Welcome back to Season 3 of Peas in a Podcast! Refreshed, rearing to go, and diving straight into one of the most vital workplace topics facing business owners today: sexual harassment and third-party harassment.

Employment law has undergone a massive shift. It is no longer enough to simply have an anti-harassment policy sitting in a drawer and investigate complaints after they happen. Employers now have a proactive, legal duty to take all reasonable steps to prevent harassment before it occurs. Furthermore, this duty extends to third parties: customers, clients, suppliers, service users, sub-contractors, and the general public.

In this episode, Kay and Rebecca unpack what these legal changes mean for small business owners and leaders. They tackle the uncomfortable realities of workplace banter, explain why intention is not a legal defence, and break down practical ways to protect your team in environments outside your direct control.

In this episode, we cover:

The legal shift from taking "reasonable steps" to "all reasonable steps".
What third-party harassment actually includes (from client dinners to house visits).
The definition of harassment and why "unwanted conduct" is the key phrase.
Why a 20-minute tick-box e-learning module will not protect your business or your staff.
How to conduct practical risk assessments for high-risk scenarios involving alcohol, networking, and external client events.
How to frame zero-tolerance expectations in client onboarding and commercial contracts.
Building a genuine culture of care and psychological safety where employees feel empowered to speak up.

If you want to ensure your business stays compliant while fostering a culture where your people feel safe and valued, this episode is essential listening.

Want to explore this further? Get free access to our recorded employer webinar on preventing sexual harassment, with practical guidance to help you understand your responsibilities and where to start. Watch the free webinar here.

For more practical support, look out for our upcoming Harassment: Risk & Readiness working session, where we’ll help you assess your organisation’s risks and turn the guidance into a practical action plan.

Welcome to the Season 2 finale of Peas in a Podcast! In this episode, Kay and Rebecca (Directors of Peas in a Pod Consulting) sit down to tackle the burning HR, management, and people management questions submitted directly by small business owners and founders.

We strip away the corporate wank to give you commercial, candid, and human answers to the questions keeping you up at night.

What we cover in this episode:

• Immediate Dismissals: Can you make an employee leave straight away when you sack them? We break down Garden Leave, Pay in Lieu of Notice (PILON), and gross misconduct.
• Redundancy vs Performance: Why using redundancy to offload an underperforming employee is a dangerous avoidance strategy.
• Managing Feedback Resistance: How to handle team members who react defensively or emotionally to constructive feedback.
• Sick Pay & Absenteeism: Understanding day-one Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) rules, contractual sick pay traps, and how to tackle recurring Monday absences.
• Managing Friends: Practical tactics for handling tough performance reviews with employees you are close with without destroying the personal relationship.
• Dismissal Warnings: Debunking the "three strikes and you are out" myth and understanding proper disciplinary versus capability processes.

Whether you are scaling a business or managing a growing team, this Q&A offers zero-fluff, real-world advice to help you protect your business and build a healthy culture.

Subscribe to our channel so you never miss an episode, and join us when we return for Season 3!

Trade union access rights are changing at the end of October 2026 under the new Employment Rights Act, and it is set to hit small businesses like a ton of bricks. If you employ 21 or more people, trade unions will soon have a statutory right to request physical and digital access to your team and facilities to recruit and support members.

In this episode of Peas in a Podcast, Kay and Rebecca break down the dry legal jargon into plain, actionable advice. From understanding access agreements and strict 15 day response windows to avoiding fines starting at £75,000, we cover everything small business owners need to know before October.

In this episode, we cover:

• Who this law actually applies to (the 21-employee threshold across all sites).
• What an access agreement looks like and why you cannot ignore it.
• How to negotiate and compromise on reasonable room access and meeting timings.
• The severe financial penalties for failing to engage (fines from £75k up to £500k).
• Why company culture is your best defence and why culture work is no longer pink and fluffy.
• Practical HR steps to prepare, including contract updates and staff written statements.

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