Discrimination in the workplace

Sex, age, race, religion and belief, disability, pregnancy and maternity, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, marital status, fixed term status and part time status.

These are known as “protected characteristics”. If you are discriminated against because of a protected characteristic you are entitled to bring a claim in the Employment Tribunal for compensation.

There is no qualifying period of employment required to bring a discrimination claim and no cap on the level of compensation that can be awarded. In addition, compensation can be awarded for “injury to feelings” as well as financial losses that result from discrimination. Therefore, employers need to treat these claims seriously (as well as whistleblowing claims which are similar and also have unlimited compensation).

How we can help

Our specialist employment solicitors have extensive experience in dealing with all types of discrimination claims. We regularly act for individuals where discrimination is a concern. This includes dealing with discrimination issues that arise during disciplinary proceedings or grievances, as well as in the Employment Tribunal. Often, we act for individuals who have discrimination concerns but remain in employment, or the discrimination concerns are raised as part of negotiating exit terms.

We also regularly advise individuals on maternity leave who have problems with their pay, their return to work arrangements or changes to their jobs while they are absent.

We can be strident and robust where appropriate, including when dealing with the largest of employers or professional organisations on behalf of our clients. However, we also always take into account the sensitivity of a situation and our clients’ professional and personal circumstances.

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Our Discrimination Experience

  • Advising an employee in respect of a claim of age discrimination and unlawful compulsory retirement resulting in a settlement sum in excess of £150,000
  • Acting for an employee of a major retailer on maternity leave, negotiating with her employer to achieve exit terms when she was told she could not return to her previous role after her maternity leave
  • Supporting NHS staff, including Consultants, and University staff, including senior academic staff, with grievances about their treatment at work, including damage to their health, disability discrimination and equal pay
  • Representing various individuals in relation to discrimination claims (including maternity discrimination, disability discrimination, the duty to make reasonable adjustments and equal pay) against former employers, leading to the achievement of six figure settlement sums

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Our Employment Approach

Our specialist team of employment solicitors is described in the independent Legal 500 directory as “excellent”.  In addition, both Partners in our team are recommended by the Legal 500.  Therefore, you can be reassured that you will deal with some of the best employment solicitors in the country.

We are determined and robust on your behalf, but also easy to deal with and clear in our advice.  We will fight your corner but understand that a common sense approach is often required in order to find solutions that work for you in the context of your professional and personal circumstances.

In particular, we offer:

  • Clear and straightforward advice.
  • Cost-effective support and certainty on costs where you need it.
  • Extensive experience of advising senior executives, directors, partners and others with complex employment concerns, including discrimination issues and group claims.
  • A credible team that is used to dealing with and acting against large employers and law firms on behalf of our clients.

Our Approach to Costs

We know that clarity on costs is vitally important to our clients. As standard practice, we give our clients an estimate of the costs involved in undertaking any piece of work at the outset. We then provide costs updates on a regular basis.

Please click here for details of our cost for this service.

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Why Work With Our Employment Team?

In particular, our employment lawyers offer the following:

  • City centre standards of employment law advice and service levels due to our policy of recruiting only the best specialist employment solicitors from leading firms.
  • Clear and straightforward UK employment law advice that is user-friendly, pragmatic, and commercial.
  • Extensive experience in dealing with various employers, employees, and employment law disputes, giving you fast, helpful counsel based on knowledge of your business, its history, and pressures.
  • A credible team of employment law solicitors that are used to dealing with and providing legal representation against large employers and law firms on behalf of our clients.
  • A partner-led service and a genuinely accessible team of experienced employment law solicitors due to our size, structure, and unique culture.
  • Cost-effective support tailored to your unique employment issues and certainty on costs where you need it.

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Family-Friendly Rights and Surrogacy

How We Can Help

Family-friendly rights are constantly developing so that they better support modern working families. More women are holding senior executive positions in businesses and the developing rights aim to remove the stereotypical view that the mother is always the primary carer for the child.

The number of surrogate babies is also rising and with this, we are seeing a change in the rights for couples who use a surrogate. For example, from April 2015, couples who use a surrogate have the following rights:

  1. the right to adoption leave and adoption pay; and
  2. the right to unpaid parental leave (for up to 18 weeks until the child is 18 years old).

We provide advice on all aspects of family-friendly rights including rights for surrogate parents.

Our Experience

  • Advising a senior HR employee on maternity leave in relation to a potential discrimination claim arising from her selection for redundancy, securing a significant exit package for her.
  • Advising another employee on maternity leave in relation to the right to be offered an alternative role because her role had been made redundant whilst she was on maternity leave.
  • Bringing claims for sex and pregnancy discrimination in relation to women treated less favourably whilst pregnant or on maternity leave, including claims resulting in significant payments of compensation.
  • Advising on the right to request flexible working and the process that employers must follow when such a request is made.
  • Providing training on Shared Parental Leave and the entitlements now available to leave and pay for mothers, fathers and adopters.

If you would like assistance in relation to family-friendly rights, please contact a member of our Employment department. Our Family department can also provide you with advice regarding family law (including advice on assisted reproduction and surrogacy).

Testimonials

Meet Our Employment Solicitors

Home-grown or recruited from national, regional or City firms. Our employment lawyers are experts in their fields and respected by their peers.

Joanne Evans

Joanne Evans

Jo is a Partner and Head of our Employment Team

Joanne Henderson

Joanne Henderson

Jo is a Partner in both our Employment and Compliance Teams

Charlotte Gilbert

Charlotte Gilbert

Charlotte is the Head of Myerson HR and a Partner in our Employment Team

Patrick Byrne

Patrick Byrne

Patrick is a Senior Associate in our Employment Team

Jack Latham

Jack Latham

Jack is a Senior Associate in our Employment Team

Vicki Fagan

Vicki Fagan

Vicki is an Associate in our Employment Team

Amy Salim

Amy Salim

Amy is a Solicitor in our Employment Team

Kurt Reilly

Kurt Reilly

Kurt is a Solicitor in our Employment Team

Victoria Evans

Victoria Evans

Victoria is a Trainee Solicitor in our Commercial Litigation Team

Meghan O'Rourke

Meghan O'Rourke

Meghan is a Senior Legal PA in our Employment Team

Contact Myerson Solicitors

Complete the form below, or alternatively, you can call Myerson Solicitors on:

0161 941 4000