The Practical People Manager with Anna Thomas

Anna Thomas

The Practical People Manager is the podcast for line managers, HR professionals, and business leaders who want to manage people well, with more confidence and less jargon.

Hosted by HR Expert, Anna Thomas, each episode brings real conversations with experts and practitioners covering the topics that matter most at work, from mental health and neurodiversity to menopause and beyond.

This is practical, people-first leadership. No fluff. Just honest conversations to help you listen better, lead with confidence, and support the people around you.

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S2 · E5
Tuesday · 35 min
Coming Out as Transgender at Work: What Line Managers Need to Know with Andi King
Content warning: This episode contains open discussion of gender dysphoria, self-harm, and suicidal ideation. If you are affected by any of the topics covered, support is available. Samaritans can be reached any time on 116 123, free of charge, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Switchboard LGBT+ Helpline is available on 0800 0119 100. Andi King is an LGBTQ+ inclusion consultant and transgender awareness specialist, with over 20 years of senior corporate leadership experience across six countries. She spent 19 years working alongside the British Army, became an unarmed combat instructor, studied martial arts to black belt level, worked as a bouncer, and was known throughout a FTSE 100 business of 30,000 people as Andy the Viking. She is also a transgender woman who knew from the age of three that something was not right, and spent 55 years building a version of herself designed to hide that truth. In part one of this three-part conversation, Andi tells her story with remarkable openness: the decades of suppression, the self-harm and drinking that preceded her decision to transition, the conversation with her partner Mandy that changed everything, and the moment a team manager in Hyderabad picked up on something in a reading that Andi herself had never said out loud to anyone. She then walks through what happened when she came out at work, how her line manager Kelly responded, what the company’s transitioning guideline covered, and the practical decisions that followed, including the request to work remotely to allow her transition to happen away from a small community where she had been a highly visible figure for 16 years. Throughout, Andi draws on both her lived experience and her professional expertise to offer something genuinely useful for line managers: what that first conversation feels like from the inside, what a good response looks like, and why the small things, thanking someone for their trust, looping in HR with permission, asking how the individual wants to handle telling their team, matter more than managers often realise. This is part one of a three-part conversation with Andi King, released to coincide with Transgender Awareness Week. Find out more about Andi’s workshops, keynote speaking, and consultancy work at andreaking.net Connect with Anna Got a question or a topic you’d like covered on the podcast? Anna would love to hear from you. Find her on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok, or visit The People Expert to find out more about her work supporting line managers and HR professionals. LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annathomas-hr Instagram: instagram.com/practicalmanager TikTok: tiktok.com/@practicalpeoplemanager The People Expert: thepeopleexpert.co.uk
S2 · E4
November 4 · 31 min
Why Most Businesses Get Onboarding Wrong and What to Do About It (Part 1)
Most organisations think onboarding starts on day one. Graham Stow thinks it starts the moment someone is offered the job, and in this episode he makes a compelling case for why getting that gap right makes all the difference. Graham is an onboarding and role transition specialist who works with organisations to understand how onboarding is actually being experienced by the people going through it, and what practical changes can be made to improve it. In part one of his conversation with Anna, he unpacks why onboarding and induction are not the same thing, why most organisations get the first 90 days wrong, and why the line manager is almost always the single biggest factor in whether a new joiner thrives or quietly starts looking for the exit. The conversation covers the information overload problem, the danger of treating new starters as a resource to be rapidly deployed rather than a person to be supported, and the gap that opens up when HR builds a process but managers are left to deliver it without guidance or buy-in. Graham introduces the concept of the onboarding experience gap: the same process given to three different managers will produce three very different experiences. Anna and Graham also explore the changing expectations of today’s workforce, why candidates are increasingly in a position to say no, and how the new Employment Rights Act changes to day-one unfair dismissal protections are making organisations rethink their probation period approach entirely. The conversation closes on psychological safety and psychological contract, two terms that get used a lot but mean very different things, and why one can unravel the other quickly if it is not backed up by how managers actually behave day to day. This is part one of a three-part conversation with Graham Stow. Find out more about his onboarding review, design, and enablement work at grahamstow.co.uk Connect with Anna Got a question or a topic you’d like covered on the podcast? Anna would love to hear from you. Find her on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok, or visit The People Expert to find out more about her work supporting line managers and HR professionals. LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annathomas-hr Instagram: instagram.com/practicalmanager TikTok: tiktok.com/@practicalpeoplemanager The People Expert: thepeopleexpert.co.uk
S2 · E3
October 28 · 50 min
How to Support Employees Returning from Maternity Leave: A Practical Guide for Line Managers
Most organisations have a maternity policy. Far fewer have a maternity experience worth talking about. In this episode, Anna is joined by Zoe Duce, founder of MoveThru, a former Projects Director who spent over 15 years managing large teams in media, advertising and at Amazon before becoming a mother herself and turning her experience into a practical resource for professional parents and the companies that employ them. Zoe explains why the return from maternity leave so often goes wrong, and the answer is almost always the same: a combination of silence, assumption, and a process that is designed around the organisation rather than the person coming back. Managers assume the employee knows what to expect. Employees assume the manager has done this before. Neither is usually true. The conversation covers the practical steps that make a genuine difference: how to use keeping in touch days properly rather than treating them as a casual coffee, why a 90-day return plan created together by manager and employee removes the anxiety on both sides, and why flexible working requests should never come as a surprise on day one if the right conversations have been happening throughout leave. Zoe also challenges a widespread but rarely examined problem: companies that have excellent policies nobody knows about, or worse, policies that exist on paper but that employees feel they cannot actually use without being judged for it. She shares what it looks like when culture quietly overrides policy, and what organisations can do about it. For line managers specifically, Zoe is clear: do not avoid. More regular check-ins, a shared plan, and an open conversation about what both sides need are the things that keep talented people in the building. Find out more about Zoe’s work with individuals and organisations at movethru.co.uk. Her free Maternity Leave Project Plan, a shared resource for managers and employees covering every stage of the process, is available to download at https://www.movethru.co.uk Connect with Anna Got a question or a topic you’d like covered on the podcast? Anna would love to hear from you. Find her on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok, or visit The People Expert to find out more about her work supporting line managers and HR professionals. LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annathomas-hr Instagram: instagram.com/practicalmanager TikTok: tiktok.com/@practicalpeoplemanager The People Expert: thepeopleexpert.co.uk
S2 · E2
October 21 · 33 min
How Line Managers Can Respond to Suicide Risk and Domestic Abuse at Work Pt. 2
Content warning: This episode contains open discussion of suicide, suicidal ideation, and domestic abuse. If you are affected by any of the topics covered, support is available. Samaritans can be reached any time on 116 123, free of charge, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Some conversations feel too big, too risky, or too far outside a manager’s remit to have. In part two of her conversation with Andrea Newton, founder of Confident Conversations and a specialist in suicide prevention, domestic abuse, and mental health in the workplace, Anna moves into the territory most managers avoid entirely. Andrea begins by tackling one of the most persistent myths in mental health: that if someone tells you they are thinking about ending their life, it means they are not serious. Not true, she says plainly, and the evidence backs her up. More than 80% of people experiencing suicidal thoughts will signal it to someone, but rarely in explicit terms. A manager who knows what to listen for, and feels confident enough to ask directly, can make a genuine difference. She also challenges the assumption that suicide is always a mental health issue requiring a clinical solution. Around half of deaths by suicide involve people who are not mentally ill but are simply overwhelmed by circumstances: debt, housing, relationship breakdown, loss. Andrea shares a powerful real example of someone whose situation was transformed not by a prescription or a therapy referral, but by an appointment at the Citizens Advice Bureau. The conversation moves into domestic abuse, where Andrea makes the case that it rarely presents with visible signs. Coercive control, financial restriction, unexplained anxiety, and an inability to stay late or attend social events are all signals that a manager who knows their people might notice. She signposts the organisation EIDAS for employers looking to build policy and awareness in this area. Throughout, Andrea’s message is consistent: your job is not to become the help. It is to help people get the help they need. Staying curious, listening well, and knowing where to signpost is enough. Taking on the role of primary support is not just unhelpful. It is a risk to the manager as much as to the individual. This is part two of Anna’s conversation with Andrea Newton. Find out more about Andrea’s training, speaking, and dual risk work at confidentconversations.co.uk Resources mentioned in this episode: Samaritans: 116 123 (free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week) Papyrus (support for young people and those concerned about them): 0800 068 4141 EIDAS (employers and domestic abuse): eidas.org.uk Connect with Anna Got a question or a topic you’d like covered on the podcast? Anna would love to hear from you. Find her on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok, or visit The People Expert to find out more about her work supporting line managers and HR professionals. LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annathomas-hr Instagram: instagram.com/practicalmanager TikTok: tiktok.com/@practicalpeoplemanager The People Expert: thepeopleexpert.co.uk
S2 · E1
October 14 · 35 min
Confident Conversations: How Managers Can Talk About Mental Health at Work with Andrea Newton
How confident are you at starting a conversation about mental health with your team? Most managers aren't - and that silence can be dangerous. In this episode, Anna Thomas sits down with Andrea Newton, founder of Confident Conversations Limited, to unpack why managers shy away from sensitive conversations and what they can do about it. With 27 years of experience helping leaders navigate difficult discussions, Andrea shares practical, compassionate advice for tackling topics like mental health, menopause, suicide prevention, and domestic abuse in the workplace. What we cover: How to spot the signs someone on your team is struggling Why knowing your people is the foundation of good management The power of compassion and curiosity over diagnosis and advice How to start a difficult conversation (without making it feel like an attack) Why silence is one of the most important tools a manager has Listening to understand vs. listening to reply Why rolling out a policy isn't enough - and what actually builds confidence The Wizard of Oz analogy: why you don't need to be the expert Whether you're a new line manager or a seasoned leader, this episode is packed with real-world strategies to help you show up as a human being first - and a manager second. Find out more about Andrea’s work at https://confidentconversations.co.uk LinkedIn: ⁠linkedin.com/in/annathomas-hr⁠ Instagram: ⁠ Instagram.com/practicalmanager⁠ TikTok: ⁠tiktok.com/@practicalpeoplemanager⁠ The People Expert: ⁠https://www.thepeopleexpert.co.uk⁠
S1 · E15
September 23 · 35 min
What Managers and Organisations Can Do Differently to Prevent Conflict Escalating
In the final part of her conversation with Pete Colby, founder of Pragmatism, Anna moves into what organisations and managers can do differently to stop conflict escalating, and why the current approach to employment tribunals represents a massive and largely avoidable problem. Pete opens with a practical challenge to the way organisations handle flexible working requests, arguing that the form should follow the conversation, not replace it. The same logic applies to performance improvement plans, grievance policies, and almost every other formal process: the structure exists to document what should already have happened, not to substitute for it. The conversation takes a genuinely surprising turn when Pete makes the case for trade unions as one of the most powerful and underused allies a manager can have. Drawing on his own experience taking a site from twelve grievances a week to one, and helping Rolls-Royce avoid 2,000 compulsory redundancies, Pete explains why the relationship between management and unions is almost always about trust, and why the person you least want to talk to is usually the one you most need to. Anna and Pete also address the broader backdrop to rising grievances and tribunal claims: the cost of living, the pressure people are under outside work, and why workplaces have become one of the few places where people feel they can push back. Pete's response is characteristically direct. You cannot fix everything, but you can listen. And being heard matters more than people realise. The episode closes with Pete's advice for managers who feel uncomfortable having difficult conversations: that discomfort is normal, it is not a personal failing, and the way through it is to develop the confidence to have a go. Find out more about Pete's work at https://pragmatism-uk.co.uk Connect with Anna Got a question or a topic you'd like covered on the podcast? Anna would love to hear from you. Find her on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok, or visit The People Expert to find out more about her work supporting line managers and HR professionals. LinkedIn: ⁠linkedin.com/in/annathomas-hr⁠ Instagram: ⁠ Instagram.com/practicalmanager⁠ TikTok: ⁠tiktok.com/@practicalpeoplemanager⁠ The People Expert: ⁠https://www.thepeopleexpert.co.uk⁠
S1 · E14
September 16 · 27 min
Alternative title: People Management Is a Skill: What Line Managers Need to Know About Trust, HR and Starting the Conversation
In the final part of her conversation with Yohan Macdonald, founder of Great Minds Training, Anna turns to two of the most fundamental questions in people management: what is the real role of HR when it comes to mental health and wellbeing, and what does it actually take to build the trust that makes every other conversation possible? Yohan is clear that if HR is where a wellbeing strategy starts and ends, the organisation is already on the back foot. HR has a vital role as a connector and a support, but the conversations that matter most need to happen between managers and their people, not be handed upwards. Anna reflects honestly on how easy it is for HR professionals to step in and take over, and why that can actually rob managers of the very experiences that would build their confidence over time. The conversation moves into trust, and Yohan draws on Brené Brown's marble jar analogy to explain why trust is built slowly, through consistent small actions, and why a single act of betrayal can shatter it entirely. He makes the point that no one shares something meaningful with someone they do not trust, and that trust is something you earn through what you do, not what you say. Anna and Yohan also explore the question of whether people management is actually the right role for everyone. Yohan is refreshingly honest about what he has seen in training rooms and what it means when someone consistently meets resistance from their team. The answer, sometimes, is that people management is simply not the right fit. The episode closes with Yohan's three-word takeaway for every line manager listening: start the conversation. Find out more about Yohan's work, including his SAFE Conversation Framework and free wellbeing strategy assessment, at https://greatminds.training Connect with Anna:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annathomas-hrInstagram: instagram.com/practicalmanagerTikTok: tiktok.com/@practicalpeoplemanagerThe People Expert: https://www.thepeopleexpert.co.uk
S1 · E13
September 9 · 40 min
ADHD Coaching, Workplace Conflict and What Great Inclusion Actually Looks Like (Part 3)
In the final part of her conversation with Ellie Kay, ADHD and AuDHD coach and neurodiversity specialist, Anna moves into coaching, conflict, and what genuinely inclusive management looks like in practice. Ellie explains what ADHD coaching actually involves and why it is different from traditional coaching. For many people, especially those newly diagnosed, it starts with validation: finally feeling heard, understood, and released from years of shame about things that were never their fault. Ellie also introduces the concept of co-coaching, a facilitated three-way conversation between a coach, a manager, and an employee that can resolve tension before it ever reaches a formal process. The conversation gets into the specifics of what managers do that unknowingly causes harm. Cancelling meetings with no context, sending a message that just says "can we have a quick chat", or copying someone into a long email about an investigation without any warning. For someone with ADHD, these small things can derail an entire day. The fix, as Ellie makes clear, is often just a few extra words of context. Anna and Ellie close with a rapid-fire round that distils the whole conversation into practical, immediately usable takeaways: the one question every manager should ask, the one behaviour they should rethink, and the one leadership habit that creates real inclusion. Ellie also shares something personal: how her ADHD diagnosis helped her finally forgive herself for missing a smear test that led to cervical cancer in her 20s. It is a powerful reminder of why diagnosis matters, and why the shame that goes with undiagnosed neurodivergence has real consequences. Find out more about Ellie's work at https://www.elliekay.co.uk Connect with Anna: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annathomas-hr Instagram: instagram.com/practicalmanager TikTok: tiktok.com/@practicalpeoplemanager The People Expert: https://www.thepeopleexpert.co.uk
S1 · E12
September 2 · 31 min
What Managers Don't Know About Employment Law Could Cost Them
In the final part of her conversation with Nic Elliott, Director and Head of Employment Law at Actons Solicitors, Anna moves into some of the most sensitive and fast-moving areas of employment law that managers are navigating right now. Nic breaks down the current legal position on sexual harassment, including the duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent it, and the incoming third-party harassment provisions that will extend liability to the behaviour of customers, clients, and contractors. He explains why a risk assessment is the foundation of any credible approach, and shares how his own organisation went about identifying where the risks actually sit. The conversation turns to menopause, where Nic draws on personal experience to bring the legal picture to life. He is clear on what managers should and should not do, and why the answer to the question of how a male manager raises menopause with a female colleague is simply: you do not. What you do instead is ask if they are okay, whether there is anything you can do to help, and create the conditions where someone feels safe enough to tell you what is going on. Anna and Nic also cover the new Fair Work Agency, which came into force in April 2026 combining several existing government bodies, and what employers need to know about its powers around holiday pay, sick pay, and national minimum wage compliance. The episode closes on the Employment Rights Act more broadly, and why Nic's advice to managers is straightforward: seek out training, ask for it if it is not being offered, and do not wait for the detail to be handed to you. Find out more about Nic's work at actons.co.uk Connect with Anna: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annathomas-hr Instagram: instagram.com/practicalmanager TikTok: tiktok.com/@practicalpeoplemanager The People Expert: https://www.thepeopleexpert.co.uk
S1 · E11
August 26 · 31 min
Menopause at Work: Performance, Absence, Legal Risk and Why Women Are Leaving (Part 3)
Most managers have heard of mediation. Far fewer understand what it actually is or how to use it. In part two of her conversation with Pete Colby, founder of Pragmatism, Anna gets into the heart of it: what mediation really means, why it is fundamentally different from a grievance process, and how managers can use the same principles informally before conflict has a chance to escalate.Pete draws a clear distinction between mediation and grievance. A grievance looks backwards, trying to prove what happened and who was at fault. Mediation looks forward, helping people understand each other and agree on how things could be different. As Pete puts it, the question is never who said what two weeks ago. It is how do we want this to work going forward.Anna and Pete explore what it takes for a manager to stay genuinely neutral when they know both parties involved, and why that is one of the hardest skills to develop. Pete shares a remarkable story from his own mediation experience involving a doctor, a dress, and a disciplinary process that could have been avoided entirely if someone had simply asked the right question earlier. The lesson is the same one that runs through every episode: honest, curious conversations prevent most of the situations that end up becoming formal.They also get into the growing phenomenon of AI-generated grievances, some running to hundreds of pages, and why Pete's advice is not to panic about the document but to focus on the conversation underneath it.This is part two of a three-part conversation with Pete. Part three looks at how managers can spot escalating conflict earlier and what organisations can do to build a healthier culture around disagreement.Find out more about Pete's work at https://pragmatism-uk.co.ukConnect with AnnaGot a question or a topic you'd like covered on the podcast? Anna would love to hear from you. Find her on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok, or visit The People Expert to find out more about her work supporting line managers and HR professionals.LinkedIn: ⁠linkedin.com/in/annathomas-hr⁠ Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/practicalmanager⁠ TikTok: ⁠tiktok.com/@practicalpeoplemanager⁠ The People Expert: ⁠https://www.thepeopleexpert.co.uk⁠
S1 · E10
August 19 · 42 min
Workplace Mediation: What It Is, When to Use It, and How Managers Can Resolve Conflict Earlier (Part 2 with Pete Colby)
Most managers have heard of mediation. Far fewer understand what it actually is or how to use it. In part two of her conversation with Pete Colby, founder of Pragmatism, Anna gets into the heart of it: what mediation really means, why it is fundamentally different from a grievance process, and how managers can use the same principles informally before conflict has a chance to escalate. Pete draws a clear distinction between mediation and grievance. A grievance looks backwards, trying to prove what happened and who was at fault. Mediation looks forward, helping people understand each other and agree on how things could be different. As Pete puts it, the question is never who said what two weeks ago. It is how do we want this to work going forward. Anna and Pete explore what it takes for a manager to stay genuinely neutral when they know both parties involved, and why that is one of the hardest skills to develop. Pete shares a remarkable story from his own mediation experience involving a doctor, a dress, and a disciplinary process that could have been avoided entirely if someone had simply asked the right question earlier. The lesson is the same one that runs through every episode: honest, curious conversations prevent most of the situations that end up becoming formal. They also get into the growing phenomenon of AI-generated grievances, some running to hundreds of pages, and why Pete's advice is not to panic about the document but to focus on the conversation underneath it. This is part two of a three-part conversation with Pete. Part three looks at how managers can spot escalating conflict earlier and what organisations can do to build a healthier culture around disagreement. Find out more about Pete's work at https://pragmatism-uk.co.uk Connect with Anna Got a question or a topic you'd like covered on the podcast? Anna would love to hear from you. Find her on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok, or visit The People Expert to find out more about her work supporting line managers and HR professionals. LinkedIn: ⁠linkedin.com/in/annathomas-hr⁠ Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/practicalmanager⁠ TikTok: ⁠tiktok.com/@practicalpeoplemanager⁠ The People Expert: ⁠https://www.thepeopleexpert.co.uk⁠
S1 · E9
August 12 · 36 min
Mental Health at Work: How to Build a Proactive Wellbeing Culture (Part 2 with Yohan McDonald)
Most organisations think they are doing enough on mental health. They have an employee assistance programme, a cohort of trained mental health first aiders, and maybe a policy. In part two of her conversation with Yohan Macdonald, founder of Great Minds Training, Anna explores why that reactive approach is leaving huge gaps, and what a genuinely proactive wellbeing culture actually looks like. Yohan introduces The Bridge, his six-step consultancy programme, walking through how organisations can move from firefighting to strategy. It starts with a business audit, using existing HR data, absence figures, engagement scores, and exit interviews, to understand where the gaps really are. From there it builds through infrastructure, training delivery, and ongoing measurement, because as Yohan points out, if you cannot measure it, you cannot prove it is working. The conversation gets into the numbers. Research from Deloitte puts the average cost of poor mental health per employee at £1,230 a year, while a well-embedded proactive approach can return £6.30 for every pound invested. For senior leaders who need a business case, this episode provides one. Anna and Yohan also tackle psychological safety in male-dominated industries, where Yohan draws on two years delivering training almost exclusively in construction, the sector with the highest suicide rates in the UK. His experience runs counter to expectation: given the right environment and permission to speak, men do open up. The key is creating the conditions, not waiting for the moment. The episode closes on an important and often overlooked issue: the manager who cares too much. Yohan is clear on the need for boundaries, what a line manager's role actually is, where it ends, and why blurring those lines puts both the manager and the individual at risk. This is part two of a three-part conversation with Yohan. Part three looks at the role HR and people teams play in supporting line managers, and why people management is a skill that can always be developed. Find out more about Yohan's work at https://greatminds.training Connect with Anna: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annathomas-hr Instagram: instagram.com/practicalmanager TikTok: tiktok.com/@practicalpeoplemanager The People Expert: https://www.thepeopleexpert.co.uk
S1 · E8
August 5 · 23 min
The Real Risks for Managers Who Don't Understand Neurodiversity (Part 2)
What happens when a manager refuses to engage with neurodiversity training, dismisses reasonable adjustments, or simply never asks how they can help? In part two of her conversation with Ellie Kay, ADHD and AuDHD coach and neurodiversity specialist, Anna explores the real consequences for individuals, businesses, and the managers themselves. Ellie breaks down the three types of ADHD, hyperactive, inattentive, and combined, and explains what AuDHD looks like in practice when both ADHD and autism are present in the same person. Drawing on her own marriage as a vivid example, she brings to life just how differently these two brain types experience the world, and why that matters enormously in a workplace setting. The conversation gets practical around communication. Ellie explains why understanding how someone prefers to receive information, verbally, visually, or in writing, can be the difference between a team member thriving or shutting down entirely. She also introduces the concept of rejection sensitivity dysphoria, and why what might feel like a minor off-hand comment to a manager can feel like a physical blow to someone with ADHD, with consequences that can derail an entire working day. There is a clear message for managers here: getting this wrong is not just a people issue, it is a legal one. Failing to make reasonable adjustments, not having the conversations, and managing neurodivergent employees as though they are simply underperforming can and does lead to tribunal claims. But Ellie's overriding point is a hopeful one. You do not need all the answers. You just need to be curious, flexible, and willing to ask what would help. This is part two of a three-part conversation with Ellie. Part three explores ADHD and workplace conflict, co-coaching, flexible working, and sensory needs. Find out more about Ellie's work at https://www.elliekay.co.uk Connect with Anna: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annathomas-hr Instagram: instagram.com/practicalmanager TikTok: tiktok.com/@practicalpeoplemanager The People Expert: https://www.thepeopleexpert.co.uk
S1 · E7
July 29 · 33 min
Absence Management: What Line Managers Need to Know to Get It Right (Part 2)
Absence management is one of the areas managers find most uncomfortable, and most get wrong. In part two of her conversation with Nic Elliott, Director and Head of Employment Law at Actons Solicitors and a Legal 500-recognised employment law specialist, Anna gets into the practical detail of how organisations should be handling both short-term and long-term absence. Nic makes a strong case for return to work conversations as one of the most underused tools a manager has. Not a form to be filled in before the employee arrives, but a genuine check-in that can surface underlying issues before they escalate. He also explains why getting occupational health involved at the right time, and asking the right questions in that referral, makes a significant difference to the outcome, legally and practically. The episode covers long-term absence in detail, including when to make contact, how to keep someone connected to the workplace without it feeling oppressive, and the risks that come with group income protection policies. Nic shares a story that is as extraordinary as it is cautionary: an employee who was forgotten about for nineteen years, and the very particular problem that created. Anna and Nic also tackle intermittent absence, dependants leave, and the question managers always ask about reasonable adjustments: what does reasonable actually mean? Nic brings a refreshingly common sense approach to a genuinely complex area, including a memorable example of a bank cashier who requested to work from home. Throughout, the message is consistent: good records, early conversations, and the right medical advice will protect both the individual and the business. This is part two of a three-part conversation with Nic Elliott. Part three moves into some of the more sensitive areas managers may face, including protected characteristics, menopause, and documentation. Find out more about Nic's work at actons.co.uk Connect with Anna: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annathomas-hr Instagram: instagram.com/practicalmanager TikTok: tiktok.com/@practicalpeoplemanager The People Expert: https://www.thepeopleexpert.co.uk
S1 · E6
July 22 · 34 min
Menopause at Work: How Line Managers Can Support Their Team and Start the Conversation (Part 2)
In part two of her conversation with Angela Wilkins-Green, Anna moves from awareness into action, exploring what line managers and HR professionals can actually do when someone in their team is struggling with perimenopause or menopause symptoms. Angela explains what signs a manager might notice, and why the quality of your relationship with your team will determine whether you ever get the chance to help at all. The conversation is clear on one thing: you do not need to ask anyone if they are perimenopausal. You just need to notice, and ask if they are okay. Anna shares a real example of a manager who did everything right in terms of spotting a change in performance, but whose instinct to reach for a risk assessment left his team member feeling exposed and regretful that she had said anything. Angela unpacks why that response, however well intentioned, can shut conversations down entirely, and what a better approach looks like in practice. They cover the range of reasonable adjustments organisations can make, from a desk fan to a later start time, and why these need to be individual conversations rather than a standard checklist. Angela also introduces her one-to-one menopause audit, a structured session she runs inside organisations to help women understand their own symptoms and come away with a personal action plan. The episode takes a broader turn as Anna and Angela discuss cultural differences in how menopause is experienced and spoken about, why men need this education just as much as women, and how mandatory awareness sessions can shift the culture in even the most resistant organisations. Angela shares the story of a male CEO who not only attended a session but led the conversation, and why moments like that change everything. This is part two of a three-part conversation with Angela Wilkins-Green. Part three continues the discussion around coaching, confidence, and what life looks like on the other side of perimenopause. Find out more about Angela's work at https://www.greenpathcoaching.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annathomas-hrInstagram: instagram.com/practicalmanagerTikTok: tiktok.com/@practicalpeoplemanagerThe People Expert: https://www.thepeopleexpert.co.uk
S1 · E5
July 15 · 36 min
How to Handle Workplace Conflict Before It Becomes a Grievance with Pete Colby from Pragmatism UK
Workplace conflict is inevitable. But the damage it causes, the stress, the time, the cost, and the human toll, is largely avoidable. In this episode, Anna is joined by Pete Colby, founder of Pragmatism and a workplace mediator, trainer, and employee relations specialist with four decades of experience spanning the steel, food, and aerospace industries. Pete is allergic to grievances, as he puts it, and has spent his career helping organisations understand why the answer to conflict is almost never a formal process. Pete explains why the root cause of most workplace disputes comes back to the same thing: a lack of confidence to have honest, human conversations early. He shares what happens when small tensions go unaddressed, how quickly emails replace conversation and positions harden, and why the most common thing people say in mediation is that they wish someone had simply asked how they were doing, often years earlier. Anna and Pete explore the pressure managers face when they feel ill-equipped to navigate difficult conversations, particularly around topics like mental health, menopause, or race, and why the fear of saying the wrong thing so often leads to saying nothing at all. Pete shares a compelling real-world example of how a single word triggered a discrimination allegation, and how a skilled conversation turned it into one of the most productive outcomes either party could have imagined. They also challenge the reflex to reach straight for the grievance policy, and make the case for building a culture where formal processes gather dust because they are simply never needed. This is part one of a three-part conversation with Pete. Part two moves into mediation itself: what it is, what it is not, and how it supports people when working relationships have become truly stuck. Find out more about Pete's work at pragmatism-uk.co.uk Connect with Anna Got a question or a topic you'd like covered on the podcast? Anna would love to hear from you. Find her on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok, or visit The People Expert to find out more about her work supporting line managers and HR professionals. LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annathomas-hr Instagram: instagram.com/practicalmanager TikTok: tiktok.com/@practicalpeoplemanager The People Expert: https://www.thepeopleexpert.co.uk
S1 · E4
July 8 · 36 min
Why Every Line Manager Needs to Understand Employment Law, with Nic Elliott from Acton Solicitors
Employment tribunal claims are rising sharply, and employment lawyer Nic Elliott says AI is playing a bigger role in that shift than most HR teams realise. Nic heads the employment team at Actons Solicitors in Nottingham and is also the firm's own HR director, giving him a rare view of both sides of the desk. In this episode, Anna and Nic get into why claims have climbed since the pandemic, the strange new dynamic AI is creating around grievances and settlements, and why so many workplace policies do more harm than good. They also talk difficult conversations, performance management done properly, and the major shift coming to unfair dismissal law in January 2027, changes that will affect an estimated 6.3 million employees and reshape how every manager approaches probation and recruitment. Find out more about Nic's work at https://www.actons.co.uk Connect with Anna Got a question or a topic you'd like covered on the podcast? Anna would love to hear from you. Find Anna on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok, or visit The People Expert to find out more about her work supporting line managers and HR professionals. LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/annathomas-hr Instagram: http://instagram.com/practicalmanager TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@practicalpeoplemanager The People Expert: https://www.thepeopleexpert.co.uk
S1 · E3
June 23 · 28 min
Menopause at Work: What Line Managers Need to Know and Why It Matters
One in ten women leave their careers because of menopause. Many more stay but struggle in silence, masking their symptoms and running on empty while nobody around them knows why. In this episode, Anna is joined by Angela Wilkins-Green, an ICF-accredited executive and transformation coach and menopause workplace specialist. With over 25 years in senior leadership roles, Angela now works with organisations to embed menopause awareness, manager training and one-to-one coaching support that goes well beyond the policy document. Angela begins by unpacking the difference between perimenopause and menopause, and the reality may surprise you. The lead-up to menopause can start in a woman's late thirties and last up to fourteen years, and the earliest signs are often psychological rather than physical: anxiety, low confidence, mood changes, and a gradual sense of not feeling like yourself anymore. Anna shares her own experience navigating a GP system that initially offered little clarity, and Angela explains why women need to advocate for themselves in a healthcare landscape that is still catching up. They discuss the wide range of symptoms that extend far beyond hot flushes, why a standalone menopause policy rarely makes the difference organisations think it will, and what genuinely effective workplace support looks like in practice, including the role of menopause champions and the new Employment Rights Act menopause action plans that came into force in April 2026. The business case is clear: if organisations are not having this conversation, they are losing experienced women, often without ever knowing why. This is part one of a three-part conversation with Angela. Part two explores what practical support looks like for individuals and teams. Find out more about Angela's work at https://www.greenpathcoaching.com Connect with Anna Got a question or a topic you'd like covered on the podcast? Anna would love to hear from you. Find Anna on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok, or visit The People Expert to find out more about her work supporting line managers and HR professionals. LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annathomas-hr Instagram: instagram.com/practicalmanager TikTok: tiktok.com/@practicalpeoplemanager The People Expert: https://www.thepeopleexpert.co.uk
S1 · E2
June 23 · 28 min
Mental Health at Work: How Line Managers Can Spot the Signs and Start the Conversation
One in six people in the workplace will have a diagnosable mental health condition at any given time. Yet the biggest barrier to getting help is not the availability of support. It is silence. In this episode, Anna is joined by Yohan Macdonald, founder of Great Minds Training, who has been specialising in mental health, wellbeing, diversity and inclusion since 2015, delivering programmes for organisations including the NHS, IBM and the FA. Yohan speaks from lived experience. He struggled with anxiety and depression for close to a decade before finding his purpose in workplace wellbeing, and that personal understanding shapes everything he teaches. He explains why stigma remains stubbornly persistent, why managers often talk themselves out of having difficult conversations, and why the wrong thing to say is nothing at all. A highlight of this episode is Yohan's SAFE conversation framework, a practical four-step approach designed to help managers start mental health conversations with confidence. It covers how to set up the conversation in the right environment, ask open and relevant questions, focus on listening beyond just words, and respond with genuine empathy. Anna and Yohan also address one of the most common objections managers raise: the idea that mental health has become the new bad back. Yohan's response reframes where the real risk to organisations actually lies, and makes a compelling case for why early intervention matters far more than scepticism. This is part one of a three-part conversation. Part two looks at what organisations can do to shift from a reactive to a proactive culture around mental health and wellbeing. For any of the resources mentioned please follow the link https://info.greatminds.training/manager-podcast-resources Email Yohan for more information on yohan@greatminds.training. Connect with Anna Got a question or a topic you'd like covered on the podcast? Anna would love to hear from you. Find Anna on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok, or visit The People Expert to find out more about her work supporting line managers and HR professionals. LinkedIn: ⁠linkedin.com/in/annathomas-hr⁠ Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/practicalmanager⁠ TikTok: ⁠tiktok.com/@practicalpeoplemanager⁠ The People Expert: ⁠https://www.thepeopleexpert.co.uk⁠
S1 · E1
June 23 · 33 min
ADHD at Work: What Every Line Manager Needs to Know
If you manage people, chances are someone on your team has ADHD, whether they have told you or not. In this episode, Anna is joined by Ellie Kay, an ICF-accredited ADHD and AuDHD coach, neurodiversity specialist, workplace mediator, and keynote speaker. Ellie was diagnosed with combined-type ADHD at 45, after more than two decades running her own business, and now uses that lived experience alongside deep professional expertise to help both individuals and organisations navigate neurodiversity at work. Ellie shares what it felt like to finally get her diagnosis, why so many adults and particularly women go undiagnosed for years, and how ADHD can look very different from the stereotypes most of us grew up with. From hyperfocus and creative thinking to time blindness, people-pleasing, and struggles with admin, this conversation paints a much fuller picture of what ADHD actually looks like day to day in a working environment. Anna and Ellie explore the practical role line managers play in supporting neurodivergent team members, and why curiosity is the single most important skill you can bring to those conversations. Rather than trying to fix or diagnose, Ellie makes the case for a strengths-based approach that helps people thrive where they naturally excel, while putting the right support in place for the areas where they struggle. They also tackle the question of psychological safety: why some employees are reluctant to disclose their diagnosis, what good and bad manager responses look like, and how to open a conversation even when you are not sure what to say. This is part one of a three-part conversation with Ellie. Part two covers the different types of ADHD, how it intersects with autism, and how managers can ask better questions. Find out more about Ellie's work at elliekay.co.uk Connect with Anna Got a question or a topic you'd like covered on the podcast? Anna would love to hear from you. Find Anna on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok, or visit The People Expert to find out more about her work supporting line managers and HR professionals. LinkedIn: ⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/annathomas-hr⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠instagram.com/practicalmanager⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠tiktok.com/@practicalpeoplemanager⁠⁠ The People Expert: ⁠⁠https://www.thepeopleexpert.co.uk⁠⁠

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