What is The Role of an Employment Solicitor?
It’s the role of an Employment Solicitor to deal with all aspects and matters relating to the world of work covering the rights, obligations and responsibilities with the employer-employee relationship regarding such things as wages, data protection, employment terms and conditions, working hours, maternity, paternity and parental rights, health and safety, discrimination to name but a few.
An Employment Solicitor will not only represent and advise an employer but also individual employees or a group of employees. An Employment Solicitor acting on behalf of the employee/s will be responsible for obtaining information, collating that research and will then prepare all the relevant documents but will also provide advice and will handle the dispute resolution through arbitration and negotiation as well as organising any settlement agreements that are made.
As an Employment Solicitor, you will need to explain all options to employees, advising and helping them to make a decision on whether the case is worth taking further and explaining what will happen next.
It is also the role of an Employment Lawyer to give advice against any claims to a business or institution involved and will gather information and explore HR polices focusing on all aspects of the employment agreement and carry out any negotiations with both the employer and trade unions.
Why does Employment Law exist?
Well just imagine a world without it! Put simply, employment law is here to protect us, every individual in the working world and without it there would be no clear, defined authority on the contentious area of employment.
So with legal guidance in place we can prevent things like discrimination, bullying and create a good healthy environment with safety practices and create a minimum standard of entitlements and pay.
The Employment Rights Act 1996 governs the area of employment law and with its legislation and comprehensive framework, there are several key parts that are set out:
Clear definition of employment contracts, the terms of the expectations contained within:
- Employees’ wages and payments
- Disclosures and determinants
- Work, train, natal care and health and safety
- Childcare
- Dismissal notice
- Regulations relating to unfair dismissal
- Redundancy
- Employees’ rights in the event of insolvency
The Ham Commission Report 1076 was instrumental in establishing the three basic rights for workers which are:
- Rights to know
- Rights to participate
- Rights to refuse unsafe work.
Employment Solicitor Vacancies & how can eNL Legal Recruitment help you?
Since 1999, eNL Legal recruitment has provided insight, guidance and support to clients and candidates to support the legal recruitment process. We are a leading legal recruitment agency who are able to assist you on your journey to finding a new legal position, offering a personalised, tailored and confidential service. Our friendly, experienced team all have a strong knowledge-based approach to matching the right candidates with the right clients and roles. Our strategic and commercial focus can be depended upon to deliver straight-forward and practical advice which will achieve positive end results.
To see a full list of our current Employment Solicitor vacancies please click here.
Why be an Employment Lawyer?
Employment law is forever changing and no two days are the same which may cause some difficulty in making sure that you are as up to date as possible with any recent developments, you may leave the office knowing what you plans are for the next day only for those plans to change which means your structured day(s) will change so the need to be flexible is a must! One of the greatest challenges you will face as an Employment Solicitor is turning your experience and expertise into practical advice for your clients.
How do you become an Employment Solicitor?
The most common routes for anyone wishing to become an Employment Solicitor are:
- You can Study a standard three-year law / LLB degree ( Latin ‘Legum Baccalaureus’ which translates to a Bachelor of Laws degree) at University or study an alternative subject and then complete the one-year (full-time) or two-year (part-time) law conversion course, known as the GDL (Graduate Diploma in Law).
- Complete a Legal Practice Course (LPC) if you would like to train as a Solicitor, or a Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) if you would like to become a Barrister.
- Join a law firm specialising in employment law to gain practical, in-house training. Research appealing and relevant employment law firms during your initial studies as work experience in this field is invaluable to help you decide whether employment law is for you and to secure a training contract.
Further information on how you can qualify as a Solicitor please click here.