People – probably your most valuable asset. People management – probably one of the biggest challenges facing your business!
Statutory regulation of the workplace has never been greater and the flow of new employment law is constant. In April 2009 the statutory dispute resolution procedures were repealed and a new Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures was introduced. If the Code is not followed tribunals may increase or decrease any award made by up to 25%. The introduction of the new Code has necessitated a change of approach to the management of workplace disputes. The tribunals are now increasingly adjudicating on claims of age discrimination and other new types of discrimination claims based on such characteristics as adherence to a particular religion or philosophical belief, as well as dealing with the more established but constantly developing areas of discrimination such as sex, race and disability. As businesses adapt to deal with the rapidly changing economic climate established employment laws relating to redundancy and reorganisation are being tested.
We have nine specialist commercial employment lawyers on two sites (at our offices in Guildford and Woking) to advise you on all aspects of labour law including:
- Data Protection
- Employment Agencies
- Employment documentation including staff handbooks
- Recruitment
- Contracts of employment
- Independent contractor agreements
- Workplace policies
- Disciplinary and grievance procedures
- Collective consultation and bargaining
- Redundancies
- Business reorganisations
- Business transfers and outsourcing
- Protection of intellectual property and confidential information
- Termination of employment
- Equal opportunities and discrimination
- Bullying and harrassment
We often assist our clients with internal training on HR and employment law issues such as equal opportunities, performance monitoring, the management of workplace disputes and data protection and by auditing their employment documentation to ensure compliance with this fast changing area of the law.
The Employment Group provides one-stop representation for clients involved in Employment Tribunal proceedings and deals with related County Court and High Court employment litigation including applications for Injunctions.
For employers, making a mistake with the procedures required by law may cost them dearly. For that reason at Barlow Robbins we emphasise that prevention is better than cure! Not only do we try and make our employer clients aware of proposals for new legislation and changes in the law through our programme of seminars, our HR Workshops, Employment Law Update and Business Law Newsletter but we also urge them to take advice from us before they embark on a course of action relating to an employee. Our aim is to provide clear practical advice and we draw on years of experience of all sorts of situations and all types of clients to be able to do so. We will certainly have seen the client's problem before!
Our employer clients range from corporations employing hundreds of people in the UK and elsewhere to small businesses employing less than 5 staff. We act for employers across a wide range of industry sectors including IT, medical and dental instruments, professional services (accountants, management consultants, insurance brokers) and estate agencies although we do have a particular niche in the provision of advice to the educational sector, particularly independent schools.
Recent examples of the tribinal work we have undertaken include defending an AIM listed software house against claims of sex discrimination, harassment, victimisation and constructive dismissal in the Reading Employment Tribunal; representing a small construction company against claims of unfair redundancy in the London South Employment tribunal and successfully appealing the tribunal’s decision to the Employment Appeal Tribunal; defending a Surrey based Oil exploration company against age discrimination; defending an AIM listed software house in an unfair redundancy claim and defending an Anglo French Management Consultancy in an unfair redundancy claim.
Outside the world of the Employment Tribunal we have advised:
- in 2009 on the employment aspects of the merger of two substantial accountancy practices;
- in 2009 on the employment aspects of the merger of two established catering service providers;
- throughout 2009 a wide range of corporate clients on redundancies and other measures such as changes to terms and conditions of employment;
- in 2009 an oil refinery on Working Time issues; and
- in 2008 on the withdrawal and winding down of a Final Salary Pension Scheme
- a Surrey based International Oil exploration company on the employment aspects of a world wide acquisition;
- an established London based banking services software house on the employment aspects of sale;
- a leading AIM listed website developer on the sale of part of its undertaking; and
- an established domiciliary care provider on the transfer of care services by Thurrock Borough Council.
