From scrutinising contracts to dealing with discrimination in the workplace, an employment lawyer is a necessity whether your business is a small indie, family run business or a giant multinational.
The fundamental principle in employment law is the balance between the rights of the employee and employer. This is the balance that a competent and invested lawyer strives to retain with respect and integrity.
The right employment lawyer will represent an individual employee, a group of employees or an employer and typically deals with all aspects of the work world from HR policies, promotion and workplace grievances to employment termination, voluntary or forced redundancy as well as negotiating with employers and trade unions.
These issues fall into the category of contentious and non-contentious cases. Non-contentious matters include offering legal advice, drafting employment contracts or overseeing negotiations. Contentious matters involve disagreements of any kind, for examples dismissals, grievances, breach of contract, harassment or discrimination claims.
The five most common areas that people need to call on an employment lawyer for are:
- Unfair dismissal - If you feel you have been let go on unjust grounds or the process that was followed was unfair, an employment lawyer can guide you through your legal options, leading you to the right course of action such as an employment tribunal or negotiating with your employer on your behalf.
- Disciplinary measures - If you are an employer seeking a fair and legal way to take disciplinary action against an employee, an employment lawyer can help you fix the matter with as little conflict as possible in the most legal and fairest way.
- Negotiating a contract - If you are the employer and have found the ideal candidate or the employee who’s just landed their dream job, negotiating a contract can sometimes turn into a bit of a nightmare. In the case that nobody can agree, employment lawyers can help negotiate legal terms and conditions as well as advice on what would be usual in the circumstances. Equally, if you feel as either employee or employer that there has been a breach of contract then a mediated negotiation is often the best way to resolve the issue.
- Discrimination - It is illegal to be discriminated against on protected characteristics such as your sex, sexual orientation, race, religion, disability or age. If an employee has been dismissed due to pregnancy or age or the dress code is sexist or disrespectful to religion, these are all cases that an employment lawyer can advise on by offering advice, mediation or representation at an employment tribunal.
- Harassment - If an employee or employer feels as if they are up against hostility in the workplace through being bullied, intimidated or harassed by colleagues or their boss then the employment lawyer can make your case for you at an employment tribunal or arrange mediation for the defendant and claimant.
In short, whether you are the employer who needs advice on how to defend itself against claims or the employee who feels they are on the receiving end of an unfair dismissal due to their age, an employment lawyer has got your back. A professional and empathetic employment lawyer can talk and walk you through the process and help ease the worry and stress as well as help to avoid falling down legal rabbit holes, it is definitely a business must have.
Want to find the right lawyer for your business? Book your free 30-minute consultation with one of our advisors by clicking here. We’ll talk through the options and suggest at least two law firms that we think are a good fit for your business. We aren’t paid any commission and you won’t be under any pressure to work with any law firms we put forward.
