KR HR & TRAINING NEWS ARTICLES

As we wrap up the year, it’s a great time to reflect on the events of the last 12 months. 2025 has been a year of achievements, impact, learning and plenty of changes in the world of HR and at KR HR & Training.

Awards

We were absolutely thrilled to be named finalists in not just one, but two categories at the TBE Awards. Even more exciting, we were over the moon to take home the winner’s trophy in the coveted ‘Dream Team’ category.

In addition, we were one of the finalists for the first quarter of 2025 in the International Elite 100 awards.

Radio appearance and Webinars

In February, Kathryn stepped into the spotlight.  She joined BBC Wiltshire to share expert insights on National Sickie Day discussing employee health and attendance in the workplace.

Kathryn also co-delivered her very first Webinar equipping businesses to support Employee Wellbeing & Reducing Sickness Absence.  This comes at a key time, as 2026 will bring the removal of the three sickness waiting days which will reshape workplace policies and impact every organisation. 

Team Learning and development

Our team undergo regular external training to keep up to date with the ever evolving world of HR. 

Some of the stand out training is with:

Victim Focus.  We are proud of our Director Kathryn who became accredited as a trainer with VictimFocus, embedding trauma-informed practice.

CIPD Festival of work.  Kathryn, Amandine and Kirsteen attended this year’s CIPD Festival of work in London in June to stay up to date with the latest trends in HR and this was a great opportunity to gain new insights into the workplace. One hot topic was psychological safety – which is so important to a positive work environment. 

10th Breathe Partner Summit.  In March we attended an incredible day at the sumptuous Fitzroy Hotel in London hosted by the Breathe team.  It was jam-packed with valuable insights, learning opportunities and celebration.

Charity Fundraising by the Team

Three of our amazing employees each took on unique challenges in 2025.  From pounding the pavement in running events to the challenge of an Olympic Triathlon their dedication and stamina helped raise funds for worthy causes. 

Amandine participated in the Bala Olympic Triathlon (1.5km swim, 37km cycle and 10krun) raising £500 for Tom Harrison House.

Benjamin ran the Corsham 12k in both the 2k junior race followed by the 10k adult race raising money for the Pound Arts Trust Limited Charity based in Corsham. 

Kathryn raised money for the local charity Time is Precious by running the Bath Half Marathon in March.

Delivery of Training

Kathryn delivered two of our popular management masterclasses in 2025 which trains managers on the latest people practices to help take their teams performance to the next level.  Look out for more training masterclasses in 2026. 

Team Expo

We attended our second business expo held at the School of Management at the University of Bath where we had the opportunity to showcase our HR services. Organised by The Business Exchange, it was a fantastic day, connecting with new clients and building valuable relationships. 

HR Milestones: Proposed and New Legislation

These last 12 months has brought in new neonatal leave and 2026 will see significant employment law changes impacting on every business irrespective of size. 

2026 will see some significant employment law changes under the new Employment Rights Act.  After a lengthy “ping pong” between the House of Commons and House of Lords, the Bill was approved on 16th December and received royal assent on 18th December, which means it will now be implemented. The implementation phase will be staggered throughout 2026 and 2027 and we will be working hard to keep clients up to date and well prepared. We are also monitoring with close interest a couple of different Bills that are still going through the parliamentary process, which are designed to support employees affected by domestic abuse.

Looking Ahead

As we celebrate the milestones achieved in 2025, we are also preparing for the challenges and opportunities that new legislation will bring in the year ahead.  As we move forward, we are excited to see how these changes will shape the future of HR, fostering environments where both employees and organisations can thrive.

Recruitment Activity

Throughout 2025 we supported clients recruiting new employees.  This year we have helped fill a diverse range of job roles such as a Grants Manager, Service Technician, IT Technician. 

What is coming up in 2026

2025 has been a fantastic year for KR HR, but 2026 is shaping up to be even better with some exciting plans in the pipeline. Not least our company’s 10th birthday coming up in February!

Our clients

During 2025, we have worked with 66 different clients, including those we have a long-standing relationship with and others who have recently been referred to us.  We would like to extend our thanks to our all our clients for their continued partnership throughout the year – and also for your kind recommendations which are appreciated.    We are thrilled to welcome so many new clients this year, spanning a diverse range of industries such as science, agriculture and leisure.  We look forward to working together further in 2026.

Thanks for being part of our journey and we wish all of our clients a successful and happy 2025.

Please note, we are closed from 5pm on Tuesday 23rd December until 9am on Friday 2nd January and provide an on-call service to retained clients during this time, some of whom are open 365 days a year.

Kathryn, Amandine, Kirsteen and Benjamin