Elaine Abbs

Elaine is a highly sought-after Employment Solicitor who has over 30 years’ experience of supporting Businesses, Organisations and Professionals through their growth and employment journeys including through  complex employment disputes.

Elaine’s Clients

Elaine advises Employers, Employees, and HR Professionals. Advising companies and individuals, Elaine provides detailed advice ensuring clients know what options they have and what could be achieved for them.  Elaine utilises her excellent communication skills and proactive approach, ensuring that her clients are reassured at all times and are not left ‘waiting to hear’.

Elaine has a loyal following of business owners and HR Professionals across all sectors, including:

• Professional Services – including a number of eminent accountancy firms, IFA firms, and solicitors’ practices
• Hospitality Industry – bars, restaurants, accommodation
• Built environment – including building contractors, environmental landscapers, highways maintenance, and architects
• Property management companies
• Care sector – care homes and nursing homes
• Charity sector including educational establishments

Elaine is also sought-out by professionals, particularly those in regulated sectors, including:

• Teachers
• Nurses
• Accountants

Elaine is a key member of the Firm’s GatekeeperHR service – a comprehensive HR and employment law retainer package that provides full support for business owners and HR Managers.  As part of this service she carries out thorough audits to identify areas of improvement and priorities for change and assists businesses with implementation.

Experience and Approach

Elaine prides herself on taking an analytical but human approach towards her clients.  She understands their objectives from the start, is highly responsive and gives clear, considered, and solution-focused advice in some of the most challenging of cases.  Elaine originally worked in the NHS before turning to law. After qualifying at an eminent London firm, Elaine moved to work in specialist employment rights organisations including Protect and Maternity Action.  This gives Elaine unique expertise and insight, in disputes involving whistleblowing, pregnancy discrimination and the various family-friendly rights.

Clients regularly commend Elaine for being proactive, for fearlessly fighting their corner, and for achieving outcomes that keep their business or profession on track.

In addition to this, Elaine is also a fluent French speaker.

Areas of Expertise

Elaine’s expertise spans the full range of employment law and includes:-

• Directors Duties
• Whistleblowing
• All forms of discrimination, harassment and victimisation
• Redundancies, reorganisations and restructuring
• Health and safety
• Workplace Bullying
• Sexual harassment in the workplace
• Misconduct – including with safeguarding elements
• Transfer of Undertakings (TUPE)
• Negotiation of severance
• Settlement Agreements
• Family-friendly rights
• All aspects of Pregnancy and Maternity Leave
• Regulatory work – including before the Teaching Regulation Authority, Nursing & Midwifery Council, and Health & Care Professions Council
• Employment Tribunal claims and advocacy
• Preparation of employment contracts, Handbooks, policies and procedures
• Complex Disciplinary and Grievance matters
• Managing absence: Short- and Long-Term absences
• GDPR issues in the workplace
• Industrial relations

“Rix & Kay regularly provides operational and strategic employment advice to corporate clients and SMEs, offering support for M&A transactions and advising directors and senior managers on settlement agreements. Elaine Abbs is regarded as very knowledgeable and able to provide information and guidance and is always helpful and supportive”.

“Elaine Abbs has been our main point of contact; she developed a training programme for Line Managers and delivered the training in house. This has helped tremendously in diffusing potential difficult situations”.

“Elaine Abbs is very knowledgeable and able to provide information and guidance and is always helpful and supportive. She instils confidence. She responds quickly and has a very approachable and friendly manner as well as professional”.

Industry peers praise Rix & Kay in the latest edition of Legal 500

 

Elaine helped me through a very difficult time.  I had every confidence that she was giving me the best advice, from the time that we made contact to the end of our ase. She set out all of the options, but also gave pragmatic views, which was very valuable especially as I was very emotional. I feel that she gave excellent technical advice but with a lot of empathy and consideration of my personal needs, as well as the legal position.

S. Goodliffe, Client Satisfaction Survey, February 2025

Elaine Abbs was my solicitor for the duration of my disability discrimination case lasting more than a year. Her professionalism, compassion and quick responses to emails ensured I managed this very stressful situation well and was able to keep on top of all the correspondence.

Elaine worked relentlessly and patiently on my case, advising and guiding me on employment law throughout in language that I could understand. Her vast experience as an employment solicitor and background in healthcare meant that she had the skills to deal with fragile and emotionally charged situations in a supportive and kind manner. Whilst she remained consistently supportive to me as her client, when the situation required Elaine showed the firmness and steel required to progress my case, asking tough questions and taking my employer to task when required. In a situation where I felt I was taking on a whole institution on my own, Elaine’s own integrity and values resonated with mine such that she never undermined my beliefs or made them out to be alien and this was the encouragement I needed to keep going. Her attention to detail and excellent memory helped me piece together the events to provide the proof and evidence needed to support statements made. Despite dealing with several cases at the same time Elaine always managed to make applications on time and never let me down.

Elaine went above and beyond her role throughout the whole process and I will always be grateful to have had such a professional and hard working solicitor represent me. Her wisdom and advise led to an out of court settlement and helped me avoid further stress and deterioration to my health. I found Elaine’s work ethics, sincerity, and love of her role truly inspirational. Anyone who is lucky enough to be represented by Elaine will be in completely professional and safe hands. People like Elaine help us restore our faith in the best of humanity especially if you suddenly find yourself facing unusual and unethical employers. It was one of the greatest pleasures of my working life to have been a client of Elaine’s and in that respect my employment found a happy ending.

Anonymous, Client Testimonial