About EW
Ellis Whittam has evolved. We are now WorkNest.
Having been acquired by Marlowe plc in November 2020, we have joined forces with Law At Work, HRSP and other leading businesses to create a powerhouse of workforce and workplace support services.
While our name has changed, the bespoke Employment Law, HR and Health & Safety support we have always offered will continue. Personal relationships with named professionals; high-quality, commercially-minded advice; and fair, fixed fees remain at the heart of what we do – they are our DNA.
However, as WorkNest, we are excited to offer even more services, even greater expertise and even more powerful technology than ever before. And it’s all here to protect your business, nurture it and help it soar.
Get your FREE consultation
Submit your details and one of our team will be in touch.
Explore our services
WorkNest Law
Pragmatic advice and support from dedicated professionals to help you manage people in line with the law.
WorkNest HR
Everything from one-off projects to a fully outsourced HR department, across the entire employee lifecycle.
WorkNest H&S
Fully outsourced safety support provided for a fixed fee, plus expert training and bespoke value-added services.
The Ellis Whittam story
As Head of Employment Law at a leading regional firm of commercial solicitors, Mark Ellis and his team had built a national reputation for delivering commercially-savvy, practical advice.
Finding that his clients were looking for a fixed-fee service that could match up to the quality of advice offered by a law firm, Mark had his eureka moment.
The idea was simple: take the quality standards and service excellence of a leading law firm into the exciting fixed-fee world of HR, Employment Law and Health & Safety services. And so, in 2004, Ellis Whittam (EW) was born.
In the 17 years that followed, EW grew into a business with a national reputation for providing pragmatic, commercial advice and exceptional service.
Fast forward to today and EW has evolved into WorkNest – joining forces with Law At Work, HRSP and other leading businesses who share the same values and vision. Now owned by Marlowe plc and under the guidance of Gavin Snell, WorkNest is recognised as a market leader in regulatory consultancy and legal services outsourcing.
With our unrivalled combined expertise, powerful technology platforms and flexible subscription models, we are trusted by thousands of employers across the UK and still hold true to our founding principles of value for money, brilliant service, honesty and integrity.
1994
EW’s founder, Mark Ellis, qualifies as a solicitor and begins practising law at a leading firm of commercial solicitors, where he later becomes Head of Employment Law and an owning partner.2004
EW is born, based on the belief that professional services should prevent problems, add more value than cost, and that fees charged should be fair and fixed.
2016
Recognising EW’s huge potential in the support services sector, EW receives significant investment from LDC to enable it to continue to provide exceptional service to its clients.
2018
EW achieves Investors in People Silver, the international standard for people management, demonstrating its commitment to creating a great place to work.
2018
EW becomes the first health and safety consultancy to achieve assured advice status from a primary authority, meaning its advice can be implemented with confidence across its clients’ businesses.
October 2020
EW’s Legal Team are recognised as a leading firm by The Legal 500, a testament to the quality of advice it provides its clients and its incredibly effective litigation support.
November 2020
EW is acquired by Marlowe plc, becoming the Group’s platform for growth in employment law, HR and safety compliance and enabling EW to improve and expand its service to clients.
June 2021
Marlowe acquires Cater Leydon Millard and CQC Compliance, adding further depth of employment law expertise and broadening the Group’s offering of regulated compliance services into the care market.
Today
EW is proud to be part of WorkNest. By bringing all the best bits of each company under one roof, WorkNest fuses pragmatic advice, innovative digital solutions and hands-on consultancy to help you protect your organisation and create great places to work.
99.2% Client happiness rating
97% Client retention rating
Who we work with
Proud to support over 40,000 UK employers
Our clients range from small businesses with fewer than 50 staff at a single location, through to large household names employing thousands of people at multiple sites across the UK. Whatever your size or sector, we have solutions to suit your needs.
Client stories
“
Gus Hosein
Executive Director, Privacy International
“
WorkNest supports our 280 staff members with Employment Law and Health & Safety and has provided quality management training too.”
Lisa Best
Head of Service Delivery, Catalyst Choice
“
We get a great deal of comfort and satisfaction knowing that we have support as and when we need it, in a decisive and responsive way.”
Richard Berry
Group HR Director, Culina Group
“
We moved our legal support to WorkNest (formerly Law at Work) having previously used a time and line law firm. It was important, though, that an all-inclusive fee structure did not come at the expense of quality. Thankfully we’ve been delighted with the service we’ve received from WorkNest.”
Chief Executive
Waverley Care
“
What we recognised in WorkNest is the background that they have. They are able to supply knowledge and experience in a number of disciplines, which enables us to develop our business in a way that’s safe, to do it on time and with a quality to it.”
Debbie Rainbow
Director of Human Resources and Health & Safety,
Bluestone National Park Resort
“
Celia McKeon
Chief Executive, The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT)
“
As the company started to get larger, we knew we had to protect our employees and our contractors both onsite and in the offices. WorkNest is exactly what we needed to move the company forward.”
Joanne Beaver
Operations Director, Beaverfit
“
Pineapple have worked with the team at WorkNest (formerly Law at Work) since 2003, and we have built a trusted partnership together. We particularly like WorkNest’s concise and practical advice concerning employment law/HR issues and also appreciate their totally supportive approach in all areas of health and safety.”
General Manager
Pineapple Dance Studios
“
I’ve taken WorkNest into every organisation that I’ve worked with. I’ve introduced them to many teams and many colleagues and referred them with absolute pleasure because I genuinely trust in the service that we get.”
People Director, The Works
Meet the team
Our people are the most important part of our service.
From our highly-qualified advisory teams that deliver dedicated support to our clients, to our back-office teams that ensure a smooth service, we’re exceptionally proud of the team we have.
A secure and trusted partner
We understand that you’re trusting us with important and sometimes sensitive information. Your data privacy and software security is hugely important to us.
- TLS data encryption and web firewalls
- ISO 27001 certified protection
- Advanced software security
Partner with us
Unlike mass-market providers, we build genuine, trusted relationships with our membership organisation and trade association clients, managed by our strong, experienced Partnerships Team.
- Work in partnership to understand your long-term objectives
- Create compelling services propositions with add value to your members
- Proactively support your membership retention and recruitment initiatives
Careers at WorkNest
WorkNest aims to be a great place to work. If you share our values of Brilliant Service, Optimism, Integrity and One Team – and want to work for a fast-growing, Legal 500 accredited company – we’d love you to join our team.
- Generous benefits package
- Flexible working potential
- Investors in People Silver
