Specialist
Employment
Law Services

Expanding into the United Kingdom presents significant commercial opportunities, but employing people in the UK also brings legal obligations and employment rights that are often unfamiliar to international businesses.

When workplace issues arise, the decisions you make in the early stages can have a significant impact on the eventual outcome.

In many situations, employees reach a stage where they no longer wish to remain with their employer — but equally do not want to resign and walk away with nothing.

In many cases, employers are not dealing with straightforward misconduct or clear-cut dismissals. Instead, workplace relationships gradually deteriorate, concerns escalate, trust breaks down and situations become increasingly difficult to manage.

Discrimination in the workplace can expose employers to significant legal and reputational risk. Understanding what counts as discrimination — and putting the right policies and training in place — is essential to protecting your business and your people.

Sexual harassment is unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature. It can happen to men, women and people of any gender or sexual orientation. It can be carried out by anyone of the same sex, opposite sex or anyone of any gender identity.

Received a letter before action or one threatening you are in breach? You should seek urgent advice and usually it is best to respond as a failure to do so may result in the employer taking legal proceedings which can have significant financial consequences.

Is your selection pool and criteria reasonable, and are you confident you’re not inadvertently discriminating against any employees?

Imperative to seek strong legal counsel as soon as a claim arises — this can help secure a swift resolution, saving you time and money.

How important are your clients, suppliers, and confidential business information? Does your current employment contract protect you from departing employees who might attempt to take clients, contact suppliers, or misuse sensitive data?

Post-termination restrictive covenants are commonly found in employment contracts. They protect an employer’s confidential information, client relationships, goodwill, and workforce stability by restricting certain employee actions after they leave the business.

If you believe someone at work has discriminated against you, you should raise the issue. Understanding what counts as discrimination — and putting the right policies and training in place — is essential to protecting your business and your people.

The Equality Act 2010 covers all forms of discrimination in the workplace, including selection for a job, training, promotion, work practices, dismissal or any other disadvantage such as harassment or discrimination because of a ‘Protected Characteristic’.

Constructive dismissal occurs when an employee resigns because of their employer’s serious breach of contract — behaviour so severe that it effectively forces them to leave.

You have to show that your mental health problem is a disability to get the protection of the Equality Act.

It is automatically unfair (at any time) to dismiss an employee or to select her for redundancy when the reason or principal reason for the dismissal (or selection for redundancy) is connected to her pregnancy or the fact that she has availed herself of the benefits of statutory maternity leave.

The Equality Act 2010 protects individuals from discrimination in the workplace across all aspects of employment — from recruitment and promotion to training, dismissal, and day-to-day working conditions.

Where employees report malpractice by their employers or third parties are protected from being victimised or suffering a dismissal as a result.

Misconduct is a potentially fair reason for dismissal under the Employment Rights Act 1996 (ERA 1996). Many employers have workplace disciplinary policies that define what constitutes unacceptable behaviour, the levels of severity, and the procedures for managing misconduct.

Unfair dismissal is where an employer terminates an employee’s contract without a fair reason to do so. Unfair dismissal can be claimed by the employee if the employer had a fair reason but handled the dismissal using a wrong procedure.

The statutory definition of “Redundancy” encompasses three types of situation: business closure, workplace closure, and reduction of workforce.

Constructive dismissal occurs when an employee resigns because of their employer’s serious breach of contract — behaviour so severe that it effectively forces them to leave.

We understand no two employment contracts are ever the same, and this is especially true when it comes to senior executive employment contracts

Complaints of sexual harassment can lead to costly settlements, loss of senior staff, expensive litigation, reputational damage, and reduced productivity.

Used correctly, a Settlement Agreement can be an effective way to end an employment relationship swiftly and amicably, without the need for lengthy internal procedures or costly disputes.