3 Ways to Use an Employment Lawyer When Everything is Going Smoothly

If you’re considering the services of an employment lawyer but are worried about paying for their services when everything is going smoothly and you don’t currently have any workplace challenges such as grievances or disciplinaries or employee absences to manage, then you’ve come to the right place.
Contrary to popular belief, employment lawyers aren’t solely focused on representing companies at tribunal and meeting and supporting in the face of disputes once they have arisen. In fact, there are plenty of support that employment lawyers can bring to the table – and to your organisation – to make your investment worthwhile in times where you are not reacting to issues or managing tricky employee situations.
Here are just three of the ways that you can use the skills and services of an employment lawyer, even when everything is running smoothly within your organisation.

1. Education and Training

While many employers choose to outsource legal work to a third-party employment lawyer, there are still plenty of benefits to upskilling your own team and teaching them about the importance of employment law. At the end of the day, your managers are the ones speaking and dealing with your staff, and it will (or should) fall to them to manage any processes that might be required. Often, managers lack confidence and/or understanding to do so effectively.

Using the services of an employment lawyer to devise and deliver meaningful management training to your people managers empowers them to proactively manage their line reports, which not only leads to you having more rounded, competent managers, but also helps your business address issues and challenges at an early stage when they first arise.

From tracking changes in the employment law market to delivering practical and tailored courses to HR and recruitment teams regarding the intricacies of employment law, education and training are something lawyers offer as an ad hoc service or sometimes in connection with an annual retainer. With new legal obligations recently introduced to proactively prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, and with the widescale changes to be brought in in the coming years as a result of the recently announced Employment Rights Bill, training your managers is no longer a “nice to have”; it’s a need.

2. Recruitment Support

If you’re looking to grow your business and expand your workforce, then employment law is something you need to invest in.
An employment lawyer can help and support you in developing recruitment processes that work and are sustainable, helping you to identify the gaps in your business and the roles you need to fill, before guiding you on lawfully advertising and ultimately hiring those roles efficiently and successfully, and in a manner which is compliant with employment and discrimination laws.

3. Flexible Working Contracts

One area that employers are focussed on at the moment is the rise in demand for flexible working contracts and working arrangements. An increasing number of prospective employees and candidates for job listings are looking for roles which offer flexible working hours and hybrid set-ups, enabling them to work from home occasionally and set their own routines to a far greater degree than in previous years.

Of course, balancing this expectation with the business need for collaboration, consistency and tangible results is critical for employers across all sectors. Sometimes, flexible working just isn’t possible, or is not possible to the extent it may be desired while in other workplaces, it can be integrated and operated with relative ease. With the right to request flexible working now a day-1 right for all employees, a professional employment lawyer can help you to work out where your business can offer flexible working and how to make it work for your business – making your organisation a better prospect for candidates and a more coveted place to work.

Arm yourself with the support of a professional team, by getting in touch with your local London employment lawyers today.

Making sure that you have appropriate and legally compliant contracts and policies in place which document atypical working arrangements is an important step in becoming an employer of choice.