FRESH FEED

Let’s talk about something a lot of founders, leaders and hiring managers do (sometimes unknowingly): hiring their double. But here’s the problem - if your team is made up of people just like you, who’s filling the gaps and doing the stuff you can’t do? 

New stats show that disability discrimination claims have jumped a whopping 40% in the last year. That’s nearly 12,000 cases going through Acas’s early conciliation process - up from around 8,500 the year before. And guess what’s behind a big chunk of that rise? Mental health.

In July, the Government published its official Implementation Roadmap for the Employment Rights Bill, providing employers with the most detailed timeline yet for when the wide-ranging reforms are likely to take effect. For those of you already familiar with the broad proposals, this document is less about what is changing and more about when.

If there's one thing the pandemic taught us about work, it’s that we don't have to sit in an office from 9 to 5 to get the job done. We've learned that when workers are trusted to work in the manner that works best for them, they tend to deliver more. A strong culture isn’t about tracking hours; it's about trusting individuals to deliver results. When people feel trusted, they engage more deeply, collaborate more openly, and stick around for longer. 

When people talk about building a strong culture, they often reach for the obvious things: engagement surveys, benefits packages, flexible working, socials, ping pong tables with matching branded paddles. But the really good stuff - the stuff that actually builds a culture people want to stay in, contribute to, and grow with? That stuff is often a bit less shiny. And a bit more uncomfortable.

The government began a thorough examination of the parental leave and compensation scheme in July.

At our recent Leadership Breakfast, our discussions around the double empathy problem were lively to say the least. The idea challenges the assumption that empathy is a one-way street. Instead, it highlights that when two people (or groups) with different lived experiences struggle to understand each other, both sides feel a gap in empathy.

If Energy Drives Results, Why Are We Still Organising Work Around Time?

Schools have closed for the summer. Ice lollies are a staple food group. It’s the hottest summer on record (again), and the collective energy is somewhere between “sun-drenched bliss” and “deep existential fatigue.” And somewhere in the middle of it all, the cracks in your culture are starting to show. Half the team is away, whether it’s Cornwall, Menorca, or just off-grid and offline, and the rest are heat-frazzled and juggling childcare. And suddenly, a workplace that felt connected and energetic in spring feels… off. But here’s the thing: If summer is breaking your culture, it was already cracked. This season doesn’t create chaos; it just reveals what’s underneath when the usual structure fades. When presence drops and routines break, what’s left behind? That’s the culture. Just the actual, emotional mechanics of how your team works, or in many instances, doesn’t. 1. Does trust get shakier when people aren’t visibly working? 2. Do leaders freeze when the normal rhythm disappears? 3. Maybe well-being starts to feel like a nice idea, not an active priority. These aren ’ t summer problems. These are design problems. Here’s the truth no one wants to hear: If your culture only works when everyone’s in, engaged, and on form, it’s not really working. ]The future of work (the one we keep talking about in think pieces and strategy decks) shouldn’t hinge on visibility. It hinges on emotional intelligence. On systems that flex rather than asking people to stretch themselves to the limit, again and again. In our opinion, the answer isn’t another internal comms push or a last-minute wellbeing webinar. It’s about how your culture is built, underneath it all. Can people step back without guilt or suspicion? Do managers know how to lead through quiet, murky patches? Does trust stay steady even when the energy doesn’t? Real culture holds steady in the off-season. It doesn’t need the room to be full or the vibe to be high. It’s sustainable, not seasonal. So if things feel a little wobbly right now, don’t wait for September to sort it. Use this time to ask, what’s genuinely working and what’s being masked by momentum? Because it’s during this quieter summer period (heatwave, holidays and all) that gives you a rare glimpse into the soul of your workplace. Don’t waste it.