Employment law is changing. But the bigger question is whether your leadership is ready.
The biggest changes to UK employment law in a generation are placing greater responsibility on organisations to manage people fairly, consistently and confidently. But while many businesses are busy reviewing contracts and updating policies, are they asking the most important question of all?
Have we equipped our managers to lead?
In this episode of Sticky From The Inside, Andy Goram is joined by Aliya Vigor-Robertson, Founder of JourneyHR, to explore why the new legislation isn't simply an HR issue, it's a leadership capability challenge.
Together they discuss what the Employment Rights reforms mean in practice, why poor management has always been expensive (and is about to become even more so), and why investing in managers may now be one of the smartest commercial decisions an organisation can make.
The conversation goes far beyond legal compliance, exploring why performance management should never begin when things go wrong, the difference between being nice and being kind, and why HR can advise, but managers must lead.
Whether you're a CEO, HR professional, business owner or line manager, this episode offers practical insight into building workplaces where people perform, grow and thrive.
Key Takeaways
- The law isn't creating a leadership problem. It's exposing one. The new legislation simply raises the consequences of poor management that many organisations have tolerated for years.
- Compliance doesn't create capability. Policies matter, but it's confident, capable managers who build trust, handle difficult conversations and create high-performing teams.
- HR can advise. Managers must lead. HR provides the framework, but every day-to-day conversation that shapes culture belongs to leaders and managers.
- Clarity is kindness when it arrives early enough to make a difference. The earlier managers tackle difficult conversations with honesty and care, the more likely they are to help people improve rather than create bigger problems later.
Key Moments
The key moments in this episode are:
01:38 – If Every Management Decision Went to Tribunal, How Confident Would You Be?
05:37 – HR’s Real Role: Turning Employment Law Into Good People Practice
08:04 – Employment Law Is Catching Up With Good Employers
09:13 – The Big Changes: Six-Month Protection and Uncapped Awards
15:07 – This Isn’t a Policy Exercise. It’s a Behavioural One
15:58 – Why Managers Now Need to Manage Properly From Day One
19:34 – Performance Management Isn’t Just for When Things Go Wrong
22:21 – HR Can Build the Rails. Managers Have to Drive the Train
24:09 – Kind, Not Nice: Why Avoiding the Conversation Helps Nobody
27:06 – Why Do We Still Treat Management Like an Intuitive Skill?
28:43 – The Cost of Poor Management Just Got Much More Real
34:36 – Why Leadership Development Can’t Be a Two-Day Fix
38:17 – Behaviour Only Matters When It’s Linked to Business Performance
39:49 – The Human Cost of Handling Workplace Complaints Badly
42:29 – Sticky Notes: Audit Behaviour, Act Earlier and Treat Management as a Profession
Join The Conversation
Follow Andy Goram on LinkedIn
Visit Andy's website Bizjuicer.comhere
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Useful Links
Follow Aliya Vigor-Robertson on LinkedIn
Visit journeyhr.com
Full Episode Transcript
Get the full episode transcript
