Constance is an employment solicitor in the Schools HR team, specialising in advising on HR and employment law in the education sector.

Constance advises education clients, including schools and multi-academy trusts, on a range of contentious and non-contentious HR and employment law matters. This includes providing day-to-day HR advice on issues such as discrimination on all protected grounds, grievances, disciplinaries, sickness absence, pay entitlements, contracts of employment, redundancies and restructures, and general HR, as well as representing our school clients in defending employment tribunal proceedings.

Constance values building client relationships and works hard to deliver the best outcome for our clients.

Constance has a keen interest in the education sector and enjoys working in the school context. She is passionate about involving young people in the political process and she sits on the Alumni Council of her old school.

Constance regularly delivers training to our clients and most recently delivered an online update on holiday pay for term time only and irregular hours workers following the government consultation on Harpur Trust.

Prior to qualification, Constance completed her training contract at Winckworth Sherwood completing seats in a range of departments, from Employment to Parliamentary. Constance achieved a first-class degree in Politics & Parliamentary studies at the University of Leeds. A real highlight during this time was her placement year spent working for a Congressman in Washington D.C. during the 2016 general election, and for an MP in Westminster during the 2017 general election.

Recent Experience

• Drafting a new suite of HR policies for a newly formed multi-academy trust.
• Advising on all matters relating to managing sickness absence, including specialist training for HR professionals to ensure policy is applied consistently and fairly across schools in a trust.
• Negotiating and drafting contentious COT3 and settlement agreements.
• Settling potential employment tribunal claims during the Acas early conciliation period for race discrimination and constructive unfair dismissal.
• Defending employment tribunal claims, including claims for unfair dismissal, religion and belief and race discrimination, unlawful deduction of wages, breach of contract, sexual harassment and victimisation.
• Advising on tricky grievance and disciplinary investigations.
• Advising on Burgundy Book, Green Book and STPCD implications in relation to a variety of matters including notice pay and sick pay entitlements.
• Advising on agency worker rights and the implications of The Agency Workers Regulations 2010.