Employment Law for Businesses

Employment issues can be tricky and they go to the heart of an organisation, no matter what its size. Employment law is constantly changing and it can be a full time job for the professionals to keep abreast of all developments. When workplace issues become disputes, we recognise that our clients need support from lawyers who will really fight their corner, in a cost effective way.

Our dedicated employment law team offers practical, cost-effective and tailored advice to businesses of all sizes on all aspects of employment law, from implementing compliant policies and contracts, to advising upon specific disputes within the workplace and where necessary, representing the interests of our clients in the employment tribunal or the courts. Our employment law service is headed up by one of our founders, Amanda Jefferies.

Amanda has extensive experience of advising a wide variety of businesses on all sorts of employment law issues and takes a keen interest in the businesses for which she acts to enable her to provide appropriate, common sense and cost effective advice. Amanda and the team like to work in partnership with their clients and build lasting relationships with them.

We can guide you through everything from recruitment to retirement and advise you upon strategic decisions involving your staff or offer advice on day to day problems within the workplace.

We are always happy to have an initial free telephone conversation with you to discuss how we can help and to discuss a range of funding options. We will always do our best to make you aware of anticipated costs at the outset of a case so that you can plan and budget for them. Many of our clients chose to work with us on a retainer basis. Please contact Amanda should you require any further details about this or alternative methods of funding.

We also provide in house training sessions for organisations on a wide variety of employment law topics and can design training courses specifically suited to the needs of your business. Please contact us for further details.

The areas covered include:

• Absence from work
• Contracts of Employment
• Directors
• Discipline and performance management
• Discrimination
• Harassment
• Employment status and self-employment
• Employment tribunals
• Families and pregnancy
• Flexible working
• Grievances
• National Minimum Wage
• Parental Leave
• Partnerships and LLPs
• Pay and benefits
• Policies and procedures
• Recruitment
• Redundancy and business reorganisation
• Restraint of trade and confidentiality
• Sickness and incapacity
• Settlement Agreements
• Termination of employment
• Transfer of shares
• Transfer of undertakings
• Unfair dismissal
• Whistleblowing
• Working time and time off
• Variation of contracts

In accordance with SRA Transparency Rules, our costs information relating to Employment Tribunals is as follows:

Cost

Fees for our employment tribunal service

Our fees for assisting in defending a claim made against you for unfair and wrongful dismissal are based on three bands, which we will be happy to discuss with you.

We will advise you of the funding options available to you.

Every case is different; there are different issues in each case. A case can be heard over one day but depending on the issues in the case and the number of witnesses; a case can be heard over a week or longer in more complex cases. Shorter simple cases will naturally be less expensive than longer more complex cases.  

Simple case defined as: One day hearing with two witnesses attending:

• Our fees £5,000 – £8,000 plus VAT @20%
• Barristers’ fees –  £5,000 plus VAT @20%

Medium complex case defined as: Two Day hearing and more than two witnesses:

• Our fees £10,000 – £12,000 plus VAT @20%
• Barristers Fees – £5,000 for day one plus £1,500 – £2,000 for each additional day plus VAT @20%

High complex case defined as: Three or more days hearing and more than two witnesses:

• Our fees £15,000 – £20,000 plus VAT @20%
• Barristers Fees –  £7,500 for day one and £1,500 to £2,000 for each additional day plus VAT @20%

The information on costs is an estimate of our charges and they are not fixed fees. We assess each case on its own facts and will give a concise estimate for work to be carried out on your behalf.   

Costs information provided here is for guidance purposes only and is not indicative of costs in all similar claims before an Employment Tribunal which depends on the facts of the case, nor does it create any binding costs estimate on the firm. 

Costs will vary depending on the details of each case, and once we assess your case, we provide you with more concise estimates for work. You may have legal expenses insurance cover for the costs of an Employment Tribunal claim.

If your claim were to be settled at any time during the proceedings, this would affect the overall cost to you.

Value Added Tax (VAT)

VAT is a tax added to most products and services sold by VAT-registered businesses. In the UK, the VAT rate is 20%. The fees listed do not include VAT at 20% which you will incur in most cases.

What is included in our fee

The work that is included in our fee:

• Review and advise on the Employment Tribunal application form
• Drafting and filing a Response form with the Employment Tribunal
• Preliminary Hearing (Case Management)
• Reviewing Employee’s Schedule of Loss
• Preparing a List and bundle of documents and disclosing to Employee
• Review documents received from the Employee
• Drafting and finalising witness statements
• Preparing or finalising a bundle of documents for use in the Tribunal hearing with the Employee
• Instructing a Barrister to represent you in a final hearing at the Employment Tribunal
• Liaising with you, the Employment Tribunal, the Employee or their representative and ACAS throughout the matter. 

What is not included in our fee

The work that is not included in our fee:

• Initial advice, review of merits of claim
• Pre action negotiation with Employee
• ACAS Early Conciliation
• Remedy Hearing (if not dealt with in the Final Hearing)
• Interim applications/Preliminary Hearings which arise during the course of the claim either made by you or the Employee or ordered by the Employment Tribunal
• Re-listing of hearing and work related to a new hearing if a final hearing is postponed by the Employment Tribunal, you or the Employee
• Advising on or dealing with an appeal to the Employment Appeal Tribunal (made by you or the Employee)
• A second hearing if the first hearing is not completed within the time given by the Tribunal when the parties have to return to the Tribunal to complete the hearing
• Discrimination claims or claims other than unfair dismissal/wrongful dismissal.

Employment tribunals service: our fees

Employment tribunal disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. 

As with our fees, disbursements exclude VAT. We have marked where VAT at 20% may be chargeable but we will confirm whether VAT is payable, and at what rate, when you instruct us.

Counsel fees

Counsel’s (Barrister’s) fees as shown in the above sections are estimates and are subject to change depending on the experience of the advocate for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation). 

Expert witnesses costs 

There may be a requirement to instruct and independent expert witnesses. The cost of the expert witness may incur VAT at 20% and we will discuss the cost of this with you prior to instructing any such witness. 

Timescales for employment tribunals

The time that it takes from initial instructions to the final resolution of a case will depend primarily on the stage at which the case is resolved. 

A one-day Employment Tribunal claim could take 6-12 months from the issue of the claim to a final hearing and is entirely subject to when an Employment Tribunal can hear the case.

Exclusions & factors which may make an employment tribunal case more complex

• Multiple day hearings (more than one day)
• Multiple witnesses
• Unexpected applications made by either party during the course of the claim e.g. an application to strike out, an application for costs or application for  adjournment of a hearing
• Hearing is postponed and re-listed at the request of you, the Employee or by the Employment Tribunal
• Multiple claims for example: an unfair dismissal, sex/race or disability discrimination or breach of contract all brought at the same time
• The hearing is not completed within the timeframe given by the Employment Tribunal and the parties have to return to the Tribunal for a further hearing
• Barristers’ fees for advice or representation in the Employment Tribunal will be in addition to our fees.

People carrying our employment tribunal services

Our employment tribunal services are delivered by specialist employment law solicitors.

Amanda Jefferies leads the employment team with an excess of 20 years’ experience in employment law. More information can be found on the our people page.

Junior solicitors and members of staff are supported at all times and supervised appropriately to ensure a high quality of advice, regardless of who is working on the case.