Running a business is not an easy task. As an employer, there are many elements you need to think about, including the needs and management of your employees.
When it comes to your employees, your life can be made easier by using HR support services. However, did you know that you can elevate your HR services by using an employment law specialist?
Keep reading to learn more about the importance of employment lawyers and how we can support both your needs and the needs of your employees.
What is the Benefit of HR Support Services & How Does It Relate to Employment Law?
Human resources staff have many responsibilities, from managing employee relations to making sure employers adhere to employment laws and regulations.
If you currently have an HR team, you will no doubt recognise the importance of their work. But if you don’t or if you need additional support for your in-house HR team, Premier Legal are here to help.
These are just a few of the benefits you can expect when you use our HR support services.
The Benefit of Legal Privilege
Although HR advisors provide an invaluable service to businesses, employers need to know that any advice they provide is not legally privileged. Any advice or communications protected by legal privilege do not have to be disclosed in court or an employment tribunal. For employers facing a problem that could result in employment or other legal proceedings, legal privilege provides vital protection.
Legal advice privilege is applied to communications between a solicitor and their client in connection with the giving and/or receiving of legal advice. In cases where, for example, an employee has a grievance or is subject to a disciplinary investigation you are likely to seek advice well before employment tribunal proceedings are envisaged. Your questions and the advice given can contain sensitive information which may prejudice your position if the information were to be disclosed to the employee or their solicitor. If you receive advice from an HR consultant, whilst it may be excellent advice, it will not be covered by legal privilege and nor will any other communications between you both. Therefore, it is vital that you contact an employment solicitor for advice in any matter in which there is a possibility that it could lead to an employment tribunal claim or other legal proceedings. You can then be confident that you can speak freely and that all communications between you and your solicitor will be covered by legal privilege and will not be disclosable in any proceedings.
Compliance with Legal Requirements
Employment law specialists can provide comprehensive legal advice on a wide range of HR issues, including hiring, firing, and disputes. This can include disputes regarding post termination restrictive covenants, employment tribunal litigation and business transfers.
To ensure the HR policies and procedures you use to deal with such matters are compliant with UK employment law, an employment lawyer can give you the advice you need, thus reducing the risk of any legal challenges.
As such, you will be less likely to get into any legal difficulties, therefore protecting the name of your business and your business finances. Your employees will be better protected too as everything will be in place to make sure they are managed fairly.
Guidance on Best HR Practices
An employment lawyer can provide guidance on best practices for managing your HR processes, such as performance evaluations and disciplinary proceedings.
They will ensure fairness so your employees are managed according to the legal framework of your policies and procedures. And they will guide you on the best way forwards should any legal issue arise, such as a pay disagreement or a discrimination claim.
Help with Navigating Complex Legal Issues
An employment lawyer will take a proactive approach to risk management by making sure you know the types of legal challenges that could arise and the steps you can take to avoid them.
But should a legal issue occur, such as a discrimination or harassment claim made by an employee, an employment lawyer can help you navigate these issues by providing timely and effective legal advice.
Training & Guidance
If you currently have an HR team in place, you can make sure they have a better understanding of UK employment law by hiring employment law specialists to train and guide them in compliance and best practices.
This will lead to better decision-making from your HR department as your team will be better equipped to identify and manage legal risks before potential problems arise. Should there be any legal issues, your team will be in a better position to deal with them, although it might still be in your best interests to seek clarification from an employment lawyer.
Training and guidance can also be given to you, so whether you have an HR team or not, you will have a better understanding of what is expected from you as an employer.
Insurance against Costs, Settlements and Awards
At Premier Legal, many of our retained clients opt to take advantage of the benefits of our Employers Protection Insurance. This provides complete peace of mind that in the event of any employment related claim their legal costs and any compensation awarded will be covered. Employment litigation can be time consuming and extremely costly so this cover is invaluable as it gives employers the freedom they need to make the right decisions for their business without exposing it to significant financial risk.
Ongoing Support
The support of an employment lawyer does not begin and end with one meeting or training session. It is ongoing so should you have any questions related to hiring policies, settlement agreements, contracts, or any other legal matter, you will always have somebody at your side.
An employment lawyer can also ensure your HR policies and procedures remain up to date, so should there be any changes to UK employment law, you will be able to make the necessary adjustments.
Improved Relationships with Employees
No employee wants to be treated unfairly and no employer wants to deal with legal claims or accusations of bad management from their employees.
An employment lawyer can minimise the risk of any employer-employee problems by making sure everybody knows their rights, according to employment law. This should ensure fairness in the workplace and it should also prevent any conflict situations that could arise in the future.
HR Support Services Nottingham and London
When it comes to your employees, your life can be made easier with the high level HR support services we offer at Premier Legal.
The team at Premier Legal are experts in all aspects of all employment law, including contracts, employment tribunal claims, negotiations, restructures and redundancies and settlement agreements, so can provide the HR services that your company needs.
Contact us today to find out more about the legal support we can offer to your business.
