SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ADVICE FOR EMPLOYEES

If you have been offered a settlement agreement by your employer, it may have come as a surprise, or it may be something which you had anticipated over the last few weeks and months. Nevertheless, the process of accepting a settlement agreement can be frightening and confusing. At Kalra Legal Group we aim to make the settlement agreement process as smooth and swift as possible.

WHAT IS A SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT?

Settlement agreements came into effect on 29 July 2013, essentially replacing ‘compromise agreements’. A settlement agreement is a legally binding contract between an employer and an employee, which waives the individual’s rights to bring a claim covered by the agreement to an employment tribunal or a court. They are used to end an employment relationship on amicable terms, and often include a sum of money as compensation for the individual.
Settlement agreements can be used by employers in a variety of situations including:

A redundancy scenario

To provide compensation in exchange for altering a term of the individuals contract
Where the employee is accused of misconduct or poor performance and the company wants to avoid the disciplinary process
To acknowledge a grievance and keep the contents of the grievance confidential

FIVE REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD COME TO US WITH YOUR SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT

1. LEGAL ADVICE IS ESSENTIAL
For a settlement agreement to be legally binding contract, the employee must receive advice from an independent legal adviser. Without this step in the process, the settlement agreement will not be valid, which would be a disaster for both employee and employer.
Our Director Ms Anita Kalra is recognised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority as a solicitor, and therefore has the standing to act as an independent legal adviser. In addition to this, as a firm we have the necessary insurance in place to review settlement agreements. Ms Kalra always takes her time to review the situation and ensure the individual is getting the best package possible in their specific circumstances.
In most instances, the employer will pay for the individual to receive legal advice from the independent legal advisor, so there is unlikely to be any cost out of the individual’s pocket for this service unless they decide to negotiate the agreement.

2. WE ARE EMPLOYMENT LAW SPECIALISTS
Our sole practice area is employment law and we have a wealth of experience in assisting employees with their problems at work and dealing with settlement agreements. Our Director has been specialised in employment law for over a decade, and has acted on behalf of employees and employers in every major area of employment law, including but not limited to: unfair dismissal, race, sex, disability and age discrimination, pregnancy and maternity discrimination, TUPE, unlawful deduction of wages and redundancy.
As employment law specialists, we have also worked with employers on drafting and negotiating settlement agreements. Our experience of assisting both employers and employees in combination with our legal understanding of the reasoning behind your settlement agreement puts us in a great position to review your settlement agreement and provide you with the best settlement package possible.

3. EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE
At Kalra Legal Group, our staff offer a friendly and professional service, ensuring each customers needs are met.
If you have been offered a settlement agreement, you can contact us on [email protected] or via telephone on 0330 221 0684 to discuss your situation in our free 15 minute initial consultation. As part of this free consultation we will arrange a face to face meeting with our Director, Ms Kalra, who will provide advice on your settlement agreement as an independent legal adviser. Our team will endeavour to book you in for a meeting as soon as practicable, taking into account any deadlines which your employer may have raised.

4. OUR LOCATION
Our main office is located in Maidenhead at Braywick House West, Windsor Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 1DN. We are easily assessible from Maidenhead, Reading, Henley-on-Thames, Taplow, Burnham, Holyport, Windsor, Bracknell, Twyford, Ascot, Great Missenden and many more surrounding areas.
If you are travelling to our main office by car, we are conveniently situated near many A-roads and less than less than five minutes from Junction 8/9 of the M4. We also have free parking available on site.
If you are travelling to our main office by train or other public transport, our closest station is Maidenhead Station, which is approximately just one mile away from our office.

5. WE NEGOTIATE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENTS
As part of our face to face service to provide advice on your settlement agreement, we will always strive to ensure you are receiving the best package possible in your circumstances. This may require us to negotiate the removal or reduction of any existing restrictive covenants in your settlement agreement, or to negotiate extra monetary compensation as part of your settlement package. We have a great track record in negotiations with employers, almost always securing our clients an improved settlement package in their situation.

CONTACT US TODAY

Contact our specialist employment lawyers today on 0330 221 0684 or via e-mail on [email protected] for a free 15 minute initial consultation to discuss your settlement agreement and arrange for an employment solicitor to provide independent legal advice on your settlement agreement.