Supporting Your Team Through Changing Employment Law

Employment law in the UK is shifting, and for design and craft businesses, it's worth understanding what's changing and what it means in practice.

Understanding What’s Changing in UK Employment Law

From April 2025, several significant updates come into effect. Protections around flexible working, paternity leave, and discrimination now apply from day one of employment. The cap on unfair dismissal settlements is also being removed, meaning contested dismissals carry greater financial risk than before.

For studios and workshops where teams are often small, close-knit, and frequently at life stages involving growing families, these changes matter. But they don't have to be daunting.

What Well-Run Businesses Are Doing in Practice

The businesses we work with that handle this best tend to share a few things in common. They invest time in their hiring process, so they're bringing in people who are genuinely the right fit from the start. They communicate openly with their teams about expectations, and they document performance conversations as a matter of good management practice, not as a defensive measure. They also think carefully about when a freelance or contract model genuinely suits the work, and structure those relationships properly.

Consistency and Intentional Leadership

None of this requires a fundamental change in how you lead. It requires being intentional and consistent.

Good employment practice has always been the best protection against legal risk. These changes simply make that more visible.

Planning Ahead

If you're reviewing your people strategy for the year ahead and would like a conversation about how this applies to your business, we're happy to help.