Types of Services
Our Employment services cover a wide range of assistances. Whether your dealing with absence, disciplinaries or need help drafting an employee handbook we can guide you through the correct procedures.
Redundancy & Restructure
We guide employers through effective redundancy exercises, including where collective consultation obligations apply, and minimise the risk of Employment Tribunal claims by assisting with:
- Preparing all the supporting documents needed to conduct a fair redundancy process, including invitation and outcome letters, meeting scripts, scoring matrixes
- Designing fair scoring criteria and selection processes;
- Liaising with trade unions and representatives;
- Providing bespoke training to managers conducting redundancy consultation processes.
TUPE
We help you navigate the complexities of the TUPE process, providing expert guidance and advice every step of the way and minimising the risks to your business, we can offer advice on:
- Advising on obligations to inform and consult with affected employees;
- Ensuring compliance with obligations to provide employer liability information;
- Guiding employers through the steps required to affect any post-transfer changes; and
- Avoiding costly Employment Tribunal claims and substantial penalties for TUPE breaches.
Defending Employment Trinunal Claims
At some stage, all employers are likely to receive an Employment Tribunal claim. We understand you will need experienced litigators to help with:
- Drafting and submitting your Response to the claim;
- Collection and disclosure of evidence;
- Witness statement preparation;
- Full representation by one of our Employment Law experts at all Preliminary and Final Hearings;
- Expert guidance through the Employment Tribunal process, from start to finish;
- Representation in the ACAS Early Conciliation process and in commercial settlement discussions.
Contracts of Employment
The ever changing nature of Employment Law makes it essential to keep your Contracts of Employment fully up to date. MLP Law can offer advice on:
- Preparing bespoke Employment Contracts and Directors’ Service Agreements which ensure you meet your legal obligations under the Employment Rights Act 1996;
- Designing tailored clauses to protect your business, including confidentiality restrictions and post-termination restrictions; and
- Drafting complex bonus and remuneration schemes.
Employee Handbooks & Workplace Policies
Employee Handbooks are invaluable tools. We design bespoke Employee Handbooks which add practical value and promote your culture.
- Designing bespoke Employee Handbooks and Workplace Policies;
- Advising on implementing and applying internal policies and procedures;
- Providing regular updates and reviews to ensure your Employee Handbook is always fit for purposes and keeping pace with Employment Law changes.
Business Protection
It’s important to protect your business from unfair competition. We can help you with:
- Preparing bespoke “business protection” clauses, including post-termination restrictions (non-compete, non-solicitation etc) and confidentiality restrictions; and
- Enforcing restrictions through injunction applications and claims for damages.
Handling Discipliniaries, Poor performance & Grievances
Our experienced Employment Law experts are on hand to guide you through these complex processes and ensure you have the support you need at every stage.
- Advising on investigations into misconduct, poor performance or grievances;
- Providing all correspondence required, including invitation letters and outcome letters;
- Ensuring compliance with fair procedures, including the ACAS Code;
- Providing scripts for meetings and hearings;
- Designing bespoke policies and procedures on disciplinary, performance and grievance matters
- Helping you deal with sensitive issues such as bullying, whistleblowing and discrimination;
- Training you and your managers on conducting fair and effective disciplinary, performance and grievance procedures.
Sickness & Absense Management
Our Employment Law solicitors are experts at assisting employers to proactively manage difficult sickness issues whilst minimising the risks to the business.
- Creating bespoke Sickness Absence Policies, setting out expectations for reporting sickness absence and how such absences will be managed.
- Guiding employers through important sickness absence management meetings, including Return to Work Meetings, Welfare Meetings and Capability Meetings
- Obtaining medical information and occupational health advice to inform and assist with making key decisions.
- Minimising the risk of unfair dismissal and discrimination claims arising from capability dismissals or sickness absence management
- Advising on making reasonable adjustments for disabled employees; and
- Providing bespoke training to managers conducting sickness management processes.
Employment Law Training
Our expert Employment Law solicitors are experienced and engaging trainers who provide bespoke training on all Employment Law matters. including:
- Conducting fair disciplinary and dismissal processes;
- Hearing employee grievances
- Handling poor performance
- Managing sickness absence
- Equality and Diversity
- Anti-Bullying and Anti-Harassment; and
- Employment Law Updates.
Family Rights & Flexible Working
We advise employers on their employees’ family friendly rights and their obligations in respect of flexible working requests, including where these clash with business needs.
- Preparing bespoke “family friendly” policies, including maternity and paternity;
- Helping employers deal with employees taking time off for family reasons;
- Assisting employers to avoid discriminatory decisions or breaches of employee rights;
- Handling business changes, such as redundancies, which arise whilst employees are exercising their rights; and
- Handling flexible working requests.
Settlement Agreements & Protected Conversations
We prepare bespoke Settlement Agreements to ensure your business has maximum protection and complies with the specific statutory requirements for such agreements.
- Drafting bespoke Settlement Agreements;
- Providing you with scripts, and related letters, enabling you to conduct effective protected conversations; and
- Providing bespoke training to managers conducting protected conversations.
Holiday Entitlement
Employment Status & IR35 & Consultancy
Many businesses engage independent contractors, or “consultants”, rather than employees. Before doing so, it is vital to ensure it would be lawful and appropriate to do so. We can help you with:
- Advising you on the appropriate employment status for the people working for you;
- Preparing bespoke contracts that are consistent with the applicable status, including Consultancy Agreements, Contracts of Employment and Zero Hours Contracts; and
- Advising you on the implications of IR35.
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About the expert
Gareth Matthews
Partner - Employment
Areas of Expertise
Gareth is a Partner in MLP Law’s Employment team and for over 10 years has specialised in employment law, primarily advising businesses and senior individuals. Gareth has significant litigation experience, including experience as an advocate in the Employment Tribunal. Gareth also has considerable experience in advising on the employment issues in corporate mergers and acquisition, […]
- Employment
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