With the Employment Rights Bill (ERB) progressing through Parliament, SMEs need to prepare for some of the biggest employment law changes in years. From extended tribunal claim deadlines to new protections for carers, whistleblowers, and domestic abuse survivors, the proposed amendments could significantly impact small and medium-sized businesses. SA Law’s employment legal experts break down the key changes and what they mean for SMEs. The Employment Rights Bill (ERB), the Government’s flagship Bill proposing significant changes to employment law, completed its Committee Stage in the House of Commons on 16 January 2025. The Committee considered the draft ERB alongside more…
Author: sme-admin
As companies navigate the complexities of return-to-office (RTO) mandates, James Campanini, Head of Logitech for Business, discusses a key challenge that is often overlooked: the readiness of office spaces to accommodate a full workforce in today’s hybrid-first era. The debate over whether to return to the office or sustain a remote team has become one of the most significant workplace discussions in recent years. Companies are struggling to balance remote and in-office work, yet strict return-to-office (RTO) mandates are failing to deliver the intended results. While many assume the COVID-19 pandemic was the advent of hybrid work models, in reality, many businesses…
There’s no denying that divorce can be one of life’s most challenging events, but for SME owners, it brings a unique set of hurdles. Beyond personal heartbreak, the fate of your business – often built on years of hard work and ambition – can hang in the balance. From asset valuations to financial settlements, divorce involving business ownership can be complicated. James Maguire, Founder and Managing Director at Maguire Family Law, has spent over 30 years advising business owners through complex divorces. What’s more, having co-founded Maguire Family Law with his now ex-wife, James understands firsthand how professional and personal…
UNiDAYS, the world’s leading student verification platform, has released new data which highlights UK students’ views on the workplace and their preferred working patterns. As students consider their job options after graduation, new data from UNiDAYS reveals that UK students are eager to experience traditional office life. Of the over 700 students surveyed, 65% said a physical office is either very or somewhat important to them when considering where they choose to start their career. Despite companies such as WPP and Amazon facing backlash after telling staff to come into the office more, the data indicates that this will not deter the next intake…
By Alison Bromley Head of Partnerships at Onebright In 2025, many businesses have come a long way in their acceptance and understanding of the importance of supporting mental health in the workplace. Reports show, of the UKs top companies, around 96% now offer some type of mental health support to their employees. Statistics indicate that around 15% of working adults are living with a mental health condition, with anxiety, depression, and stress being the most common. This is not, however, reflected in the uptake of services. There are a few reasons why that is the case. The challenge is that…
Small firms are tightening their belts on jobs, with potential changes that will expand the grounds for unfair dismissal and higher sick pay costs at the top of their list of worries, research from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) shows. New data shows that in the last quarter of 2024, 33 per cent of small employers said they expect to reduce staff, up from 17 per cent in the previous quarter. Fewer businesses are also looking to hire – with only 10 per cent of small employers planning to take on more staff, down 14 per cent from the previous quarter. Meanwhile, 56 per cent expect to keep their…
For millions of people, financial exclusion is still a huge challenge. Done right, fintech has the power to break down these barriers and create real opportunities. But with so many companies claiming to drive positive change, how can we tell the real innovators from those just chasing profits? Gregor Mowat, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Loqbox, the UK’s leading credit-building fintech, shares his insights on what really makes a fintech “good,” the challenges of doing the right thing, and the fintech trends that could make a difference for SMEs in 2025. What does “fintech for good” actually mean? It’s not just…
Rick Goud, Founder & CIO of Zivver shares why email is at risk of becoming a security blindspot for IT leaders As AI takes centre stage in 2025, businesses and employees are flooded with innovative applications and productivity tools. Yet, despite this technological surge, email remains the backbone of workplace communication across industries—used for everything from casual exchanges to sharing sensitive documents. In fact, our research shows that more than 90% of employees still consider email ‘important’ or ‘very important’ to their daily work. However, as our digital and cybersecurity landscape evolves, there is a risk that email – while still an…
A unified approach to combating economic crime and enhancing trust is needed, according to Umazi. As financial and economic crime continue to rise, the UK must take decisive action to enhance business transparency and security. This is according to Umazi, a leader in digital identity and verification solutions, which is calling on policymakers and businesses to prioritise the implementation of digital company IDs to strengthen the UK’s economic integrity. The call comes following the publishing of a new whitepaper from the Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology (CFIT), Fighting Economic Crime Through Enhanced Verification, which highlights a critical solution: digital company identification. “Economic…
Longevita, a leading provider of cosmetic surgery solutions, is calling for urgent regulatory reform in the UK’s cosmetic surgery sector to prioritise patient safety and ensure that clear industry standards protect those seeking procedures. Despite the industry’s rapid growth, regulations have not kept pace, leaving patients vulnerable to inconsistent standards of care and varying levels of practitioner oversight. Kagan Seymenoglu, CEO at Longevita, is calling for a government-backed online registry to track and regulate medical tourism providers. Similar to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and GMC registry database, this registry would list all practitioners and businesses offering services abroad, ensuring that…