The client originally came to see Sarah with a settlement agreement which proposed to terminate her employment at the end of September, pay her notice of three months and give her less than one month’s money. Sarah raised concerns openly with the employer a large charity about the treatment of the client who was disabled within the meaning of the Equality Act and that she was being threatened to sign the settlement or be dismissed for gross misconduct which was then relied upon as a protected act.
The employer instructed solicitors and they refused to negotiate. With Sarah’s support and expertise the client turned down the offer and was then suspended and raised a grievance of victimisation and the disciplinary process commenced. Sarah assisted the client throughout to navigate the process and be two steps ahead of the employer at all times. As a result of the tactics, the client ended up remaining an employee on full pay for three months with benefits and then receiving her notice and an additional six months net pay on top. Had the charity negotiated at the outset then this matter would have cost them less than half the actual cost to resolve and the client was immensely grateful for the support and guidance.