Hazel joined Stephens Scown in 2015. Hazel is the Head of the HRExpress team providing clients with advice on a wide variety of HR and employment matters including in relation to restructure/redundancy, holiday pay, working pay issues, performance management and disciplinary procedures. She reviews and drafts employment contracts and handbooks both for HRExpress clients and as standalone instructions.

Hazel is also part of the wider Employment team acting for employers and employees. Hazel believes that having these dual sides to her role is beneficial to clients, as she has an insight into the tactics and thought processes of both sides.

As part of her work within the wider Employment team Hazel supports corporate transactional matters, provides assistance with employment tribunal litigation and supports clients pre litigation to resolve matters at an early stage either post termination or through negotiated exits and settlement agreements.

When advising clients Hazel focuses on giving support as well as legal advice, helping them understand the process and their options so we can achieve the outcome they desire.

Hazel is experienced in advising businesses across many sectors with a particular focus on charity and food and drink clients.

Hazel studied law at the University of Plymouth and qualified as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives in September 2014.

Recent work includes:

• Advising a client on historic underpayments of holiday, calculating payments due, advising on how to resolve any complaints arising from the underpayments and ensure compliance with the laws surrounding holiday pay in the future
• Advising a client on a complex restructure including consideration of selection pools which enabled the client to simplify their process and retain key employees
• Supporting a claimant pursue a claim for constructive unfair dismissal
• Successfully defending a claim for unfair dismissal brought against a charitable organisation by an ex-employee who had been dismissed following allegations of having abused the dignity of a vulnerable person
• Successfully defending a hotel in relation to a claim for sex discrimination brought against them following the dismissal of the claimant for performance and conduct issues
• Assisting in an employment tribunal claim brought by an employee of the NHS pursuing a claim for losses arising out of detrimental treatment following disclosures he had made around patient protection
• Drafting tailored post termination restrictive covenants and retention bonuses for key employees in a large international company, with a view both to protecting the risk of damage to the business by their departure and also encouraging employees’ loyalty
• Supporting an employee to keep their job when they felt their proposed redundancy/settlement agreement was unfair
• Supporting various clients navigate the furlough scheme and difficulties faced by their businesses as a result of Covid-19
• Supporting the corporate team on employment related matters in connection with the sale of care homes

Outside of work she enjoys getting muddy out on her mountain bike, cycling over the moors and on trails.