March observations: policy shifts, deeper breaths, and a first hint of warmth
March has felt like a turning point - not dramatically, but subtly. The days stretched out a little. Mornings felt brighter. I left the office one evening and didn’t need a coat. These small changes have a quiet impact. They’re not milestones, but they mark a shift: in weather, in rhythm, in how we carry ourselves through the week.
There’s always a point in early spring where I notice people exhale more easily. Meetings feel slightly less heavy. Colleagues talk about plans rather than pressures. You hear things like “let’s revisit this after Easter” or “we’ve got some time to shape this properly”. It’s still a full calendar - but the tone changes.
For me, March has brought a blend of head-up thinking and head-down delivery. Some first-aid retraining, a few knotty HR issues, and a bit more reading than usual. I’ve been slowly dipping into global economics - a subject I’ve circled for years but never properly studied. I’ll come back to that. First, a few things from the day job.
Employment law: what’s shifting, and why it matters
March saw a fair bit of activity around employment law, mostly in the form of consultations, position papers, and posturing - but a few things are worth your attention.
Redundancy protection for pregnancy and parental leave: heading for real change
The long-anticipated extension of redundancy protection for new parents is finally moving. The Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023, passed last year, sets the groundwork. But in March, we started to see draft regulations and clearer guidance.
If implemented as expected:
Protection from redundancy will extend from the point someone tells their employer they’re pregnant, until 18 months after the birth or adoption placement.
It won’t prevent redundancy altogether - but employers will be required to offer a suitable alternative vacancy, if one exists, before making someone redundant.
Why it matters:
The current framework ends protection on the day maternity or parental leave finishes. This leaves a vulnerable window for returners - especially in restructures.
The new model better reflects modern employment realities and could support retention, especially in sectors already struggling with post-leave attrition.
For HR teams, it’s a clear sign to review redundancy policies, template letters, and manager briefings - and to reframe this protection as good practice, not red tape.
TUPE and consultation reform — early noises from Government
March also brought early signals about potential reforms to TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment). These came through a wider consultation on cutting “burdensome” employment regulation post-Brexit.
One area flagged: allowing direct consultation with employees in smaller organisations, rather than via elected reps, where fewer than 50 people are involved and fewer than 10 are transferring.
It’s positioned as “simplifying process”, but there’s an undertone worth watching. TUPE is one of the few areas where procedural error can derail an otherwise sound process. Diluting consultation obligations under the banner of “efficiency” risks weakening employee voice, especially in sectors with little union presence.
The proposals are at consultation stage - not law - but they reflect a broader trend: prioritising administrative ease over collective protection. Keep an eye on this one.
The AI elephant in the HR room
The UK’s approach to AI and employment is still fragmented - but the debate’s heating up. March brought multiple position papers, including from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), both focusing on bias, explainability, and fairness.
Key themes:
Transparency - employers using AI in recruitment, performance monitoring, or workforce planning must be able to explain how decisions are made.
Discrimination risk - algorithms trained on biased data can reinforce inequality, even if the employer doesn’t intend it.
Governance - there’s a growing push for HR leaders to understand what systems are doing - not just approve the procurement.
In short: “It’s the tech’s fault” won’t wash. HR and OD teams need to get closer to data science, and sooner rather than later.
Learning something that isn’t for work
Outside of consultancy and case law, I did something else in March that matters more than I expected: I retook my First Aid certification.
It had lapsed. And like many things that lapse, I’d told myself it wasn’t urgent. But a reminder came through, and I booked it - partly out of duty, partly out of curiosity to see how much I remembered.
The three-days themselves was straightforward. A few scenarios, some practical practice, lots of acronyms I hadn’t used in a while. But it stayed with me longer than I thought it would.
There’s something grounding about revisiting a practical, physical skill. Something you hope you’ll never need, but might - in a workplace, on the street, on a train. In a world where most of my work is words and systems and interpretation, this was about action. Breathing. Bleeding. Bones.
It reminded me how important it is that people feel equipped - not just for job tasks, but for human moments. I’m thinking now about how we make First Aid more visible again in the workplace. Not just posters and policies, but active confidence. Something for Pelwyn to support more visibly, maybe.
Global lens: the return of Trump, and why UK HR should care
I’ve also started looking (slowly!) at macroeconomics. I don’t pretend to be an expert. But with Trump back in the White House and US policy shifting fast, it felt like time to look beyond the UK bubble.
It’s easy to treat US politics as spectacle. But for those of us advising on workforce strategy, governance, or international HR, the ripple effects are immediate - and real.
A few areas I’m tracking:
Trade and labour supply - the administration’s return to economic nationalism could disrupt global supply chains, particularly in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and tech. Even UK organisations without a US footprint may feel the knock-on — in rising costs, longer lead times, or squeezed talent pools.
Immigration rhetoric - the tone has hardened again - not just in the US, but in the UK too. Trump’s policies and speeches often dominate global headlines, which can shape public sentiment here and indirectly pressure UK immigration policy. It’s a reminder that narrative drives policy as much as data.
Market confidence and hiring patterns - businesses tend to tread cautiously during periods of political disruption. We’re already seeing signs of that in global investment and hiring decisions. The uncertainty doesn’t stay contained - it travels.
None of this is cause for panic. But if your work touches international teams, global contracts, or cross-border recruitment, now is a good time to revisit workforce risk registers and recheck your exposure points.
And if, like me, you’re new to economics: Tim Harford’s books are a good entry point. Calm, clear, and quietly challenging in how they unpack systems and behaviours.
A final note on light
The clocks go forward at the end of March. It’s a small change that brings a quiet lift.
Lately I’ve found myself working with the windows open - a sign that spring’s doing its job. I’m walking more. Thinking more clearly. Holding my weekends a little more tightly.
I’ve always said that Pelwyn isn’t about surface-level productivity hacks or quick fixes. It’s about creating space - for better thinking, deeper decisions, and work that actually supports people to do well.
This month reminded me how physical that space can be. Light, warmth, fresh air - they shift how we think and how we feel. They change how we show up.
So here’s to longer days, sharper thoughts, and the kind of HR that makes room for both.