Day 1 Employment Rights are Changing

Help Line Managers to Step Up

Employment law is shifting again. Most of the headlines focus on legislation, compliance, and policy updates. But the changes mean much more than a change to the HR policies. It means changing how people are managed on a day to day basis.

In simple terms, upcoming changes strengthen employees’ rights from the very start of employment. Protection from unfair dismissal is expected to apply from Day 1. Flexible working rights are becoming easier to request. And there will be greater scrutiny on how performance and conduct issues are handled.

None of this means managers need to become employment lawyers, but it does mean that how they manage people (from day one) matters more than ever. And that’s where many organisations have vulnerability… it’s not in the formal people management process, but the informal one.

Most Managers Were Promoted for Doing, Not Managing

Let’s be honest, most line managers were promoted because they were technically excellent. They delivered results. They solved problems. They knew the job inside out. Managing people was the add-on. Something they didn’t want and were often expected to pick up along the way. When pressure builds, they naturally lean back into what feels familiar — the technical work. The tasks. The deadlines.

Managing people feels like a distraction from the ‘real’ work. The don’t see the point in regular conversations that aren’t about the work, so 1-1s get postponed. Feedback becomes reactive. Development gets squeezed into the last five minutes of a meeting.

They don’t appreciate that now they are a manager, conversations are the real work.

Why Day 1 Rights Raise the Stakes

Stronger Day 1 protections don’t just increase legal complexity. They increase the importance of everyday management. When expectations are unclear, when feedback is irregular, when issues are left unspoken, small gaps quietly widen. What might once have been an informal correction now requires careful documentation. What could have been a simple conversation becomes a formal (and often contentious) process.

It’s like looking after a house; if you complete regular maintenance, small cracks are a quick fix. Ignore them, and eventually you’re dealing with structural work.

Effective 1-1s are that early maintenance. They create a regular framework where expectations are clarified, progress is discussed, and concerns surface before they escalate. They build relationships and trust, and over time, they protect both the employee and the organisation — not through bureaucracy, but through understanding and respect.

The Reality of 1-1s

In many organisations, 1-1s technically exist but the reality is that they are paid lip service. They become status updates. They get cancelled when things get busy. They feel polite but vague.

With changes to Day 1 rights looming, 1-1s are more important than ever, but we don’t need to make them more formal. We simply need to make them more purposeful.

What Effective 1-1s Actually Look Like

A good 1-1 isn’t an interrogation. And it isn’t a mini performance review. It’s a structured conversation with a clear purpose. There’s space to talk about current priorities. There’s clarity around what good performance looks like. There’s room to discuss development. And there’s a check-in on how the person is doing — not just what they are doing.

Over time, that builds trust. It makes feedback normal. It reduces surprises. Ironically, it saves time. Because fewer issues land suddenly and dramatically on a manager’s desk.

Supporting Managers Before Problems Hit

Upcoming changes to the law mean that there’s more likelihood of a grievance or a formal performance issue unless line managers are equipped in advance. They need to understand that managing people is no longer secondary to their technical role — it’s central to it.

That’s why there’s a new Power Hour training session: Run Effective 1-1s.

It’s a bite-size session designed to help line managers step up with confidence. In as little as an hour, they learn how to set clear expectations for 1-1s, balance task and development discussions, and use a simple structure they can use consistently.

It also connects naturally with sessions like Give Effective Feedback, Manage Under-Performance, Difficult Conversations, Coach People, and Motivate and Engage People. Because effective people management isn’t one big dramatic intervention. It’s a series of small, steady conversations.

With Day 1 rights strengthening, that consistent approach matters more than ever. If you’re reviewing policies right now, it may also be the right moment to review how confident your managers feel running their 1-1s. When managers get the conversations right, compliance becomes easier, and performance improves along the way.

Take a look at the training materials HERE