Who actually looks after the settlement of settlement agreement?

by Hudson Mckenzie Lawyers and Solicitors who understand you

The objective of a settlement agreement between an employer and employee is initially to safeguard the employer from rights by the employee, and in response, for the employee surrendering their rights to emerge out claims the employer pays a decided sum in compensation.

Of course, there are numbers of other terms encompassed, including intellectual property, privacy, restrictive agreements, and more. Most often the agreement is also the legal tool that dismisses the employee’s contract of employment, so there is no resignation or dismissal, but this differs depending on the conditions.

The settlement agreement turns into a binding contract once it is brought into action. This includes both parties entering into it (sometimes as a deed) and generally also the adviser signing an added certificate (more on this later). But if, in most of the cases, the document holds a waiver of statutory employment rights (instead of just contractual rights), then it isn’t compulsory, or at least is challengeable if does not fulfill with the statutory requirements overriding settlement agreements.

These are a group of provisions limited primarily in section 203(3) of the Employment Rights Act 1996 and reflected within numerous other pieces of legislation which come in an extra stage of protection for the employee.

They include:

· The agreement should be in writing

· It must associate with a specific complaint or proceedings, i.e. list the potential claims being waived

· The employee must seek legal advice from settlement agreement lawyers in London on the terms and effect of the agreement and its effect on their ability to challenge any rights before an employment tribunal

· The third-party adviser must have an existing contract of insurance, or professional indemnity insurance, including the risk of a claim against them by the employee in regard to the advice

· The agreement must determine the adviser

· It must mention that the conditions controlling settlement agreements under the relevant statutory provisions have been met.

If there is any confusion about the eligibility of an employee’s settlement agreement lawyers in London, then the employer must gratify itself that the individual suggesting the employee is in fact properly qualified and fulfills one of the statutory categories set out above. If they’re unable to do this, then as the employer, they carry the risk that the waivers in the agreement may not be applicable, and no employer wishes to transfer money in return for a promise that isn’t worth the paper it is mentioned on.

As the statutory safeguards are there to protect the employee in these conditions, there is no corresponding statutory need that the employer has to obtain legal advice. However, this would be highly practical in the circumstances, and in most of the cases, employers do. It is highly imperative for both parties to teach a (different) specialist employment lawyer to ensure their rights and interests are displayed, and their legal obligations clarified to them.