Company Type: Social Media & Marketing Agency
Industry: Marketing & Creative Services
Client Profile: Employers and Leadership Teams Managing Risk
Calling All Scaling Marketing Agencies. Here’s why you NEED an Employment Law Retainer
Most businesses need clarity, pronto, when people issues arise.
This London and Manchester-based social media and marketing agency are no exception. They’re managing a growing team. This often comes with increasingly complex employee situations.
They need consistent, expert employment law advice on matters from management of absence to constructive dismissal - without unpredictable costs.
For all these reasons, an employment law retainer brings structure, savings, and sanity into their HR and legal processes.
They Didn’t See This Coming
This agency operates across London and Manchester, with clients nationwide. They were scaling fast, which is exactly what they’ve dreamt of. But they weren’t prepared for the inevitable people challenges that come with success.
Accordingly, their approach was purely reactive before partnering with Taurus HR & Employment Law:
• Paying per issue, often at short notice
• Seeking employment law advice late in the process, when situations had already escalated further than necessary
• Managing sensitive situations without consistent legal input
They knew there had to be a better way. But their business demanded more than casual support.
The Challenge of Ad Hoc Employment Law Support
A lack of a structured approach was causing multiple problems, such as:
• Rising costs from pay-as-you-go legal support
• Repeat fees for settlement agreements
• Risk around lawful dismissal of an employee
• Exposure to claims of constructive dismissal
• Pressure when dealing with messier situations, like potential gross misconduct investigations
At worst, they were one misstep away from needing full employment tribunal representation.
So, we suggested an employment law retainer.
Ad Hoc vs Retained Support: Which is Better?
Their cost comparison tells its own story.
The employment law retainer came in at over 50% less than their projected ad hoc spend.
But the real value runs deeper than costs alone:
• Ongoing access to expert employment law advice
• Strategic support across all employee matters
• Baked-in guidance on redundancy, disciplinaries, and exits
• Access to a redundancy lawyer when needed
It all adds up to fewer nasty surprises, and puts them back in control.
How They Use the Retainer
Support became proactive with the employment law retainer in place, including:
• Negotiating employee exits and job termination processes
• Performance management and management of absence
• Disciplinary procedures and gross misconduct investigations
• Ongoing legal advice and HR guidance
• Training for managers handling sensitive situations
• Document updates aligned with changing legislation
Notably, their package includes a set number of settlement agreements per year, removing the need for repeated fixed fee costs.
Plus, additional project work is also included, in recognition of the long-term partnership.
The Results
The transformation was immediate:
• 50%+ reduction in legal spend
• Lower risk of claims
• Faster, more confident handling of employee issues
• Reduced likelihood of needing employment tribunal representation
• Stronger internal processes and decision-making
• Leadership gained clarity, confidence, and breathing space
If You’re Still Pushing Through on an Ad Hoc Basis, You’re Doing it Wrong
Are you juggling people issues without consistent legal support? Or spending more than you should on ad hoc advice?
It’s time for a savvier way to protect your business, your people, and your peace of mind.
Get in touch with Taurus HR & Employment Law, supporting growing businesses in London, Manchester and across the UK with outsourced HR and employment law retainer packages.
