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.

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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

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
Jane Hallas