You might know employment law inside out. You might do everything by the book. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: your managers are your biggest risk area.
They’re the ones making day-to-day decisions, having crucial conversations, and setting the tone for your entire workplace culture. And if they’re not equipped with the right skills? Well, that’s where things can go very wrong, very quickly.
Whether it’s basic management skills or knowing how to tackle things like probations (more so now than ever with the Employment Rights Act coming into law in 2027), you’re playing a dangerous game if you fail to train them.
So let’s talk about why training your managers isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s absolutely essential for both creating a thriving culture and protecting your business.
5 reasons why you should train your managers
1. Consistency and fairness
Trained managers apply policies and procedures fairly, which builds trust and reduces the risk of grievances. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve seen managers either ignore processes or simply not know what they should be doing.
The problem? Inconsistency causes mistrust. When different managers handle similar situations differently, it creates perceptions of favouritism and leaves employees feeling unsafe and unheard.
Getting all your managers singing from the same hymn sheet means everyone knows what to expect – and that’s when trust starts to build.
2. Early problem solving
Equipping managers to spot issues early, whether that’s performance, conduct, or wellbeing concerns, means they can address them before they escalate into something much bigger and more expensive.
When workplace conflict costs UK employers £28.5 billion annually – that’s over £1,000 for every single employee – the risk of missing early problem solving is costly.
I recently worked on a case where two employees had been in conflict for two years. During mediation, one revealed she’d been going through fertility treatment, which had affected her wellbeing and work. Her manager told me: “I knew something was wrong. I wanted to ask, but didn’t know what to say, so I didn’t say anything at all.”
The result? The employee felt her manager didn’t care, the situation festered, and what could have been resolved with a simple “Are you alright? You don’t seem yourself” conversation became a formal grievance.
Course-correcting early beats crisis management every time.
3. Confident conversations
When managers know how to give feedback, handle difficult conversations, and set clear expectations, both culture and performance improve dramatically.
It’s the difference between “You’ve been late twice this week, let’s talk about what’s going on” and waiting until someone’s been late every day for three months before addressing it. By then, resentment has built up on both sides, and you’re looking at formal disciplinary action rather than a supportive conversation.
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4. Legal and reputational protection
Even if you as a business owner know the law inside out, your managers are the ones interacting with employees daily. And untrained managers can inadvertently create serious legal risks.
I’ve seen managers say things like: “I’m not sending you on that training course because you’re pregnant and about to go on maternity leave, so you don’t need it.” They think they’re being practical, but legally, it’s discrimination.
Or they might dismiss sexual harassment with: “What do you mean? It was just a pat on the bum, it’s no big deal.” They don’t realise that their opinion doesn’t matter; if someone found it unwanted and offensive, it needs to be addressed properly.
Your managers need to understand not just what to do, but what not to say.
Speaking of legal protection, the Employment Rights Act 2025 is bringing significant changes to unfair dismissal rights, reducing the qualifying period from two years to just six months. This makes having well-trained managers who can handle probationary periods and performance issues properly even more critical.
5. Positive employee experience
Good management behaviours – listening, being supportive, recognising effort, rewarding good work – create a motivated, loyal workforce.
When employees feel safe and supported, they stay. That means lower recruitment costs, less time dealing with performance issues or dismissals, and ultimately, happier customers.
Most employees don’t mind following processes, as long as they know what those processes are and feel they’re being applied fairly. It’s uncertainty and inconsistency that erodes trust.
Bonus – Employment Rights Act readiness!
Don’t sleepwalk into the biggest employment law change in over 50 years! The Employment Rights Act is coming and changing everything from probationary periods (making it much harder to dismiss bad hires), parental leave, sick leave, and more.
Training your managers prevents problems like wrongful dismissal, sexual harassment, and more. And don’t be fooled – just because you don’t think it will happen to your business, it doesn’t mean it won’t.
5 things that happen when you don’t train your managers
1. Inconsistent decision making
Different rules for different people lead to perceptions of unfairness and favouritism. Worse, inconsistency creates dangerous precedents. If you don’t dismiss someone for a particular issue, you’ll struggle to dismiss someone else for the same thing later.
Consistency isn’t just about fairness, it’s about legal protection.
2. Escalating issues
I honestly cannot tell you how many times I’ve dealt with conflicts that could have been resolved early but instead spiralled into formal grievances, disciplinaries, or resignations.
A mediation might cost £1,700+, but if managers could handle things early through proper conversations, that cost, and all the stress and lost productivity and team members that comes with it, could be avoided entirely.
3. Damaged culture
When managers are incompetent, employees feel undervalued, mistreated, and unsafe. Remember: perception is reality.
I once investigated a grievance where kitchen staff complained about a dangerous damaged floor, claiming management didn’t care about their health and safety. When I spoke to the manager, they explained they’d had a contractor let them down at the last minute, had been trying to get quotes, and the repair was scheduled for January.
“Have you told the chefs this?” I asked.
“No, I haven’t.”
A simple communication could have prevented the whole grievance. In the employees’ minds, the situation had escalated because no one had bothered to explain what was actually happening.
4. Increased risk
Untrained managers make mistakes that expose your business to claims, fines, tribunals, and reputational damage. Just look at the allegations around sexual harassment at companies like McDonald’s and Brew Dog; the reputational impact is enormous and long-lasting.
5. High turnover and poor performance
Good people leave. Productivity drops. Recruitment costs spiral. Instead of focusing on growing your business, you’re constantly firefighting HR issues and replacing staff.
Research shows that employees spend an average of 2 hours per week dealing with conflict – that’s equivalent to 2.5 weeks of lost productivity per year, per employee.
Your managers are either your greatest asset or your biggest liability. The difference comes down to training.
Prevention beats panic every time. Investing in proper management training isn’t just about avoiding problems – it’s about creating the kind of workplace where people want to stay, perform well, and help your business thrive.
Getting started
Ready to strengthen your foundation? Before investing in manager training, make sure you’ve got the basics sorted. Download my free contract checklist and hiring guides to ensure your documentation and recruitment processes are watertight.
Ready to equip your managers with the skills they need? I offer tailored training programs covering everything from difficult conversations to preventing discrimination and harassment. Get in touch to discuss what your team needs.