The employment relationship has seen a plethora of legislation thrown in its direction in recent years. Whilst well intentioned, not all of it has been well drafted and most recently that has been recognised and there have been moves to resile from over regulation. 

You may be a small employer without recourse to an HR function. All stages of an employment relationship can bring up tricky legal issues, from recruitment in the first place through to engagement and the documenting of it, changing terms along the way maybe in the light of changed circumstances and demand for family friendly policies, discipline when things go through a rough patch to ultimate termination of the relationship, be that for reasons of redundancy or otherwise. Often, seeking some pre-emptive legal advice in relation to a particularly tricky employment situation might well be money well spent. We are able to structure packages whereby you pay for ad hoc advice or a general employment retainer for a fixed quarterly fee where you don’t have to worry about how many times you pick up the phone. 

As an employee, you may find yourself wanting to take some preliminary advice on the terms and conditions of your engagement. Your circumstances may change and you find yourself needing to know about family friendly policies. Hopefully not, but you may run into a particular issue where you really do ask the question ‘Can they really do that?’ be it an issue of discrimination, redundancy or dismissal (unfair dismissal or constructive dismissal). You may even find yourself being offered a sum of money to leave and give up your legal rights usually in the form of a compromise agreement.   

Andrew Firman has been advising both employers and employees in this area for well over ten years and lists one particular battle of biblical proportions amongst his career highlights..