HR Management and Employment Law
Antony J. Holdsworth & Co offers a comprehensive Employment Law and HR Management service aimed at protecting the smaller employer from potentially business-threatening employment disputes.
Here’s why SME clients need our Employment Law & HR Management Solution:
- The statistics make grim reading.
In 2005, there were more than 115,000 employment disputes* while DTI estimates put the total number of settlements at 800,000**. Claims for unfair dismissal have increased by 300% in the last decade, with the maximum award per claim now over £60,000. Discrimination claims still carry unlimited liability and are poised to increase significantly following the introduction of Age Discrimination laws in 2006.
- Employment law is becoming more complex
New legislation will increase the number of disputes as well as increasing administration and legal costs for all employers - no matter their size.
A series of legislative changes implementing (amongst other things) new discrimination and information and consultation rights for employees, have been introduced in the last few years. In October 2006, the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations became effective, outlawing retirement under 65 years, while affording unfair dismissal and redundancy rights to those over 65. Employers will also feel the impact of the Work & Families Act 2006, on issues such as maternity/paternity/adoption leave and pay.
Organisations face a plethora of statutory obligations aligned with the Government's objective to reduce the number of cases ending up at a tribunal. Failure to comply with procedures will result in automatic penalties - with limits being potentially increased by up to 50% over normal levels.
- Employers can’t afford to ignore what’s happening.
The environment we work in suggests employers are ‘guilty until proven innocent’. It’s estimated that over 80% of unfair dismissal claims are due to employers not complying with various simple processes, but this is not surprising if employers ‘don’t know, what they don’t know’! The facts are that many employers have insufficient in-house expertise to cope with this area of legal compliance – or fear the unknown costs of hiring an external specialist.
SME's should take advantage of our unique Employment Law & HR Management solution and lock the stable door BEFORE the horse has bolted!! Click on the button to register:
Any SME client that is an employer should consider using our Employment Law & HR Management Solution.
So, what exactly does our solution provide?
- A professional, accessible and affordable solution
Ours is a professional, accessible and affordable solution to the employment law and HR challenges faced by all UK employers. We can offer clients the reassurance and technical competence of a leading employment law and HR consulting company - for a low fixed monthly cost, with all the professional back-up and insurance the client might need.
- We make life easier for the client
We provide a plug-and-go, self-service HR solution with a wealth of online resources to save our clients' time and money. They can simply login and access more than 250 legally-drafted and compliant templates; best practice guides, fact sheets, an online reference library, monthly case precedents and newsletters. These legal documents are simple to understand, easy to customise and updated monthly.
They save the client a small fortune too. Many employment law and HR consulting companies would charge thousands of pounds for drafting or updating documentation. But with our solution, these documents are continuously updated and available for the client to access any time - and all included within the standard service and fixed price.
- A qualified legal team available 24/7
At the heart of our service is a 24-hour advice centre staffed only by qualified advisors. They can be called every day as many times as required. They will provide practical advice on how to minimise employment problems and protect the client's interests at every step. And they use everyday business language - rather than confusing legal jargon.
- Protection from the worst (if it happens)
The online resources and telephone advice in our solution will prevent many issues from going any further. But if the client's case should go to an employment tribunal, the client will be supported. An experienced barrister or solicitor will represent the client and manage their defence, from start to finish.
But our solution is also backed by employment indemnity insurance that covers the costs of any award, settlement and legal fees incurred (including our barristers' or solicitors' fees). What's more, the insurance policy has been specifically tailored to the service so our clients enjoy the most competitive premiums and exceptional cover. Crucially, this also means that more claims are paid out than with the policies used by many of our competitors.
