Thank you for clicking through today – this is your final set of extra tips for the course.

Once you’ve reached a settlement with your employee, there are a few things you can do which will make your life a lot easier:

Diarise all relevant dates from the settlement agreement, especially those which require the business to do something or pay something. You don’t want to get this far and then end up failing to pay on time or otherwise souring relations.

Make all relevant people (generally, your senior employees) aware of any obligation not to make disparaging statements about the employee.

Make sure any agreed reference is on file with HR and all relevant personnel are aware they need to use it (and, if you have agreed this, should not contradict it orally).

Make any agreed announcements about the employee’s departure as per the agreement reached.

Make sure you have a fully signed copy or copies of the settlement agreement held safely on file.

Pay the agreed contribution towards legal costs on receipt of the solicitor’s invoice. The invoice will be addressed to the employee (as they received the services) but will be marked payable by the business. Note that you bear the VAT cost on this invoice.

Check the employee has stuck to their side of the bargain – especially on things like return of company property.