Services for Employees

Carter Hodge has a specialist employment department providing a comprehensive range of services for most work place related problems including :-

• Unfair dismissal
• Wrongful dismissal
• Redundancy
• Discrimination at work
• Employment tribunal claims
• Bullying and harassment issues
• Stress at work
• Maternity issues
• Breach of employment contract
• Absence due to ill health
• Compromise Agreements

Contingency/No win-No fee Arrangements

These may be offered at our discretion. If we enter into a “no win/no fee” arrangement we do not charge a fee for the work that we have carried out on your behalf if we do not recover compensation for you. A fee is payable if we negotiate a settlement or if we recover compensation on your behalf in the Employment Tribunals.

Other fee paying alternatives

If we do not enter a “No win/no fee” arrangement we will consider alternative sources of funding your claim with you. We will act on your behalf on a fee paying basis and full details will be provided on request. We increasingly act for clients who have the benefit of Legal Expense Insurance which may cover the cost of many employment claims.

Time Limits

Most claims to Employment Tribunals must be brought within strict time limits. The main time limits include :-

Unfair Dismissal : 3 months from effective date of termination.

Request for written reasons for dismissal : 3 months starting with effective date of termination.

Redundancy Payment : 6 months

Sex/Race/Disability/Religion or Belief/Sexual orientation Discrimination : 3 months starting with date of act of discrimination complained of.

Right to paid time off for antenatal care : 3 months starting with date of appointment.

Right to unpaid time off to care for dependants: 3 months starting with date when refusal occurred.

Right to annual leave : 3 months from date when rights should have been permitted.

Right to pay during annual leave : 3 months from date payment should have been made.

Unlawful deduction from wages : 3 months from date of (last) deduction or (last) payment to employee

Right to be accompanied at a grievance or disciplinary hearing: 3 months from date of failure or threat of failure

Contract claim by employee : 3 months starting with effective date of termination (in Employment Tribunal)

Time Limits are generally strictly enforced.

Negotiating employment contracts

Contracts of employment are often presented to employees in a format prepared by the employer. We are able to assist in negotiating the terms of such contracts before signature in an effort to secure a better deal for you and can advise upon :-

• Restrictive covenants and how they operate
• Bonus/commission structures and how they will affect you
• Notice/garden leave clauses