Employment

Services for employers

Employment is a complex and fast-changing area of law; one where issues and complaints can rapidly escalate into business-damaging problems.

Employees, the terms under which they are employed, their performance and their treatment are central to the success of most businesses. Employment is also one of the areas in which businesses are at greatest risk of encountering reputation-damaging issues and legal challenge. So, it’s important that you keep up to date with your responsibilities towards your staff and understand the potential consequences of any failure to meet them – as well as recognising the benefits of creating an environment, enshrined in policy, in which staff feel valued and respected.

Practical advice for employers

At Coodes, our approach is to promote and support good HR practice, while providing pragmatic and proactive advice to employers facing workplace issues. Our aim is to help you develop and implement policies and behaviours that minimise the risk of employment problems, and to identify practical solutions if issues do arise. Our expert employment lawyers can assist you across all aspects of employment and employee relations, from creating and implementing effective and compliant employment policies and contracts to advising on dismissals, redundancies and Employment Tribunals.

We offer services via our multi-tier Employer Retainer scheme, which provides for differing levels of regular support depending on your needs, or on an ad-hoc basis as issues arise. You can also access a wealth of practical advice and guidance from our Employment experts in the articles and papers hosted on this site. Use the search facility and employment-related keywords to explore relevant topics.

The value of a strong employer brand

Strong employment policies and a good employer reputation – and being able to evidence them – are also increasingly important in recruitment and when pitching for new business, especially with large businesses and public sector clients. Prospective buyers of products and services now pay close attention to the employment practices and conditions of the businesses within their supply chains. Demonstrating compliant employment practices has become a commercial and reputational, as well as ethical, priority so it’s more important than ever that businesses understand the relevant legislation, take legal advice and build compliance into your operations.

Equally, the proliferation of social media and platforms such as LinkedIn and Glassdoor mean that employee dissatisfaction and employment-related disputes now have the potential to reach a far wider audience than ever. Employers need to ensure that they take appropriate steps to preserve and enhance their employer brand, both to avoid reputational damage and to support future recruitment.