Underpinning all our advice and support is a legal expenses indemnity scheme that First Business Support arranges with an authorised insurer on your behalf.

We believe that this scheme is probably the most comprehensive available and provides protection against representation costs and compensation awards at all Employment Tribunals, subject to your taking and following our advice and policy requirements.

With an ever-increasing array of complaints to Tribunal, and the levels of awards increasing every year, this is becoming the stuff of nightmares for employers everywhere.

As well as the most cited complaint of unfair dismissal, we insure against the discrimination claims for race, sex, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation and dismissals in respect of Trade Union activities.

Policy limits are currently up to £100,000 per claim and up to £1,000,000 aggregate per policy year.

In areas of Health and Safety, the insurance provided will cover the defence costs for you, your employees and your business in criminal proceedings. It will even cover the costs of an expert witness to help you argue your case. it will also cover the costs of appealing against an improvement notice or prohibition order served by the enforcing authorities. This takes away one of the initial worries when faced with a Health and Safety prosecution.

The same limits apply to Health and Safety defence costs, but as this is criminal legislation, as opposed to civil, obviously any fines cannot be covered.