Hurmus Oltan

Recent Work

• Providing practical and commercial advice to employers in relation to day-to-day helpline queries regarding all elements of the employment relationship, including advice on disciplinary and grievance matters, variation of contracts and termination of employment issues.
• Managing Employment Tribunal claims on behalf of employers from start to finish, principally in relation to unfair dismissal and discrimination claims, which involved advising on the merits of the claims and potential liability, and complying with case management directions.
• Corporate support – providing advice to organisations in relation to their obligations under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE) on business sales / acquisitions, and drafting associated documentation (such as employment warranties and indemnities within Business Purchase Agreements).
• Advising on the applicability or otherwise of TUPE to various transactions (both in the context of business transfers and service provision changes) and its implications.
• Drafting employment contracts, policies and procedures tailored to specific businesses (of all sizes) and client requirements.
• Advised a public limited company in relation to the employment issues concerning the change to the place of work of 73 employees that transferred to the company under TUPE. She successfully advised the client regarding the implementation of a “risk-minimal” exit strategy in relation to some of the employees who had transferred by implementing robust performance targets and measures to monitor their performance.
• Delivered time-critical advice and assistance to a client company in relation to the merits of the claims of a former employee who raised, amongst other things, whistleblowing allegations and made threats to disclose the client’s alleged wrongdoing to the regulatory authorities imminently before the company was due to take steps to become publicly traded (i.e. due to announce the pricing of its Initial Public Offering (IPO) within 72 hours).
• Conducted advocacy and represented an employer client at a Preliminary Hearing in the Newcastle Employment Tribunal concerning claims of (amongst other things) automatic unfair dismissal and pregnancy related discrimination (all of which were subsequently dismissed at the full Tribunal hearing).
• Represented a local authority employer during Employment Tribunal proceedings for claims of unfair dismissal and age discrimination by a former employee with over 25 years’ service who was dismissed for poor performance. Successfully negotiated a low commercial settlement (in the sum of £4,000) on behalf of the local authority prior to the Employment Tribunal hearing. Potential liability was in the region of £50,000.