This guidance note provides details of our Employment Retainer Scheme which is a cost effective way of obtaining up-to-date legal advice on the ever changing area of employment law. It includes details of our Insurance and Documentation Review.
WHAT DO YOU GET?
1. Employment Advice Helpline
Our helpline offers immediate personalised advice and support on employment-related issues. It will provide you with rapid and cost effective access to our Chambers ranked specialist employment law solicitors with a personal touch. The options are one hour, three hours or unlimited advice each month. All prices quoted are exclusive of vat.
We are also happy to visit your premises and meet the people dealing with personnel matters.
*Typical Advice includes:
- discussions by telephone
- written advice given by email, fax or post
- drafting, reviewing or amending short or non-complex documents, such as letters to employees, standard, non-specific agreements and medical report requests.
Typical Advice does not include:
- work relating to tribunal claims
- drafting specific contracts of employment
- negotiating or advising in relation to business or share purchase agreements
- drafting service agreements for directors
- preparing compromise agreements (other than providing general employment law advice on these).
2. Discounted Training
Our employment team offers practical and informative training sessions on the most vital and common employment issues, held on a quarterly basis. Joining the Employment Retainer Scheme entitles you to a discount on these training sessions. For details of our current training session topics and prices, please ask for a brochure.
3. Enhanced Option
Each helpline option can be enhanced by adding insurance and the documentation review, known as the Enhanced Option.
ONE HOUR HELPLINE
One hour of free Typical Advice* a month.
Any additional Typical Advice over the initial free period at the preferential rate of £185 per hour. Any non-Typical Advice at our standard hourly rates.
10% discount on our training sessions.
| No. of Employees | Annual Fee (exclusive of VAT) |
| 25 or fewer | £800 |
| Between 26 and 50 | £950 |
| Between 51 and 100 | £1,250 |
| Between 101 and 200 | £1,500 |
| Between 201 and 500 | £2,100 |
| Over 500 | Price on application |
THREE HOURS HELPLINE
Three hours of free Typical Advice* a month.
Any additional Typical Advice over the initial free period at the preferential rate of £185 per hour. Any non-Typical Advice at our standard hourly rates.
15% discount on our training sessions.
| No. of Employees | Annual Fee (exclusive of VAT) |
| 25 or fewer | £1,750 |
| Between 26 and 50 | £2,200 |
| Between 51 and 100 | £2,500 |
| Between 101 and 200 | £3,500 |
| Between 201 and 500 | £5,000 |
| Over 500 | Price on application |
UNLIMITED HELPLINE
Unlimited free Typical Advice*.
20% discount on our quarterly group training sessions for two delegates.
Price on application, according to number of employees, wage roll and business set up. Any non-Typical Advice at our standard hourly rates.
ENHANCED OPTION
The Enhanced Option provides insurance to manage the risk of employment tribunal claims, as well as an initial documentation review at a preferential rate in the first year and a free documentation review on renewal.
INSURANCE
Employment Practice Dispute Insurance is arranged through the well-known specialist leading underwriting agency, Temple Legal Insurance. It gives businesses peace of mind with financial protection if an employee attempts to make an employment claim, such as unfair dismissal or discrimination. Temple Legal Insurance supports the advice that we give, so there is no need to refer back to the insurers constantly for approval at each step of the process, as required under separate liability insurance arrangements.
In order to provide an insurance premium estimate, we will need the following information:
- Name of your company and any subsidiaries that require cover.
- Total annual wage roll during last 12 months and estimated wage roll for the next 12 months (including employers NI, bonuses and salaries paid to workers and directors).
- Number of full time and part time employees and workers.
- Has the company or subsidiaries been involved in more than two tribunal proceedings involving employment issues in the last two years?
These answers can be supplied through a quote form which is attached to this email. Please email me the form once you have completed it.
DOCUMENTATION REVIEW
In order to subscribe to the Enhanced Option, an annual documentation review is required. In the first year you can choose between the Initial Policy Review and Advanced Policy Review (see below). In subsequent years, on renewal of an Employment Retainer with Enhanced Option, you will be entitled to a free annual review of existing employment documentation.
(1) Initial Policy Review
The purpose of the Initial Policy Review is to ensure that you have the key basic policies in place to deal with employment issues in the work place. You will be asked to complete a detailed questionnaire. From this we will make brief recommendations for your needs and, where necessary, provide you with policies in a standard form.
We will supply you with the following policies:
- disciplinary, grievance and appeals procedures
- equal opportunities policy, including anti-harassment policy
- data protection policy
- statement of terms and conditions of employment
These documents will be supplied in a standard form, but if you wish to receive detailed advice on implementation, this can be done within the framework of the advice scheme. We may also suggest that you consider introducing policies outside of the scheme.
The Initial Policy Review is an essential first step to the Employment Retainer Scheme, as it provides the necessary background information to enable us to give the most effective advice. The cost of this initial Policy Review is £750.
(2) Advanced Documentation Review
The aim of the Initial Policy Review is to ensure compliance with basic requirements. As an alternative, we offer an enhanced option ie the Advanced Documentation Review, which involves a full review and update of your existing employment documentation. We will look at your standard contract and handbook, draft necessary revisions and provide you with the following policies in addition to those under the Initial Policy Review:
- maternity leave policy
- parental leave policy
- leave for reasons other than sickness policy
- computer and telephone policy
- examples of discipline and reasons for dismissal
- whistleblowing policy
The cost of this detailed review and update is £1,750.
ENHANCED OPTION PRICING
The cost of the packages with the Enhanced Option varies according to the number of employees, wage roll and circumstances of your business. The insurance premium is extra. We need further information to provide an insurance premium quote (please see the Insurance section above).
GENERAL PRICING AND PAYMENT TERMS
Fees are payable annually in advance and a monthly account is sent when charges are incurred over and above the free hours where the one hour or three hour retainer option is taken up.
We will regularly advise you of our standard hourly rates.
All the quoted rates and fees (which are reviewed annually) are exclusive of VAT which will be added. Travelling time and expenses, where appropriate, may also apply.
