Jannet Austin

This role started with a focus on handling contracts and offers within the HR Team. I later transitioned to the Legal Team as an Associate Legal Counsel as I continuously demonstrate high-quality work, approach problems with an operational mindset, explore alternative methods for providing solutions and serve as a trusted advisor for stakeholders. My duties include offering legal guidance and support in various employment/commercial/corporate matters and safeguarding the company's interests. Below are some of my accomplishments and daily tasks:

Accomplishments

• Led and advised on employment law matters regarding company restructure.
• Led on assessing the employment model to transfer an employee in Switzerland to Serbia on a consultancy agreement.
• Assisted with the hiring of a Consultant in Colombia and later dealt with their transfer to an employment contract via Employer of Record (EOR).
• Liaised with a local lawyer in South Korea in assessing the employment model for recruiting in South Korea and dealt with the subsequent employment contracts via EOR.
• Created and presented key employment clauses as guidelines covering the UK, Poland, Spain, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Finland and France for the People Partners and a new colleague to ensure that they understood the fundamentals of these key clauses.
• Assisted with training a new colleague on how the employment contract process worked within the company.
• Completed documentations relating to international assignment of two employees (one from the UK and the other from Switzerland) to Singapore.
• The process involved assisting with their Employment Pass (EP) applications drafting international assignment letters and reviewing their Singapore contracts with EOR.

Day-to-day activities

• Review contracts with suppliers, partners, and customers to identify potential risks, such as unfavourable terms or penalties, and suggest revisions to minimize the company's exposure.
• Draft and maintain offer/contract templates in the 30 plus countries we operate in.
• Liaise with local lawyers on redundancy processes in different jurisdictions, draft separation agreements, termination notice letters, NDA's, secondment agreements and assist external lawyers with claims against the company.
• Draft, review and negotiate NDAs for new partnerships, external parties and balance information protection and collaboration needs.
• I assist the sales team in completing vendor questionnaires by providing accurate and up-to-date information about company policies, procedures, and capabilities.
• Conduct legal research and stay up to date on relevant laws and regulations to ensure the company adheres to them, thereby avoiding potential fines or legal ramifications.
• I review and negotiate software license agreement by understanding the specific needs and preferences of the company to ensure that the agreement aligns with expectations and requirements.
• I research and draft compliance policies such as Whistleblowing policy, Modern Slavery Act 2015 statement, and Gender Pay Gap Reporting.
• I collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure compliance in areas such as payroll, HR, talent acquisition, marketing, and data protection/privacy regulations as well as provide remedial actions when issues arise.
• Draft HR templates such as change of workload letters, benefits letters, and warning letters.
• I also provide research on HR matters such as global right to work checks, reference obligations, annual carryover leaves, global minimum requirements for disciplinary rules, grievance rules, maternity, and paternity leaves.

Working in this role tremendously improved my employment law knowledge, drafting, communication, organisation, and networking skills through the following day to day duties:

• I assisted the Managing Director and Trainee Solicitors with their cases.
• Organised case files and compiled tribunal bundles.
• Instructed Barristers and liaised with them with regards to ongoing tribunal cases.
• Liaised with the Employment Tribunal and ACAS regarding ongoing cases
• Obtained ACAS certificates and lodge claims.
• Completed claimant list of documents, and cross-checked disclosure documents.
• Diarised case management orders and ensured that they were adhered to.
• Drafted schedule of loss, witness statements, without prejudice settlement offers, COT3 agreements and proofread particulars of claim.
• Drafted Costs Applications to the Employment Tribunal.
• Typed up dictations, conducted legal research into areas such as discrimination, unfair dismissals, discrimination questionnaires, constructive dismissal, whistleblowing etc.
• Lodged county court claims (money claims online) against clients that failed to make payment of legal costs.
• Liaised with the Legal Ombudsman regarding client complaints.
• Communicated amendments required in settlement agreements to Employers.
• Carried out all administrative task, including billings, organising diaries, scheduling meetings, answering telephone calls, and dealing with complaints.