The past few months have been difficult for all businesses and there have been widespread redundancies in the Kettering and Corby area. Instead of going through a redundancy process many employees are now being offered Settlement Agreements (formerly known as Compromise Agreements) and accepting enhanced redundancy packages. As our role as independent legal advisers we can often arrange these meetings at short notice as we are aware that offers that are made by employers often have a deadline for acceptance. Many of the meetings are arranged on the same day as the enquiry and the legal costs are paid by the employer.

A Settlement Agreement is a legally binding contract that brings your employment to an end. A condition of a valid Settlement Agreement is that the document is reviewed by an independent legal adviser who will check that the terms offered to the employee are fair. Usually an employee is notified that there is going to be a redundancy situation and is invited to an initial consultation meeting. We find that it is shortly after this initial consultation meeting that an ‘off the record’ discussion is had where the employee is offered a Settlement Agreement.

Employees usually negotiate the terms with the employer direct and the terms typically include;

1. A payment for the notice period
2. A termination payment
3. An agreed reference

During the current time we have been conducting these meetings via Skype and Zoom and we now have the ability to meet clients in the office while adhering to social distancing guidelines from the government. Glenn Robinson is a Partner based at our Kettering office and has years of experience in advising on this type of agreement.

When we meet to discuss the Settlement Agreement we carefully explain each clause to ensure that you understand exactly what you are signing up to. There are often confidentiality clauses that govern who you can speak to about the Settlement Agreement and what you can and cannot do during the final weeks of your employment. Meetings usually take between 45 minutes and an hour and can be arranged at both our offices in Kettering and Corby. We can facilitate meeting requests via Skype and Zoom and also on the telephone if you would prefer.

Contact us now if you need assistance with a Settlement Agreement:

01536 745168 – Corby office

01536 513195 – Kettering office

If you would prefer to email us: Enquiries@Lamb-Holmes.co.uk and in the subject line write “Settlement agreement”.