Employment Disputes
Your first meeting with us for employment law matters is a free 30 minute consultation. There is no need to attend our offices!

Employment Disputes

As a business owner, your aim is naturally to develop and grow your business.

Unfortunately, however, employment law claims from employees can refocus your attention away from building your business to the employment tribunal or the courts. In these circumstances, you need a legal adviser to take away some of the strain and to guide you through complex and time-consuming litigation process so that you can continue working on your business and rest assured that the claim is in good hands.

We can act on your behalf should you need to respond to an employee’s claim against your business. if you have legal expenses insurance attached to a qualifying policy of insurance, you can always ask your insurer to approve our appointment as your preferred legal adviser.

The Employment Tribunal and the Employment Appeal Tribunal

Although it can be in the best interests of both the employer and the employee to try and negotiate a settlement to an employment law claim, sometimes this is not possible and there is no alternative but to have the dispute considered by the employment tribunal.

If a settlement can be achieved, then we encourage the involvement of The Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas). Knowing when negotiations are to be made without prejudice can be the key to a successful outcome. It is also possible to make a settlement offer “without prejudice, save as to costs”, although it is important to note that the employment tribunal is not a forum in which costs are usually awarded and, therefore, any award of your legal costs is completely at the discretion of the tribunal.

It is important to be aware that some statutory employment rights are only available after a qualifying period of continuous employment. A key example is the right not to be unfairly dismissed, which usually only becomes available to an employee after they have completed two years’ continuous employment with an employer.

Once the decision to claim has been made, we can identify the information and evidence you will need in order to fight your case. We can represent you and/or engage a specialist employment law barrister to act on your behalf in the employment tribunal.

There is also a right to appeal the outcome of the tribunal’s decision.

Click here to see further information on the likely costs involved in defending you against a claim of unfair dismissal and/or wrongful dismissal.