Employment Law Advice and Resolution
YESS can help give employment law advice, whether you are an employee, freelance or contract worker.
If you have an issue at work, we will explain where you stand legally, discuss your options and help you find a solution with minimal cost, time and stress.
We do not litigate, so our goal is always to find a solution without resorting to the courts. Our solicitors are experts in resolving workplace problems by negotiation and mediation.
Take a look below at some of the ways we can help you resolve your issue. Or click the button underneath, to arrange a free call with a solicitor.
I HAVE AN ISSUE AT WORK, WHAT DO I DO?
We can help with most workplace problems. In every case, we give expert, realistic and practical employment law advice aimed at resolving the situation without going to court.
To find out more, book your free call with one of our advisors.
Long term sickness
Maternity
Whistleblowing
Contract changes
Unfair dismissal
Stress at work
Redundancy
Discrimination and Harassment
Bullying and Harassment
Flexible working
In our experience, raising a formal grievance can make things worse, not better. Many of our clients get things sorted out without ever having to go down a formal route.
If you want to discuss a problem informally with your manager or HR before it escalates, we can help you to do this. Our employment law advice will explain your legal rights and suggest options for resolution. We can help you prepare for meetings or help you write emails or letters to your employer.
Workplace problems can be resolved using mediation if everyone is prepared to give it a try.
Mediation is a conversation between you and your employer/colleague helped along by a neutral, qualified mediator. It can help to leave difficult issues in the past and find an agreed way forward.
If a solution isn’t reached at a mediation, all other options are still available to you. For instance, this could include continuing informal discussions, formal grievances or going to the employment) tribunal).
For more details, see our Guide to Mediation
If you are being disciplined or put through a performance management process, or need to appeal against the outcome of an internal workplace procedure, we will talk you through the process and give you clear practical advice.
We will explain your legal rights and help you to understand your options. For example, key points/evidence you need to get across will be explained so you can prepare for meetings, or we can prepare correspondence for you to send.
YESS can help you assess the legal strength and financial value of an exisiting ACAS Early Conciliation or an employment tribunal claim.
We will suggest options for early resolution and help you to settle your case if your employer is willing to negotiate.
You may have been offered “Judicial Mediation” As this is a process aimed at settlement of cases, we can support you prior to and on the day of a Judicial Mediation. If your claim is in a London employment tribunal, we may be able to support you in your Judicial Mediation free of charge.
For more information about this, see our guide to Judicial Mediation.
Has your employer asked you to have a "without prejudice" conversation or given you a letter or agreement marked "without prejudice"?
This usually means that your employer wishes to resolve a situation without resorting to formal disciplinary or redundancy processes.
We can make sense of the offer you have been made and help you to decide if it is right for you.
You can negotiate with your employer yourself, with our help, or we can negotiate on your behalf if that works better for you.
Take a look at our guide to Calculating Compensation to find out more about how your solicitor will assess the offer you have been made.
I've been offered a settlement agreeement
Settlement Agreements are often offered by employers to end an employment relationship with a “clean break”. They are ONLY VALID if the employee has had independent legal advice on the terms and effect of the agreement. We advise hundreds of employees on their settlement agreements every year.
Book your free call now or take a look at our Guide To Settlement Agreements for more information on how we can help.
Fees
YESS is a charity and does not make a profit. Approximately 30% of our running costs come from grant funding which means that the remainder must come from fees for the services we provide. Every penny of revenue from fees goes back into running YESS for the public benefit.
We agree fees with you up front and keep you regularly updated throughout our work with you. Our rates begin from £100+VAT per hour, and in some matters we can agree a fixed fee.
Have you have been offered a settlement agreement? Your employer will typically pay a contribution to your legal fees and we will work within that wherever possible to avoid any cost to you personally.
We will look at other options for you if our fee rates are unaffordable, . These can include conditional fees (you only pay if you receive a financial settlement from your employer).
If you live in London, meet the earnings and residence criteria and have already started an employment tribunal claim, you may be able to get free help through our London Employment Tribunal Settlement Support Service (LETSSS) project.