Guides & Advice. Our Employment Service

Transcription

1 Guides & Advice Our Employment Service

2 Our Employment Team With a strong reputation in the region our Employment team provides expert advice to organisations and individuals on all aspects of the employment relationship. Ranked in both The Legal 500 and Chambers UK directories, our team acts for clients in London and across the Thames Valley. We are known for providing a cost-effective alternative to larger City-based firms while meeting them head on in terms of the levels of expertise and service we provide. We advise organisations on employment and HR strategies and documentation to help businesses recruit and retain the best staff, get the best from their workforce, protect their interests, expand or restructure as required and manage any issues that arise. Employers seek our advice to help their business throughout its life to ensure that their workforce and working practices remain fit for purpose, flexible and legally-compliant against the backdrop of a fast moving and ever changing environment. Unlike many firms, a significant part of our employment practice has always involved acting for individuals. As a result we have a real depth and diversity of experience to draw on, ranging from advising directors of PLCs to large groups of employees facing redundancy or the transfer of their employment to a new employer. We advise clients on matters incuding the terms of a new contract or your existing rights, bonus and share option arrangements, discrimination, a grievance or disciplinary process, redundancy, dismissal and settlement agreements We are committed to ensuring that our services offer value for money and will always examine available funding options with you. Our Employment Service Excellence Integrity Approachability

3 Terms of Employment, Policies & Procedures and Share Option Schemes We provide guidance on Terms of Employment for all levels of staff including the drafting and negotiation of Directors Service Agreements. We can work to develop a full range of policies and procedures provided individually or as part of a handbook, including: Disciplinary procedures Grievance procedures Performance review/capability Sickness Equal opportunities policies Policies relating to data protection and use of and the internet Share option schemes and incentive arrangements, including EMI share options, other approved schemes and unapproved arrangements, as well as the attendant taxation implications Disposals, Mergers and Acquisitions We advise extensively on issues arising from disposals, mergers and acquisitions, in particular: Collective consultations Multiple redundancies Transfer of undertakings (TUPE) Insolvency obligations

4 Employment Litigation and Termination Agreement We undertake all aspects of employment litigation including High Court and County Court proceedings and Employment Tribunal work. One of our partners sits as a part-time Employment Tribunal Judge which gives us a particular insight into the presentation of cases before tribunals. In all cases, we aim to ensure that our clients can approach a hearing with confidence. The members of the team regularly deal with a wide range of cases including: Unfair dismissal Redundancy Unlawful deductions from wages Discrimination Maternity rights Equal pay Contractual claims Protection of intellectual property rights and confidential information Enforcement of restrictive covenants Many disputes can be resolved through negotiation and we advise on the drafting and negotiation of termination agreements (otherwise known as compromise agreements) on a daily basis. Our clients Our business clients include large household names and PLCs, SMEs, owner managed businesses, public sector organisations, charities and educational institutions in London and across the Thames Valley. We advise clients, ranging from directors of large organisations to groups of employees, on matters incuding the terms of a new contract or your existing rights, bonus and share option arrangements, discrimination, a grievance or disciplinary process, redundancy, dismissal and settlement agreements. Excellence Integrity Approachability

5 Our service We are committed to providing our clients with the best service possible at sensible rates and believe that we offer outstanding value for money compared to large national practices other leading regional firms. We do not believe in over lawyering and make a point of matching the level of experience to the work to be done so that each matter is handled in the most cost effective manner. Every client is different. By understanding your needs and the issues you face we aim to provide you with access to relevant information and training. At Blandy & Blandy we see the dissemination and sharing of know how as an integral part of our service to our clients, not as an added extra. We keep our clients up-to-date on the latest news and events through seminars, workshops and other events; our regular blog posts and quarterly bulletins. We have delivered in-house seminars to legal teams and managers with direct responsibility for personnel. We believe this is highly productive for the managers, from whom we consistently receive very positive feedback, and for us in terms of establishing the issues that our clients are facing on the ground. Our wide range of events has covered topics including: Internal hearings Managing employee absenteeism Managing employee under performance Permanent disability schemes Pregnancy and sickness Sex discrimination and race discrimination Shared Parental Leave (SPL) Statutory trial periods in redundancy Stress at work TUPE Unfair dismissal Working Time Regulations This guide is provided free of charge by Blandy & Blandy LLP for information purposes only. This information is not legal advice or to be applied to any specific situation. The Firm assumes no responsibility for how this information is interpreted or used.

6 Our Employment Law Team Sue Dowling, Partner and Head of Employment T: E: An advocate by training, Sue deals primarily with complex employment litigation involving unlawful discrimination, with particular emphasis on mental impairment disability discrimination matters. She advises individuals and companies. She provides strategic employment law and HR advice to CEOs, MDs, finance directors and HR directors, assisting them in their business decisions and with a view to minimising the risk of employment litigation. Sue frequently assists company clients in handling the restructuring of management teams and, where necessary, the departure of high-level executives. She also advises clients regarding business immigration matters. Sue is a regular advocate in Tribunals and before Committees, hosts and attend a range of events and has appeared in the media as an employment law expert. Excellence Integrity Approachability Tim Clark, Partner T: E: tim.clark@blandy.co.uk Tim is a litigator by training and concentrates primarily on contentious employment work at both the pre and post issue stages of Tribunal proceedings. He undertakes his own Tribunal Advocacy and has extensive experience of handling a full range of tribunal claims including multi-party actions, complex discrimination cases and claims involving Health and Safety and pension loss. His expertise includes advising on redundancy situations, the employment aspects of business transfers including TUPE and the resolution of any subsequent issues. Tim also acts for senior executives advising on complex service agreements, commission and bonus arrangements, exit provisions and termination packages. He is an expert in the tax aspects of these arrangements.

7 Laura Binnie, Associate Solicitor T: E: Laura undertakes a mixture of work in the employment team but with an emphasis on contentious cases. She has extensive experience of handling Tribunal claims, ranging from unfair dismissal to lengthy discrimination cases, including conducting advocacy at hearings. She has a particular interest and expertise in disability discrimination law and has experience of representing both employers and employees. Rebecca Hill, Solicitor T: E: rebecca.hill@blandy.co.uk Rebecca advises senior management and HR professionals on strategic HR issues and complex employment situations and undertakes a range of contentious and non-contentious respondent and claimant work. She has a great deal of experience handling Tribunal claims, ranging from basic unfair dismissal to complex discrimination cases and appears as an advocate at hearings. Rebecca has a particular interest and expertise in litigation involving unlawful discrimination, with an emphasis on sex and philosophical belief discrimination matters.

8 Testimonials Chambers UK The team provides substantial expertise in TUPE and unlawful discrimination cases, for high-profile claimants and major respondents. Knowledgeable in business immigration, and matters involving the public sector. Clients recommend the responsive nature of Sue Dowling: When we ve got an issue we know it will be sorted - she ll always respond straight away, even when she s not in the office. She ll let us know that she s onto it. She is particularly active in discrimination cases and in providing educational seminars on employment law to corporate clients. The Legal 500 Blandy & Blandy LLP has a strong record in tribunals, with recent successes including achieving a compromise settlement for a client in a tribunal claim alleging disability discrimination and unlawful deduction from wages. Tim Clark is proactive and explains the law clearly. Sue Dowling is also recommended. Our clients Regardless of which member of the team I work with the responses are quick, and there is a large pool of knowledge covering many specific areas of expertise, including an understanding of the nuances of business. Blandy & Blandy s Mock Employment Tribunal was an excellent professional development opportunity and a good investment as we had an all-deloitte audience of about 60 professionals attending. I cannot thank you enough for your professional approach, guidance, advice and understanding which helped me tremendously. They take plenty of time to explain things and make sure you understand and are happy with what is happening. I recommend the firm at any opportunity. Your advice was extremely helpful and much appreciated. Without their guidance this process would have been impossible. Thank you. I whole-heartedly recommend you to anyone. Excellence Integrity Approachability

9 About Blandy & Blandy LLP Blandy & Blandy is a regional firm of solicitors, based in Reading and London. The Thames Valley has been our home since 1733 and we have the heritage and reputation that comes with this longevity. We enjoy working closely with our clients and are committed to achieving success with them. For nearly 300 years we have advised generations of clients on all aspects of their personal, family and business lives. Commercially, we provide a full range of legal services to both public and private sector organisations, ranging from national and multinational companies, through to banks and lenders, SMEs and owner-managed businesses, charities and educational institutions, professional practices, landowners and developers and venue and event operators. Our partners and many of our associates are acknowledged as experts by the two major legal directories, Chambers UK and The Legal 500, and we are top ranked as a firm by both. We have also held the Law Society s Lexcel quality mark since Of the 11,000 legal practices in England and Wales fewer than 10% have achieved this gold standard. We are a people business. We place our clients best interests at the heart of all that we do, while ensuring, through our partner led approach, that we embody our values of excellence, integrity and approachability. Feedback from both our clients and peers confirms this we know that actions speak louder than words. We seek to balance our heritage with a modern and progressive approach, in terms of the services we offer and the way in which they are delivered. This, underpinned by our independence, means that our clients continue to trust and recommend us year after year. Contact us If you would like to speak to us about our legal services or for further information, please contact Sue Dowling. T: E: sue.dowling@blandy.co.uk W:

10 Blandy & Blandy LLP is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and authorised and regulated by the Financial Service Conduct Authority. It is incorporated as a limited liability partnership under number OC and its registered office is at One Friar Street Reading Berkshire RG1 1DA. A list of Members may be inspected at our Registered Office. Partner denotes a Member or a senior Employee of Blandy & Blandy LLP.