Employment Law Solicitors in Reading

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Employee Discrimination

Discrimination in the workplace can have serious adverse consequences for individuals. It can result in significantly reduced job satisfaction and productivity. Companies can face major repercussions, as decreased morale and productivity can adversely affect their financial performance.

For example, according to the Office of National Statistics, in April 2024, the gender pay gap among full-time employees was higher in every English region. It was lower in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Over the last decade it has fallen by approximately a quarter among full-time employees, and in April 2024, it stood at 7.0%, down from 7.5% in 2023.

Discrimination claims, unlike unfair dismissal claims, can give rise to claims of unlimited damages in the Employment Tribunal. Individuals who are discriminated against can recover losses of salary without any limit being applied to those losses. In addition, individuals can claim compensation for injury to feelings in certain cases. This does not apply to unfair dismissal claims.

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Unfair Dismissal

Unfair dismissal discrimination is one of the most common claims we assist people with at DPH Legal.

Unfair dismissal is a claim based on the Employment Rights Act 1996. An employee is unfairly dismissed when an employment tribunal finds that the termination of their employment was unreasonable. This can be either a substantively unfair dismissal or a procedurally unfair dismissal.

Here at DPH Legal, we advise people from different disciplines within several sectors about their unfair dismissal claims. It is essential that you act quickly in seeking immediate legal advice if you believe you have a potential unfair dismissal claim.

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Redundancy

In order for a redundancy to be deemed to be fair, it needs to fall within the band of reasonable responses. This means there must be a genuine need to reduce staff numbers, together with a process that complies with the minimum legal requirements of UK employment law.

Fair redundancy procedures necessitate a consultation process which requires the employer to consider any means by which the redundancy can be avoided. The employer needs to consult directly with the individual at risk of redundancy. In collective redundancy situations where more than 20 employees are affected, the employer must consult with employee representatives of individual employees.

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Whistleblowing

In the UK, the framework for whistleblowing is detailed in the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (PIDA).

In the UK, employment law whistleblowing may be regarded as making a protected disclosure under that Act. The Act itself derives from the Employment Rights Act 1996 which also details the law related to unfair dismissal. To qualify for protection, individuals must have a reasonable belief that a wrongdoing has already occurred, or that a wrongdoing is likely to occur, and that it is in the public interest. It is not compulsory for the wrongdoing to have actually occurred, however, there needs to be a reasonable belief that it is true.

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Stress at Work

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSWA) is the cornerstone of UK health and safety legislation and places a duty of care on all employers to maintain a safe working environment for their employees. Individuals who suffer from stress and or depression and or an alternative mental impairment arising due to practises in the workplace may accrue the right to pursue a civil claim against their employer for breach of the duty of care deriving from the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

In addition to this, those individuals who have been treated poorly and suffer from stress or anxiety, or an alternative mental impairment as a result of this, may accrue the right to claim constructive unfair dismissal against their employer.

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Settlement Agreements

If you’re in a dispute with your employer or are going through a redundancy process you may be offered a settlement agreement. This was previously known as a compromise agreement.

Can you be sure the agreement is fair?

Have you been offered sufficient compensation for the loss of your job?

Our experienced employment law team at DPH Legal have been advising clients regarding settlement agreement matter for many years.

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Employment Rights

All employers should be aware of their obligations towards employees and what rights they have if they feel an employee is not fulfilling their duties.

If you have a complex employee issue or feel that you need to dismiss an employee it is advisable to seek the advice of a professional to ensure you act within the law.

As an employee, you should be aware of your employment rights and what your employer should be doing with regard to, pay, contracts, time off and working hours etc.

It’s important to ensure you have a contract of employment and that you understand everything in that contract.

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Employment Tribunals

Employment Tribunal litigation can often become complicated especially when you are not legally represented i.e. acting as a litigant in person against a legally represented party.

If you have issued a claim, or you are thinking about issuing a claim it is worth considering the value that can be added by instructing legal professionals (i.e. solicitors) to assist you.

We frequently appear in local Employment Tribunals and others throughout the country representing numerous successful clients.

It all starts with a free phone consultation to determine if we can help you in your current situation.

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Grievance Handling

All our local solicitors are experienced in helping employees prepare grievances to send to their managers or helping them once a grievance has been submitted.

The stress of submitting a grievance means that employees often ask a solicitor to help them, especially if the reasons for the grievance are complicated.

Complicated reasons can include discrimination, bullying or whistleblowing.

It’s a good idea to have a qualified and experienced employment solicitor on hand to advise in these situations because the law in these areas can be challenging to understand.

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Discrimination Claims

As a local firm of lawyers with extensive experience in defending discrimination claims, we can offer high-quality advice and formulate a strategy to mitigate the impact of a potential claim for compensation.

Don’t let the complicated law of discrimination put you off making a claim and missing out on the compensation you deserve – our expert team are here to help. We have achieved six-figure sums for clients with discrimination claims on many occasions.

The law around discrimination is complex and businesses often seek the advice of an employment lawyer to assist them and ensure they don’t incur a needless financial loss.

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