A Day in the Life of Jaimie Whiteley, Employment and HR Lawyer
A Day in the Life of Jaimie Whiteley, Employment and HR Lawyer
7.50-8.00 – I like to get a head start on my work for the day whilst it’s quiet. I grab a coffee and log on to my computer.
8.00-8.30 – The first task of the day is to review and sort my emails. Doing this first thing in the morning ensures that I am aware of anything urgent which has come in the evening previously and can plan my day accordingly.
8.30-10.00 – I have a preliminary hearing this morning which is due to start at 10am. I review the file which I have prepared for the hearing which contains all the documents I will need. A preliminary hearing is a hearing which is designed to provide directions for things such as exchanging evidence and witness statements, it is also an opportunity for us to ask for claims to be struck out if we feel they have no reasonable prospects of success. This claim isn’t one of those and as such, I plan what directions I am going to ask the Judge for and anything else I want to say.
10.00 – 11.00 – The Preliminary hearing is, as expected, very straight forward. This is not always the case and you do need to be prepared because you never quite know what the Claimant is going to say or ask the Judge for, especially if they are a Litigant in Person which is becoming more and more common.
11.00-11.30 – I call my client for a de-brief to explain what has been decided at the Preliminary hearing. I then type up my file note of the hearing so that I have a record of what was said. I can use this in the next few weeks to check the new deadlines in the case because in many cases the Orders do not get sent to us by the Tribunal prior to the deadlines coming up.
11.30 – 13.00 – This morning, whilst checking my emails I noticed that an email I had been waiting for had come in with a contract to review. I review the contract and prepare a document setting out the clauses I feel need to be updated, what amendments I suggest to those clauses and any suggestions of relevant or new clauses which I feel would benefit the contract. It’s important that contracts are reviewed regularly in light of changes in the law or new case law to ensure they protect both employers and employees. I send the document and contract across to my supervisor to check and approve prior to sending the finalised document out to my client.
13.00 – 13.30 – I like to go out for a walk on my lunchbreak, the weather is lovely today and so I head out along the seafront for half an hour.
13.30 – 14.30 – When I get back to my desk, I draft a couple of letters regarding the ongoing compulsory vaccination issues in England to support our internal HR team. This is an area that is constantly changing, as the law develops and it is important that we are ready and can provide up to date documents and advice for clients to work with.
14.30 – 15.30 I notice that I have had a couple of emails from reception with new client enquiries. I call each new enquiry and discuss the issues they are facing. I provide one client with some initial advice on a disciplinary procedure and arrange a meeting with another for later in the week due to the matter being very complex.
15.30 – 16.30 – I have a meeting with one of my clients to take instructions for issuing proceedings. During the meeting we review everything that has happened so far. I remind the client of the risks of issuing proceedings and the work that will need to be done moving forward. I explain the current time scales involved with claims in the Employment Tribunal. I also double check all the basic details which I will require in order to submit the claim.
16.30 – 19.00 – I have a Tribunal starting next week and need to prepare my closing submissions. this is a task which takes a significant amount of time because closing submissions are the last thing the Tribunal will hear before making their decision on the case. I have already reviewed the hearing bundle from start to finish, having prepared this bundle quite some months ago it is important to make sure I have remembered all the details, and begin to draft the submissions. I finish my first draft at around 7pm, just in time for dinner!
Working as an Employment and HR lawyer is hugely varied, the work is often complex and challenging. There are so many different areas that I get to work on, one day I can be in Court and the next day I can be advising on contracts and employee handbooks. It’s great to be working in an area which can have such a big impact on people’s lives and businesses.
Jaimie is a keen sailor, read more about her Law Society racing here.
