After six and a half years of building and growing YESS with Camilla (and more recently as Joint CEO with Karen) Emma has decided to step down as Joint-CEO to become a Consultant Solicitor focusing on mediation. You can read more about Emma’s decision and her reflections on her time at YESS here. This means that Karen takes over as … READ MORE…

As Emma Webster steps down as Joint-CEO she looks back on over 6 years of hard work, from growing YESS from scratch with Camilla to where we are now, helping hundreds of clients every year.   I started this blog several times. I hate those leaving blogs that read like an obituary or an Oscars acceptance speech; thanking everyone who … READ MORE…

Why do some lawyers advise their clients never to apologise – even when there has been some mismanagement, misunderstanding or misrepresentation? Of course, an admission of liability is (generally) to be avoided but an apology does not necessarily involve an admission. YESS sees so many employees who just want an apology and an acknowledgement that things could have been done … READ MORE…

Free mediation advice for employees and small employers experiencing work issues due to Covid-19 DRAW (Dispute Resolution Assistance and Mediation in the Workplace) is a free online mediation service provided by Your Employment Settlement Service, through ELAN (Employment Law Advice Network), and funded by Trust for London. Camilla Palmer, Solicitor at Your Employment Settlement Service, outlines how employees and small … READ MORE…

This week is, of course, National Stress Awareness Week.  With every passing year there seems to be an increase in the willingness of people to share their own experiences in order to support and help others. There are also many employers, large and small, committing openly to improving the mental health and wellbeing of their people.  In the last year or … READ MORE…

For International Women’s Day, our Joint-CEOs share their experiences of balancing a leadership role with family responsibilities. Emma writes: On International Women’s Day Karen and I thought we should reflect on how we have made our working lives work. There is so much in the media about women “having it all” in terms of career and kids – and we … READ MORE…

  I am pleased to say I completed 6 months at YESS Law at the end of January 2019! Joining YESS has strengthened my belief in the effectiveness of the “no litigation” model. Here are the top things I have learned so far:   Early resolution Early resolution gives clients the opportunity to try and settle even when they have … READ MORE…

  To be fair (to me) I was only once (to my knowledge) called a rottweiler and it was years ago. But I admit that when I started as an employment lawyer I was definitely in the ‘adversarial’ camp, ‘fighting’ – in the tribunal – for ‘justice’ for my clients.  Of course, I still want justice but know that rarely … READ MORE…

  I thoroughly enjoyed my time on this year’s BlogSquad at the CIPD Annual Conference and Exhibition (ACE for short) on 7th and 8th November. Every year the conference is jam packed with inspiring and thought-provoking sessions and this year was no different. I am still reflecting on the opening keynote by Rachel Botsman.  She addressed a capacity crowd to … READ MORE…

Here we are, nearly halfway through Day 2 of the CIPD Annual Conference and Exhibition.  In one of my pre-event blogs I asked the question “is this conference relevant to an employment lawyer?  Is an employment lawyer relevant to this conference? I had a fantastic day yesterday attending the opening keynote speech (“Trust and why it is key for success”), … READ MORE…