Are you playing the Line Manager lottery?
I’ve been pretty fortunate in my career when it comes to managers. I’ve been lucky enough to bag some incredible people who have been fantastic mentors to me, and have taught me a lot about who I am, how I work best, and how to set the standard as a trusted and capable leaders.
Okay, and there have been a few horrors along the way too, but mostly I’ve been blessed, and I hope you have too.
Because it makes a real difference doesn’t it?
Good managers really do make or break a team dynamic, and also the massive chunk of hours you spend doing your thing at work! But doesn’t it make you sad to think that there is no guarantee when it comes to getting a great manager. It really is a lottery!
Or at least it seems to be.
And honestly that gets me right miffed if truth be told. Because it shouldn’t be that way. Yes, some people have naturally brilliant people skills (thank you) and find it easier to “people” than others.
But… good line management is a skill that can be taught.
Even excellent “people people” need training and support to make sure their interpersonal talents don’t just fall into constant people pleasing.
So – tell me if any of these scenarios ring a bell for you:
Someone gets promoted for being technically excellent and then has a terrible time leading a team.
A team seems to chug along perfectly while the waters are smooth, but it only takes one hinky moment for the whole team vibe to get awks AF.
There’s always that one person who does whatever they want, everyone knows who they are, but their manager just won’t address their behaviour or attitude.
Or the opposite – there’s always that one line manager who is a total control freak and has to micro manage every aspect of their teams activity!
We’ve all seen at least one of these. And they’re all totally avoidable!
AND…. To make matters worse The Employment Rights Bill has updated.
So, many reports are now talking about managers being ill equipped to handle the changes the to the Employment Rights Bill that have been coming into force over the past year and will continue to do so for the next.
A few examples of what’s on the horizon:
Fire and rehire will, in most cases, become an automatically unfair dismissal later this year.
Employers will face stronger duties around harassment (including liability for third-party harassment unless “all reasonable steps” have been taken) from October 2026.
The qualifying period for unfair dismissal will reduce to six months from January 2027.
And that’s before you get into the changes to statutory paid absences and leave periods, and changes connected to unions and tribunal time limits…
Even HR Grapevine are saying businesses have almost ZERO confidence that line managers are ready for these changes with over half of HR managers describing them as “unprepared”.
For me, this only ups the stakes of the Line Manager Lottery!
So here’s what I think.
If unfair dismissal protection comes in after six months, organisations will need managers who can handle difficult conversations and probation periods properly. That means setting expectations early, documenting decisions, giving clear feedback, and acting promptly where things aren’t working.
On harassment, the shift from “reasonable steps” to “all reasonable steps” is not something you solve with an updated policy and training slide deck. You need managers to notice patterns, intervene early, handle complaints confidently, and build teams where people speak up sooner.
In other words, this is less about knowing the legislation, and more about changing the day-to-day culture of management.
The cultural changes you need to be making now…
If you want a practical way to get ready, I’d recommend thinking about:
Less policy compliance and more conversation competence
Your policies might be solid. But can your managers hold a clear absence conversation? Give specific performance feedback? Explain decisions without defensiveness? Handle emotions without shutting them down?
If managers freeze because they’re scared of getting it wrong, they’ll either avoid action (risk builds) or overcorrect (conflict builds). Neither is useful.
Less “HR will handle it” and more shared responsibility
HR can design frameworks, train, advise, and triage risk. But HR can’t be present in every 1:1 or corridor chat.
This Act effectively raises the baseline expectations of management. Organisations need to treat people management as a core operational capability, not a desirable “soft skill”.
Side Note – anyone who has ever had a proper human conversation knows there’s nothing soft about them!
Less reactive firefighting and more early interventions
Most tribunal-worthy messes start as small, unresolved issues or unmet needs.
Think unclear expectations, inconsistent decisions, unaddressed behaviour, poor documentation.
A culture that rewards early, human, direct action will prevent problems. A culture that avoids discomfort will pay for it later.
What to do next (without boiling the ocean)
Map where line managers carry risk in your business. Probation, absence, performance, restructure, conduct, harassment, flexible working norms. Who’s got this covered and who needs help?
Upgrade manager toolkits. Not just more policies… better practical support (helpful conversation prompts or even scripts, checklists, decision trees, clear documentation standards).
Train for real scenarios. Practice the conversations managers avoid, with feedback, so the first time they have to handle a harassment conversation isn’t a messy live one!
Keep building accountability and support. You’re probably already coaching your managers, can you add in peer learning? Do they have and understand the clear escalation routes, so they don’t feel alone and improvise. (I’m a fan of “yes and” in a difficult conversation usually – but maybe not in a dismissal scenario).
Simply put, The Employment Rights Act 2025 is going to expose the gap between organisations that have policies, and organisations that live them.
And that gap is nearly always culture driven.
Need help?
Let’s chat some more.