Employment Law

If you employ staff or deal with Human Resources, you are probably aware that Employment Law is a fast moving and constantly changing area of legal practice. It is therefore vital to keep up to date with the current legislation and regulations.

If you have any Employment Law queries or would like any advice, please click here or phone Jayne Harrison or Sophie Attfield whose contact details are given below.
 

Employment Advice

We act for a wide variety of clients from small businesses just starting out to large national companies.

We can provide legal advice regarding all aspects of employment law including:
 

Recruitment of new staff

• Contracts of employment
• Bespoke and general offer letters
• Foreign workers and the need for work permits
• Avoiding discrimination
• Flexible working policies
• Disciplinary and grievance policies
• Drafting and assisting with staff handbooks
• Drafting service agreements for senior executives
• Restrictive covenants
   

If the above issues are dealt with correctly, they can help the relationship between the parties and often prevent claims from being brought before an Employment Tribunal.
 

Existing staff

• Performance management
• Changing contracts of employment
• Guidance on convening and conducting disciplinary hearings - getting the procedural aspects of any disciplinary hearing is essential if costly unfair dismissal claims are to be avoided.
• Sickness absence - deciding how and when to take action, disciplining employees who are prone to persistent short periods of absence and effectively managing those suffering from long term ill health and/or disabilities.
• Handling complaints from employees and how to diffuse these at an early stage, avoiding expensive discrimination claims.

We are also on hand to answer queries relating to employment legislation, the most current and relevant case law or just to chat through strategy and provide advice on a particular problem.

As an Employer, it is imperative to know the rights of your employees in relation to their employment. Legislation provides a wide range of rights to employees from daily rest breaks to the minimum wage through to maternity, paternity and adoption leave. These matters can be complex. We can give you further information, provide in house training or just ensure that you are complying with all areas of the law.
 

Termination of employment

• Dismissal - we can advise on how to effectively dismiss employees in a way that minimises the chance of successful tribunal or court action.
• Tribunals - we appear on behalf of our clients at Tribunals and have been involved in defending all types of claims from unfair dismissal, discrimination, pregnancy, redundancy and Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment Regulations (TUPE).
• Restrictive Covenants - we also advise on the enforceability of restrictive covenants and how to enforce them in court.
   

Boardroom changes

• Advice regarding the termination of employment of senior executives.
• We have experience of dealing with senior executives termination packages.
• We also advise on business reorganisation/restructuring to ensure that you keep in line with your legal obligations to employees and help you to manage the risk.
• We can also assist with outsourcing/insourcing and the impact of the Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment Regulations.
   

Contact Details

Jayne Harrison, Partner
Chattertons Solicitors
30 Avenue Road, Grantham, Lincs, NG31 6TH
Phone: (01476) 591550
E-mail: jayne.harrison@chattertons.com

Sophie Attfield, Partner
Chattertons Solicitors
Low Moor Road, Doddington Road, Lincoln, LN6 3JY
Phone: (01522) 814600
E-mail: sophie.attfield@chattertons.com

Paul Brill, Solicitor
Chattertons Solicitors
64 Pinchbeck Road, Spalding, Lincs, PE11 1SY
Phone: (01775) 725664
E-mail: paul.brill@chattertons.com

Colm O'Rourke, Solicitor
Chattertons Solicitors
Trentside Business Village, Farndon Road, Newark, NG24 4XB
Phone: (01636) 673731
E-mail: colm.orourke@chattertons.com

Peter Lawson, Partner
Chattertons Solicitors
4 South Square, Boston, Lincs, PE21 6HX
Phone: (01205) 310025
E-mail: peter.lawson@chattertons.com