Employment Solicitors
Employment law doesn’t need to be overwhelming. Whether you are handling workplace disputes or ensuring compliance, our approachable legal experts provide tailored advice to protect your organisation and support you through every challenge.
We are here to help you resolve issues with confidence and safeguard your business at every step.
The Employment Rights Act 2025
The Employment Rights Act 2025 marks the biggest shift in workplace law in a generation. With the legislation now passed, employers need practical, joined up support to understand what has changed and how to respond.
It gives you a clear, up to date view of what is in force, what is coming next, and what actions you should be planning now, helping you stay ahead of implementation and respond with confidence as the reforms unfold.
Employment law can be complex, but clear, practical solutions are within reach.
Employment law doesn't need to be overwhelming. Whether you are handling workplace disputes or ensuring compliance, our employment lawyers provide tailored advice to protect your organisation and support you through every challenge.
By understanding your unique challenges, legal strategies can be shaped to reduce risk, resolve disputes efficiently, and help you make confident decisions. With a deep understanding of both the private and public sectors, and a collaborative, transparent approach, you gain the clarity and support needed to protect your interests and drive success at every stage.
What is employment law?
Employment law governs the relationship between employers and employees and underpins every aspect of workforce management, from recruitment and contractual terms to organisational change and dispute resolution.
At VWV, we provide comprehensive employment law services to help organisations and individuals navigate the complexities of modern workplaces with clarity and confidence. We work with organisations across education, healthcare, charity, and commercial sectors, and advise on all aspects of employment law legislation, including dismissal, discrimination, TUPE, redundancy and settlement agreements, whistleblowing, and contract negotiations.
Services in employment law
Our employment law solicitors are here to support you. We provide a comprehensive range of services across all our sectors, including:
The Employment Rights Act 2025 is now law and represents a significant shift in the UK employment landscape.
The Act reshapes how employers engage with their people, and introduces key changes including a six-month unfair dismissal qualifying period, new rights for zero hours workers and an effective ban on fire and re-hire practices. These changes ahead go far beyond technical compliance and will go to the heart of how employers recruit and manage their staff. These reforms call for clear decision making, practical planning and confident leadership.
Reforms will be introduced in three phases across 2026, with further changes expected in 2027. Understanding what is happening when, and how changes affect your organisation will be critical. We support employers at every stage, helping you prepare for change, manage risk and put future ready workforce strategies in place.
Managing equality and diversity is essential to reducing legal risks and fostering an inclusive workplace. From recruitment to policies and share schemes, employers must ensure compliance with the Equality Act 2010 to avoid costly disputes.
We offer practical support on:
- Reviewing policies and contracts to meet legal requirements.
- Providing training on equal opportunities and workplace harassment.
- Managing workplace discrimination claims and promoting fair practices.
Our clear, actionable advice helps you manage equality challenges confidently, protecting your organisation while promoting a positive, inclusive culture.
Our specialist team advises employers and employees on all aspects of whistleblowing at work, providing practical and strategic support from initial disclosure through to Employment Tribunal proceedings. For employers, we offer clear advice on handling whistleblowing disclosures lawfully and fairly, from designing and implementing fair procedures to managing investigations and defending whistleblowing claims. We help reduce the risk of costly disputes by ensuring concerns are dealt with transparently and in line with legal obligations.
For employees, we provide expert guidance where individuals have been treated unfairly after raising concerns about wrongdoing at work, ensuring their rights are protected and supporting them throughout the Tribunal process if needed.
Our employment law team regularly advises employers on drafting, enforcing, and defending restrictive covenants that protect business interests without going further than necessary. We help organisations safeguard confidential information, client relationships and key staff, ensuring that contractual clauses are both effective and enforceable.
We also advise on responding to potential breaches of restrictive covenants, including urgent action to prevent competitive activity and litigation to enforce non-compete, non-solicitation and confidentiality provisions.
For employees, we provide pragmatic advice on the enforceability and scope of restrictive covenants, and represent individuals involved in disputes about post-termination restrictions.
Settlement agreements offer a practical way to resolve workplace disputes by ending the employment relationship on mutually agreed terms. These legally binding documents help avoid the cost and stress of employment tribunal claims.
Our settlement agreement solicitors assist both employers and employees in negotiating clear, fair agreements. For employers, this includes drafting agreements and managing large-scale redundancies efficiently. For employees, we provide advice on compensation and legal terms to ensure a fair outcome.
Our straightforward guidance helps all parties reach amicable resolutions, protecting both rights and reputations.
Find out more about our settlement agreement solicitors for employers.
Facing an employment tribunal can be time-consuming and costly. We work with you from the outset to assess risks, prepare a strong defence, and identify the most practical approach - whether that is negotiating a commercial settlement or defending your position in full. We can assist with all types of employment tribunal claims, including those relating to breach of contract, constructive dismissal, unfair dismissal, discrimination or bullying at work.
Our support includes:
- preparing responses to claims
- minimising costs through strategic advice
- providing post-claim reviews to reduce future risks.
We also offer insurance-backed advice, ensuring your business has the right cover for tribunal awards, settlements, and legal fees, with ongoing access to our specialist employment lawyers.
Making decisions about redundancies can be challenging, particularly when facing economic pressures. Ensuring compliance with consultation obligations and managing risk is essential for a smooth process.
We offer practical support, including:
- training for HR teams and employee representatives
- template documents to manage consultations
- tailored legal advice to reduce risks of claims.
Whether navigating collective or individual consultations, our advice helps you handle redundancy and workforce changes with confidence, ensuring compliance and minimising disruption.
Business transfers and outsourcing arrangements often raise complex employment law challenges under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE).
Understanding when TUPE applies and how to meet your obligations can help you manage risk and avoid costly disputes. We advise employers across the public and private sectors on:
- when TUPE applies - identifying whether a transfer involves an organised grouping of employees
- informing and consulting - ensuring compliance with consultation requirements, even within tight or confidential timescales
- pensions and workforce changes - understanding what transfers, what doesn’t, and how to manage changes safely
- changing terms and conditions - navigating risks around workforce reorganisations and contract variations.
Our clear, practical advice helps you stay compliant and confident throughout the process.
Holiday pay rules can be complex, especially for part-year, irregular hours, or shift workers. Recent legal changes mean employers need to ensure their holiday pay practices are compliant to avoid costly disputes.
We provide practical advice on:
- auditing current holiday pay arrangements
- ensuring compliance with the latest legislation
- managing back pay risks and staff communications.
Our clear, tailored guidance helps you stay compliant, reduce risk, and manage holiday pay efficiently across your workforce.
Discover how to handle everyday HR and employment law matters. These short online courses provide managers with practical skills to address common HR challenges.
Who can our employment solicitors help?
Navigating employment law in education requires sector-specific expertise. Whether it is safeguarding, equality, performance management, or restructuring, solutions are tailored to the challenges faced by schools, academies, and universities. Support covers TUPE transfers, pension changes, and employment disputes, ensuring compliance with complex regulations and helping institutions focus on delivering high-quality education.
Charities often face unique employment law challenges, including volunteer management, safeguarding, governance, and restructuring. Practical advice helps address these issues while protecting both your workforce and reputation. Whether managing disputes or ensuring compliance with charity regulations, support is tailored to keep your mission on track and your organisation running smoothly.
Employment challenges in the public sector require pragmatic solutions. Advice covers restructuring, redundancies, TUPE transfers, and equal pay litigation, along with grievance management and workplace culture reviews. Support is designed to reduce risk and help local authorities and public bodies maintain effective operations while meeting regulatory obligations in employment law.
Find out more about our Government and Public Services sector
Employment law issues in healthcare can impact both staff and patient care. Specialist advice helps manage disciplinary matters, performance concerns, whistleblowing cases, and regulatory compliance. Support is focused on reducing risk, handling disputes efficiently, and helping healthcare providers maintain high standards while navigating complex legal obligations.
Fast-growing digital and technology businesses face unique employment challenges, from adapting workplace policies for remote teams to managing contractor relationships and navigating restructuring. We provide clear, practical advice on employment contracts, workplace disputes, redundancy processes, and compliance with employment regulations. Whether you’re handling rapid expansion, workforce changes, or employee grievances, our tailored support helps you manage risk effectively.
Employment law in life sciences and pharmaceuticals requires a precise approach due to the sector’s strict regulatory environment and evolving workforce needs. We provide tailored advice on your workforce and employment needs. Our expertise also covers employment tribunal defence, compliance with industry regulations, and handling disputes, ensuring businesses can focus on innovation while effectively managing their workforce.
Find out more about our Life Sciences and Pharmaceuticals sector
Employment issues can be stressful and complex, whether you're dealing with unfair dismissal, discrimination, redundancy, or a workplace dispute. We offer expert legal advice to employees and senior executives, ensuring your rights are protected and helping you negotiate fair outcomes. Our support covers contract reviews, settlement agreements, grievance procedures, and employment tribunal claims, providing clarity and confidence at every stage.
How much does an employment lawyer cost?
We understand that clients want clarity and confidence about employment lawyer fees. The cost of instructing an employment lawyer will depend on the nature and complexity of the issue, for example, straightforward contract advice will usually involve lower fees than more complex matters such as Employment Tribunal claims, discrimination disputes or redundancy negotiations.
Our team provides clear, upfront information on employment lawyer fees from the outset and will always discuss options before work begins. Whether you need advice on redundancy, a settlement agreement, or ongoing HR support, we ensure you receive transparent cost estimates tailored to your circumstances.
VWV are very responsive and engaging - they explain complex legal concepts in accessible terms and offer clear advice and options.
Our work highlights
Strategic workforce change
Advising organisations across sectors on restructures, redundancy programmes and collective consultation, combining legal precision with pragmatic solutions that meet operational goals.
Employment disputes and litigation
Representing employers and individuals in Employment Tribunal and High Court proceedings involving whistleblowing at work, discrimination, equal pay and breach of contract claims.
Senior executive and individual representation
Acting for boards, senior leaders and other professionals on appointments, exits and negotiated settlements, including complex settlement agreements, restrictive covenants and reputation management.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
The Employment Rights Act will significantly reform many aspects of employment law. It changes many key statutory rights and protections that apply in the workplace, including the law on unfair dismissal, redundancy protection, family related leave, flexible working and whistleblowing. It also introduces extensive new rights for zero-hours workers and introduces an effective ban on fire and re-hire.
The Employment Rights Act will significantly affect how organisations manage people, update policies and handle workplace issues. Our employment law specialists advise employers and employees on how the Act applies in practice, helping you stay compliant, manage risk and respond confidently in times of significant change.
Discrimination in the workplace occurs when someone is treated less favourably because of a protected characteristic. These are: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
Discrimination can take many forms, including direct or indirect discrimination, harassment, victimisation, and failure to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees. It can also arise through discrimination by association or by perception.
Our employment law specialists advise employers and employees on preventing and responding to discrimination at work, including defending or bringing Employment Tribunal claims under the Equality Act 2010.
Workplace discrimination is primarily governed by the Equality Act 2010, which sets out the protected characteristics and the legal duties of employers. The Act applies to all stages of employment, from recruitment to dismissal. We regularly help clients interpret and apply the legislation in complex or sensitive situations.
Prevention starts with culture, training and clear policies. Employers should ensure managers understand equality law, apply consistent decision-making in recruitment, promotion and performance management, and act quickly on inappropriate behaviour. We work with organisations to review and update policies, deliver staff training and conduct workplace audits to help reduce the risk of discrimination claims.
When a discrimination complaint is raised at work, it's important that employers respond promptly and objectively. Concerns should be investigated through a fair and transparent process, following internal grievance or dignity at work procedures and ensuring that all parties are treated with respect.
Our employment law team advises employers on managing discrimination complaints, conducting investigations, and resolving issues early wherever possible. Where formal proceedings arise, we provide strategic representation to help defend claims and protect your organisation's reputation.
Discrimination claims can lead to unlimited compensation, reputational damage and significant management time. Even where a claim is not upheld, poor handling of workplace issues can affect morale and retention. Our employment law specialists help employers assess risk, manage internal processes correctly and defend Employment Tribunal proceedings when they arise.
Every dismissal should follow a fair and lawful process. Employers must identify a fair reason, gather evidence, and allow the employee to respond before any decision is made. We guide clients through capability, conduct and SOSR dismissals, ensuring compliance with the ACAS Code and reducing the risk of unfair dismissal claims.
Whistleblowing disclosures should be taken seriously and handled confidentially. We advise employers on creating and maintaining compliant whistleblowing procedures, investigating disclosures fairly and protecting those involved from detriment or dismissal. Our team also defends whistleblowing claims before the Employment Tribunal.
Settlement agreements can provide a pragmatic way to end employment relationships, offering certainty and confidentiality for both parties. We prepare and negotiate settlement agreements for employers, ensuring terms are watertight, compliant and minimise future risk.
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