KR HR & TRAINING NEWS ARTICLES

With school holidays in full swing, many businesses are juggling absences while ensuring day-to-day operations continue smoothly. This year, employers also face the added challenges of high temperatures and new compliance requirements for holiday records.

July was officially the sunniest, driest month on record in England and Wales, and outlook for August doesn’t look much different so far.

Periods of prolonged hot weather are becoming more common, making it important for employers to consider heat as part of their health and safety responsibilities. Although there is no legal maximum workplace temperature in the UK, employers have a duty to assess risks and take reasonable steps to protect employees. Measures such as providing cold drinks, improving ventilation or air conditioning, allowing more frequent breaks, adjusting start/finish times or introducing temporary dress code flexibility can all help support staff wellbeing.

Particular care should be taken when considering the needs of pregnant workers, those in perimenopause and people with health conditions. Certain medications, including many commonly prescribed antidepressants, can cause higher risk of dehydration during a heatwave. Different workplaces may also present higher risks, such as where people are working outdoors, in catering or other physically active jobs.

Alongside managing summer leave and hot temperatures, employers should also ensure their holiday records are up to date. Since 6 April 2026, businesses have been legally required to keep clear written records demonstrating compliance with holiday entitlement and pay rules. This includes records of holiday entitlement, leave taken, holiday pay, payments in lieu of untaken holiday and any leave carried over. The requirements apply to all workers, including part-time, zero-hours and irregular-hours staff, and records must be retained for six years.

Recent employment tribunal cases have highlighted the importance of accurate holiday pay calculations and consistent management of leave requests. In addition, the Fair Work Agency now has powers to proactively inspect workplace compliance, even when no complaints have been made. It’s no longer enough to have policies in place—employers need to be able to demonstrate that they are applying them correctly.

Reviewing your holiday processes and workplace arrangements now can help reduce disruption, support employee wellbeing and ensure your business remains compliant throughout the busy summer period.

We’ve been supporting many employers to get their holiday records in order by switching from spreadsheets and paper-based systems to Breathe HR, where all people-related processes and information are available in a secure, cloud-based system. With a new H&S module, it’s also a convenient place to document your risk assessments and policies too.

If you would like to find out more about Breathe or organise a free trial, please contact our HR Projects & Operations Manager, Amandine, on amandine@krhrconsultancy.co.uk