Employment & HR for Charities

Over recent years, employment law has become increasingly wide-ranging and ever more complex. Employment law is subject to constant change through legislation, the courts’ interpretation and Government policy. Consequently our charity employment solicitors assist charities in taking a pro-active approach in managing their employees and the working environment.

As a leading provider of legal advice to the Charity & Social Enterprise sector, we act for a broad and diverse range of clients within the sector. Our specialist unit has extensive experience providing employment advice in all aspects of employment law as it relates to charities and the wider not-for-profit sector. We know that a charity’s employees will often feel a great loyalty towards, and ownership of, the charity or charitable trust for which they work which can lead to greater scope for acrimonious disputes. We also understand how the constraints of charity law can affect charities who want to reward loyal employees.

We understand how important to a charity is the relationship between the trustees and the senior executive teams and can assist in keeping this relationship stable and productive, and also assist if such a relationship deteriorates.

Our employment law solicitors have in depth expertise in all matters affecting charities. A few examples of the advice often provided to charities include (but is not limited to):

• charity mergers and corporate restructures;
• redundancies and staff restructures;
• child protection;
• safeguarding and capability processes;
• grievances and whistleblowing complaints;
• managing and managing out disengaged senior staff;
• brand management;
• use of volunteers;
• Charity Commission reporting;
• Trustee obligations in making severance payments;
• Representation at employment tribunals.

We also offer HR consultancy services. Our team of HR Consultants works closely with the Charity Employment team to provide continuity of advice in relation to a wide range of employment issues. We offer a range of charity employment retainers to enable you to take advice quickly and easily, at a fixed cost, including Workplace Mediation.