Key trends: Markel Business Hub and Helpline

In 2024, we saw a spike in both telephone and online enquiries from businesses as they sought to understand the impact of the Government’s new Employment Rights bill, which was introduced in October 2024. The bill is likely to lead to a shake-up of the relationship between businesses and their employees, including the way that redundancies are handled.

Our legal and tax experts helped SMEs get to grips with everything from the proposed day-one unfair dismissal protection and how businesses should prepare for the changes, to the Chancellor’s budget announcements more generally. We also saw thousands of documents offering written advice downloaded from our website, many on topics related to the bill.

Our business and legal helpline and its digital counterpart, the Business Hub, provide practical support to Markel customers. The helpline receives around 200,000 calls a year from SME Communities and trade organisations, and we have 32 solicitors and 12 tax advisors ready to receive calls. There are also an average of 900 visits to the Business Hub each day and 18,000 documents were downloaded in October alone.

2024’s most popular topics

The Business Hub hosts legal and business guides, and documents relevant to everyday business, such as DIY contracts, policies, letter templates and checklists, as well as updates on new legislation and case law. We are continuing to see a huge amount of activity and interest in the information available.

The most-used guides relate to risk assessment, dismissing short-serving employees, the creation of staff handbooks and redundancy.

The Employment Rights Bill updated the procedure for redundancies, as well as ensuring that equality in the workplace is the duty of employers. The Worker Protection Act became law in late October and is meant to ensure that protection against sexual harassment in the workplace is present and instated by every employer.

Providing guidance around complex topics is a key part of our service to clients and our guides have been downloaded over 60,000 times this year. Rianda Markram, our Head of Digital Services, and dual-qualified lawyer in South Africa and England and Wales says: “Whenever there’s a change in legislation, we immediately see a jump in the number of people downloading our guidance documents as a result.”

Legal and business-related documents (not including guides) were downloaded over 220,000 times in 2024. Although we provide over 900 form templates, certain templates are more popular than others. Among them are contracts of employment for salaried and part-time workers, which have been downloaded almost 8,000 times. Other popular document templates include contracts for business-to-business services, as well as health and safety policies.

Access to the latest guidance

The Business Hub is updated frequently, says Markram. “There’s always something happening,” she says, “changes in advertising law or new case law, or whatever we may find. There’s always new information that we believe a lot of people will benefit from.”

The content within the Business Hub is written by qualified solicitors, including Markram, who are experts in their subject areas. The advice services are available for more specific advice, especially when there are legislation changes, or when world events unfold.

A bespoke touch

Although the guides provided by the Business Hub are helpful, many people find themselves requiring further assistance. The business and legal helpline dovetail to provide the help they need. Our solicitors can advise on a range of matters for small to corporate-sized organisations with everyday legal challenges.

Beverley Bates, Advice Services Director for the business and legal helpline, says: “The advice line team and Hub work seamlessly together. For example, people will ring the advice line and say, for example, ‘I’m using your template, what’s clause six all about? I don’t think it applies to me.’” Talking it through with a legal professional can help put business leaders’ minds at ease and ensure they are on the right track.

A symbiotic relationship

Our teams for the business and legal helpline and Business Hub work together to understand the issues and help businesses. Bates says: “It shouldn’t matter who you talk to at Markel, you should get the same answer to the same question.”

The business and legal helpline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our solicitors peer review and ensure that any advice distributed is accurate and helpful for a business’s needs. We are always ready to advise businesses regarding day-to-day legal and business challenges. As the times change, we adapt and provide what the business world needs.

Learn more about The Business and Legal helpline and Business Hub

*Data and statistics relates to 2024