Before starting our own People and Culture business, we were managers on the other side of the table — held accountable for performance and results, but without the HR advice we actually needed to achieve them. So we became the people we needed.
We built Peas in a Pod from scratch and went on to work with hundreds of small business owners, seeing just about every workplace drama you can imagine (and some you probably shouldn’t). We don’t sugar-coat, we don’t sit on the fence, and we don’t just hand you a process and tell you to get on with it.
This podcast is candid chats between two female founders — who know exactly what leadership looks like when there’s nowhere to hide and no one coming to do it for you.
We’re passionate about people, serious about results, and the ones you want in your corner when shit’s hitting the fan.
Peas a Podcast® is a registered trademark owned by Peas in a Pod Consulting Limited. All rights reserved.
Burning HR Questions: Redundancy, Monday Sickies & Dismissals | Peas in a Podcast
Welcome to the Season 2 finale of Peas in a Podcast! In this episode, Kay and Rebecca (Directors of Peas in a Pod Consulting) sit down to tackle the burning HR, management, and people management questions submitted directly by small business owners and founders.
We strip away the corporate wank to give you commercial, candid, and human answers to the questions keeping you up at night.
What we cover in this episode:
Immediate Dismissals: Can you make an employee leave straight away when you sack them? We break down Garden Leave, Pay in Lieu of Notice (PILON), and gross misconduct.
Redundancy vs Performance: Why using redundancy to offload an underperforming employee is a dangerous avoidance strategy.
Managing Feedback Resistance: How to handle team members who react defensively or emotionally to constructive feedback.
Sick Pay & Absenteeism: Understanding day-one Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) rules, contractual sick pay traps, and how to tackle recurring Monday absences.
Managing Friends: Practical tactics for handling tough performance reviews with employees you are close with without destroying the personal relationship.
Dismissal Warnings: Debunking the "three strikes and you are out" myth and understanding proper disciplinary versus capability processes.
Whether you are scaling a business or managing a growing team, this Q&A offers zero-fluff, real-world advice to help you protect your business and build a healthy culture.
Subscribe to our channel so you never miss an episode, and join us when we return for Season 3!
1 Sept 2026
Trade Union Access Rights: What Small Businesses Need to Know | Peas in a Podcast
Trade union access rights are changing at the end of October 2026 under the new Employment Rights Act, and it is set to hit small businesses like a ton of bricks. If you employ 21 or more people, trade unions will soon have a statutory right to request physical and digital access to your team and facilities to recruit and support members.
In this episode of Peas in a Podcast, Kay and Rebecca break down the dry legal jargon into plain, actionable advice. From understanding access agreements and strict 15 day response windows to avoiding fines starting at £75,000, we cover everything small business owners need to know before October.
In this episode, we cover:
Who this law actually applies to (the 21-employee threshold across all sites).
What an access agreement looks like and why you cannot ignore it.
How to negotiate and compromise on reasonable room access and meeting timings.
The severe financial penalties for failing to engage (fines from £75k up to £500k).
Why company culture is your best defence and why culture work is no longer pink and fluffy.
Practical HR steps to prepare, including contract updates and staff written statements.
Connect with us:
peasinapodconsulting.org.uk (http://peasinapodconsulting.org.uk)
instagram.com/peasinapodconsulting (http://instagram.com/peasinapodconsulting)
Subscribe for weekly HR and leadership advice without the corporate wank!
25 Aug 2026
Accidental Managers: The 5 Responsibilities You Weren't Told About | Peas in a Podcast
Did you know that 82% of managers are appointed without any formal management training? They are "accidental managers", promoted because they were great at their technical job, but suddenly expected to lead people without a roadmap. Expecting a top technical performer to manage people without development is like telling a brilliant chef, "You're cracking with knives, why don't you have a go at open heart surgery?"
In this episode of Peas in a Podcast, Rebecca and Kay break down the five core areas of responsibility you actually take on when you step into management. From holding the line on team performance to managing frontline legal risks, we strip away the corporate wank to give you an honest blueprint for real-world leadership.
In this episode, we cover:
The 82% statistic and the trap of the accidental manager.
Why employee underperformance is often a direct reflection of management capability.
Mastering difficult conversations, from performance feedback to unpopular leadership decisions.
Frontline decisions and legal risks: How casual habits create costly precedents.
Psychological safety: Why tiny daily actions build or destroy workplace trust.
Role modelling and credibility: Why your behaviour is always under the microscope.
Level up your leadership with BossMode® Bootcamp
Managing people is hard, but you do not have to figure it out alone. BossMode® Bootcamp is our signature 8 week management programme for founders, team leaders, and new managers who want practical, no-nonsense tools to build high-performing teams with clarity and control.
👉 Explore BossMode® Bootcamp details and enrolment: https://peasinapodconsulting.org.uk/courses/ (https://peasinapodconsulting.org.uk/courses/)
Connect with us:
peasinapodconsulting.org.uk (http://peasinapodconsulting.org.uk)
facebook.com/piapconsulting (http://facebook.com/piapconsulting)
instagram.com/peasinapodconsulting (http://instagram.com/peasinapodconsulting)
Subscribe for weekly HR and leadership advice without the corporate wank!
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