NEW YEAR HR PLANNING - DON’T leave your holiday policy to karen in accounts
Another year is almost done, and the planning for the next one begins, at least in theory. If there’s one thing that can derail a good start to a new year, it’s not having your HR ducks in a row, and it’s not just paperwork. Good HR planning keeps your teams running smoothly, legally and leaves no room for confusion.
So where to begin?
We can’t do everything all at once, so let’s focus on the things which impact you and your team most as we head into a new year
Holiday Policies
The festive season is a natural time for annual leave, and January, when holiday entitlements renew can be pretty popular too. Worth checking, then, does your policy reflect current legislation? Is it clear on the rules? Can you carry holiday over into the new year or buy holidays? What’s the approval process? Does it actually work, and do managers understand it?
Hybrid and Flexible Working
If you don’t have these as part of your policies, you need to. Whatever your stance or decision as a business, it needs to be clear. If you already have a policy in place, make sure it sets out remote or hybrid work expectations, core hours, attendance requirements and how requests are submitted, reviewed and approved. If you don’t have a policy , these are good starting points for managing this area of your business.
People Planning
Plan early to avoid last-minute people panics. Take a strategic look at roles you’ll need next year, skills gaps and succession planning, January is prime time for people looking for (and leaving for) new roles. If someone hands in their month’s notice as the new year hits, would you be ready? Consider also periods of time out of the business such as maternity and paternity leave.
Tidy up your HR Documentation
We know. Boring, but 2026, you will love you for doing it. Check contracts are up to date, that policies are easy to read, that employee records are compliant and that processes are documented - so many systems we see fail because there was only one person who knew the process and it lived rent-free in their brain. Don’t do this, document for success!
And some other things you’ll want to look at:
Recruitment strategy
L&D roadmap
Wellbeing initiatives
Pay review timelines
Culture and engagement goals