Employment

Our employment law team delivers swift, proactive and pragmatic legal solutions. Renowned for our client-centric approach and commercial insight, our specialists have extensive experience in guiding businesses through the complex challenges they face when managing their workforce and planning for the future. In a constantly evolving legal and regulatory landscape, we ensure our clients remain informed and prepared for changes that could impact their operations.

Strategic HR and legal solutions

Our approach is simple – rather than give dire warnings about legal rights and responsibilities, we look at the reality of a situation and suggest the best solution. We take time to understand the issues businesses encounter in an uncertain market. By keeping our clients informed about the latest developments in employment law, we help them navigate strategic decisions and avoid the significant costs of non-compliance.

Our employment solicitors cover the full spectrum of employment law advice, including contentious and non contentious matters, working closely with our immigration and pensions teams as required to offer a comprehensive and integrated service. We are also increasingly called upon to lead independent investigations into a diverse range of matters – from bullying and harassment to workplace culture, senior executive misconduct and financial mismanagement.

We advise major companies through to smaller private and owner-managed businesses in a wide variety of sectors, including financial services, healthcare, recruitment, publishing, media, IT, hotels and leisure, manufacturing, retail and professional services. In addition, our team acts for public companies, academic institutions and other not-for profit organisations. Although we are experienced litigators and frequently represent clients at employment tribunals and in court, our lawyers offer specialist employment law advice in resolving conflict through negotiation and, where appropriate, alternative dispute resolution.

An excellent, large team of highly experienced professionals. It is an absolute delight to work with any member of this firm’s employment law team.

To assist with cost certainty and managing budgets, as well as providing fixed fee quotes for HR projects, we offer a range of audit and policy review packages along with our popular employment advice line, which covers all general day-to-day HR queries, disciplinary procedures and grievances for a set monthly fee.

We also offer a package of complementary services to ensure optimum management of human resources, including ongoing support through in-house training, employment seminars and HR forums, workshops, newsletters and e-bulletins.

How we help our clients

Dismissals and redundancies

Corporate restructuring and boardroom disputes

Restrictive covenants and protection of confidential information

Disciplinary and grievance procedures

Discrimination and harassment claims

Investigations

Settlement agreements

Employment contracts and policies

Flexible working and parental leave

Industrial relations advice for employers

Business and human rights

Strategic HR planning

Employment Rights Act 2025

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Useful resources

Employment Rights Act 2025

Understanding DSARs

Costs law services

DSAR support service – manage DSARs efficiently, accurately and cost effectively

Pricing information: fees for tribunal claims

Outstanding knowledge and experience with the ability to deliver advice in easy to understand and clear terms. I feel very confident using Penningtons. Their response time is exceptional.

All advice feels bespoke to both the problem and how we as a company would want to resolve it.

There is no project that is too big or too small for the employment team. Their response time to requests for support and advice is almost immediate, and they are always supported with options and alternative approaches. I can’t imagine going anywhere else!

I have always been impressed with the balance of legal advice and commercial acumen, taking into consideration the business culture for a more tailored approach.

Recent work highlights

Multiple tribunal claims for large employer

Managing and assisting with the defence of multiple employment tribunal claims brought against an employer with approximately 25,000 staff, ranging from unlawful deductions to those alleging discrimination and whistleblowing.

Full-service support for international brand

Assisting an international hotel brand on all its day-to-day UK employment law matters, from managing performance and disciplinary matters and handling staff grievances to advising on restructuring departments, training managers and HR teams and addressing flexible working requests.

International senior management contracts

Acting for a well-known multinational firm on putting in place contracts for senior management for all of its major offices overseas, including overseeing local counsel in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and North and South America.

Restrictive covenants and injunctive relief

Advising on issues relating to confidential information and restrictive covenants as a result of a whole team leaving and setting up a rival company, including successfully applying for injunctive relief.

Cross-border employment law advice

Coordinating the provision of ongoing employment law advice for a multinational online business, including in the UK and 12 other jurisdictions.

Independent misconduct investigations

Undertaking numerous investigations, sometimes at the highest level, in relation to a diverse range of matters including sexual harassment, breach of duty of care and workplace bullying.

Collective consultations for multiple clients

Advising on multiple collective consultation exercises across a range of clients, involving restructures, redundancy programmes and changes to terms and conditions.

Collective consultations for multiple clients

Advising on multiple collective consultation exercises across a range of clients, involving restructures, redundancy programmes and changes to terms and conditions.