What work we will undertake for you?

We can undertake work in relation to the following for you.

Redundancy
Unfair dismissal
Employment contracts
Internal grievances
Harassment and discrimination
Boardroom disputes
ACAS conciliation
Whistleblowing
Settlement agreements, or compromise agreements as they were previously known
Breaches of restrictive covenants
Equal pay
Disciplinary procedures
Unlawful deductions from wages
Breach of contract
Maternity and paternity rights
Employee transfers (known as TUPE)
Employment tribunal claims

Typical stages of an employment dispute

Problems with your employer usually fall into one of two categories:

grievances - when you raise your concerns, problems or complaints with your employer
disciplinaries - when your employer has concerns about your work, conduct or absence

Informal Procedure

Your employer should discuss any disciplinary issues with you informally first. This will give you the chance to explain your concern to your manager to see if you can sort out any problems informally.

NOTE - You have the right to be accompanied to grievance or disciplinary meetings (and any appeals) by either a:

colleague or trade union representative
family member or Citizens Advice Bureau worker if this allowed - check your employment contract, company handbook or human resources intranet site

These issues could lead to formal disciplinary action, including dismissal in more serious or repetitive cases.

Formal Procedures

You can make a formal grievance complaint or face formal disciplinary action if you were not able to resolve your problem informally. Your employer should put their grievance procedure in writing.

You should be able to find this in your:

company handbook
human resources (HR) or personnel manual
HR intranet site
employment contract

Your employer’s grievance procedure should include these steps:

writing a letter to your employer setting out the details of your grievance
a meeting with your employer to discuss the issue
the ability to appeal your employer’s decision

Disciplinary action

You might face disciplinary action if your employer has decided they have a serious issue with you or your work.

Your employer should put their disciplinary procedure in writing and it should contain:

your employer’s disciplinary procedure rules
what performance and behaviour might lead to disciplinary action
what action your employer might take and your right to appeal

Suspension from work

If you are facing discipline over a serious issue, your employer may be able to suspend you during the time leading up to a disciplinary meeting. Check your employment contract, company handbook or HR intranet site to see if you’re entitled to be paid when suspended.

Appeals

You can appeal the result of a grievance or disciplinary procedure. Your appeal must be in writing.

Appeals procedure

Your employer’s grievance and disciplinary procedures will set out:

who you should submit your appeal to
the time limit within which an appeal must be made
any meetings that will be held
how the appeal meeting will be run

NOTE: You have the right to be accompanied during any appeal meetings.

Dispute Resolution - Mediation, conciliation and arbitration

You can get help from a third-party to solve disputes between you and your employer. The main ways you can do this are through:

mediation
conciliation
arbitration

Mediation - Both parties involved in the dispute come together, but with an independent party present, the mediator, who attempts to help the parties come to a resolution. The mediator is impartial and it is not their role to come to a decision, but rather to help both sides agree to a resolution. Mediation is voluntary and the mediator cannot force you or your employer to accept a solution. Both you and your employer must agree on the way to solve the dispute. If a resolution can be agreed a settlement agreement is drafted which sets out what both sides have agreed.

NOTE: Mediation should not be used to solve problems that have to be formally investigated (for example, harassment or discrimination).

Conciliation - similar to mediation but is normally used when:

you believe you may be entitled to make a claim to an employment tribunal
you have already made a claim to an employment tribunal

NOTE: Conciliation is voluntary - both you and your employer must agree to it before it happens.

Arbitration - An independent arbitrator makes a decision about the dispute. The parties provide evidence and the arbitrator uses this evidence to come to a conclusion. This form of dispute resolution allows all parties to have an influence on the process. You and your employer must agree to an arbitrator’s decision being legally binding. If you do not agree, you can still take a case to an employment tribunal.

Should all of the above procedures fail you will need to make an application to the industrial tribunal.

NOTE: For cases of unfair dismissal there is a time limit of 3 months from the date of dismissal.

Tribunals

If you have been unable to solve a problem between you and your employer, you may have to go to an employment tribunal.

At the tribunal, you and your employer will present your cases, answer questions and the tribunal will make a decision.

Our Areas of Law

Commercial and Business

Civil Litigation

Family Law

Private Client

Residential Property

Criminal Law

Agriculture Law