Employment Law Solicitors
Providing essential employment law expertise
For employers, employment lawyers seek to resolve disputes quickly and effectively to minimise workplace conflict, major reputational damage and potential claims.
It is estimated that the cost of workplace conflicts to UK organisations is in the region of £28.5 billion, which is the equivalent of more than £1,000 for each employee. This is where the guidance of an experienced employment lawyer is invaluable in providing essential legal expertise and pragmatic commercial advice.
Our employment law solicitors are professionals who specialise in advising on all aspects of employment law. This includes drafting employment contracts and policies, handling disputes and grievances, helping with day-to-day HR and employment issues, and advising on major projects impacting your business. We are also well versed in representing clients in employment tribunals. Our lawyers work closely with you to ensure you understand your legal rights and obligations and provide strategic advice on protecting your interests.
Our team of employment lawyers also provide advice on thorny issues such as discrimination, harassment and redundancy, as well as negotiating settlements and severance packages. We also have vast experience in settlement agreements and TUPE - and can provide expert advice on complying with all UK employment laws.
Meet the employment law team
Tim Jones
Partner and Head of Employment Law
Debra Cottam
Principal Associate - Employment Law
Kate Woodhouse
Trainee Solicitor - Employment Law
Katherine Cooke
Senior Associate - Employment Law
Jo Walker
Principal Associate - Employment Law
Jayne Holliday
Legal Director - Employment Law
How we can help
Our lawyers offer employment law advice to employers and company directors on the full breadth of employment law including:
Settlement agreements
Settlement agreements are often used to end an employment relationship on agreed terms, particularly where an employer wishes to terminate a contract or resolve a dispute without going through the usual disciplinary or legal procedures. Settlement agreements are legally binding documents, so it is essential to take legal advice before agreeing to the terms.
Redundancy
Like many aspects of employment law, the redundancy process can be complex. Therefore, it is crucial for employers to follow the correct approach to ensure that redundancies are fair and not discriminatory. Legal advice is vital to ensure compliance with the law – or else costly discrimination challenges can follow.
Discrimination claims
In the UK, there has been a huge increase in discrimination claims, particularly for age discrimination. However, there are many other types of discrimination claims due to the protected characteristics: gender reassignment, being married or in a civil partnership, being pregnant or on maternity leave, disability, race including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.
Employers have a legal obligation to prevent discrimination and harassment in the workplace. Our lawyers can advise on defending such claims, using all their experience and knowledge to reach agreements in a timely and cost-effective manner.
TUPE
The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE) protect employees' rights when their employment is transferred to a new employer because of a business transfer or a service provision change. TUPE is a complex piece of employment legislation, with costly consequences for getting it wrong, so professional legal advice is needed to ensure compliance.
Latest successes
Unfair dismissal
Unfair dismissal is a term used in employment law when an employer terminates an employee's contract without a fair reason for doing so, or without following a fair procedure. The Employment Rights Act 1996 sets out 5 potentially fair reasons for dismissing an employee which include capability, conduct issues and redundancy. Our lawyers can offer tailored advice to help employers prevent unfair dismissal claims.
Employment Tribunals
Employment tribunals deal with claims brought against employers by employees and workers relating to their employment or its termination. Claims typically relate to unfair dismissal, discrimination, unlawful deductions from wages and breach of contract. The employment tribunal process can be complicated. We can assist employers and employees to navigate the procedures and ensure the best outcome.
Right to Work Checks and Business Immigration
Employers in the UK have a duty to prevent illegal working and are legally obliged to check that prospective employees have the right to work in the UK before employing them. Our lawyers can guide businesses through the process of carrying out these checks.
In order to recruit individuals from outside the UK who do not otherwise have the right to work in the UK a sponsor licence is required. We have partnerships with specialist immigration lawyers who can assist with applications for sponsor licences.
Employment terms and contracts
Contracts of employment are a key part of the relationship between an employer and an employee. It is a legal requirement for employers to provide employees with a written statement of their main terms of employment from day one of employment.
But, a well drafted contract of employment will provide both employers and employees with a clear understanding of what is expected from them, by outlining all of their rights, responsibilities and obligations. This can deter potential conflicts and disputes. Our experienced employment lawyers can help you draft, review, and negotiate employment contracts to ensure they are legally compliant and meet your business needs.
We understand that every business is unique, so we offer tailored solutions that consider your specific circumstances and business goals. Our team can assist with all aspects of contract drafting, from standard employment contracts to bespoke service agreements for senior executives.
Hexagon HR
Hexagon HR is a fixed-fee employment law retainer designed to give your business unlimited access to qualified legal and HR advice with the certainty of a monthly fixed fee.
Hexagon HR provides an expert employment law service giving you peace of mind at an affordable price. We can assist in handling your employment and HR issues, to ensure compliance with legislation, protect your reputation and maintain a stable workforce.
Octagon
Octagon offers a unique and complimentary range of services to help any company navigate and overcome the challenges of business and the workplace swiftly and effectively.
Our experts can help you by facilitating mediation services where work-place disputes have arisen, encouraging open dialogue and re-establishing productive relationships. We can also conduct impartial, comprehensive and confidential workplace investigations, provide coaching services as well as management training, promoting strong leadership, better decision making and improved team dynamics.
Why choose us as your employment lawyers
Whatever the situation, seeking the advice of an experienced employment lawyer can be invaluable in navigating the complexities of UK employment law and protecting your legal rights in the workplace.
Unless employment disputes and grievances are resolved quickly and efficiently, they can escalate into something much more serious.
Our employment law specialists are renowned for their friendly, honest advice, helping SMEs, owner managed businesses and large corporations navigate the often choppy waters of employee relations.
It’s why our clients say our advice can be “fully relied upon”, describing our lawyers as “completely transparent when it comes to fees” and “so reliable and knowledgeable”.
Above all we believe in conflict resolution and promote the use of mediation rather than resorting to costly legal action. Recent research has shown that 92% of conflicts can be settled through mediation - and, with one of the country's most respected mediators in our team, we agree with that.
FAQs
Employment lawyers play a crucial role in ensuring employers are operating within the confines of the law – as well as advising employers when disputes arise.
UK employment law has evolved to cover a wide range of areas including employment contracts and policies, discrimination, redundancy and immigration. It is vital that businesses comply with all aspects of employment law to ensure they don’t fall foul of costly, time-consuming and reputationally damaging claims.
When disputes do occur, our employment lawyers will seek to resolve the issues fairly and promptly through mediation.
In the minority of cases where it has not been possible to settle the matter through negotiation or mediation, employments lawyer will represent the employer at Employment Tribunals or in court.
Look for an employment lawyer that can clearly demonstrate their experience and track record. This can be done by consulting respected directories such as Legal 500 or Chambers and Partners.
Ensure that the lawyer has worked on a variety of cases - and, in particular, has experience of a case similar to yours.
Some lawyers will specialise in representing employers, and some will focus on employees. We are experts in advising employers and businesses of all shapes and sizes, across a wide range of sectors.
The cost will vary depending on services required. We will always offer value for money – and we will be transparent about costs from day one so you know exactly where you stand. As a firm, we are proud of our openness and honesty when it comes to finances.
Acas (the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) is able to offer free guidance on some work-related issues.
The government-funded organisation exists to promote good relations between employees and their employers. Acas provides conciliation services to help resolve workplace disputes without the need for lawyer intervention.
Acas is an excellent first port of call for impartial and practical advice to help people understand their legal rights, and its website (www.acas.org.uk) is packed with useful resources.
Acas will not, however, put forward opinion or legal advice. Even if you are engaging with Acas for early information and advice, we recommend seeking independent legal advice from a reputable lawyer to help you achieve the best possible outcome in your unique circumstances.
