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Employment issues have the capacity to escalate quickly and can be particularly disruptive for businesses. For individuals, the situation is often stressful and upsetting. Dealing with matters promptly is essential, so that a dispute can be resolved and you can focus on moving forward.
Our employment law solicitors understand the importance of dealing quickly and effectively with difficulties and we have the experience to handle even complex and intractable cases. We will ensure that you have an honest assessment of the strength of your position/case and our legal advice to you will be pragmatic.
We have many years of experience as employment dispute solicitors and the understanding and expertise to find a solution, without delay.
To speak to us about how our employment solicitors in Peterborough can help you, please contact our Peterborough office.
Our employment law solicitors in Peterborough can assist with:
- Unfair dismissal claims
- Constructive dismissal claims
- Wrongful dismissal claims
- Redundancy processes and disputes
- Discrimination claims
- Maternity, paternity and adoption rights
- Employment contract advice, both disputes and non-contentious cases
- Corporate restructures
- TUPE transfers
- Social media policies
- Equal opportunities and non-discrimination
- Employment contracts and staff handbooks
- Settlement agreements
- Advice on holiday pay, working time and worker status
- Advice on restrictive covenants
- Employment policies including Artificial Intelligence & GDPR
- DSAR requests and responses
Employment law services for employees
Unfair dismissal claims
If your employer dismisses you, they must do so fairly. If you believe that you have been unfairly dismissed, you may be entitled to make a claim against them.
Your dismissal could be unfair if it occurred due to the following grounds:
- Discrimination in respect of race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity or religion or belief
- Where you have exercised a statutory right, such as claiming minimum pay or asking for flexible working
- Failure on the part of your employer to follow the correct procedure
- Trade union membership
- Whistleblowing
For more information, speak to one of our unfair dismissal solicitors.
Constructive dismissal claims
If you were made to feel that you had to resign from your job, this could be constructive dismissal and you may be able to make a claim against your employer. You will need to demonstrate that the reasons you had to leave were serious, such as a breach of your employment contract or your statutory rights.
Our constructive dismissal solicitors can advise you of your rights and discuss whether you have grounds for a claim.
Wrongful dismissal claims
If you have been dismissed by your employer but they have failed to follow the correct process, for example, by not giving you the opportunity to address allegations against you, not following the procedure set out in their employee handbook or your employment contract or by failing to give you the correct notice, you may be able to claim wrongful dismissal.
Our wrongful dismissal solicitors can go through what has happened with you and establish whether you have valid grounds to make a claim against your employer.
Redundancy disputes
Redundancy law is complex and it is not unusual for employers to fail to follow the rules or to unfairly select someone for redundancy. Our redundancy solicitors can step in to advise and represent you, checking whether your redundancy is fair and that the right procedure has been followed.
If you believe that you have been discriminated against in being selected for redundancy or that your employer has not dealt with the termination correctly, contact us today and we will do all we can to help.
Discrimination
As an employee, you should not be treated less favourably than someone else on the grounds of a protected characteristic, including gender, sex, age, disability or race. Discrimination can occur in a range of situations, including in:
- Recruiting employees
- Terms and conditions of employment
- Pay and benefits
- Training
- Opportunities for promotion
- Selection for redundancy
- Dismissals
Contact our employment discrimination solicitors for advice if you believe you have been treated unfavourably and we will give you the advice and guidance you need.
Maternity, paternity and adoption rights
As a parent, legal guardian or person with parental responsibility, you may have a range of workplace rights, including the right to take leave after having or adopting a baby. Our statutory rights solicitors can represent you if you are concerned that you have not been given the rights you are entitled to.
Employment contract disputes
As an employee, you are entitled to be given a written statement of terms, outlining your contractual rights during your employment. We can also advise on implied terms. Examples of implied terms include those that are implied by law, such as minimum pay and health and safety requirements and those implied by custom and practice. This means that in situations where employees are treated in a certain way or allowed to carry out a particular practice for a length of time, this may become an implied contract term.
If you believe that your employer is not adhering to the agreement, our employment contract disputes solicitors can represent you in taking action to remedy this.
Employment law services for employers
Unfair dismissal
If you are facing an unfair dismissal claim from an employee or need help in dismissing an employee fairly, it is important to seek legal advice to protect your position and try and resolve matters promptly to minimise the risk of any potential claims.
Our unfair dismissal solicitors routinely handle a wide range of unfair dismissal cases. We always aim to find a solution without the need for an employment tribunal. Our services include:
- Advice on dismissing employees fairly
- Clear and pragmatic advice on the strength of your position and the best course of action if you are facing an unfair dismissal claim, as well as the potential risks associated with dismissal.
- Preparing a robust defence on your behalf, including collecting all available evidence such as records, witness statements and documents in support of your position
- Negotiating with your employee’s solicitor/representative
- Where necessary, preparation for an employment tribunal case and expert representation
Redundancy support
If you are in the difficult position of needing to make redundancies, you need to ensure that you follow the correct process and that you select candidates fairly. Our redundancy solicitors can give you the advice and guidance you need to minimise the risk of a claim for unfair dismissal.
Our redundancy services include:
- Advice on the redundancy process including the relevant timescales depending on the number of employees involved.
- Help in establishing fair selection criteria
- Dealing with any potential disputes that may arise during the redundancy process
- Advice on offering voluntary redundancy
- Drafting settlement agreements
Corporate restructures
If you are restructuring your business, you are likely to need to make changes when it comes to employee roles. Our corporate restructure employment solicitors can help you reorganise during a restructure, merger or acquisition, ensuring that employee rights are observed while still allowing you to make the changes you need.
TUPE transfers
When a business is taken over, the employees are protected by the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006, known as TUPE. Complying with TUPE can be complex, and it is important to approach the transfer with a full understanding of the correct procedure, including the requirement to inform and consult with employee representatives.
Our TUPE solicitors have many years of experience in helping firms with the transfer of undertakings in respect of employees. We can advise you of the process and ensure that you have the guidance you need to avoid a claim against you for breach of the regulations or employee rights.
Equal opportunities and non-discrimination policies
Having the right employee policies in place will set a strong foundation for your business and will demonstrate to employees that you take their rights seriously. We can advise on and draft comprehensive policies, including equal opportunities policies and non-discrimination policies. In addition, we can suggest other actions you could consider alongside policies, such as staff training and audits to ensure that you can show that you are taking clear steps to eliminate issues such as discrimination.
We also provide advice in the event that the terms of your policies have been breached by an employee.
Social media policies
Having a strong social media policy in place is increasingly important, given the increased use of social media. We can suggest the terms and conditions to contain in a policy and ensure that it is tailored to meet the needs of your business.
Provisions will generally include details of how employees must conduct themselves on social media and how social media can be used in relation to the workplace.
Our employment law fees in Peterborough
We always make sure that you have a clear quote for costs at the start, with updates as necessary throughout. We will agree on the amount before starting work.
We also offer a fixed fee retainer service so that you can speak to one of our expert employment solicitors in Peterborough as and when you need.
For more information about our services and the costs involved, please feel free to contact us.
Why choose Roythornes employment solicitors in Peterborough for employment law services?
Our solicitors in employment law know that the best approach is usually to find a solution without delay, ending a dispute before matters deteriorate. Our wide experience means that we are often able to resolve matters out of court, avoiding a lengthy legal process and keeping costs to a minimum.
We will make sure that you understand your rights and the options open to you and that you have the employment law advice you need to choose the best approach for your case.
Get in touch with our employment law solicitors in Peterborough
To speak to us about how our Peterborough employment lawyers can help you, please contact our Peterborough office.