Why early intervention is the most underrated skill in HR
The Strictly Come Dancing settlement made headlines for weeks. A five-figure payout. Accusations of inappropriate behaviour. A beloved institution facing difficult questions about how it treats the people who work there.
But here’s the partthat should concern every HR professional watching from the sidelines: by the time Amanda Abbington raised her formal complaint, the damage was already done.
The relationship had broken down. Trust had eroded. The story had become public. And a formal process became the only option left.
This is not unique to television studios or celebrity partnerships. It happens in workplaces across the UK every single day. By the time someone submits a formal grievance, something has usually gone wrong long before the paperwork lands on your desk.
The question for HR teams and business leaders is simple: what could have been done sooner?
Grievances rarely come out of nowhere
When a formal complaint arrives, it can feel sudden. Unexpected. Even unfair. Managers often express surprise. They had no idea things had got so bad.
But grievances rarely appear without warning. There is almost always a trail of smaller moments that went unaddressed. Comments that made someone uncomfortable. A shift in behaviour that nobody questioned. An informal concern that got brushed off as oversensitivity.
The signs are usually there. The problem is that businesses often miss them, minimise them, or hope they will resolve themselves.
They rarely do.
What starts as low-level tension can build over weeks or months until a formal complaint becomes the only way for someone to feel heard. By that point, positions have hardened, relationships have fractured, and the cost of resolution has increased significantly.
Why early signs get ignored
If the warning signs are usually there, why do so many companies fail to act on them?
There are several reasons, and most of them are understandable even if they are ultimately costly.
Fear of overreacting. Managers worry about being seen as heavy-handed or making a situation worse. They tell themselves it probably is not that serious. They wait to see if it happens again.
Hope that it will resolve itself. Workplace tension sometimes does ease naturally. But relying on hope is not a strategy. Unaddressed issues tend to fester rather than fade.
Lack of confidence. Many managers have never been trained to handle sensitive conversations. They are uncomfortable addressing behaviour concerns, so they avoid them entirely.
No clear process. Some businesses have robust formal grievance procedures but nothing in place for handling informal concerns. This creates a gap where early-stage issues fall through the cracks.
A culture that prioritises harmony. Some workplaces treat raising concerns as disruptive rather than valuable. People learn to stay quiet to avoid being labelled as difficult. By the time someone does speak up, they have often reached breaking point.
None of these reasons are malicious. But the cumulative effect is the same: issues escalate, and by the time they surface formally, the damage is harder to repair.
The real cost of waiting
The Strictly settlement reportedly ran into five figures. That is before you factor in legal fees, management time, and the reputational impact of months of negative headlines.
But the cost of delayed action is not just financial. It ripples through the organisation in ways that are harder to measure but just as significant.
Legal and financial exposure. Formal grievances can lead to employment tribunal claims. Settlements, legal advice, and tribunal preparation all cost money. More importantly, they consume time and energy that could be spent elsewhere.
Reputational damage. How a business handles complaints sends a message, both internally and externally. The Strictly case became international news. Most workplace disputes do not reach that scale, but in an age of Glassdoor reviews and social media, reputation matters.
Loss of talent. People leave a company where they do not feel heard. Sometimes the person who raised the complaint leaves. Sometimes others leave because they have seen how concerns are handled. Either way, turnover has a cost.
Team morale. Colleagues notice when issues are ignored. They notice when someone is visibly struggling. They notice when management does nothing. Morale and trust erode even among those not directly involved.
Management bandwidth. Formal grievance processes are time-consuming. Investigations, meetings, documentation, appeals. What could have been a thirty-minute conversation early on becomes weeks of formal process.
Early intervention is not about being reactive or punitive. It is about recognising that small problems are easier to solve than big ones.
What early intervention actually looks like
Catching issues before they escalate requires more than good intentions. It requires systems, skills, and a culture that supports speaking up.
Create psychological safety. People need to feel they can raise concerns without fear of retaliation or dismissal. This does not mean every complaint will be upheld, but it does mean every concern will be taken seriously. Companies that punish honesty will only hear about problems when they have already become crises.
Train managers to have difficult conversations. This is one of the most valuable investments any company can make. Managers are often the first to hear about issues, but many lack the confidence or skills to address them. Training should cover how to listen, how to ask questions, how to address behaviour concerns constructively, and when to escalate.
Take informal concerns seriously. A quiet word in a one-to-one is still a signal. An offhand comment about a colleague’s behaviour is worth noting. Early-stage concerns might not warrant formal action, but they do warrant attention. Patterns emerge over time, and early documentation can be invaluable if issues later escalate.
Act promptly. Delays send a message. When someone raises a concern and nothing happens, they learn that raising concerns is pointless. Prompt action does not mean rushing to judgement. It means acknowledging the issue, explaining what will happen next, and following through.
Document patterns. A single comment might be nothing. A pattern of comments is something. Keep records of informal concerns, even if they do not lead to formal action. This helps identify repeat issues and provides context if a formal complaint is later raised.
Early intervention is not about creating a culture of surveillance or blame. It is about paying attention and having the courage to name issues before they grow.
The culture question
Grievances are often a symptom of something deeper. They can reveal gaps between an businesses’s stated values and its day-to-day reality.
Ask yourself: does your organisation reward honesty or silence? Do people trust that concerns will be handled fairly? Is there space to raise issues informally, or do people feel they have to escalate formally to be taken seriously?
The Strictly case highlighted a point that applies to every workplace: impact matters more than intention. Giovanni Pernice may not have intended to cause distress. His representatives have consistently denied the most serious allegations. But the settlement suggests that the impact of his behaviour was significant enough to warrant compensation.
This is a crucial distinction for HR professionals. Good intentions do not undo harm. A manager might not mean to make someone uncomfortable. A colleague might not realise their banter is unwelcome. But the effect on the recipient is what matters.
Creating a culture where this is understood, where people think about the impact of their behaviour rather than just their intent, is one of the most powerful things an organisation can do to prevent issues from escalating.
Practical steps for HR professionals
If you are reading this and wondering whether your organisation is set up to catch issues early, here are some questions to consider:
Review your informal processes. How are early-stage concerns currently handled? Is there a clear route for someone to raise an issue without triggering a formal grievance? Do managers know what to do when someone approaches them with a concern?
Assess manager confidence. When did your managers last receive training on handling difficult conversations? Do they feel equipped to address behaviour issues early? Are they supported when they do?
Check your policies. Are your grievance and dignity at work policies clear and accessible? Do employees actually know what they say? Is there a gap between policy and practice?
Examine your culture. Does your organisation genuinely encourage speaking up? Or do people learn to stay quiet? What happens to people who raise concerns? Are they supported or sidelined?
Build early intervention into your people strategy. This is not just about avoiding grievances. It is about creating a workplace where problems are addressed before they cause lasting damage. That benefits everyone.
The bottom line
The Strictly settlement is a high-profile reminder of what happens when workplace issues are not addressed early. But the lessons apply far beyond television studios.
Grievances do not appear out of nowhere. They are usually the end point of a process that started much earlier. The question for HR professionals is whether your organisation is set up to catch issues at the beginning of that process or only at the end.
Early intervention is not overreaction. It is not heavy-handed management. It is not creating a culture of fear.
It is paying attention. Having difficult conversations. Taking informal concerns seriously. Acting before the damage is done.
By the time it is a grievance, it is already too late. The goal is to make sure it never gets that far.
If you are reviewing how your business handles early-stage workplace concerns, or want to build manager confidence in addressing issues before they escalate, we can help. Get in touch to start the conversation.
