Welcome to February’s edition of Forrest Scene

Sophie Forrest
4 hours ago
3 min read

Is Your Business Ready?

Are you prepared for the next wave of changes for the Employment Rights Act? If you employ staff, now is the time to review whether your documentation and processes are ready.

• Have your master employment contract templates been updated for future new starters in line with the changes?

• Have your policies been reviewed and updated, with clear communication prepared for existing employees?

• Have your managers and key team members been trained on what the changes mean and how they may impact the business?

If the answer to any of these is no, then it’s time for a conversation.

The next wave of proposed changes includes updates to Parental Leave, Paternity Leave, Whistleblowing and Statutory Sick Pay (SSP).

At Forrest Group, we help employers understand what’s changing, what action is required, and how to implement updates in a clear and compliant way.

New Course Alert!

We’ve created a new course, Employment Rights Act – Stage 1, designed to deepen your understanding of the next wave of changes to the Employment Rights Act, coming into force from April 2026.

This course is ideal for business owners, line managers and key staff who want clear, practical insight into what’s changing and what it means for their organisation.

Have a look at the course overview here

If you would like to book this course or learn more, please contact Forrest Group.

Book Now

Tribunal Confirms Fair Dismissal!

A London bus driver who assaulted a thief on his bus has been to employment tribunal, where a judge ruled the employer acted reasonably.

Mark Hehir was employed as a bus driver for Metroline from 4 July 2022 until his dismissal on 15 July 2024. While working on the 206 route in London, he witnessed a man steal a necklace from one of his passengers. He chased the suspected thief off the bus, assaulted him and restrained him until police arrived.

An employment tribunal found that he was fairly dismissed for gross misconduct, despite his claim that he had “acted instinctively” and members of the public referring to him as a “hero”. His appeal was unsuccessful, with the tribunal concluding that dismissal without notice fell within the range of reasonable responses open to the employer.

For employers, the case highlights the importance of having clear conduct standards and applying them consistently, even in challenging circumstances and where others may feel action justified.

New Ergonomics Offering

Our CEO, Sophie Forrest-Lavery had a great meeting with our ergonomic partner, Humanscale recently.

They were discussing the importance of workplace ergonomics and finalising the new offering for Forrest Group clients, under our Health & Safety service.

We are delighted to now offer online self-assessed ergonomic assessments via high tech software, ergoIQ.

Watch this space for more details to be released.

If you'd like to find out about workplace ergonomics please contact us.

This week, we’ve been excited to record a new episode of my 'story' with Nick Bryant from Brilliant Businesses — and we were very fortunate to have a special guest host and join the interview.

Keep an eye out on our socials for this special episode, coming out next week.

Last week, Sophie Forrest-Lavery, our CEO, was appointed as an ambassador for Taylor-Made Dreams, a charity proudly supported by Forrest Group. Sophie attended a special dinner where she spoke about what becoming an ambassador means to her.

She said:“I am honoured to be appointed as an ambassador for Taylor-Made Dreams. It is a charity that is very close to my heart and I can’t wait to see what more I can do to support this amazing cause.”

If you would like to learn more about Taylor-Made Dreams, please click here.