How to get free legal advice about an employment problem

We explain where you may be able to get free or affordable legal advice about employment law and what you should do about your problem at work. It also where you can get advice if you are taking a case to an employment tribunal or want advice about how to settle the case.
Help for everyone with an employment problem

Firstly, check your motor, household contents and buildings insurance policies. You may find you have access to free legal advice on a range of subjects as part of your cover - these will often include employment problems. 

If you are a member of a Trades Union you may have access to free or discounted legal services as part of your membership. Check your Union's website for details.

Advicelocal will help you to find organisations providing advice with problems relating to employment and work issues near you. Enter your postcode, choose employment from the drop-down topic menu and search. Scroll down to the 'Where to get advice' section. This will tell you about any Citizen’s Advice, law centres, or independent advice agencies in your county. (Beware - it misses out ones near you but in another county or borough - some of which may be able to help you). If there is a service near you, look at their website or contact them to ask for an appointment.

ACAS - Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service offers free advice and guidance on rights at work and employment law. Helpline number: 0300 123 1100. Line open Monday to Friday 8am-6pm. If you are taking a claim to an employment tribunal they also offer 'early conciliation' (a kind of mediation that aims to help you resolve the problem with your employer without having to go to tribunal). 

Law Centres sometimes provide free legal advice on employment problems. Search for a law centre near you that helps with employment issues on Law Centre Network’s website.

LawWorks supports a network of over 280 free legal advice clinics that provide initial advice to individuals on various areas of law, including employment. Use their search to see if there is a clinic near you offering advice on employment. In order to use the time efficiently, please see What to bring to your appointment at a LawWorks clinic (PDF).

Low cost help

YESS are an employment law charity that specialise in helping people to come to agreements without going to an employment tribunal.

YESS offer a free initial 20 minutes of advice and then agree a fee depending your income (people on a low income pay less than those on higher incomes). You can pay an affordable hourly rate or a fixed amount for the whole piece of work. Where they can they try to get your employer to pay for your legal advice.

If you live or work in Greater London they can sometimes assist for free. You can book your free call through their website.

For people in London

Employment Law for London connects employees and workers living in London with a volunteer lawyer for a free 30-minute telephone advice appointment about your employment problem.

To access the service call 0207 633 4534 and leave a voicemail with your name and phone number. A law student will call you back to take some information and hen an appointment with a volunteer lawyer will be made for you. Read more about what they can help with on their website.

Mary Ward Legal Centre also offer one off 45-minute appointments on employment matters. Complete an enquiry form to request an appointment.

Help for people going to an employment tribunal

Employment Tribunal Litigant in Person Support scheme (ELIPS) can give you free advice if your case is being heard at one of the below Employment Tribunals:

  • London Central
  •  Bristol
  •  Cardiff
  • Midlands West
  • Newcastle
  • Leeds
  • Manchester

And you have either a hearing, a case management order, or judicial mediation within 2 weeks of the clinic date (e.g. for the clinic on 3 October 2024, only those with hearings or case management order on or before 17th October will be eligible).

If you meet the criteria above, please email the Pro Bono Administrator at elips@elaweb.org.uk two weeks before the date of the clinic. They are not able to help everyone but if there are spaces available, you will be contacted.  Prepare for your hearing by reading our advice on employment tribunal preparation. Don’t send any documents until you have been asked for them but have them with you if you are offered an appointment.
 
ELIPS volunteers provide support in the form of one-off advice on the day of the clinic.  They are not able to provide longer term help.

Support Through Court do not provide advice but offer practical help to people taking a case to an employment tribunal. They aim to help you represent yourself more confidently by providing practical advice, information and emotional support. Support Through Court volunteers can help you fill in forms, organise your papers and your thoughts, and refer you to organisations who can give you legal advice or representation.   They have a national helpline staffed by volunteers. The helpline is free, confidential and independent from the court. Call 0300 081 0006 open 10.30-3.30pm Monday to Friday.

Advocate may be able to help find you a barrister who can provide you with free advice or representation at a tribunal hearing anywhere in England and Wales. You can apply for help if you are not eligible for legal aid and don't have enough money to pay for legal help.

You can apply directly online using their form and uploading your documents with it. You need to send a completed application form at least three weeks before the hearing or deadline for the piece of work you want help with. Should you find it easier you can also fill out a paper application form which you can print from their website or email enquiries@weareadvocate.org.uk to ask for one.

Advocate provide help for one piece of work at a time, for example, you could be approved for some free legal advice, and then maybe some free representation depending on the outcome of the advice. Find out more about how it works and find the online form. Once you have submitted your application, it is assessed by the casework team to make sure there is enough information about your case to decide if you are eligible for free help. The team may ask you for more documents or information if the form is not complete. Once the casework team is satisfied that they have enough information, your application will be sent to a senior reviewer to decide if your case fits the financial and legal merits. If the reviewer decides you are eligible and the work will take three days or less, the Advocate team will start looking for a barrister to help you. Because they rely on volunteers, they cannot guarantee to find someone, but they will do their best. If they can't find someone, they will let you know before your hearing.

Advocate finds barristers to help you with a particular task in your case. They cannot find someone to take a whole case for free. So, if your application is successful, you will receive help for that specific task. After that, if you need further help you can apply again, providing at least three weeks' notice. 

YESS are an employment law charity who can help you to agree a settlement with your employer or represent you in judicial mediation (they don’t do employment tribunal hearings and can’t help you prepare documents or comply with case management orders). YESS offer a free initial 20 minutes of advice and then agree a fee depending your income (people on a low income pay less than those on higher incomes). You can pay an affordable hourly rate or a fixed amount for the whole piece of work. Where they can, they try to get your employer to pay for your legal advice. If you live or work in Greater London they can sometimes assist for free. 

Free Representation Unit can provide representation at an employment tribunal if your hearing will be heard in London, the South East of England or Nottingham and if you are referred to them by another agency. Check their website for more details on who can refer to them. 

Help for parents

Working Families provides free and confidential advice to parents and carers about their employment rights including maternity and paternity leave, rights to time off in an emergency, parental leave and flexible working. You can call their Legal Helpline on 0300 012 0312 Monday - Friday 11 - 2pm (closed on bank holidays). Beware that calls are not free, but charged at the same rate as national landline calls. 

Maternity Action offers advice and information to help you understand and take up your rights and entitlements throughout your pregnancy, maternity leave and return to work. They can help anyone in England and Wales but look at their website for details of the helpline opening times or number as it depends on where you are in the country (they have additional funding to help people from Manchester, Cheshire and Merseyside). They are very busy and are not able to help everyone who contacts them. 

Help for people experiencing discrimination

Equality and Advisory Support Service can advise you if you think you are being discriminated against and want further help. Their helpline is open Monday to Friday 9am to 7pm and Saturday 10am to 2pm - 0808 800 0082. Or you can contact them through their website.

If your problem is about discrimination at work and you (and your partner, if you have one) are low earners and have very few savings, you might be eligible for legal aid. This is government financial support for an employment law problem. Check if you might qualify on GOV.UK. Unfortunately, most people don’t.

Help for disabled people

Disability Law Service provides free confidential legal advice  in writing or over the phone to people with disabilities and their carers about (among other things) employment law and discrimination at work. Call: 0207 791 9800, Monday - Friday 9.30am - 5.30pm and choose option 3 or email: employment@dls.org.uk. They try to get back to you in 3-5 days. 
 
As well as advice, they are able to provide support with preparing your case and sometimes representation at tribunal, but only to disabled people in the London area.

Help for women experiencing sexual harassment at work

Rights of Women provide initial advice and support for women experiencing sexual harassment (or need help identifying if it is sexual harassment). See the website for opening hours of the advice line.

Help for people considering whistleblowing

If you are worried about something harmful or wrong-doing happening at your work and you are thinking of telling someone about it, Protect can help you. They provide free, independent and confidential legal advice. Call: 020 3117 2520 or you can fill in an online contact form. Their advice line is open Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays: 9:30am - 1pm, 2pm - 5:30pm; Wednesdays and Fridays: 9:30am - 1pm. Anyone in need of advice outside of those times can reach them via their contact form and they can make arrangements to call you back.

Help for victims of forced labour or modern slavery

The Modern Slavery Helpline from Unseen offers callers who are potential victims help to consider their options, access crisis assistance, emotional support, help with access to social and legal services and help to connect with law enforcement agencies to get out of the situation and stay safe. If you don't speak English, they will connect you to an interpreter. Call 08000 121 700. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

If you cannot find any free advice or representation

Many people cannot get any free advice. If you can afford it, it would still be sensible to get some advice. Most solicitors will offer a short free consultation and then you can decide if you want further help and discuss how much it will cost you. You can find qualified solicitors near you on the Law Society website.

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Change of contract

I am presently on a 4 day a week contract with my employer. I have now been given an ultimatum to work 5 days a week or be made to accept redundancy.

I have 2 questions: Firstly, is this legitimate? And secondly, if it is legitimate, have I the right to ask for an increased redundancy package under constructive dismissal?

5
on the 11 / 02 / 2024

Patrick1783@gmail.com

I am presently on a 4 day a week contract with my employer. I have now been given an ultimatum to work 5 days a week or be made to accept redundancy.

I have 2 questions: Firstly, is this legitimate? And secondly, if it is legitimate, have I the right to ask for an increased redundancy package under constructive dismissal?

5
on the 11 / 02 / 2024

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