The email arrives on a Thursday afternoon from an HR department in the City: a settlement agreement, a deadline of a week, and a line saying the company will contribute towards independent legal advice. Employment solicitors in St Albans see a great many of these, because the city is full of people who work in London finance, law, media and technology and would rather take advice near home than from a firm their employer might also use. Reviewing the agreement, negotiating the figure, the reference and the restrictive covenants, and advising on whether a tribunal claim would do better, is the core of local practice.
Not every client is a commuter. Hertfordshire County Council, the hospitals at Watford and St Albans, the schools and the research institutes at Rothamsted and Hatfield employ thousands of people around the city, and their cases tend to involve long-term sickness, disability discrimination, flexible working and redundancy. Smaller employers, from the city's pubs and restaurants to consultancies and building firms, need contracts, handbooks and advice before a dismissal rather than after one. Senior executives bring bonus disputes, whistleblowing claims and arguments about non-compete clauses that can be worth more than the salary.
Claims from St Albans are heard at the employment tribunal in Watford or by video, after Acas early conciliation, and a claim must be lodged within three months less one day of the dismissal or discriminatory act, so an early conversation matters. Employers in the area increasingly settle before a hearing.
A free first assessment, a fixed fee for settlement agreements, usually covered by the employer's contribution, and hourly or staged fees for a claim are the usual arrangement; legal expenses insurance on a home policy sometimes covers tribunal claims.
Employment firms serving St Albans are listed below, verified firms first. Read what employment law covers, what an employment contract costs, the general employment law solicitors guide and, for employers, business law solicitors in St Albans.
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