Employment Law for Employers.

Employment law is the area of law that deals with the responsibilities of employers and the rights of employees. It oversees the relationship your business holds with its employees, from the employment contracts you use, to the way colleagues work with and manage each other.

Common topics that fall under employment law include:

• Employment contracts
• Policies, employee guidelines and handbooks
• Sickness, long-term sickness and performance management
• Grievances, disciplinaries and dismissal
• Perks and benefits
• Discrimination and employment claims
• Making redundancies

We can not only assist with specific employment law issues that arise, but also with reviewing existing workplace practices in a preventative capacity.

There are three main ways that we work with businesses:

Preventative measures

We work with businesses to minimise the probability of employment issues arising and to advise on contractual and workplace changes. This includes elements like training for management, contract reviews, and policy reviews.

Crisis and claim management

Where businesses are facing the prospect of a claim, we act swiftly to minimise damage and defend your company’s interests prior to and during any Employment Tribunal action.

Post-claim changes

If your business has recently faced a claim or had a spate of grievances raised, we will identify any underlying issues and provide you with a plan of action to minimise business disruption.

Most companies seek assistance from employment solicitors when something goes wrong, for example, if they are facing an Employment Tribunal claim. However, these situations can typically be avoided with the right policies and training.

Key moments where it’s beneficial to take advice from an employment law solicitor:

• Upon start-up of a new business, to ensure employment contracts are consistent and correct from the beginning.
• When looking to introduce new contract types, e.g. zero hour contracts or apprenticeship agreements.
• Varying contractual terms for existing employees.
• When introducing employee benefits or new policies, like flexible working arrangements.
• Changing sickness or performance management processes.
• When dismissing an employee who may have a protected characteristic.
• During the redundancy process.

This list isn’t exhaustive and if you’re unsure whether your particular circumstances warrant an employment law solicitor, just call our friendly team on 0203 007 5500 and we’ll let you know.

We offer a flexible range of services for all business sizes and needs, from one-off assistance to long-term support.

Our employment retainers offer access to an employment law solicitor and HR professional, alongside other benefits, from just £275 per month exclusive of VAT and can be scaled upwards for any business size. You’ll also receive up to 25% off our fees across our full service offering, including corporate and dispute resolution services.

We also offer the option to purchase hourly packages or to pay by the hour if you only need us occasionally or under specific circumstances.

If you’re contacting us specifically to resolve a claim for unfair or wrongful dismissal, our fee outlines can be found below.

Our employment law team includes solicitors and HR professionals to provide a blend of legal and practical guidance on a wide range of matters across a broad selection of sectors. We offer pragmatic advice and solutions that pre-empt common employment issues that are often overlooked or ignored.

We advise public sector bodies and private enterprises of all sizes, from start-ups to multi-nationals, and heavily unionised organisations, all from our employment hubs in London and Brighton.

Our highly experienced team are here to help steer your business to the right outcomes at all stages of the employee lifecycle, from recruitment to retirement.

A simple unfair/wrongful dismissal case that settles before needing to submit a claim to the Employment Tribunal hearing will cost in the region of £2,500 to £5,000 plus VAT. This is based on the approximate 8 to 16 hours of work it will take to settle your claim with your employer. Costs can increase with complexity and how long the case goes on for. If your case proceeds to the Employment Tribunal, you can expect to pay over £15,000 plus VAT. We don’t offer fixed fees for unfair dismissal.

There may be additional fees payable, such as barrister fees and administration fees to create bundles and other paperwork. Barrister fees will vary based on the experience level of the chosen barrister.

The general rule is that the Employment Tribunal is a cost-neutral environment, so neither party is rarely made responsible for the other side’s costs. However, there are exceptions to this general rule.

Our solicitors charge £295 to £550 per hour, plus VAT depending on the seniority of who is working on your employment matter. Our average costs represent the work involved across the period it usually takes to either settle your case out of court or proceed to a full hearing.

The stages below are indicative of the work involved in bringing an unfair dismissal claim to court. 

• Taking your initial instructions, reviewing the papers and advising you on merits and likely compensation (this is likely to be revisited throughout the matter and subject to change)
• Entering into early conciliation where this is mandatory to explore whether a settlement can be reached
• Preparing to submit your claim or your response to a claim
• Reviewing and advising on a claim or response from the other party
• Exploring settlement and attempting to negotiate a settlement throughout the process
• Preparing or considering a schedule of loss
• Preparing for (and attending) a Preliminary Hearing
• Exchanging documents with the other party and agreeing on a bundle of documents
• Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing their content with witnesses
• Preparing bundle of documents
• Reviewing and advising on the other party’s witness statements
• Agreeing on a list of issues, a chronology and/or cast list
• Preparation and attendance at Final Hearing, including instructions to Counsel

Depending on when your matter settles, not all stages may be applicable.

No two unfair dismissal cases are the same, and there are many factors that affect how much your case will cost.

Cost Variables include:

• Whether the claim includes elements of discrimination and/or victimisation. This includes issues around whether the claimant has a disability and whether this is disputed by the defendant
• Whether whistleblowing is, or could have been the cause for dismissal
• Whether or not an application for costs is going to be made
• If there are complexities arising from Transfers of Undertakings (TUPE)
• The number of witnesses and documents involved in a case
• The involvement of any experts to verify evidence or a person’s condition

If the case proceeds to a hearing, an additional daily fee of £1,200 to £2,400 plus VAT will be applied for the solicitor in attendance, depending on the seniority of the solicitor.

There are currently no mandatory disbursements payable for Employment Tribunal cases. However, there may be additional fees incurred for travel and expert witnesses. If any additional disbursements are required, we will always consult with you first unless there are practical reasons why this is not possible.

This depends on at which stage your case is resolved. For matters that are settled out of court during pre-claim conciliation, your case can take a period of 4-8 weeks.

If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, this will depend on the Employment Tribunal’s availability. Typically, HMCTS aims to list a preliminary case management hearing date within 26 weeks from when the claim commenced. The final hearing date is generally set at the preliminary case management hearing. The court is currently scheduling final hearings around 18 months are the preliminary case management hearing.