a month dedicated to raising awareness and acknowledging domestic abuse victims and survivors.

Whilst the default position of many employers may be one of not getting involved in domestic relationship issues, we would remind them of an organisation’s implicit duty of care to its employees. Indeed, apart from the obvious welfare issue, the Health & Safety at Work Act also comes into effect; especially where an abuse victim’s colleagues might be put at risk.

Lapses in concentration in a critical role or duty could catastrophically endanger others. Furthermore, in addition to the effects that abuse may have on the individual and their performance, we shouldn’t underestimate how much this might rub off on the performance of their co-workers.

If the workplace is acting as a place of refuge for an abused individual, then even unwittingly, the employer could be playing a vital role in that person’s wellbeing.

We first posted about domestic abuse over two years ago when a notable rise int the number of reports occurred, considered to be a side-effect of the Covid-19 pandemic and of the associated lockdown. One the most startling revelations at that time was just how much some victims rely on the workplace as a haven or place of escape from an abusive relationship or environment.

Lockdown was an easy explanation for a rise in reported domestic abuse cases. With households forced to remain in their own company for extended periods, relationships could easily become fraught with tensions building until they erupted in an outburst of violence. For those reported cases, we should remember that there are many more that go unreported for fear of even greater violence or reprisals.

As lockdown restrictions were lifted, we entered the great Working from Home debate. Having experienced a functional business without the added cost of a bricks & mortar premises, some employers famously chose to do away their offices and asked all employees to work from home. Whilst a high proportion of workers embraced this opportunity, there may have been many who exist in an abusive relationship and who will dreaded the prospect of homeworking.

Following the easing of covid related working restrictions and the wider return to the traditional workplace, the shadow that domestic abuse cast has waned somewhat and it is no longer an issue that makes the headlines. Of course, that doesn’t mean it has gone away and organisations should consider giving it the attention that mental health has garnered over recent years.

Businesses are not expected to take responsibility to resolve cases of domestic abuse, but they should, as part of their general employee welfare duties, notice the signs and signpost affected staff-members to relevant organisations and support groups. Ignoring or turning a blind eye when it’s evident that an issue exists, or is even suspected, will almost certainly compound the effects of the abuse for the individual.

Countering the effects that domestic abuse might have in the workplace doesn’t have to be a huge, costly exercise and in fact there are some simple, quick wins that can be implemented by anyone:

• Firstly, we need to recognise that there might be a problem.
  • Has behaviour changed?
  • Is an individual uncharacteristically late for work or has let their work standards drop?
  • Does the individual always choose to come to work, even when homeworking is offered
  • Is someone dressing differently or unsuitably for the time of year possibly to covers marks or bruising?
  • Abuse isn’t always physical so be aware of mental abuse too
    
    
• If an employee discloses they are being abused then don’t doubt or question it; reassure them that they will be supported at work
  
  
• Take whatever action you can that doesn’t risk worsening the issue. This may be changing how incoming phone calls or e-mails are managed so the abuser cannot access their victim whilst they are at work or are discouraged to try
  
  
• Display posters or information for support groups of domestic abuse or have a list of organisations readily available
  
  
• Remember that men can also be victims of domestic abuse and that it can occur in same sex relationships too

Something as fundamental as ensuring your managers are trained in how to deal with difficult conversations could be a really effective first step toward supporting staff who may be victims of domestic abuse.

We’ve compiled a new Domestic Abuse Awareness fact sheet which is available to download from our Toolkits. It’s FREE to download at the moment with the discount coupon AWARE100.

If you require any support with handling a known or suspected instance of domestic abuse you can call us on 01452 331331 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.