It is important you have a system in place allowing you to deal with any grievance robustly whilst still maintaining a productive relationship with staff. Our team is experienced in helping with the investigation, gathering evidence and assisting with any appeal. We also regularly draft and review grievance policies, as well as drafting of invitation and outcome letters ensuring you follow the correct procedures when handling a grievance on behalf of a member of staff. 

In our experience, performance problems often arise in a number of common situations. Catching these early and discussing them with the employee is the best way to avoid the problem getting out of hand. It also means the proper steps can be taken if performance doesn’t improve. If the problem persists or something happens that is too egregious, following the correct procedure when disciplining or dismissing an employee is crucial in order to minimise the risk of an unfair dismissal complaint. Failing to do so can result in a claim from the employee, even if there are legitimate grounds for the dismissal. The specialists in our Employment Team are experts in handling and advising on all types of disciplinary procedures from the routine to those involving the most complex and unusual forms of employee misconduct.

Discrimination is a complex area of employment law and, as an employer, your obligations regarding the handling of staff and managing the actions and behaviour of your workforce, can create concerns when things go wrong. Our experienced lawyers can help if you are facing a discrimination complaint or looking at taking a decision with a discriminatory element and wish to understand your options, or if you simply wish to check that your current policies and procedures are compliant and up to date.

The law relating to family rights has changed a great deal over the last couple of years. Employees are now entitled to a wide range of enhanced rights and benefits. These are available to mothers and fathers as shared parental leave. In addition to leave following a birth parents now have the right to request flexible working and take time off to care for dependants in the event of an emergency. 

Long term or persistent short term staff absence can cause significant problems for employers. It could be that you have concerns about the frequency or duration of the absence of an employee. You may be unsure how to deal with disciplining a staff member who hasn’t followed the correct reporting procedure. Long term absence can also lead to questioning an employee’s ability to carry out their role in the long term. We can advise you on handling each step of the process and if it becomes a bigger issue.