As businesses grapple with the compounding pressures of rising employment costs and a volatile economic landscape, the team at Swindon’s HR Dept say expert advice is more important than ever.
UK employers are currently facing a perfect storm of financial challenges. The recent rise in the National Minimum Wage has created a significant ripple, with across-the-board salary adjustments to maintain pay differentials. This, coupled with last year’s National Insurance increases and the persistent cost-of-living crisis, has left many directors struggling to balance employee rewards with the survival of the business.
External factors continue to exacerbate the situation, with high interest rates, rising inflation, and a surge in fuel and utility costs – driven in part by ongoing instability in the Middle East – squeezing profit margins to the limit.
Helen Imbusi, Head of HR Consultancy at the HR Dept, said the hospitality sector has been particularly hard hit. The HR Dept works closely with a number of hospitality businesses and in one recent example, a client who opened a new venue with staff on guaranteed hours was forced to transition to zero-hours contracts as a short-term measure to manage fluctuating demand.
However, with the Employment Rights Act set to remove zero-hours contracts as an option from 2027, businesses are losing flexibility just when they need it most.
“Employment legislation on the one hand, and the economic conditions on the other, means businesses are treading a tightrope,” said Helen. “They have to remain flexible – but in a way that complies with employment law. Now more than ever expert advice on navigating a path through is needed. You have to do everything you can to protect your business while remaining compliant.”
This current era represents one of the most intricate scenarios for business owners in recent memory, following a 15-year accumulation of global challenges, including the credit crunch, the pandemic, and prolonged minimal economic growth.
“There is an arena right now where business owners will need to keep tweaking and pivoting,” said Helen. “It’s all about navigating a path to protect the workforce without compromising the financial integrity of the company.”
The HR Dept Swindon, North Wiltshire and East Cotswolds, supports business owners and directors across Swindon, Chippenham, Hungerford, Marlborough, Calne, Devizes, Burford, Lechlade and Carterton, and has a sister company working with businesses based in London. Helen and the team help clients navigate tough trading conditions and the pressures of a shifting legislative landscape.
For help and advice with HR and implementing the Employment Rights Act, email helen.imbusi@hrdept.co.uk or call 01793 683 398. For more about the HR Dept, visit https://www.hrdept.co.uk/swindon-north-wiltshire-east-cotswolds/.
