Week 3 – 24 September 2026:“Nothing Has Ever Gone Wrong Before!” | HR Compliance Risks | Consensus HR – Herts & Beds
“Nothing Has Ever Gone Wrong Before!”
The most expensive HR excuse of all?
Consensus HR | Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire & Cambridgeshire
For the last three Thursdays, Consensus HR has been tackling some of the excuses businesses give for putting off good HR practice.
We finish our campaign with three areas that demonstrate exactly why our approach to HR is proactive rather than reactive.
Excuse 7: “We’ll Do the Right to Work Check Later”
Our answer: Don’t.
Employers have important legal responsibilities when checking an individual’s Right to Work in the UK. The prescribed check should be carried out before employment begins if the employer wishes to establish the relevant statutory excuse against liability for a civil penalty. It must also be completed and recorded correctly.
Current Government guidance provides for civil penalties of up to £60,000 per illegal worker in relevant circumstances. More serious consequences can arise in cases involving knowingly employing an illegal worker or having reasonable cause to believe somebody does not have the right to work.
“We’ll do it next week” could be an extraordinarily expensive sentence.
Excuse 8: “We’re Only an Office — Nothing Dangerous Happens Here”
Our answer: Health and safety is not just for factories, warehouses and construction sites.
Employers have responsibilities to assess and manage workplace risks. The nature of those risks will vary according to the organisation. An office is unlikely to have the same risks as a manufacturing plant, but that does not mean there are no risks to consider.
The HSE approach to risk assessment involves identifying hazards, deciding who might be harmed and evaluating what needs to be done to control the risks.
The question often comes after an incident: “Why wasn’t this risk identified?” That is not when an employer wants to start thinking about risk assessment.
Excuse 9: “We’ll Update the Employee Handbook When We Need To”
Our answer: The time to discover your policies are out of date is not when you are trying to use them.
Employment law changes. Government guidance changes. Your workforce changes. Technology changes. Working practices change. And your business changes.
Employee Handbooks and HR policies therefore need appropriate review. For Consensus HR retained clients with our relevant handbook service, keeping HR documentation under review is an important part of the support we provide.
We also encourage businesses to ensure employees can access current policies and that appropriate records are maintained when significant updates are communicated.
And finally… “Nothing Has Ever Gone Wrong Before”
Businesses insure their premises before a fire. They back up computer systems before losing data. They manage cash flow before the bank account is empty. HR should be approached in exactly the same way.
Waiting for an Employment Tribunal claim, grievance, discrimination allegation, serious absence issue or major employee dispute before putting appropriate HR processes in place is the definition of reactive HR.
At Consensus HR, we believe in doing the opposite.
Comment from Matthew Chilcott — Owner, Consensus HR
The best HR work often happens quietly in the background: contracts are correct, policies are current, managers know what to do, probation reviews happen, conversations are documented and advice is taken before decisions are made.
You may never know exactly which problem that work prevented — and that is the point. At Consensus HR, we want our clients spending their time running and growing their businesses, not firefighting people problems that could have been prevented.”
Matthew Chilcott — Owner, FCIPD, ACEL, BA (Hons)
From excuses to action
Across our three-week campaign we have heard: “We haven’t got time.” “I’ve already told them.” “We’ll do the paperwork later.” “We’re only a small business.” “Everyone knows the rules.” “Can’t we just sack them?” “We’ll do the check later.” “We’re only an office.” “We’ll update it when we need it.” And finally: “Nothing has ever gone wrong before.”
Our response? Don’t wait for something to go wrong before finding out whether your HR is right.
Book a complimentary HR review
Consensus HR supports SMEs across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire with practical HR and Employment Law support designed to prevent people problems.
Telephone: 01438 576750
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.consensushr.com
Latest HR blogs: consensushr.com/blogs-hr/
