What to Do If an Employer Offers a Compromise Agreement
Employer Offers a Compromise Agreement
Often, when an employee is offered a settlement agreement they will be shocked to be asked to leave their role and nervous about finding another job. They may have a lot of questions, and will need help from a friendly, experienced employment law expert to ensure that they are happy with the package on offer.
Generally speaking, businesses will offer employees an agreement in order to bring legal proceedings to a close in the shortest time possible. An agreement usually involves financial compensation and an undertaking by the employee not to make a claim against the business. There is no legal minimum or maximum payout limit in this type of situation and the payment amount will be determined by the business’s assessment of the validity of the claim and the risk of losing at tribunal.
An employer can be considered to have committed constructive dismissal when their working conditions are intolerable, and it amounts to a repudiation of an essential term of the employee’s contract. A number of things can lead to this, including not paying the appropriate statutory minimum wage or failing to provide an adequate health and safety workplace.
However, the onus is on the employee to prove that their employer’s behaviour has led to intolerable working conditions, and that they have found it impossible to continue in their role because of this. This can be extremely difficult, especially when an employee has been through the disciplinary process and has been given an opportunity to improve their performance before they are terminated.
What to Do If an Employer Offers a Compromise Agreement
It is not uncommon for an employer to attempt to circumvent the disciplinary process by offering a settlement agreement to an employee, in order to end the legal proceedings in the shortest time possible. This is often done where an employee has been accused of gross misconduct, or if there is a serious issue with discrimination and/or whistleblowing and the business wants to avoid a tribunal.
In other cases, an employer may choose to offer an agreement if they feel that it is in their best interests to do so. A business might also offer an agreement in order to avoid a long, drawn out procedure for redundancy or redundancy and avoid a lengthy notice period. In this case, the business will need to have a full and proper redundancy procedure in place before they can offer an employee a position.
If an employee accepts a compromise agreement, they will need to be formally constructive dismissal lawyer near me from their role and the employment relationship will come to an end. A specialist employment solicitor can assist in drafting and creating this document, and can also advise on whether it meets the stipulations required for it to be legally binding. This includes the requirement that the document contains a certificate from a lawyer and that the employer contributes towards an employee’s legal fees. By following the right procedures and taking specialist advice, you can reduce the risks and speed up the process.