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#Employment law: area of practice

Employment law is legislation heavy and solicitors need to keep abreast of frequent changes in legislation and case law.

Employment law is much more than just employment contracts. It is an area of law that requires strong interpersonal and communication skills in order to be able to advise companies on a day to day basis as to the running of their businesses and the interaction with their employees. The work is both contentious and non-contentious and advice given can cover anything from simple queries on disciplinary, sickness and absence issues to discrimination, strikes and industrial action, redundancies and restructuring, employment tribunal claims and High Court proceedings.

Employment tribunals

Depending on the firm, it is common for its employment clients to be either predominantly employers or predominantly employees 90 per cent of our work is for employers, albeit we do act for numerous high-net worth employees.

An employment solicitor's normal working day is extremely varied. It will include day to day advice to HR directors and managers on a range of employment law issues, bringing and/or defending a number of tribunal claims right through to full hearings (including, in certain cases, the advocacy) and assisting other departments in the firm such as corporate and commercial. Employment solicitors will also often get involved in providing training to HR and line managers on various employment law issues such as disciplinaries and grievances, discrimination and mock employment tribunals.

Working hours are perhaps steadier than many commercial areas there do not tend to be the peaks and troughs of corporate work. While this means that all nighters are rare, you are likely to be consistently busy. Keeping different plates spinning is a challenge, but the variety is enjoyable.

On larger employment tribunal and High Court cases, teams will commonly comprise a partner, a senior associate, an assistant and a newly qualified solicitor or trainee. However, you will also have your own large and varied caseload and junior solicitors are able to get hands on experience and responsibility from a very early stage in their careers.

Employment law is legislation heavy and solicitors need to keep abreast of frequent changes in legislation and case law, as evidenced, for example, with the recent introduction of the Equality Act 2010, consolidating all previous discrimination legislation. Employment law is always in the news, given its political slant, interesting case law and the constant rub between employer and employee interests.

Recession-proof?

Employment law appears to do well in times of recession and during boom times. During tougher economic times, employment solicitors see an increase in work surrounding redundancies, restructurings and tribunals. In upturns, employment lawyers are busy advising on the hiring and incentivising of staff (through benefits packages) and assisting businesses with growing and setting up new ventures and the employment challenges this brings.

As a trainee

Trainees will get a good mix of contentious and non-contentious work and will be involved in assisting with tribunal claims, drafting and reviewing compromise agreements, company handbooks and contracts, preparing articles on developments in employment law and assisting with putting together training sessions and presentations. Trainees will also get a good level of responsibility and enjoy direct interaction with clients throughout their seat.

Types of law practised

Good employment/pensions solicitors have