22 March 2021
Employment Team hires expert Investigations and Employee Relations Consultant
Birketts has recruited Sarah Empson as an Investigations and Employee Relations Consultant.
Qualifying as a Solicitor in May 1993, with almost 20 years’ experience specialising in employment law, Sarah is an expert in handling sensitive cases with the upmost care and professionalism. Since 2002, she has specialised in employment law and has worked both at law firms and in-house at global businesses in their HR departments, providing employment relations advice and litigating for both employers and employees. Joining Birketts’ top-tier Legal 500 Employment Team, she will be working in one of the biggest dedicated employment law teams in the East of England.
Sarah has worked at a large global professional services company for the last seven years as their UK Employee Relations Manager. Investigating their most challenging employee relations issues, handling employment tribunal cases and ACAS conciliation, as well as advising on disciplinaries, grievances, health issues, policy changes and manager training, her detailed understanding of workplace employment issues and policy means she is perfectly equipped to investigate employee relations concerns for Birketts’ clients.
Sarah said: “I’m delighted to join the Birkett’s Employment Team and have had a really warm welcome. The opportunity to work with some of the biggest businesses with talented colleagues is one I am excited to seize. Investigations require trust and transparency from all parties, and Birketts’ reputation for providing clear legal advice and unrivalled client service are priorities I value highly. I am looking forward to making a real difference for our clients in the coming months and working with my new colleagues across all disciplines at the firm.”
Jeanette Wheeler, Partner in Birketts’ Employment Team, added: “Sarah is efficient, focused and comes to Birketts with a wealth of experience in employment law and employee relations – I know she will be a tremendous asset to our Investigations Team and Birketts as a whole. The benefit of her ability to translate the often-complex nature of employee investigations into clear, concise and robust reports cannot be overstated.
Her appointment comes at a time when employee tribunal backlogs are at a 10-year high and the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is ending, likely to be followed by a deluge of employment law and investigation matters. Both Sarah and Birketts’ Employment Team are ready and able to help employees and employers through these challenging times.”
