Press & Media Coverage
Expert HR commentary and insights featured in leading UK publications
Kate Underwood regularly provides expert commentary on HR, employment law, and workplace issues to leading UK publications. Below are recent articles featuring her insights.
Kate is the HR Queen Bee for UK small businesses. She does not do corporate fluff. She does not do legal lecture vibes. She translates employment law into real life, for owners who are juggling sales, cashflow, staff sickness, rotas, and a "quick question" that turns into a full blown HR headache at 6pm.
Her commentary is grounded in UK employment law, but built for the reality of SME life. Because she has lived it. She knows what it feels like to carry the pressure, make the calls, and still care about your people. Her work is about protecting what you have built, keeping things fair, and stopping people problems turning into expensive chaos.
Kate is also a news reporter for Newspage.media, so she understands what journalists need. Punchy quotes. Clear angles. Quick turnaround. A proper point of view. Not "it depends" on repeat.
What Kate comments on
- •Employment law changes and what SMEs need to do next
- •Hiring, contracts, probation, performance, and tricky exits
- •Sickness absence, SSP, flexible working, family leave, and fairness
- •Grievances, disciplinaries, conflict, and manager mistakes
- •HR tech for SMEs, what is useful and what is pricey nonsense
- •AI at work, the shiny bits, the risky bits, and how not to trip over the law
Kate speaks at events too
Kate is happy to speak at founder events, business networks, panels, conferences, and team sessions on what HR really looks like in a small business. Expect practical takeaways, honest stories, and the stuff no one tells you until you are knee-deep in it.
And yes, she can bring Hazel the Wellbeing Officer along for a guest appearance, if you want the fluffiest part of the agenda.
Get in touch
Press, media interviews and quotes
Podcast and speaking enquiries
Recent coverage
84 press articles
20 Jun 2026
An employment expert has explained things
20 Jun 2026
The number of people claiming PIP in England and Wales has hit four million, a 2% increase since January 2026
20 Jun 2026
Any report of sexual harassment is automatically counted as a protected disclosure in relation to a potential whistleblowing claim.
20 Jun 2026
The changes have been explained by an employment expert
20 Jun 2026
Law changes mean the consequences for crossing the line could be more serious than many realise
8 Jun 2026
The one problem with the biggest employment law shake-up in 30 years: “The system is broken”
30 May 2026
Britain is quietly turning evenings into income as prices climb, but the paperwork can catch up faster than the cash ever does.
28 May 2026
Experts warned household finances have become stretched
28 May 2026
Experts cautioned household finances have become strained
15 May 2026
She highlighted the things she sees more often than not
15 May 2026
An HR expert has shared the workplace behaviours that could lead to you being sacked – and it’s not just about making minor mistakes or breaking office rules
15 May 2026
Some people really think rules are optional
1 Apr 2026
Millions of UK workers are getting a pay rise from April 1. Check the new minimum wage rates and make sure your employer is paying you correctly.
24 Mar 2026
The UK government has unveiled the most sweeping late payment reforms in over a generation — giving freelancers and sole traders new legal muscle to chase, charge interest on, and report unpaid invoices....
17 Mar 2026
UK individual insolvencies have surged 18% year-on-year, with experts warning households are at breaking point as high interest rates, inflation and debt pressures intensify.
17 Mar 2026
Financial experts urge Rachel Reeves to rethink plans to cap National Insurance relief on pensions at £2,000, warning it could damage retirement savings and employer schemes.
17 Mar 2026
Another ‘fairness’ wheeze that’ll sting later
11 Feb 2026
Health element of universal credit set to halve while greater employment support will be provided to sickness claimants
11 Feb 2026
HMRC is urging young people born between 2002 and 2011 to claim their Child Trust Fund, worth £2242 on average. More than 758000 accounts remain…
11 Feb 2026
HMRC is urging young people born between 2002 and 2011 to claim their Child Trust Fund, worth £2242 on average. More than 758000 accounts remain…
11 Feb 2026
HMRC is urging young people born between 2002 and 2011 to claim their Child Trust Fund, worth £2242 on average. More than 758000 accounts remain…
11 Feb 2026
HMRC is urging young people born between 2002 and 2011 to claim their Child Trust Fund, worth £2242 on average. More than 758000 accounts remain…
10 Feb 2026
HMRC is urging 758,000 people to claim
10 Feb 2026
New figures released by HMRC this week show 758,000 people are yet to claim the money
10 Feb 2026
HMRC is urging people to check as 758,000 have yet to claim
20 Jan 2026
The imbalance between private and public sector wage rises is “not sustainable”, an expert has said.
16 Jan 2026
Australia announced that more than 4.7 million social media accounts have been blocked since their ban
14 Jan 2026
More UK small business owners are feeling isolated and exhausted as rising costs, taxes and solo working push founders to breaking point.
13 Jan 2026
Millions of workers will gain day-one rights to parental leave in April this year, after the government laid new measures before Parliament on 12 January, according to the Department for Business and Trade.
6 Jan 2026
“Policymakers will need to redouble efforts to address this problem,” a think tank has warned
6 Jan 2026
Businesses across the UK are being warned that more so-called “zombie” companies could collapse in 2026, increasing unemployment and putting financially healthy firms at risk if they are left unpaid.
5 Jan 2026
Hospitality shift hours are down 30% since 2022 as small pubs, cafés and owner-operators cut staff to survive rising costs.
5 Jan 2026
UK pubs and restaurants have cut shift hours by 30% since 2022 as rising wages, taxes and weak demand hit hospitality in 2025.
31 Dec 2025
Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed wages were rising to £12.71 an hour
29 Dec 2025
The Labour Government has unveiled a new scheme offering complimentary occupational health training to 5,000 line managers at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across England.
29 Dec 2025
Experts and business leaders have criticised a new UK workplace sickness scheme, warning it lacks scale and fails to address the root causes keeping millions out of work.
15 Dec 2025
A £283m government plan to train future builders, coders and engineers has been criticised by business leaders as too little, too late to fix the UK’s housing and productivity crisis.
15 Dec 2025
HMRC has urged seasonal and temporary workers to check they are being paid at least the minimum wage this Christmas, warning that unpaid hours and deductions are common causes of underpayment.
5 Dec 2025
Experts warn laptops, consoles and business tech could rise by £300 after OpenAI secured 40% of global memory chip supply. UK consumers and SMEs face soaring hardware costs amid an AI-driven squeeze.
4 Dec 2025
Christmas celebrations at work are a potential HR minefield
1 Dec 2025
Business leaders are speaking out over the Budget measure which will see the flat-rate working from home tax relief cut
1 Dec 2025
The move will raise taxes by up to £124 for those affected, HMRC estimates.
27 Nov 2025
After UK chancellor Rachel Reeves unveiled her second budget yesterday (26 November), we dig into the implications for HR practitioners.
27 Nov 2025
The Chancellor unveiled changes to salary sacrifice rules which could impact pension savings for millions
26 Nov 2025
Weeks of leaks meant few shocks in today’s Budget, but the announcement still brings significant changes for entrepreneurs.
26 Nov 2025
Raising dividend taxes will hurt the UK’s small businesses and entrepreneurial economy, warn workers in the sec…
26 Nov 2025
Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed the the salary sacrifice cap in today’s Autumn Budget
26 Nov 2025
Experts say Reeves’ £4.7bn salary sacrifice cap will make pension schemes far less attractive, push employers to cut benefits, stall hiring and shrink workers’ long-term retirement pots.
25 Nov 2025
Minimum wage rates are to increase for millions, giving a welcome pay rise to 4.1 to £12.71 an hour for low paid workers, with £1,500 for 18 to…
25 Nov 2025
Minimum wage rates are to increase for millions, giving a welcome pay rise to 4.1 to £12.71 an hour for low paid workers, with £1,500 for 18 to…
25 Nov 2025
Minimum wage rates are to increase for millions, giving a welcome pay rise to 4.1 to £12.71 an hour for low paid workers, with £1,500 for 18 to…
25 Nov 2025
Minimum wage rates are to increase for millions, giving a welcome pay rise to 4.1 to £12.71 an hour for low paid workers, with £1,500 for 18 to…
21 Nov 2025
Financial specialists have argued Rachel Reeves is finalising a "lastminute.com" Budget days before its publication, raising concerns about the Government’s fiscal preparedness.
12 Nov 2025
Unemployment in the UK rose to 5% in the three months to the end of September, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) released yesterday (11 November).
10 Nov 2025
Business owners have slammed the BBC after its top brass had to step down for doctoring footage of the US President.
21 Oct 2025
Barclays, Lloyds Bank, Halifax, and more banks experienced significant disruption due to the outage
20 Oct 2025
Pizza Hut’s UK dine-in restaurants enter administration amid rising costs and shifting consumer habits, with experts blaming a ‘brutal market squeeze’.
18 Jul 2025
Jaguar Land Rover’s plan to axe up to 500 management jobs in the UK should remind employers about their duties surrounding voluntary redundancies, HR commentators have said.
28 Feb 2025
Another banking glitch has resulted in millions of UK workers being unable to access their finances on pay day.
28 Oct 2024
Labour claims to be the party of working people - but who among us fit into their narrow definition?
15 Oct 2024
The rate of unemployment dropped to four per cent in the three month to August 2024, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
4 May 2023
With HMRC considering more changes to off-payroll legislation, People Management asks legal and tax experts which issues this could solve and what will likely remain unaddressed
21 Mar 2023
With data suggesting theft at work is on the rise, People Management asks the profession whether employees should be reprimanded amid the current economic downturn
2 Dec 2022
Latest REC figures could be indicative of ‘new year, new me’ Christmas rush, but recruiters warn it isn’t necessarily good news for employers
13 Sept 2022
Following the ONS labour market data published this morning expert recruiters and HRs have commented: Louise Skittrall, founder of Swindon-based Robinson Grac
18 Aug 2021
Your self-esteem can take a hit, and so can the business.
7 Jul 2021
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, UK sickness absence fell last year, sparking fears that employees are continuing to work while ill and working from home.
29 Jun 2021
Women want workplace period leave policies as they don’t believe UK employment law supports those who experience severe menstrual symptoms.
24 Jun 2021
Nurses, teachers and shopworkers who have lost their health and their jobs talk about their struggle for support
13 May 2021
BUSINESSES have welcomed signs of a recovery after the “massive” loss inflicted by the Covid criss last year.
13 May 2021
BUSINESSES have welcomed signs of a recovery after the “massive” loss inflicted by the Covid criss last year.
30 Mar 2021
What can employers do to aid people most vulnerable to unemployment scarring?
Small and micro businesses will be required to file profit and loss (along with other accountancy changes). Here’s what we know so far
England and Scotland fans are preparing to change working patterns to stay up into the small hours to follow the tournament as games kick off as late as 2am UK time.
Small firms have hit back at new proposals that will force them to file accounts with Companies House, claiming it adds to the already heavy burden of doing business in Britain.
Hundreds of thousands of Britons are at risk of redundancy this year, as businesses struggle to battle rising costs and the impact of the Iran war.
Hospitality recruitment firm, Limber, based in Bristol, says average shift hours posted by pubs and restaurants in 2025 were down 30 per cent in 2025 relative t
Mortgage professionals say a price war is under way and could force better rates than Santander’s market-leading 3.51% in January. Read this and today’s consumer and personal finance news in the Money...
Today's jobs figures make troubling reading.
Unemployment soared to 5 per cent in the three months to September, a high not seen since early 2021, and redundancies are on the rise.
Wage growth is also...
It comes as figures published today show the number of payrolled employees fell by 169,000 between June 2024 and June 2025.
We take a look at Labour’s Employment Rights Bill and how the business community has reacted to the measures
Boris Johnson has revealed his intention to scrap the duty to self-isolate if a person tests positive in England as he fights for his political life.
The Duke of Sussex told US business magazine Fast Company that ‘with self-awareness comes the need for change’ and that the many job resignations during the pandemic ‘aren’t all bad’.
Nearly 900,000 alerts telling people to quarantine were issued in the first week of this month after contact with a coronavirus victim in the so-called ‘pingdemic’.