Your employer will offer you a Settlement Agreement when they want to end a contract on terms that are beneficial for both of you. This is usually because they want to avoid a drawn-out process such as a performance review or the redundancy process.
If you have already raised an issue or grievance with your employer, they may use a Settlement Agreement to avoid you making a claim.
Contact a member of our team today to find out more about how we can help.
There are many benefits to signing a Settlement Agreement rather than bringing a claim in the employment tribunal. These include:
- Settlement Agreements allow you to settle a dispute out of court, prior to a public hearing. There would be no judgement published on a public register.
- If the Agreement includes a compensation payment, you would receive the full amount (this is not always the case if you receive compensation following a successful judgement).
- The terms of the deal are confidential.
- You and your employer can agree to other terms that a judge has no power to award, such as a positive reference, a payment of your costs, confidentiality and provisions to protect your reputation.
- Agreements can avoid the lengthy process, stress and costs involved with a protracted formal grievance, complaint or tribunal claim.
Once the agreement is signed by you and your employer (as well as your solicitor, if you’ve received legal advice), it becomes a legally binding contract.
We can help you negotiate the best terms for you in your Settlement Agreement. Call us today on 0207 650 3999, or use our online form and we’ll call you back.
We can advise you on whether or not the terms you’ve been offered are typical and fair. If they’re not, we’ll help you negotiate better terms.
If you have a potential claim in the Employment Tribunal or High Court, we’ll give you a preliminary assessment of the pros and cons of going ahead with legal proceedings rather than signing the Settlement Agreement.
We’re tough negotiators, and you can be sure of a quick and efficient service. We can deal directly with your employer, or if you prefer, we can advise you so that you have the knowledge to negotiate directly with your employer.
If we think the terms of the Settlement Agreement are already fair, we can sign it off after a short meeting or telephone conference.
In many cases however, we’re able to help clients negotiate more favourable terms, including a larger compensation payment, and no or fewer restrictions on the type of work you can do following termination.
We pride ourselves on making sure you walk away with the best possible settlement package. We understand that these negotiations can be difficult and stressful, particularly when you are still employed with the other party, and future income and employment is uncertain. We’re here to support you, as much or as little as you need it allow you to move on with your career.
Contact us today on 0207 650 3999 or use our online form.
There are a number of terms we can include in your Settlement Agreement to address your specific needs, including:
- How much compensation will be paid and when (including taxable amounts)
- A list of the claims waived/settled
- A clause about any claims that are excluded
- An indemnity requiring you to pay tax
- The date your employment will end
- Return of Property and Deletion of Information
- Confidentiality
- Restrictive Covenants
- Warranties
- Obligations not to disparage
- Agreed Reference
- Contribution to legal costs
- Law and Jurisdiction
- LTIPs, share options, restricted shared, carried interest, equity
- Bonus and the impact of good/bad leaver status.
The exact terms will depend on your circumstances and your goals. We'll be able to discuss your needs with you to secure the best terms for you.
There are some potential drawbacks to a Settlement Agreement, such as:
- Once you have signed an Agreement, you cannot make an employment tribunal claim about any item on the Agreement.
- If you cannot reach an agreement with your employer and are still employed, the working relationship may be affected.
We’ll take this into account when looking at your case. If we feel a Settlement Agreement is not the right option for you, we can advise you on the best course of action instead.
Our Employment team is one of the largest in the country, with considerable experience helping clients negotiate Settlement Agreements.
Irwin Mitchell is a full service law firm with 17 offices across the UK, and we can offer services in England, Wales and Scotland. However, while we have teams in different regions, we also operate as a genuine national group.
We help clients across a range of sectors and professional levels, including at executive level where arrangements can be complex and require specialist knowledge.
We have the expertise to deal with bonus arrangements, including good and bad leaver status, carried interest, LTIPs, sweet equity, share options, restricted shares. We can also co-ordinate our advice with our tax and pensions advisers. We understand the importance of reputation management and ensuring that your career progresses unscathed.
Call the team today on 0207 650 3999 or use our online form and we'll call you back.
Your employer will usually contribute to your legal costs, as the Settlement Agreement is not legally binding without legal advice. In other disputes or claims, Legal Expenses Insurance may cover the costs of your claim, advice on it and negotiations. We offer competitive rates on a privately paying basis.
Call us on 0207 650 3999 for more information.
