MSB Solicitors has partnered with The Growth Company and Citizens Advice Manchester – of which MSB’s Managing Partner Emma Carey is a Board member – to ensure that Greater Manchester’s workers who have been hit hardest by the pandemic can access free legal advice. 

During this period of uncertainty, many people across Greater Manchester are worried about their employment, from their employment rights, redundancy, pay cuts, to terms or disputes. Employment Legal Advice is a new service to help individuals across Greater Manchester to access free employment-related legal support. The service is designed to help individuals access the right advice at the right time as quickly as possible. 

The service is completely free, with legal experts from eleven firms giving something back and donating their time on a pro bono basis.  

Enquiries to the service will be passed on to a dedicated triage advisor who will review the case and decide on the correct pathway for the user, including whether to refer them to an expert from the network of legal partners.  

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said:  

“One thing that the pandemic has taught us is that Greater Manchester is stronger when we all pull together. It’s absolutely vital that workers across our city region are aware of their employment rights in these uncertain times, so I fully endorse this free service and would encourage people to use it.” 

Chris Hayes, Head of Employment Law, said:  

“At MSB, we are proud of our ongoing commitment to give back to our communities when we can, irrespective of their means or circumstance.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has brought with it a number of complex issues for both employers and employees to navigate. Sadly, many of these have had a detrimental impact on both parties. Now, more than ever, we must pull together and do what we can to support those who need it most. 

“We have already been offering free advice and support in our own region of Merseyside and look forward to helping the people of Greater Manchester as well, as part of this great initiative.”

The Growth Company is an award-winning social enterprise with a mission to enable growth, create jobs and improve lives. In April the Growth Company partnered with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to launch Employ GM to help individuals and employers who have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.​ The service supports individuals who have lost their jobs, while also promoting vacancies for local employers. 

Mark Hughes MBE, Chief Executive of the Growth Company, said:  

“At a time of increased redundancy and unstable employment, having a service like Employment Legal Advice available for the people of Greater Manchester is more important than ever.   

“By working closely with Citizens Advice Manchester and legal firms like MSB, we are able to offer free legal advice to those in need. This sits alongside EmployGM which is a gateway service to help individuals with support, training and advice on securing new employment.”   

Andy Brown, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice Manchester, added:  

“We’ve had a huge increase of enquiries during Covid-19 from people who need to know where they stand on employment law, whether that’s with issues relating to furlough, redundancy or cuts to their salary. Understandably, these queries lead to additional stress and worry about keeping up with crucial bills, feeding families and the security of homes, so we are delighted to be working with the Growth Company and legal partners to deliver this vital service and help to put the minds of Manchester residents at rest.”

Find out more about the service, here.