A contract that ends without warning at a Trafford Park depot, a bonus that never arrives at a Spinningfields firm, a grievance ignored at a Northern Quarter bar: employment problems in Manchester come from every corner of a city region with well over a million jobs. Whether you are the employee or the employer, the solicitor you want is one who deals with the Manchester employment tribunal every week and knows how its judges run their hearings.
Employee work in Manchester has a few recurring themes. Hospitality and retail staff bring claims about unpaid wages, holiday pay and zero-hours arrangements; office and professional staff more often arrive with a settlement agreement to sign, which must be signed off by an independent adviser and is normally paid for, at least in part, by the employer. Discrimination and harassment claims, whistleblowing cases from the NHS and the public sector, and redundancy disputes after restructuring at the big employers around the airport and Salford Quays make up much of the rest. The rule that catches people out is time: Acas early conciliation must be started within three months less one day of the dismissal or the act complained of, or the claim is lost.
For employers, from a Cheetham Hill wholesaler with five staff to a listed company at Circle Square, solicitors draft contracts and policies, run disciplinary processes that stand up at tribunal, advise on TUPE when contracts change hands and defend claims. Many Manchester firms offer fixed-fee employment retainers for small businesses.
Fees vary widely. A free initial call is common, settlement agreement advice is usually covered by the employer's contribution, and contested claims may be taken on a no-win, no-fee or damages-based basis. Check any home or motor insurance for legal expenses cover before paying privately.
The solicitors below offer employment law services within 20 miles of Manchester city centre, verified firms first. Our guides to employment law and employment contract costs give the background, and the Best Solicitors in Manchester page covers the city's firms more widely.
