Employment law solicitors in Manchester | Employees and employers

Primus Solicitors has an employment law department in Manchester. We act for employees who have been dismissed, pushed out, underpaid or treated unfairly at work, and for employers who need a contract, a dismissal or a dispute handled properly. Advice is by phone, video or at our office, for clients across England and Wales.

The law is changing fast. Tribunal time limits doubled to six months on 1 October 2026, and from 1 January 2027 most employees can claim unfair dismissal after six months' service, with no cap on compensation. Whichever side you are on, get advice before you act.

For employees

Unfair dismissal, wrongful dismissal and constructive dismissal, including advice before you resign.
Settlement agreements: the advice and signed certificate the law requires, usually paid for by your employer.
Discrimination, harassment and victimisation because of race, religion, sex, pregnancy or maternity, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or marriage.
Redundancy: whether the selection was fair, whether the payment is right, and whether there should have been consultation.
Unpaid wages, holiday pay, notice pay and sick pay.
Whistleblowing, and being treated badly for raising a concern.
Grievances, disciplinary hearings and performance processes: what to say, what to put in writing, and when to take advice.
Employment tribunal claims, from Acas early conciliation to the final hearing.

For employers

Contracts of employment, written statements, handbooks and policies brought up to date for the Employment Rights Act 2025.
Disciplinary, grievance, capability and sickness processes run so that a dismissal will stand up.
Redundancy and restructuring, including selection, consultation and the higher protective award that applies since April 2026.
Settlement agreements and protected conversations, drafted so the offer cannot be used against you.
Defending employment tribunal claims, from the first Acas call to the hearing.
The new duty, from late October 2026, to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, including by customers and clients.
Sponsored workers: right to work checks, reporting duties and what a dismissal means for the worker and your sponsor licence. Our immigration team works alongside us, so you get one answer on both.

How your case runs

A consultation with a solicitor. We tell you whether you have a claim or a risk, what it is likely to be worth or cost, and how long it will take. If it is not worth pursuing, we say so.
A written fee estimate or fixed fee before any further work.
Letters, a grievance or negotiation first, because most disputes settle without a hearing.
If it does not settle: Acas early conciliation, the claim or response, evidence, witness statements and the hearing, with a barrister where the case needs one.

Your solicitors

Our employment work is led by Kashif Iqbal and Abid Hussain, both solicitors regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. One of them handles your case from the first call to the end, and you can reach them directly.

Time limits

Most employment tribunal claims must be started within six months less one day of the act you are complaining about, for problems arising on or after 1 October 2026. For earlier problems the limit was three months less one day. You must contact Acas for early conciliation before you can claim, which pauses the clock. Missing the limit usually ends the claim, so do not wait for an internal appeal to finish before taking advice.

What changes and when

6 April 2026: statutory sick pay from the first day of sickness and without the lower earnings limit; day one paternity and unpaid parental leave; the maximum protective award for failing to consult on collective redundancies doubled.
1 October 2026: most tribunal time limits extended from three months to six.
Late October 2026: the duty to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, and to prevent harassment by third parties.
1 January 2027: the unfair dismissal qualifying period falls from two years to six months, the cap on the compensatory award is removed, and fire and rehire is restricted.
Later in 2027: stronger protection for pregnant women and new mothers, changes to flexible working and zero-hours contracts, and bereavement leave. Dates are not yet fixed.

These dates were checked on 20 October 2026. We update this page as each measure comes into force.

What it costs

A consultation with a solicitor is £80 for half an hour or £200 for an hour, deducted from our fee if you instruct us within 30 days. Settlement agreement advice is usually paid by your employer. Our fees for unfair and wrongful dismissal claims start at £1,800 plus VAT for a simple claim, and the full ranges are on our fees page. Work for employers is quoted as a fixed fee where we can. We consider no-win-no-fee arrangements for suitable claims.

Questions people ask

Do I need two years' service to claim unfair dismissal?

For dismissals up to 31 December 2026, in most cases yes. For dismissals from 1 January 2027 the period is six months. Some claims have never needed any service, including discrimination, whistleblowing and dismissal for asserting a legal right.

Is there a fee to bring a tribunal claim?

No. There is no fee to start an employment tribunal claim in England and Wales at present. Each side usually pays its own legal costs whatever the result.

How long does a claim take?

Many claims settle during Acas early conciliation or soon after the claim is issued, within two to four months. A claim that goes to a final hearing often takes a year or more because of tribunal waiting lists.

My employer has asked me to a meeting about leaving. What should I do?

Go, listen and say little. Ask for any offer in writing and do not agree anything on the spot. Then send it to us: it may be a protected conversation, and the terms are usually negotiable.

I am on a sponsored work visa. Can I still bring a claim?

Yes. Your employment rights do not depend on your visa. If you are dismissed, your employer must report it and your permission will usually be cut short, often to 60 days, so we advise on the claim and your Skilled Worker visa position together.

We are a small employer. Do the new rules apply to us?

Yes. The Employment Rights Act 2025 changes apply to employers of every size. The six-month unfair dismissal rule matters most for small firms, because anyone who started work with you before July 2026 will have it on 1 January 2027.

Our Manchester office and national service

We are at First Floor, 402 Palatine Road, Northenden, Manchester M22 4FZ, open Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5.30pm, with free parking nearby and the M60 and Wythenshawe tram stops close by. Most clients outside Greater Manchester deal with us by phone and video; we also attend hearings across England and Wales. If you would prefer to meet in person, we can arrange a meeting in your own town by advance arrangement. We advise in English, Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi, Pashto and Farsi.

Ask a question

Not sure where you stand? Ask a solicitor and we will reply by phone or email, or send an enquiry for a free initial assessment.

Employment law solicitors

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