Case studies · anonymised
Every case below started where you might be now: something had happened, or had been building, and the owner wasn't sure what to do. Each one is real, fully anonymised, and resolved properly.
The common thread: a fair, defensible process, and not one of these ended in a tribunal claim.
Featured situations
Disciplinary
The challenge
Even with clear wrongdoing, dismissing without a proper investigation and hearing usually results in an unfair dismissal finding. The conduct justified dismissal; the process could still have lost it.
What Samantha did
Paused the instinct to dismiss immediately and ran a proper investigation
✓ Dismissal upheld. No tribunal claim.
Redundancy
The challenge
Redundancy has a specific legal process. Get selection, consultation or timing wrong across four people and you multiply the risk of unfair dismissal claims.
What Samantha did
Confirmed a genuine redundancy situation and a fair selection basis
✓ Four redundancies completed. No claims.
Workplace investigations
The challenge
An investigation seen as biased is worse than none at all. The owner needed genuine independence to reach a conclusion both sides, and a tribunal, would accept as fair.
What Samantha did
Acted as a genuinely independent investigator outside the relationships involved
✓ Resolved through independent investigation.
Grievance
A long-standing senior employee accused the owner of unfair treatment.
Resolved without escalation. The employee stayed.
View case study →Grievance
A written grievance alleged bullying by a line manager.
Legal risk removed. A fair, defensible outcome.
View case study →Disciplinary
An employee had been falsifying timesheets for three months.
Dismissal upheld. No tribunal claim.
View case study →Disciplinary
Two informal warnings in six months had changed nothing.
Conduct improved. No further escalation needed.
View case study →Long-term sickness absence
She'd been off for months. No one knew what to say.
Phased return agreed within weeks. Employee retained.
View case study →Long-term sickness absence
47 days off in a year, all certified, all different conditions.
Absence reduced sharply. No formal process required.
View case study →Performance and capability
He'd never met the standard, and everyone knew it.
Fair exit achieved. No tribunal claim.
View case study →Redundancy
A lost contract meant four roles had to go.
Four redundancies completed. No claims.
View case study →Settlement & exit
Both sides knew it was over. Neither knew how to end it.
Clean, agreed exit. No tribunal.
View case study →Workplace investigations
One employee accused another of harassment.
Resolved through independent investigation.
View case study →Probation and new starters
Three months in, the client-facing hire was not working out.
Fair exit during probation. No challenge.
View case study →Difficult behaviour
Promotion went to his head, and the team felt it.
Behaviour improved. No formal process required.
View case study →Workplace conflict
Two team leads had stopped speaking, and the team was picking sides.
Working relationship restored. No one lost.
View case study →Difficult conversations
Something was off with a good employee, but nothing formal had happened yet.
Turned around in one conversation. No formal process.
View case study →Restructure
Growth had outpaced the structure, and roles had started to overlap and clash.
Restructured cleanly. No redundancies, no claims.
View case study →Restructure
The business had to change shape, and two roles genuinely no longer fitted.
Restructure completed. Fair exits, no claims.
View case study →Disciplinary
An aggressive outburst towards a colleague crossed the line into gross misconduct.
Fair dismissal for gross misconduct. No claim. Team protected.
View case study →Settlement & exit
A senior, client-facing employee resigned, and the owner feared they would take the client book with them.
Clean senior exit. Clients retained. No dispute.
View case study →Difficult behaviour
Brilliant with clients, difficult with colleagues, and everyone knew it was being tolerated.
Behaviour fixed. Top biller kept. Team stayed.
View case study →Flexible working
A key employee asked to drop a day, but the client-facing role genuinely needed the cover.
Fair outcome. Employee kept. No claim.
View case study →Disciplinary
A late-night social media post threatened the firm's name, and the owner wanted to act fast.
Reputation protected. Fair, defensible outcome.
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Every case handled personally by Samantha Newton FCIPD, Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, with 25+ years' experience.
★★★★★ 5.0 from 18 Google reviews →"Samantha helped us with a long-term sickness matter and saved us from expensive employment law issues. A stressful situation handled in a fair and human way."
"She stepped in at short notice and supported us through a difficult HR issue. We've decided to continue working with her for all of our HR needs."
Dealing with something similar?
Start with the free Situation Check to understand exactly what you're dealing with, or book a free consultation and talk it through with Samantha directly.
Samantha Newton FCIPD · Chartered Fellow · 25+ years' experience
All case studies are anonymised. Business sectors, names and identifying details have been removed or changed. Outcomes reflect the specific circumstances of each case and are not a guarantee of any particular result.
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