Is your employer treating you unfairly?

A significant number of employees feel badly treated by their employer. This can be for various reasons - an overly aggressive manager, lack of support, problems with pay, discrimination and unfair dismissal. The trouble is that many employees are put off taking action to address the situation.

Firstly, the cost of advice is a factor. Money is tight for most people these days and to pay for advice only to be told you have no case is not something that most people want to risk.  

Then even if you have a case, the cost of paying a solicitor to represent you can be a financial challenge, especially if you’re no longer working.

Finally, the introduction of Employment Tribunal fees has had a huge effect on the number of Tribunal Claims since their introduction. Tribunal fees range from £160 - £250 to issue your claim and a hearing fee of between £230 - £950. For many, these costs are simply unaffordable.

However, don’t be put off as there are sensible ways to go about it. Taking legal advice at an early stage will ensure that you know your legal rights going forward as well as the merits of your case.

Here at Gales we offer a free initial ½ hour consultation. At this interview we will be able to inform you of your rights and give you guidance on how best to deal with your work issues.

If a claim exists we will discuss the various funding options with you. There are various ways in which Tribunal claims can be funded. The most common is through household contents insurance policies. Most policies come as standard with legal assistance cover. Employment disputes are usually covered with most insurance policies. We would always recommend that you ensure legal assistance cover is contained within your home contents insurance as you never know when you’ll need it.

For those who don’t have insurance cover, we can offer “no win no fee agreements.” This means that you won’t need to pay any of our fees up front, or even at all if you lose your case. If your claim is successful, then a percentage of your award is taken as payment.

Fixed fees are also available, either to undertake representation for the entire case or to give you some help if you’re doing the process yourself. This makes the cost of employment tribunal proceedings manageable and affordable.

For advice, assistance or for more information on costs, please telephone our office on 01202 512227.