Dickinson Dees LLP has a sizeable team of employment law specialists, offering highly effective and commercially sound solutions to a broad range of clients in both the private and public sectors.
Acting mainly for companies and public sector organisations, the team has expertise across the range of employment law issues. The team includes a number of talented advocates, who have considerable experience in dealing with large and complex employment tribunal cases, conducting hearings throughout the UK. Members of the team specialise in areas such as equal pay, union recognition, discrimination issues and advice to employment agency clients so that the highest quality of advice is always available.
The firm has considerable strength in equal pay claims, senior executive terminations, and tribunal advocacy [Legal 500 2007]
The team spends much of its time assisting clients in strategic decision making. This type of advice covers such areas as the Transfer of Undertakings Regulations, alterations to terms and conditions of employment and shift patterns, organisational restructuring, redundancies, and collective and trade union issues.
Helpline
Dickinson Dees continues to look to the future. The firm has developed an innovative approach to delivery of services to clients [Legal 500 2007]
The team offers an Employment Law Advice Helpline – this is an effective way to obtain pragmatic advice when an issue arises – clients are given a dedicated hotline telephone number, which gives access to immediate advice from an employment lawyer. It has become apparent that many advice lines are only able to offer “no risk” advice aimed at ensuring that in the event of any claim, there is no risk to backing insurers. We however recognise the need for management to manage, and will provide advice not only on a “no risk” basis but also on a managed risk basis, allowing employers to determine the commercial risk to the business of proceeding with difficult decisions and so managing the risk in the most cost-effective way possible.
Insurance
An increase in employment law legislation over recent years means that employers are constantly at risk of expensive tribunal claims and the associated legal costs. We have therefore worked with leading underwriters to develop a suite of insurance-based solutions that are adaptable to the needs of clients. These range from total insurance against costs of awards and representation in all Tribunal proceedings (particularly attractive to small business), through to specialised stop-loss type arrangements for larger organisations. The cost is an affordable premium which can be paid monthly and which provides both peace of mind and balance sheet protection.
HR Alert
Dickinson Dees has developed its own HR web site available at www.dickinson-dees.com/hralert. The site provides online information, documents and tools for HR Managers and businesses. A diary records important developments and key diary dates, and there is a know-how database, with online information on specific employment law topics.
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