FOR EMPLOYEES

Employment law advice for Employees

We understand that it can be stressful and daunting to deal with employment issues. Whether you are still in employment or have left, we can assist you with issues such as:

  • Settlement agreements
  • Protected conversations and dismissals
  • Employment Tribunals – ACAS early conciliation / representation and resolution
  • Advice on your contract of employment and employer’s policies
  • Discipline and grievance issues
  • Sickness absence
  • Performance and misconduct issues
  • Advice if you have been subject to workplace discrimination on grounds of – age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation
  • Redundancy advice
  • TUPE transfers – when your employment is transferred to another employer
  • Restrictive covenants in your employment contract – what you can / can’t do when you move job
  • Whistleblowing complaints
  • Family friendly and flexible working rights including employment advice for individuals embarking on fertility treatment
FOR EMPLOYERS

Employment law advice for Employers

Our team of expert employment lawyers advise on employment law matters for a spectrum of clients in the public and private sector – employers, insurers, RSLs and membership organisations. Here are some of the regular areas of advice for employers:

  • Settlement agreements
  • Protected conversations and dismissals
  • Employment Tribunals – ACAS early conciliation / representation and resolution
  • HR advice for businesses and organisations
  • Contracts of employment, policies and procedures
  • Discipline and grievance issues
  • Sickness absence management
  • Performance management
  • Misconduct dismissals
  • Compliance with anti-discrimination legislation – age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation
  • Redundancy – collective and individual consultation
  • TUPE transfers and competitive tendering
  • Enforcement of employment restrictive covenants
  • Advice in relation to whistleblowing complaints
  • Employment law training

Clarity of Costs

We understand that you need clarity with regards to costs therefore our fees are discussed at the outset and can be flexible to your business or personal circumstances. Below we outline the payment options for employers and employees.

EMPLOYEES

We will discuss our fees with you at the outset. The usual approach is for all work to be charged at agreed hourly rates or we can agree fee quotes for pieces of work. You should check whether you have legal expenses insurance (taken out for example as part of your home insurance). We do not offer a Legal Aid option or offer a free meeting and we do not work on a “no win no fee basis”.

EMPLOYERS

We will discuss our fees with you at the outset. These could include hourly rates to allow you to “pay as you go”, or we can agree fee quotes for pieces of work or a retainer arrangement. We can also explore Employment Legal Expenses Insurance options (covering costs and awards). Contact us to discuss, or to make an appointment.

SETTLEMENT AGREEMENTS

Employees – We can help if you are being asked to take advice and sign a settlement agreement. Your employer will often have agreed to make a contribution towards your legal costs for this advice.

Employers – We can help with preparation of settlement agreements to be offered to departing members of staff.

FIXED FEE FOR EMPLOYEES

For matters other than settlement agreements, we can offer an Initial Consultation Fixed Fee Package: Up to 60 minute meeting at a cost of £295 including VAT. This is a fixed fee initial exploratory meeting with one of our team of dedicated employment law solicitors. We will discuss the issues with you and provide you with the options available to you.

Our Team

Our team of expert employment lawyers, based in Glasgow and Edinburgh, has a wealth of experience advising on employment law issues.

Caroline Carr

Partner & Accredited Specialist

Laura Salmond

Partner & Accredited Specialist

Dawn Robertson

Partner & Accredited Specialist

Rhona Wark

Consultant

Douglas Strang

Douglas Strang

Senior Associate

Lesley Grant

Lesley Grant

Associate

Katie Hendry

Senior Solicitor

Lynne Scott

Lynne Scott

Legal Secretary

Why choose our team?


100%
of our clients surveyed recently reported that they were very satisfied with:

  • The overall service they received from our team.


  • The extent to which we listened to and understood their requirements.


  • The speed of our responses to their instructions.


  • The clarity of our communications with them.


  • The The frequency with which we kept them up to date with progress.


100% of our clients surveyed said that they would recommend BTO to their family, friends and contacts!

Client Testimonials

Don’t take our word for it – here’s what our clients say:

Thank you for making a difficult process easy to navigate and for keeping me so well informed. It is very much appreciated.

Employee Client

Truly outstanding and professional from first point of contact right through to the current day. I have been consistently impressed by the professionalism, tireless dedication and attention to detail.

Employer Client
Legal 500

The team are patient, very communicative and explain everything in detail.

Employer Client
Chambers UK

Request a Callback – Find out where you stand

News from our blog

Read the latest employment law blogs from members of our team.

The Perils of Presenteeism in the Workplace
The Perils of Presenteeism in the Workplace In the pre pandemic world, it was not uncommon for staff to spend at least 40 hours a week in a traditional office setting. For many, being physically present in the office, no matter how unproductive or ill they […]
A different kind of gig
A different kind of gig… The gig economy, characterised by short-term contracts and freelance work as opposed to permanent jobs, has been increasingly influential across various sectors, including STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) in the UK. IR35 legislation in the UK is designed to determine […]
Protection of philosophical beliefs
Protection of philosophical beliefs The issue of what amounts to a protected philosophical belief, has been an employment law “hot topic” for a number of years.  Some recent employment tribunal decisions have had to consider the position in relation to some fairly contentious areas. The Equality Act […]

About BTO

Our team of employment specialists forms part of a wider BTO team which offers a range of legal services for individuals and businesses / organisations of all sizes. We cover all aspects of law including corporate, commercial, personal matters and litigation. For all your legal needs, we’ve got them covered. For more information please visit www.bto.co.uk