Employment Law Solicitors for Employees

Settlement agreements (formerly known as compromise agreements) are used to terminate an employment contract, using mutually agreed terms between employee and employer. If you’ve been offered a settlement agreement, we can provide independent legal advice on the terms or support you in negotiating with your employer, to get the best settlement possible.

Our lawyers can support you in negotiating compensation or redundancy payments and agree on matters of confidentiality. We can also request that your employer provides you with a reference, despite any difficult circumstances.

According to UK employment law, if an employer wishes to dismiss an employee, they should have a fair reason to do so. If your employer has dismissed you without a valid reason or they have not followed the correct processes, our employment solicitors can help you to pursue an unfair dismissal claim.

Some instances of unfair dismissal can be difficult to gauge, where others are more straightforward. For instance, there are several ‘automatically unfair’ reasons for dismissal which always justify a claim. These include:

• Asking for flexible working conditions
• Taking maternity leave or being pregnant
• Being part of an official strike
• Being a trade union representative or member
• Requesting a basic legal right, for instance, to be paid minimum wage
• Whistleblowing
• Participating in jury service

Being made redundant can be an extremely stressful time, and you may be concerned about protecting your legal rights. Our specialist solicitors at Rollits can provide expert assistance to employees who are being made redundant or at risk of redundancy.

We can advise you on what to expect at each stage and the documentation presented by your employer. Our lawyers can advise you on whether or not you have the grounds to appeal or bring a claim against your employer. For instance, where an employer has failed to adequately conduct the redundancy procedure, you may be able to make an unfair dismissal claim.

Restrictive covenants refer to a type of clause used in employment contracts; these are used to prevent an employee from competing with a business once they have left the company and protect confidential information. These clauses can take many forms, including non-competition, non-dealing, non-solicitation, or non-poaching.

Employees with restrictive covenants in their contracts may have more limited options when they leave the company. If you’ve been asked to sign a contract including restrictive covenants, or if you are planning to resign and have restrictive covenants in your contract, it’s advisable to seek legal advice. For more information, contact our solicitors specialising in employment law.

Facing discrimination at work can be traumatic, and at times, such occurrences may require legal advice. According to the Equality Act 2020, there are nine protected characteristics. If you’ve faced discrimination due to one of these characteristics, you are entitled to bring a claim against your employer.

The nine protected characteristics include:

• Age
• Disability
• Gender reassignment
• Marriage and civil partnership
• Pregnancy and maternity
• Race
• Religion and belief
• Sex
• Sexual orientation

If you’re facing discrimination at work and are unsure of how to remedy the situation, please contact our team at Rollits.

If you’ve experienced bullying or harassment in the workplace, our solicitors can offer expert legal advice, making you aware of your rights and the appropriate steps to take. We can support you in raising a grievance, preparing for a grievance meeting, negotiating with your employer, or, if necessary, raising a claim against them.

Being bullied or harassed in the workplace can be incredibly stressful, with the potential to impact your health and your career. Rest assured, we’ve helped many employees to handle such incidents, offering sensitive and practical advice when you need it.

Constructive dismissal means an employee feels they have no choice but to resign due to the actions of their employer. If you’ve found yourself in this difficult situation, we can support you in raising a constructive dismissal claim and gaining compensation.

Many occurrences may amount to a constructive dismissal claim, particularly where an employee has felt forced to resign under the following circumstances:

• An employee is being harassed or bullied at work, and your employer has failed to intervene
• The employer has failed to pay the employee
• An employee has been demoted without a justifiable reason
• The working environment is unsafe
• The employer has made unreasonable changes to the employee’s working conditions
• Benefits that were included in the employment contract have been withdrawn

If you’d like guidance on constructive dismissal or general advice on employment law for employees, please get in touch.

No matter what type of employment law issue you need help with, our solicitors can provide specialist advice to support you. We can offer general employment advice for employees concerning a wide range of issues, for example:

• Advice on your employment contract, including reviewing the terms or making changes to your contract
• Information on wages, pay and holiday pay
• Flexible working, including your rights and making a flexible working request
• Legal advice on recruitment processes, job offers, and job rejections
• Grievance and disciplinary procedures
• Adoption, maternity, and paternity leave
• TUPE transfers