Employment

This area of law is under constant change creating new rights and responsibilities on employers and employees alike. It is an area where proper advice is essential and we are able to provide that advice whether you are an employer or employee.

Contracts of Employment

We can prepare and advise on contracts of employment

An Employer may wish to include a ‘restraint of trade’ clause in a contract, to prevent an employee from joining a competitor immediately they leave you. A properly constructed contract includes details of wages (meeting the minimum wage requirements of course), holiday pay, sick pay and working hours (part-time, full-time or family friendly flexible hours).

Discipline/grievance procedures:

There are mandatory steps to take if an employer wishes to sack an employee.  This should involve the use of a verbal warning, a written warning and a final warning prior to suspension and/or dismissal. We can advise on the correct process.

Compromise agreements:

We can draw up and advise on compromise agreements to help resolve or avoid disputes.

TUPE: If your employer is selling his/her business we can advise you on whether the terms of employment offered by the new owner (your new employer) are correct.
Employment Tribunal

We can help and advise if you have any dispute.  We can advise on claims for unfair dismissal and redundancy, or discrimination, harrassment or bullying at work.

We can act for you at the Employment Tribunal. We also deal with the Arbitration, Conciliation and Advisory Service (ACAS) on your behalf.

TUPE: If you sell, buy or merge a business, you have to take on the seller’s staff on ‘no worse’ terms than before the transfer. We can help with this transfer of undertakings (rights of employees) that can be a particularly complicated area. It is often allied with our work carried out by our commercial department and unfair dismissal claims.

Please contact Ian Miller or Christopher Thomas of our Employment Department