About LAW
Law At Work has evolved. We are now WorkNest.
Having been acquired by Marlowe plc in December 2019, we have now joined forces with Ellis Whittam, HRSP and other leading business to create a powerhouse of workforce and workplace support services.
While our name has changed, the fully outsourced HR support and unlimited employment law advice 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.
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Explore our services
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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 Law At Work story
In 1988, solicitor Malcolm Mackay set up Mackay Simon and soon established a place in the market as a leading niche employment law firm. 13 years later, in 2001, he had a simple, bold idea: deliver the quality of a leading law firm but provide totally predictable pricing.
And so Law At Work was born. The purpose? To remove barriers to taking advice in this complex field – including fear about lawyers’ hourly rates and the rigid application of fee targets, which can create a conflict of interest between lawyers and their clients – and focus on prevention rather than cure. The new LAW concept recognised that if employers cannot afford advice, they take risks, and that creates problems for both parties to the relationship.
In the 20 years that followed, LAW built a consultancy with a first-class reputation, loyal clients, and a talented team of highly-qualified experts. Along the way, it acquired like-minded businesses with a similar mission and complementary services, and with it strengthened its presence in Scotland and Northern England.
Now part of WorkNest, the team embarks on its most exciting chapter yet, and by joining forces with other heavy hitters in the HR, Employment Law and Health & Safety sphere, is more equipped than ever to help clients solve their people and compliance challenges.
2001
Law At Work is founded by Malcolm Mackay, CEO of Mackay Simon. In November that year, LAW signs its first ever client, Connect Communications.
August 2012
Having acquired over 200 retained clients, LAW becomes independent from Macklay, Murray and Spens in a management buyout.
September 2016
LAW acquires Glasgow-based Square Circle HR, bringing with it a nine-strong team, including three directors, to enhance its HR consultancy offering. The HR At Work division is born.
April 2018
LAW acquires Aberdeen-based Empire HR and its 35 employees to form the leading employee relations consultancy in Scotland, enabling clients to access new and enhanced services.December 2019
LAW is acquired by Marlowe plc, a UK leader in regulatory compliance, to further the Group’s strategy of building an end-to-end provider of regulated compliance services.
February 2020
London-based independent consulting firm Nestor, which provides HR and Health & Safety support to SMEs, combines with LAW to strengthen Marlowe’s employee relations division.
March 2020
LAW welcomes Edinburgh-based Solve HR, adding five highly-qualified HR consultants to the team and boosting the HR At Work division.
May 2021
LAW acquires Deminos Consulting, a leading HR and Employment Law consultancy based in Gateshead, enhancing the client experience in the northeast of England and across the UK.November 2020
Marlowe acquires Chester-based Ellis Whittam, strengthening and offering synergies with the Group’s wider Health and Safety and Compliance division, particularly the Law At Work brand. Further acquisitions follow, with HRSP and other leading businesses joining the family.
Today
LAW 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
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Gus Hosein
Executive Director, Privacy International
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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
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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
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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
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Celia McKeon
Chief Executive, The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT)
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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
