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 Employment law for employers

Employment law for employers

Our dedicated team of employment law solicitors put your business needs and commercial interests at the heart of their support and advice.

Overview

Solution driven advice for employers in all sectors

We pride ourselves on getting to know our clients’ organisations, so when we work together on any given matter, we’ll rely on applying our legal knowledge with an understanding of the issues facing your sector.

From offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness, Thurso, Elgin and Shetland our advice and strategic support is focused on providing practical, straightforward and solution-driven assistance for your employment law issues in Scotland & across the UK.

The team acts for a broad range of clients – from Government, Government agencies and public sector organisations, to multinational corporations, family-owned businesses and leading third sector employers – advising and representing them in Scotland, England and beyond.

Your work may require more than specialist employment law expertise, with data, governance, corporate or commercial issues often required alongside. You’ll benefit from the knowledge contained across the departments within one of Scotland’s leading law firms, providing you joined up advice from specialist solicitors in other disciplines, when required.

We can add value to your organisation through our open approach to discussing your appreciation of risk, with a joined up approach to assessing how decisions will help or hinder you achieving your strategic objectives.

Why choose us for your employment law advice?

When you work with us we become your trusted advisers first, and lawyers second. Our advice on employment transactions and contracts is down-to-earth, practical and makes complete business sense.

We’re also innovative in the way we deliver our services, providing transparent management information and a range of billing options to suit your needs, including our individually bespoke retainer scheme.

In addition to high quality legal advice, we offer tailored training and seminar programmes which focus on the issues relevant to our clients.

Services

Our services

From helping with advising on HR issues and policies which can help you to avoid workplace disputes in the first place to representing our clients at Employment Tribunals if the need arises, our specialists can guide you through all aspects of employment law.

Tailored training

Overview

Our bespoke training programs allow HR, executives, managers and employees alike to upskill or refresh their understanding of a variety of areas of employment law and HR practice including:

  • Recruitment pitfalls and getting it right
  • Investigations
  • Assessing evidence, weighing it up and making well-reasoned, robust decisions
  • A fair workplace and the rules on pay, hours and holidays
  • Compliance with and promotion of equal opportunities and discrimination law
  • Whistleblowing
  • Managing and reducing absence and short or long term illnesses
  • Disability discrimination problems
  • Appeals – reviews, re-hearings, fairness and mitigating risk

Work

Our work

Public sector

Overview

We have longstanding relationships advising and representing many national public sector organisations and local authorities across all of Scotland, from the Highlands and Islands, through the central belt and down to Dumfries and Galloway.

Recent work has included equal pay disputes; equalities; tribunal representation; appeal tribunal representation; Court of Session litigation; business transfers; reasonable adjustments; public sector equality duty; disciplinary; grievance; job evaluation; pay grading advice; common law duty of care; harassment; victimisation; whistleblowing; leading investigations; performance management; absence management; appointments; exits; settlement agreements; introducing new policies and procedures; compliance with the public sector finance manual; employment relations including trade union relations; collective bargaining; holiday pay issues; coronavirus issues; effective training; and compliance reviews.

Private sector

Overview

Our portfolio of private sector employers ranges from billion dollar international listed corporations, to multi-national service providers who assist household names, to tech, sports, retail and family-owned business.

Recent work has included advisory on the full employment life cycle; equalities including effective training; whistleblowing; redundancy; TUPE; equal pay; tribunal representation; appeal tribunal representation; Court of Session litigation; business transfers; disability discrimination compliance; reasonable adjustments; disciplinary; grievance; job evaluation; common law duty of care; harassment; victimisation; performance management; absence management; recruitment; exits; settlement agreements; pensions issues; holiday pay; working time; minimum wage compliance; introducing new policies and procedures; health & safety compliance; coronavirus issues; effective training; compliance reviews; confidential information and business protections including restrictive covenants.

Business transfers and TUPE

Overview

We have considerable experience of helping clients with business transfers and TUPE, assisting clients in acquiring or disposing of businesses, advising on more than 60 in the past year alone.

Recent work has included ordinary business transfers on sale, merger and disposal; service provision change TUPE transfers; offshoring TUPE transfers; tri-partite settlement agreements; information and consultation exercises; disputes connected to transfers; warranties, indemnities and guarantees including parent company protections.

Recruitment

Overview

We advise the recruitment sector and are an Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) trusted partner. Our clients within the sector include employment agencies, employment businesses and ancillary entities such as umbrella companies. Our recruitment clients vary from small third sector recruiters to large international agencies.

We have extensive experience in advising on and assisting with the wide-ranging legal and compliance challenges faced by the recruitment sector in respect of their own staff, agency workers and contractors. In conjunction with other advisers within the firm, we advise on matters ranging from data protection, Modern Slavery Act, Agency Worker Regulations and IR35 compliance to drafting complex contractual documentation, policies and procedures.

A focus of our work for our recruitment clients is business protection and ensuring that protective steps, including court action where necessary, are taken to preserve confidential information, the stability of their workforce, their candidate database and client connection.

Housing

Overview

Our work within the housing sector is as extensive as it is varied.  We act for some of the largest landlords in Scotland but also value our relationships with smaller independent landlords, providing vital housing and services in the heart of Scotland’s communities.

Recently we have advised on disputes including tribunal representation; exits including compliance with the Scottish Housing Regulator requirements; investigations; interacting with the Scottish Housing Regulator on whistleblowing issues; introducing new policies and procedures; employment relations including trade union relations; collective bargaining; equalities; business transfers; reasonable adjustments; disciplinary; grievance; job evaluation; pay grading advice; harassment; victimisation; performance management; absence management; appointments; exits; settlement agreements; introducing new policies and procedures; working time regulations; minimum wage compliance; holiday pay issues; coronavirus issues; effective training; and compliance reviews; EVH terms and conditions; exiting EVH; pensions issues including exiting final salary schemes.

Testimonials

“Harper Macleod’s subject matter expertise and guidance are exceptional.”

– Chambers UK 2025

“The service levels and responsiveness at Harper Macleod are very strong. We always receive a quick and responsive service.”

– Chambers UK 2025

The team has great knowledge of matters, with nothing left unanswered.”

– Chambers UK 2025

“The firm is very professional.”

– Legal 500 2025

“Harper Macleod has a comprehensive team of professionals who can provide support and assistance across a plethora of legal subjects. This enables the client to focus on the issues at hand whilst the professionals take on the role of leading and managing the legal issue.”

– Legal 500 2025

“I found the practice, from enquiry to engagement to fulfilment, effortless and supportive, which gave me confidence during a challenging time with my ex-employer.”

– Legal 500 2025

“I have dealt with Harper Macleod for over ten years and have nothing but respect and admiration for the firm. I also use them for my own personal legal matters as I have total confidence in their professionalism and in the quality of their staff and advice.”

– HM client

“They have provided us with excellent support and advice, sometimes at very short notice. They are fully knowledgeable and helpful with any advice needed, or reviews of documentation.”

– The Legal 500 2024

“Practical, no-nonsense application of the law.”

– The Legal 500 2024

“Bruce Caldow has extensive experience in this area of law, and is well regarded within the profession. He is an effective and resourceful negotiator who sees through legal difficulties to find the best solutions for his clients.”

– The Legal 500 2023

“Scott Milligan is a very knowledgeable partner who will provide very impactful advice that is reasonable in understanding the business stance and highlights risk in any employment law issue.”

– The Legal 500 2023

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CONTACT US

Glasgow Edinburgh Inverness Elgin Thurso Shetland
Get in touch

Call us for free on 0330 159 5555 or complete our online form below to submit your enquiry or arrange a call back.

Speak to us today on 0330 159 5555

Get in touch

CONTACT US

Get in touch

Call us for free on 0330 159 5555 or complete our online form below to submit your enquiry or arrange a call back.