Employment Contracts & Rights

Recognised by Legal 500 as a top tier employment law team, we act for high-profile corporate clients and charities and have an excellent reputation for public sector work. We work closely with HR departments and in a more direct advisory capacity for clients with less HR resource, offering support and training on all aspects of employment law and HR issues.

Our aim as employment lawyers is to make life easier for our clients, helping them to identify and navigate potential problems and pitfalls and providing valuable input into their employment strategy. We know that often our clients’ greatest asset is their staff. Our nationally recognised and highly regarded employment team is ideally placed to help clients manage day-to-day issues, keep abreast of developments, and provide insight into case law developments and future trends.

We have extensive expertise in employment rights including pay and grading, bonuses, and the National Minimum Wage. We are one of the UK’s leading employment specialists in the field of equal pay claims having represented employers in many sectors, in defence of multiple claims brought by trade unions and the workforce alike. We advise on pregnancy, maternity and other family leave rights and on obligations in relation to working time and holiday.

We recognise that clear and robust contractual arrangements are essential to ensure a solid foundation between the employer and its workforce. The changing nature of the employment relationship means that there are a variety of contractual arrangements which can be utilised. We help guide clients in their choice between ‘traditional’ contracts of employment and more atypical or ‘gig economy’ arrangements or agile and flexible working – based on what’s right for their circumstances. We can also advice on executive and director service agreements, consultancy agreements, fixed term and part time working.

We work with clients to develop staff handbooks and bespoke employment policies that are appropriate and relevant to their own situation.

When contractual changes are needed, our employment lawyers support clients in making those changes and have worked with employers in the public sector and private organisations to effect changes to contractual terms. We have extensive experience in navigating the legal and consultation obligations associated with making changes, particularly on a large scale.

We know that employment status has become a key issue for organisations and we regularly advise clients on employee and worker status, self-employment, sub-contracting and the engagement of agency workers.

Related expertise include: Business Immigration, Redundancy & Business Transformation, Workplace Issues & Disputes.