I need help with an employment law issue
You probably know this song by Ray Parker Jr from the 1984 film of the same name:
If there’s something strange
In your neighbourhood
Who you gonna call?
Ghostbusters!If there’s something weird
And it don’t look good
Who you gonna call?
Ghostbusters!
This cheesy tune went to number 1 in the US and was a top 10 hit in many other countries. It’s a bit of an ‘ear-worm’, so we apologise if you’ve now got it stuck in your head!
We’re writing this article near Halloween, so it seemed to be a logical link.
If there’s something strange or weird or that ‘doesn’t look good’ going on in your workplace, who are you going to call?
We’d suggest calling an expert employment lawyer, like us, for advice.
We are solicitors who only ever act for employees, not for employers. We’re on your side.
There are any number of things that go on at work, and shouldn’t. The most common things we’re asked to deal with include:
- Unfair dismissal claims
- Discrimination claims
- Settlement agreements (England, Scotland & Wales) and compromise agreements (Northern Ireland)
But that’s not all we do. Please explore our website for full details, and follow this link to find a complete list of our services.
Meanwhile, let’s look a little more deeply into what we do most often.
Unfair dismissal claims
Let’s stick with the musical theme. To quote David Bowie’s 1971 hit Life on Mars:
It’s a god-awful small affair…
It’s a sad but true fact that some people are dismissed for an unfair reason, while some employers fail to follow a fair process when they dismiss their employees.
And it’s not a ‘small’ affair. It’s important that you get up, and stand up for your rights (note the passing mention of Bob Marley & the Wailers, 1973).
In either situation, you have a chance to make a claim at the employment tribunal and either win your job back, or win compensation to make up for losing it.
Now the workers have struck for fame
With Rachel Reeve’s (Britain’s first-ever female chancellor of the exchequer) first Budget just announced, the cost to employers will rise.
For example, employers’ National Insurance contributions will rise from 13.8% to 15% from April 2025.
The National Living Wage also increases from April 2025. Here are the new rates:
- 21 and over £12.21
- 18-20 years old £10.00
- 16-17 years old £7.55
- Apprentice rate £7.55
- Accommodation offset £10.66
Because of these changes, it will be more expensive for companies to employ people, especially small businesses. We can perhaps assume there will be an increase in employers wanting reduce their workforce. To do so, they have to follow the legal process, and not dismiss people unfairly.
To conclude our Bowie references:
Take a look at the lawman beating up the wrong guy
We may be law men and women, but we go after employers who do wrong by their employees. Not by beating them up physically, of course, but by ‘beating’ them in the employment tribunal, or even before the case reaches the tribunal.
Discrimination claims
We’re going way back to 1964 for our next musical reference. That’s when Sam Cooke sang about segregation and his hope for a different world in A Change is Gonna Come.
He was an active member of the Civil Rights Movement and his song feels just as important today.
Here’s the chorus:
It’s been a long
A long time comin’, but I know
A change gon’ come
Oh, yes it will
That’s 60 years ago yet things still haven’t changed as much as they should have.
Employees still experience discrimination at work despite the Equality Act 2010 protecting the following characteristics:
- Age
- Disability
- Gender reassignment
- Pregnancy and maternity
- Race
- Religion or belief
- Sex
- Sexual orientation
If you want to make a discrimination claim, you’ll have to prove that you were treated unfairly and that the mistreatment happened because you hold (or are perceived to hold) one of the protected characteristics.
Settlement agreements & compromise agreements
The 1975 10cc song Art for Art’s Sake includes these lyrics:
Money talks so listen to itMoney talks to meAnyone can understand itMoney can’t be beat, oh no
If you’ve suffered ill-treatment at work due to unfair dismissal, discrimination, or another issue, often, the only remedy the courts and employment tribunals can offer is money.
‘Settlement’ is a bit of legal jargon, describing when a dispute is settled in the form of compensation for loss of wages, with perhaps an extra amount awarded for various reasons.
You might have heard the phrase ‘settled on the court steps’. This happens sometimes, because employers don’t really want the expense, time, hassle and risk of going to court. They can hold out until the last possible minute before they give in.
Before you get to that stage, there’s a series of negotiations to go through.
You could go it alone, in many situations you have to include a mediation phase via Acas, but often it’s easiest to bring in an employment lawyer early on to give you the best chance of winning.
When you eventually agree a deal, it’s called a settlement agreement. It used to be called a compromise agreement in the rest of the UK, and that’s still what it’s called in Northern Ireland.
What this means to you
We go back to 1965 for our final song reference, Help! by the Beatles.
(Help) I need somebody
(Help) Not just anybody
(Help) you know I need someone
(Help)When I was a younger, so much younger than today
(I never need) I never needed anybody’s help in any way
(Now) but now these days are gone (these days are gone)
I’m not so self assured (and now I find)
Now I find I’ve changed my mind
And opened up the doorsHelp me if you can, I’m feeling down
And I do appreciate you being ’round
Help me get my feet back on the ground
Won’t you please, please help me
The kind of help we give employees is not the kind of help that ‘just anybody’ could provide. We have years of experience in dealing with unfair dismissal claims, discrimination claims, and other employment law matters. We can help you reach a settlement (or compromise) agreement that’s fair.
It’s hard to remain ‘self assured’ when you’re dealing with your employer or their lawyers and perhaps have been through difficult times with them.
You can depend on our expertise to lift you up when you’re feeling down, and help you get your feet back on the ground – not in an emotional way, but in a practical way. By easing you through the legal process of putting things right.
So, who you gonna call? Paul Doran Law on 0808 168 7288.
We have offices in Belfast and Tyne & Wear, and the first conversation is absolutely FREE and with no obligation. Oh, and we promise not to sing to you!
Related reading
We hope you enjoyed this meander down the pop charts of old. For further reading (without the musical interludes), you might like to read some of our related articles:
- Expert tips on choosing your Northern Ireland lawyer
- Why an expert Belfast-based employment lawyer is a good choice
- How to win an employment tribunal case
- What does an employment law solicitor do?
- Do employment tribunals favour employers?
Need help?
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