HR & Employment Law Newcastle

Employment Law & HR

Our employment law solicitors in Newcastle provide expert legal guidance tailored to your business needs. Whether you require day-to-day HR support, employment law training, or representation in tribunals, we offer practical, results-driven solutions. Our flexible fee structures ensure you receive high-quality advice within your budget.

How we can help

Our Newcastle based employment solicitors understand that your people are your greatest strength. We take the time to understand your organisation and culture, tailoring our approach to help you achieve your commercial goals.

Employment law with Hay & Kilner

Our team of employment law solicitors in Newcastle build close relationships with businesses across various sectors, providing legal and commercial HR advice with a results-driven focus. Clients value our practical, common-sense approach, quick response times, and ongoing support.
We offer flexible fee options, including fixed fees, monthly retainers, account limits, or hourly rates, allowing you to budget effectively while accessing expert legal advice.

HR key is designed to provide your business with instant and pragmatic employment law advice – managing your employment law risks for a fixed monthly fee.

Advice you can trust
Our employment law services team are all experienced solicitors trusted to advise on all aspects of employment law. They will get to know your business needs in order to provide the best possible solutions no matter how simple or complex they may be - there are options for all.

An everyday righthand
From unlimited telephone advice to readily available HR documents, you can be rest assured that you have everything you need should any employment law issues arise. By having a dedicated employment law solicitor to handle your queries, we hope to work with you to build a long-lasting partnership.

A focus on what matters
Once you have HR Key in place you can be confident that your business is compliant to UK employment law, and our annual audit guarantees that you’re never caught out! With these processes in place, you can focus on other aspects of your business, as Hay & Kilner have your businesses employment law taken care of.

Explore how HR Key can elevate your business with expert employment law and HR solutions Our experienced solicitors offer tailored advice, enabling you to focus on your core activities.

Contact Hay & Kilner for a tailored quote and to find out how our employment law specialists can help your business.

We have vast experience of pro-actively managing claims in Employment Tribunals across the UK. This often leads to them being withdrawn or settled on a commercial basis. We offer insurance protection against tribunal claims – either sitting alongside our monthly retainer products or stand-alone insurance. Alternatively we can conduct claims on a pre-agreed, fixed fee basis.

We will:

  • Prepare and submit the ET3 Response and Grounds of Resistance
  • Prepare all necessary documentation and representation for a preliminary hearing
  • Comply with all directions set by the employment tribunal
  • Make and respond to appropriate applications during the process
  • Compile and finalise the bundle of documents to be used as evidence by the tribunal
  • Speak with witnesses, draft all statements and exchange them with the employee/their representative
  • Continue to progress settlement discussions if required via ACAS and the employee/their representative
  • Prepare for the full hearing of the issues

As we strive to be as open and honest as possible about fees, you can find further information on how much this work may cost you with our guide to costs for employment tribunals.

Need to know more about employment tribunal rules, how employment tribunals work, how long employment tribunals take and more, contact Hay & Kilner to speak to our employment law solicitors based in Newcastle.

HR Showcase is our dedicated fixed-fee employment law training service available to all sizes and types of employers.

The service has been designed by our employment law solicitors to provide practical guidance for making stronger decisions and reduce risk in the employment law and HR environment.
Some of our popular employment law training sessions include:

  • dealing with disciplinary procedures
  • managing grievance issues
  • equal opportunities
  • performance management
  • sickness absence management

Need employment law training for your business? Contact Hay & Kilner’s team of employment law specialists, who will be happy to assist you.

We regularly advise on the employment law aspects of outsourcing/insourcing and business acquisitions/disposals.

We will manage the full scope of employment related transactional work, including due diligence, drafting employment provisions, calculating employment related liabilities, and advising on benefits, incentives and bonus arrangements. We can also successfully navigate the post transactional period, including managing redundancies, restructurings and dismissals, helping you avoid any employment law liabilities and costly claims.

Need further support from employment law specialists on outsourcing or business acquisitions? Get in touch with our team of employment law solicitors here at Hay & Kilner.

Whether you have just hired a key employee, or are wary of aggressive competitors, ensuring your employment law contracts have clear, up to date and legally compliant business protection clauses is key to safeguarding your business and protecting your workforce.

Many issues arise with departing employees due to a lack of clarity and precision in employment law contracts, or due to a lack of the necessary protection altogether. Litigation with ex-employees or competitors can be extremely costly and time consuming; hence our ethos ‘prevention is better than cure’!

For a fixed fee of £750 (+VAT) we will conduct an in-depth review of your existing clauses or provide fresh, up to date wording, tailored specifically to your businesses employment contract law needs, including confidentiality provisions and restrictive covenants.

Get in touch with the Hay & Kilner team to find out more.

It is more important than ever that you take steps to safeguard your confidential information and protect your intellectual property. We can provide employment law advice on:

  • The use of non-disclosure agreements and confidentiality clauses
  • Protecting your intellectual property
  • Restrictive covenants
  • Injunctions and breach of contract claims
  • Policies you can introduce to help regulate the use of email, devices and social media.

When you take our employment insurance you can also access insurance for the pursuit and defence of restrictive covenants. This will cover:

  • A dispute with your employee, ex-employee or another party which arises from your employee or ex-employee’s breach of a restrictive covenant where you are seeking
  • financial remedy or damages provided that the restrictive covenant:
  • is designed to protect your legitimate business interests, and
  • is evidenced in writing and signed by your employee or ex-employee and
  • extends no further than is reasonably necessary to protect the business interests and
  • does not contain restrictions in excess of 12 months.
  • A dispute with another party who alleges that you have breached their legal rights protected by a restrictive covenant.

Get expert help and support from our employment law team and get in touch with Hay & Kilner today.

We have vast experience of working alongside senior executives to remedy employment law issues such as bonus disputes, settlement agreements and the terms of service agreements including restrictive covenants, notice and garden leave periods. Our corporate law solicitors can also advise on a director’s share options and shareholdings.

We have also pursued claims in the employment tribunals on behalf of senior executives and helped them defend injunction proceedings where it is alleged that they are in breach of their restrictive covenants.

We will complete a free check your HR policies and procedures to check adequacy. For a fixed fee, we can then draft any documents that need updating, including:

  • Terms and conditions of employment
  • Staff handbook
  • Director’s service agreements
  • Settlement agreements
  • Consultancy agreements
  • The documents needed to navigate ‘tricky’ employment issues i.e. grievances, disciplinary procedures, performance management, flexible working requests, redundancy consultations
  • Apprentice agreements

Our team of employment law solicitors have devised a suite of products, including HR Key and HR Key Plus, HR Showcase and HR Secure, giving you easy access to expert employment law advice and HR solutions when you need it.

This includes the right documents and employment law training to keep you and your organisation on the right side of the law, whilst managing your employment law risks for a fixed cost. Find out more about our HR Solutions and how our team of employment law specialists can help you by contacting Hay & Kilner.

Settlement agreements are legally binding contracts between employers and employees that outline the terms of an agreed departure. These agreements provide clarity and security, helping to prevent future claims.

Our expert solicitors will:

  • Draft, review, and negotiate terms to protect your business interests
  • Ensure compliance with legal requirements
  • Provide strategic advice to achieve a smooth resolution
  • Support both employers and employees in achieving fair settlements
  • We offer fixed-fee and bespoke solutions to help you manage workplace exits efficiently and with minimal risk.
Client via Legal 500 Legal 500 Client via Chambers & Partners Legal 500 Legal 500 Client via Chambers & Partners

The team has specialised expertise, a client-centric approach, and we value the pragmatic advice and rapid response.

The team's strength lies in its proactive client service. Specifically, Sarah Furness provides exceptional strategic insight.

I rate the employment team very highly. They are knowledgeable, very supportive and non-judgemental in their approach. They are also very responsive, I never have to wait for replies or action to be taken.

The quality of advice and engagement with clients is second to none. They are innovative in how they support and educate their client base and are also keen to keep abreast of the market changes and client needs. They listen and adapt their solutions accordingly.

A client centred practice. The innovative, regular round table discussions bringing HR leaders together are especially valued.

An absolutely exemplary team. They are understanding, direct, open, honest and give good advice. I'd recommend them to anyone in a heartbeat.

Meet the team

Sarah Furness
Sarah provides advice to employer clients on a range of employment law matters and in various sectors, including the care sector, manufacturing sector, charity sector and leisure and tourism sector. She assists our corporate team, advising in respect of business acquisitions and disposals. Sarah takes pride in getting …
Sarah Hall
Sarah has been advising clients on all aspects of employment law for over 25 years.
Tom Clarke
Tom advises employer clients on a full range of HR and employment law matters.
Inna Ratsebarska
Inna Ratsebarska is a Solicitor in our Employment Team.

Expert commentary & updates

Preparing for the Employment Rights Act: What employers need to do now
Sarah Furness, from our Employment Law & HR Team, outlines how employers can prepare for the Employment Rights Act, including recruitment, zero-hours contracts, sickness absence and workplace culture changes.
The Employment Rights Bill: What’s planned and how can employers prepare
Sarah Furness, from our Employment Law & HR Team, explains the key proposals in the UK Employment Rights Bill and what employers can do to prepare for upcoming changes.
Unfair dismissal: Recent cases and what they tell us
Tom Clarke from our Employment Law & HR Team, explains what two recent Tribunals mean for what does and does not amount to a potentially unfair dismissal.
A personal approach to employment law
Discover how Hay & Kilner’s Employment Law Team delivers pragmatic, tailored legal and HR advice to employers, helping businesses navigate evolving workplace issues with confidence.
Supreme Court ruling on trans rights: What employers need to know
What does the Supreme Court’s decision on trans rights mean for employers? Our Employment Law & HR Team outlines key workplace legal implications and employer responsibilities.
New ban on gagging clauses in settlement agreements as employment law reform timetable unveiled
Tom Clarke, from our Employment Law & HR Team, explains the new ban on gagging clauses in settlement agreements and what the employment law reform timetable means for employers and employees.
New right to neonatal care leave and pay
Sarah Furness, from our Employment Law & HR Tea, explains the new right to neonatal care leave and pay, outlining what employers and eligible parents need to know under UK employment law.

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Read more on employment law & HR FAQs:

Employment law issues are notoriously sensitive and often urgent. Keeping up with changes to UK employment law is crucial to avoiding reputational damage and costly disputes.

Our employment law solicitors work closely with clients to proactively manage their HR strategy through regular reviews, employment law training, and practical legal support. Clients value our hands-on approach, quick response times, and day-to-day HR support.

Whether you're a startup or an established business, we provide transparent, pragmatic, and business-focused employment law advice, covering:

  • Employment contracts
  • HR policies and compliance
  • Employment disputes and tribunals
  • Redundancies and restructuring

Our employment law solicitors in Newcastle provide expert legal advice and HR support, helping businesses:

  • Ensure compliance with UK employment law
  • Manage HR risks effectively
  • Handle employee disputes and grievances
  • Navigate employment tribunals
  • Draft and review employment contracts
  • Implement workplace policies and procedures

We offer fixed-fee employment law services, ensuring you have cost-effective access to expert legal support whenever you need it.

Our fixed-fee employment law services give businesses predictable costs and unlimited access to legal advice, without unexpected fees. Benefits include:

  • Budget-friendly legal support with no surprise costs
  • Ongoing HR guidance tailored to your business
  • Immediate legal advice when issues arise
  • Access to employment law training, contracts, and policies

Our HR Solutions ensure that businesses have reliable employment law protection, with flexible pricing to suit your needs. Get in touch with our employment law team to find out more.

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‘Hay & Kilner’ and ‘Hay & Kilner Law Firm’ are both trading names of Hay & Kilner LLP, a limited liability partnership registered in England & Wales with registered number OC418767. Our registered office is at The Lumen, St James' Boulevard, Newcastle Helix, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5BZ and we are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (Authorisation number 643191). We use the word ‘partner’ to refer to a member of Hay & Kilner LLP. A list of the members is available at our registered office.