I can’t quite believe we’re already into July!

It’s been another exciting month at Sparks HR, with international award recognition, several new organisations booking onto my CPD Accredited Menopause Champion Programme, fantastic client feedback and, of course, continuing to support businesses with HR consultancy, workplace culture, mediation, leadership development and menopause inclusion.

I’m also incredibly proud that Sparks HR is now a CPD Approved Provider, with three CPD Accredited workplace menopause programmes designed to help organisations create more inclusive workplaces:

Sparks CPD Accredited Menopause Awareness for Colleagues

Helping colleagues understand menopause, reduce stigma, increase awareness and become better workplace allies.

Sparks CPD Accredited Menopause for Managers

Empowering managers with the confidence, knowledge and practical skills to support colleagues, understand reasonable adjustments, have supportive conversations and meet their legal responsibilities.

Sparks CPD Accredited Menopause Champion Programme

Developing passionate Menopause Champions who can help drive awareness, support colleagues, influence workplace culture and become advocates for menopause inclusion within their organisation.

Together, these programmes form part of my wider Sparks Menopause Inclusion Transformation Programme, supporting organisations to move beyond awareness sessions and create lasting, measurable cultural change.

This month’s blog post focuses on inclusive wellbeing, workplace culture and the significant employment law changes every employer should now be preparing for.

 

Sparks News

Two weeks ago I received an email that completely made my day.

“Congratulations on being recognised as a Winner of the 8th International Women Entrepreneur Awards 2026 by Great Companies Online Business Magazine.”

To then discover that the award was in the Workplace Culture and HR Transformation category made it even more special.

I genuinely feel incredibly proud of this recognition, not just for me personally, but for Sparks HR and everything I’ve been working so hard to achieve.

When I started Sparks HR, my vision was simple:

To help organisations create workplaces where people genuinely feel supported, valued and able to thrive. To bring the human back into workplaces through practical HR support, leadership development, culture change and workplace menopause inclusion.

To have that work recognised internationally is something I never imagined.

I also had the pleasure of attending the Freshies Awards as a finalist in both the HR Hero and Nifty Networker categories.

Unfortunately, no trophies this time… but something happened a few days before that honestly meant even more… read on to find out more;

 

Looking Ahead…

One of the highlights of the past few weeks has been seeing just how many organisations have reached out to take advantage of the 20% booking offer for the Sparks CPD Accredited Menopause Champion Programme.

It’s fantastic to see so many employers recognising the importance of investing in menopause support and creating more inclusive workplaces.

Although many of the programmes will be delivered later in the year, my diary is filling up nicely and I genuinely can’t wait to begin supporting these amazing organisations.

Every organisation is at a different stage of its menopause inclusion journey, and it is a privilege to be trusted to help create workplaces where people feel understood, valued and able to thrive.

There is so much to look forward to, and I can’t wait to share these journeys with you over the coming months.

Then came a conversation that will stay with me for a very long time.

I was speaking to a prospective client about my CPD Accredited Menopause Champion Programme. They explained they had been comparing several providers who specialise solely in menopause training and were unsure whether choosing someone with a broader HR background was the right approach.

When they came back to book the programme, they said something I’ll probably never forget:

“Within the first five minutes of speaking to you, I thought…you know your sh*t. Your passion, knowledge and expertise shone through, and the fact that you’re HR adds so much more to what you offer. I can’t wait to bring you in to support us.”

I’ll be honest, as lovely as awards are, hearing that meant even more because that’s exactly what I strive for.

Not just delivering training, but helping organisations create sustainable, practical workplace change that genuinely improves people’s working lives.

Thank you to every client who has trusted me, every delegate who has attended one of my programmes, every business owner, HR professional and manager who has welcomed me into their workplace, and everyone who continues to recommend and support Sparks HR.

Here’s to continuing to create workplaces that are kinder, more inclusive and better for everyone.

 

Inclusive Wellbeing – More Than Just a Wellbeing Initiative

July marks both Social Wellness Month and Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, making it the perfect opportunity to reflect on what wellbeing really means.

True wellbeing isn’t about fruit bowls, awareness days or wellbeing apps.

It’s about creating workplaces where people feel connected, valued, respected and able to bring their authentic selves to work.

Every employee experiences work differently. Factors such as age, disability, ethnicity, neurodiversity, caring responsibilities, mental health, menopause, gender identity and life experiences all influence how supported someone feels.

An inclusive wellbeing strategy recognises those differences and creates an environment where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

 

Wellbeing and Inclusion Go Hand in Hand

At Sparks HR, I believe wellbeing and inclusion cannot be separated.

People thrive when they feel seen, heard, understood and supported.

That’s why my work focuses on helping organisations embed wellbeing into everyday working life through practical, sustainable people practices.

I support organisations through:

• Workplace Menopause Education

• CPD Accredited Training Programmes

• Leadership & Line Manager Development

• Menopause Champions

• The Sparks Menopause Inclusion Transformation Programme

• HR Consultancy

• Mediation & Conflict Resolution

• Insights Discovery

• Coaching & Mentoring

• Inclusive policy development

• Employee Relations support

Whether someone is navigating menopause, mental health challenges, neurodiversity, caring responsibilities, disability or significant life changes, creating an inclusive culture helps people perform at their very best.

 

The Sparks Menopause Inclusion Transformation Programme

Training is a fantastic place to start, but creating genuine cultural change requires much more.

That’s why I developed the Sparks Menopause Inclusion Transformation Programme.

This bespoke programme helps organisations create lasting menopause inclusion through a combination of:

• Workplace assessments

• Leadership engagement

• Employee surveys

• Menopause policies

• Manager training

• Colleague awareness sessions

• Menopause Champion development

• Communication campaigns

• Coaching

• Practical workplace adjustments

• Action planning

• Practical toolkits

• Ongoing support

Every programme is tailored because every organisation’s journey is different.

The goal is simple:

To create lasting organisational change through menopause inclusion, ensuring leaders, managers and employees have the knowledge, confidence and support needed to retain talent, reduce risk and create workplaces where people can thrive.

 

Employment Law Update – The Employment Rights Act 2025

The Employment Rights Act 2025 continues to roll out throughout 2025, 2026 and 2027, bringing the biggest changes to employment law in decades. Employers should already be reviewing their contracts, policies and management practices to ensure they remain compliant.

Already Introduced

• Day One Statutory Sick Pay

• Day One rights to Parental Leave and Paternity Leave

• National Minimum Wage increases

• New holiday pay record keeping requirements

• The Fair Work Agency

• Increased collective redundancy compensation

• Data Protection Complaints Procedures [Data Protection (Use and Access) Act 2025]

• Greater whistleblowing protection for sexual harassment disclosures

Coming in October 2026

• Employment Tribunal time limits increasing from three months to six months.

• Employers required to take all reasonable steps to prevent workplace sexual harassment.

• New trade union access rights.

• New information requirements regarding trade union membership.

• Changes to Right to Work checks.

• Consultation requirements around tipping and tronc schemes.

• Further restrictions on “fire and rehire”.

The Biggest Change – 1st January 2027

One of the most significant changes for employers comes into force on 1st January 2027.

The qualifying period for ordinary unfair dismissal reduces from two years to just six months and we need to prepare for this now!

What is the qualifying period?

This is the length of service an employee normally needs before they can bring a claim for ordinary unfair dismissal.

This change is retrospective.

That means anyone starting employment on or after 2nd July 2026 will have completed six months’ service by 1st January 2027 and will automatically gain unfair dismissal rights from that date.

For employers, this makes recruitment, probation management and performance conversations more important than ever.

Many organisations are already reducing probation periods to three months, introducing structured review meetings and ensuring managers are confident in making timely decisions.

Looking Ahead to 2027

Further changes include:

• New rights for workers on zero and low-hours contracts.

• A new day one right to statutory bereavement leave.

• Changes to collective redundancy consultation thresholds.

• Stronger protections during pregnancy and maternity.

• Flexible working becoming harder to refuse.

• Mandatory Equality Action Plans (250+ employees), including menopause support measures.

 

How Sparks HR Can Help

Whether you’re looking to strengthen your workplace culture, improve wellbeing and inclusion, prepare for the latest employment law changes or develop confident leaders, I’m here to help.

My services include:

• HR Consultancy

• Leadership Development

• Mediation

• Workplace Investigations

• Insights Discovery

• Coaching & Mentoring

• CPD Accredited Menopause Awareness for Colleagues

• CPD Accredited Menopause for Managers

• CPD Accredited Menopause Champion Programme

• Sparks Menopause Inclusion Transformation Programme

• Policy Reviews & Employee Handbook Updates

• Employment Rights Act 2025 Readiness Reviews

 

Thank You

As always, thank you for taking the time to read this month’s blog post.

Whether you’re an existing client, someone who has attended one of my programmes, a connection on LinkedIn or someone who simply enjoys following my journey, I truly appreciate your continued support.

If you’d like to chat about how Sparks HR can support your organisation, I’d love to hear from you.

“Bringing the human back into workplaces.”

Alison x