Nicola Whiteley

Partner

London

Read full biography at www.orrick.com

Nicola is head of the London Employment Team and has more than 20 years of experience in all aspects of contentious and non-contentious employment law, with a particular focus on complex and/or cross border issues for multinational clients and on the Technology and Finance sectors.

Leading a "straightforward and solutions-focused" team in London, Nicola is listed and noted for her "business-oriented approach" in Who's Who Legal and recognised by Legal 500 as a "very responsive, thoughtful, and pragmatic consummate professional", with clients praising her "excellent judgment and knowledge."

She is a member of the International Committee of the Employment Lawyer's Association.

Posts by: Nicola Whiteley

Orrick World: A Quarterly Report of Global Employment Law Issues for Multinationals

Yumiko Ohta, Andrea Piermartini Rosi, Gary Siniscalco, Michael Weil and Nicola WhiteleyPosted on December 1, 2015

Asia Employment Law Update

Proposed Regulations May Complicate Reductions in Force in China

On December 31st, 2014, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (“MOHRSS”) issued a notice to solicit public opinions on the draft Regulations on Personnel Cutbacks by Enterprises (“Draft Regulations”). The Draft Regulations set out detailed implementing rules for “mass layoffs” (defined under the Labor Contract Law as being a layoff of more than 10% of the workforce or more than 20 employees) and, if adopted in their current form, will further complicate the process for conducting reductions in force in China.

International data transfer news… a bit like buses

Nicola Whiteley and André ZimmermannPosted on November 20, 2015

You know how you wait for ages for a bus to come (well, we do in Europe) and then three come along at once? Well it’s a little like that in the data privacy arena right now, as far as transfer of international personal data is concerned, anyhow. For years, there has been a reasonably steady and fairly consistent position from the various bodies responsible for this complicated and often confusing area of law, but in the last few weeks we have been hit with a significant change overnight and we are all left wondering where to get off.

Where to Draw the Line: HR’s Role in Disciplinary Decisions

Nicola WhiteleyPosted on October 16, 2015

In the recent case of Ramphal v. Department of Transport (DoT) the tricky question of where HR should draw the line in a disciplinary matter between guiding the decision-maker on the right decision, and making that decision for them, was considered. The results weren’t great for the HR manager involved in this case…

Say What You Will About Employment Law in the UK but It Is Never Boring

Nicola WhiteleyPosted on April 27, 2015

Imagine that you have a senior employee who you have decided (for whatever reason) that you do not want anymore but you do not want to pay out his 12-month notice period. As an ingenious attempt to get around that, you instruct forensic investigators to carry out a ‘fishing expedition’ to try and find some dirt on him that will justify you summarily dismissing him, rather than paying out what he is owed under his contract. Imagine that your luck is in and you do indeed find some dirt but that the dirt you find is five year old dirt. Would you think that the High Court is going to accept this approach and agree that you don’t have to pay the notice period?

A Dressing Down – Dress Codes in the Modern Workplace?

Nicola WhiteleyPosted on September 16, 2014

According to research cited by the British Association of Dermatologists, one in five Britons now has a tattoo. Amongst US 30 somethings, the estimate rises to about two in five, with facial piercings being almost as common in both countries. As a result, this is becoming an issue that more and more employers have to grapple with.

Employers may wish to promote a certain image through their employees which they believe reflects the ethos of their organization and tattoos and piercings may well not fit with that image. So how should this be handled and are there any pitfalls of imposing rules of this nature on employees?

Trials and Tribulations in UK Employment Tribunals

Nicola WhiteleyPosted on March 26, 2014

In July last year, fees were introduced for employees to bring claims and the Ministry of Justice has just published Tribunal statistics for October to December 2013 (the first full quarter since the introduction of the fees) which show that in that time, employment tribunals received 79% fewer claims than the same quarter in 2012 and 75% fewer than in the previous quarter. READ MORE →

Is it now OK to have the ‘It’s not working…’ conversation in the UK?

Nicola WhiteleyPosted on August 22, 2013

July 29, 2013 was a big day for employment law in the UK.

Firstly compromise agreements were renamed ‘settlement agreements’. This is largely a rebranding exercise but one that is welcome as we now have a title which more accurately describes what the agreement is designed to achieve.

On this same date, changes around ‘pre-termination discussions’ came into effect. These changes are contained in the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act and talk about ‘confidentiality of negotiations before termination of employment’. The theory behind this new law is that employers should be able to discuss with their employees the option of the employee leaving with a settlement agreement without the risk that that discussion itself will be used against them in a future claim. READ MORE →

Today is the Day – UK Employment Law Update

Nicola WhiteleyPosted on July 29, 2013

TODAY is a big day for employment law. Even though many of you will be thinking about your holidays, or may have even jetted off to sunny shores, take care to remember that certain changes are taking place which will affect your standard document and how you handle any exiting employees. Read more.

Five Grievances Don’t Make A (Dismissal) Right

Nicola WhiteleyPosted on July 9, 2013

A recent case in the UK Employment Appeals Tribunal Woodhouse v. West North West Homes Leeds Limited UK EAT/0007(12) has looked at whether it is possible to fairly dismiss an employee who has raised repeated grievances, on the basis that the relationship with the employer has irretrievably broken down. READ MORE →

Employee Shareholder Status – An Innovative Solution for Innovative Employers?

Nicola WhiteleyPosted on May 1, 2013

After twice rejecting the Government’s proposals, the House of Lords has just finally voted to accept the much argued Clause 27 of the Growth and Infrastructure Bill, thereby paving the way for new legislation that will create a third type of UK employment status—Employee Shareholder. READ MORE →

Employment Law and Litigation