Employee Settlement Agreement Advice

An employment settlement agreement is a legally binding contract that fully and finally settles employment claims. An agreement can only be recognised in law if an independent solicitor advises you and certifies the agreement. Our expert settlement agreement solicitors & barristers can advise you on your settlement agreement for a fixed fee from just £1750 plus VAT (usually paid for by the Employer).

Expert independent legal advice on employment settlement agreements

Employees should always seek independent legal advice as this will assist negotiations to get the optimal compensation. Our specialist team will assess your agreement, from verifying clauses to highlighting opportunities to negotiate further or make claims for unfair dismissal or discrimination.

The employee must have received advice on the terms and effect of the agreement from an independent solicitor (or another adviser specified in the Employment Rights Act 1996, such as a properly certified trade union official). That adviser must be clearly identified in the written agreement.

Normally employers will offer to pay an employee’s legal fees for the settlement agreement.  We offer a discounted fixed fee for reviewing and advising you on your settlement agreement.

If you feel you have been negligently advised in relation to your settlement agreement, our professional negligence team can assist and advise you on your options.

What is a settlement agreement?

A settlement agreement is a legally binding contract between an employee and employer which settles claims (usually present or future) that the employee may have against their employer.

A settlement agreement is usually used upon an employee’s termination or resignation or at the end of litigation brought by either party against the other.

Settlements are often reached as part of the Acas conciliation process and under section 18A of the Employment Tribunals Act 1996, an employee should contact Acas before instituting proceedings. Acas also provides some useful guidance on settlement agreements.

Negotiating a settlement agreement

Settlement agreements are useful way of ensuring that disputes or possible disputes between the employer and employee are concluded without the need for either party to resort to legal action.

It is important that any discussions between the employer and employee about the proposed agreement meet certain legal requirements.

If the parties do not end up entering into the agreement, those discussions could end up being used as evidence in any legal proceedings which follow for example in unfair dismissal cases.

Is a settlement agreement legally binding?

A settlement agreement is a legally binding contract between an employee and employer if it meets certain requirements (under section 203 Employment Rights Act 1996 and section 147 of the Equality Act 2010) e.g. it must be written and must specify the particular complaints or claims which the agreement is settling.

Requirements for a settlement agreement

In order to be a qualifying settlement agreement, the agreement must adhere to the following requirements:

• the contract is in writing;
• the contract relates to the particular complaint;
• the complainant has, before entering into the contract, received advice from an independent adviser about its terms and effect (including, in particular, its effect on the complainant’s ability to pursue the complaint before an employment tribunal) (and this is stated in the agreement);
• on the date of the giving of the advice, there is in force a contract of insurance, or an indemnity provided for members of a profession or professional body, covering the risk of a claim by the complainant in respect of loss arising from the advice (and this is stated in the agreement); and
• the contract identifies the adviser.

What is a settlement payment?

There is no specific amount of any settlement payment that should be paid and this will be agreed between the parties. Factors that can be taken into account include:

• how long the employee has worked for the employer
• why a settlement agreement is needed
• the potential liability and cost of bringing and defending a claim in the Employment Tribunal.

A settlement payment of up to £30,000 can often be paid tax-free but it is sensible to seek professional advice on the same.

Employers can make a payment on an “ex gratia basis” i.e. a payment the employer has decided to make to the employee rather than an obligatory payment under the contract.

Can a settlement agreement include a restrictive covenant?

There are different types of restrictive covenants that will appear in an employment contract, depending on the employer, the field of business and the employee’s role. There are various types of restrictive covenant depending on the action an employer wishes to keep an employee from doing which include:

• Non-compete clauses: these restrict an employee from joining a competing business after they have left.
• Non-solicitation and non-dealing clauses: these prevent an employee from enticing the employers’ customers, suppliers or other employees away after they have left.
• Confidentiality clauses: These make it unlawful for an employee to divulge sensitive, confidential information about the employer, its employees, clients or business.

If an employee already has restrictive covenants in his or her employment contract, it is common for these to be negotiated to be included in a settlement agreement. The employer may wish to negotiate stricter restrictions (which should still be reasonable) where the employee is now leaving employment, whereas the employee may request more favourable restrictions or complete release however this will depend on the parties’ positions and circumstances at the time of entering the settlement agreement.

Settlement Advice from a Certified UK Employment Lawyer (Solicitor/Barrister)

If you require advice on, get in touch so our employment team can assess the legal merit of your case and provide you with bespoke UK employment legal advice so that you can settle the matter confidently without wondering if there’s something you’ve missed.