Casey Smith, Trainee Solicitor at Blythe Liggins LLP, reflects on the first seat of her training contract in the Employment Department.

“The first day of my training contract I felt extremely anxious, but the family feel at Blythe Liggins put me at ease straightaway. I knew that I had their complete support to guide me through this process, which will help me move forward in my legal career. It has since occurred to me that this is exactly how our clients can feel when faced with an employment situation, uneasy to begin with but once they have instructed Blythe Liggins, reassured that they have someone on their side, to help them reach a solution and move on with their lives.

“Unfortunately, the impact of Covid-19 in the workplace has left some employers with the difficult decision to reduce their workforce or restructure their businesses. This has resulted in a significant increase in the number of redundancies and settlement agreements offered to employees. This type of employment situation has made up most of my experience in the Employment Department and can be a very distressing and upsetting time for clients. However, Richard Moon (Partner at Blythe Liggins and Head of the Employment Department), provides his clients with clear employment advice and participating in meetings with him has taught me how to resolve matters in the most effective and efficient way for our clients.

“On the other hand, for certain industries, business has never been better and their thriving workload has led to the need for new recruits. This has given me the opportunity to assist with preparing employment contracts swiftly for employers and developed my drafting skills.

“It is only during my training in the Employment Department that I have realised the importance of establishing the correct employment status. The recent case of Uber has demonstrated this, when the Supreme Court upheld the Employment Tribunal’s findings that Uber drivers were in fact ‘workers’ and not self-employed contractors. This entitled Uber drivers to employment rights including National Minimum wage and paid annual leave.

“Overall, I have really enjoyed my experience in the Employment Department and I am extremely grateful to Richard Moon for the opportunities he has given me and his patience. Richard’s clients praise him on his thorough advice and during my 3 months training with him, it is not hard to see why!”

Richard Moon, has said that “Starting out on the long journey to pursue a career in the law can be a daunting experience but Casey has approached the start of her training contract with great aplomb. Her diligence, understanding and knowledge of the law will stand her in good stead for the remainder of her training contract”.

If you are facing an employment situation and you need legal advice, then please contact Richard Moon on 01926 831 231.

CAPTION: CASEY SMITH, TRAINEE SOLICITOR