Has your employer in Maidenhead offered you a settlement agreement? It’s a legally binding document that asks you to give up your right to bring employment claims – usually in return for leaving your job and accepting a financial payment – and the law only lets that happen once you have had independent legal advice on it. That is why your employer asks you to see a solicitor, and why typically pays towards the cost.
Under our cost promise, we cap our fee at your employer’s contribution and invoice your employer directly, so there is nothing for you to pay.
Call 0800 861 1883 to speak to a specialist settlement agreement solicitor. We can advise by telephone or video across Maidenhead and east Berkshire, and same-day appointments are usually available.
Settlement agreements and Maidenhead’s employment picture
Maidenhead’s largest employers fall into three broad groups. The first is head offices, with Heidelberg Materials UK, formerly Hanson, running its UK head office from the town, and The Rank Group registered at TOR on Saint-Cloud Way. The second is healthcare and life sciences, where Johnson & Johnson signed in 2024 for a 97,000 square foot headquarters office at Tempo in the town centre. The third is the public sector, led by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.
Head office exits often follow redundancy or restructuring, and senior roles can carry bonuses, long notice periods and restrictive covenants. Public sector exits often run through a set scheme, such as voluntary severance. Whatever sector you work in, in Maidenhead or across Berkshire and south Buckinghamshire, including Windsor, Cookham and Marlow, we offer independent, expert guidance for employees. Fast and completely free. Call us on 0800 861 1883.
A Maidenhead claim would go to Watford
Under HMCTS guidance T420, a claim is normally allocated by the postcode of your workplace, and every SL postcode, from Maidenhead and Windsor to Slough and Marlow, is allocated to the Watford office at Radius House, 51 Clarendon Road. Reading’s RG1 to RG20 postcodes go to Watford as well.
Garden leave and restrictive covenants
Settlement agreements deal with more than the payment. Three terms deserve a careful look:
- Garden leave. If you are told to stay away from work for the rest of your notice, you remain employed and bound by your contract until your leaving date. Check that your salary, benefits and bonus eligibility continue during that period.
- Post-termination restrictions. Many agreements restate the non-compete, non-solicitation and non-dealing clauses in your contract, and some try to extend them. You are being paid to accept the agreement as a whole, so any new or longer restriction is a point to negotiate.
- Confidentiality. Most agreements include confidentiality terms. Under section 43J of the Employment Rights Act 1996, they cannot stop you making a protected disclosure.
What makes the agreement binding
Section 203(3) of the Employment Rights Act 1996 sets six conditions. The agreement must be in writing and relate to the particular complaints being settled. You must have had advice on its terms and effect from a relevant independent adviser, who is insured and named in the agreement. And the agreement must state that those conditions are met. Some claims cannot be settled this way at all, and our page on claims a settlement agreement cannot settle explains which. Our guide explains what a settlement agreement solicitor does when checking these points, and our settlement agreement guide covers the rest.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the employment tribunal for Maidenhead?
Maidenhead has no employment tribunal of its own. Under HMCTS guidance T420, claims from workplaces in SL postcodes are allocated to the Watford employment tribunal office at Radius House, 51 Clarendon Road, Watford WD17 1HP. Where and how a hearing takes place, including whether it is held by video, is a matter for the tribunal.
Who pays for my settlement agreement advice?
Your employer. A contribution towards your legal fees is a standard term of a settlement agreement. Under our cost promise we cap our fee at that contribution and invoice your employer directly, so there is nothing for you to pay.
Can I negotiate a better offer?
Often, yes. A first offer is a starting point, and what is reasonable depends on your notice, your length of service, any claims you might have and how much your employer wants a clean exit. Our settlement agreement calculator gives a starting figure before you speak to us.
Areas we cover
We advise employees across Maidenhead, Cookham, Bourne End, Marlow, Taplow, Burnham, Windsor and Twyford, all by phone or video.
Speak to a Maidenhead settlement agreement solicitor
Telephone: 0800 861 1883
Or use our contact form
We will call you back the same working day wherever possible.
John Hassells, employment solicitor, is Head of Legal at settlementagreement.co.uk. John has over 20 years’ experience advising employees and employers on employment law and is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association. John Hassells is personally regulated by the SRA (SRA No. 168501).
Last reviewed: October 2026
Legal disclaimer
The contents of this page are intended to be for general information purposes only and do not amount to (nor are they intended to be) legal, tax or financial advice, nor a complete or authoritative statement of the law. No warranty is given as to the accuracy of the information, and no liability is accepted for any error or omission. You should instruct a specialist employment solicitor to advise you on your particular situation. You are free to instruct any solicitor you wish.
