Contacting an employment lawyer can feel daunting if you have never done so before – it’s not the first thing people would choose to spend money on! Often the clients who come to us are experiencing turmoil – feeling desperate, anxious and alone – because of a problem at work and, they don’t know who else to turn to or, what else to do. Many clients feel frustrated if they have been left in a state of limbo by a workplace dispute and just want to find a resolution so that they can move on with their lives. For example, perhaps their employer has started disciplinary proceedings against them but these are dragging on and on. This is where the hugely experienced employment solicitors at Springhouse can help you get the results you want. It’s not our job to be judgemental about anything you tell us, our principle objective is to “fight your corner” and represent you in the best way possible in order to achieve the right result for you. Here are some of the specific things we can do to help. Anyone can do a Google search and see what the internet says but, we will take the time to fully understand the specific facts of your situation and think about how the law applies to them. We are all approachable and unstuffy and will be sympathetic to you personally. Part of our job is to assess what level of assistance you need with understanding the particular legal complexities of your situation and explain things to you accordingly. Reading text on a screen is no substitute for a bespoke, personal interaction – which our solicitors are trained to give. A disciplinary hearing, redundancy or other workplace conflict is a stressful situation. We can provide a buffer between you and your employer meaning you don’t personally have to have the conversations or deal with emails because we are doing so on your behalf. We can also provide you with reassurance about situations you may be facing by explaining what will happen, giving you an idea of the questions to ask and responses to give – even role playing scenarios with you if you feel this will help! In workplace conflict situations things often get very personal and, understandably, people take things to heart, get things out of perspective or generally get so emotional that they struggle to see the wood for the trees. Ultimately, this doesn’t help resolve things and can prolong the agony for all involved. We will analysis the situation in a more clinical way, looking for the best outcome for you at all times and keeping things professional and in perspective. Once we have assessed the facts of your case and talked to you about what result you are looking for, the next step is often writing to your employer. Receiving a letter from a law firm often has the desired effect of making an employer sit up and take notice. It demonstrates that you are serious and can assist in clarifying the issues. The next step may be to negotiate a settlement for you. While the final decision on whether to accept an offer is ultimately one for the individual, we can advise you on what a good deal looks like as well as conducting the actual negotiations (be that by email, phone or face-to-face) with your employer (or their adviser). Because our experienced solicitors have seen it all before, they are likely to have some creative ideas to help you achieve the outcome you want, which you may not have thought about. This may result in a better outcome for you, perhaps financially, for example by structuring your termination package differently you may save some tax or, simply relieving the emotional pressure on you by resolving the situation sooner than you could have done otherwise. If your employer offers to terminate your employment by paying you a termination package, you will usually need to enter a settlement agreement. We are qualified to give relevant independent legal advice and sign off such agreements, in order to ensure they are valid.  Legal advice may be a distress purchase but, we believe that it is ultimately an investment you won’t regret making with us. We pride ourselves on delivering great value, creative and pragmatic advice to our clients.