We Welcome Employment Law Expert, Samira Cakali
We’re thrilled to welcome Samira Cakali as our new employment law expert and Head of Employment Law at Winston Solicitors. With a wealth of experience in advising both employers and employees, Samira is passionate about helping clients navigate the complexities of workplace law.
Employment law continues to evolve, especially in areas like workplace rights, discrimination, and HR best practices. Samira’s expertise will be invaluable in guiding clients through legal challenges with clarity and confidence.
In this Q&A, we get to know Samira, explore her career journey, and gain insights into the current landscape of employment law.
Got an Employment Law Question? Call 0113 320 5000
We're thrilled to welcome you to Winston Solicitors as our new employment law expert. Can you tell us about your career journey so far? What inspired you to specialise in Employment Law?
My legal career has been varied as I trained in a strong regional firm then worked both in a national and small firm before opening my own practice! The majority of my time as a lawyer has been working for myself so it’s been fun and games!
I was inspired to specialise and become an employment law expert because it is a rapid changing area of the law. It’s one of the only areas that’s impacted by social, political and environmental policies. One of my thought processes when deciding to qualify as an employment law expert was the fact that I would always be needed, because businesses would either be hiring or firing!
Joking aside, being an employment law expert provides a real opportunity to make a difference to employer-employee relationships. I would describe what I do is to help employers and employees build happy relationships, which allows people to flourish and in turn helps businesses to grow and thrive.
What have been some of the key highlights or milestones in your career as Employment Law Expert to date?
Starting my practice, SCE Solicitors, in 2012 at the age of 29 and qualifying as a solicitor advocate in the same year!
I have had the privilege of running a practice for 11 years which enabled me to develop networking, leadership and coaching skills alongside being a solicitor advocate!
The highlights were growing an award-winning team, I went from being a sole practitioner to having a team of 10 who secured the following prestige awards:
- 2013: Acquisitions International Legal Awards for Employment
- 2014: Acquisition International M&A Awards: Northern Employment Law Firm of the Year
- 2015: Global Awards: Livewire Employment winners
- 2019-2021: Acquisition International Awards: Employment Law Firm of the Year
It’s also been great that I have also been recognised as a VouchedFor Solicitor since 2015.
What attracted you to Winston Solicitors, and what excites you most about leading the Employment Law team?
The focus on client care When Service Wins resonates with my own values of providing sound legal advice on time and on budget. Energy and passion.
What excites me most about leading the employment law team is having the autonomy to shape the department. Being able to forge new partnerships and refresh our current offering to clients.
As Head of Employment Law, what will your role involve, and how do you plan to develop the team?
My role will be varied and include the development of the team, workflows and work streams. I anticipate a lot of business development and reconnecting with business clients.
I plan to develop the team by exposing them to the nitty gritty world of employment law – the good, the bad and the ugly. Equally I intend to spend time getting to know them to understand their motivation and drivers i.e. their “why” – what makes them come into work and their long-term goals. This will ensure that personal and professional goals are accomplished.
How would you describe your approach to advising both employees and employers?
My approach is all about clarity, practicality, and balance, whether I’m advising an employee going through a difficult situation at work or supporting a business with a complex HR issue. My aim is to provide clear, jargon-free legal advice that clients can actually use. Employment law can be emotionally charged and legally intricate, but I focus on delivering straightforward, commercially sound guidance that helps clients make informed decisions. For employers, that means aligning legal compliance with business goals. For employees, it means empowering them to understand their rights and options. At the heart of it all is a commitment to fairness, communication, and real-world solutions.
What are some of the most common issues that clients face, and how can advice from an employment law expert help?
There is a lot happening in the world of employment law and I could write chapter and verse about the common employment issues, however, if I was to pick one area of employment law it would have to be discrimination law - there are 9 protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 (EQA 2010), being age, disability, sex, race, religion and belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy or marriage/civil partnership) so quite a lot to navigate.
With the increase in awareness of mental health and neurodivergences, employers are not only finding it difficult to identify mental impairments which amount to a disability under the EQA 2010 but are also finding implementing the appropriate ‘reasonable adjustments’ challenging.
Preventing sexual harassment has always had a layer of complexity with “banter” being an excuse for inappropriate jokes but from October 2024 there is an additional layer of compliance introduced as the “The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023” introduced a new duty on employers to proactively take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their employees (including from third parties).
Last but by no means least the implementation of the prohibition on single sex facilities (which made national news last year) and while the recent Supreme Court decision in ‘The Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers’ (2025) provides legal clarity, businesses will need to ensure they remain appropriate and proportionate when balancing the rights of employees holding ‘gender critical beliefs’ against the rights of transgender employees.
Obtaining early legal advice from an employment law expert can help clients understand the strengths and weaknesses of their legal position. It can allow them to deal with matters in a proportionate manner and avoid a stressful and time-consuming internal process and/or expensive litigation.
To discuss employment law email @email
What are some of the biggest challenges currently facing employers in the UK?
- Economic and financial challenges – increase in redundancies, restructures and terminations as businesses struggle to manage increase costs of energy, raw materials and labour.
- Workplace culture and behaviours
- Diversity, equality & inclusion and family friendly rights
- Wellbeing and mental health
- Technological advances – Ai!
How has employment law evolved in recent years, and what changes do you foresee in the near future?
Over the last decade, employment law has seen significant evolution in the strengthening of employee rights and addressing mental health, work-life balance, flexible working, gender pay gaps and harassment.
The Employment Rights Bill (ERB) 2024 – 2026 is going to be a year of change as employees will have more day one rights. I also foresee that unions are going to be playing a more pivotal role following the reforms.
Read Samira's ERB 2024 tracker of the top likely reforms
With increasing focus on workplace well-being, how do you see employment law adapting to support mental health and employee rights?
As an employment law expert, I envisage that businesses will be required to have mandatory Mental Health First Aiders.
Additionally, as proposed, the flexible working rights being further strengthened to make it difficult for businesses to refuse flexible working requests. Flexible working being a default position will allow employees with mental health impairments to establish a work-life balance.
How do you help businesses stay compliant while also fostering positive workplace environments?
Compliance isn’t just about ticking boxes - it’s about creating a culture where legal obligations and employee wellbeing go hand in hand. As an employment law expert, I work with businesses to ensure their policies and procedures are up to date, legally sound, and aligned with their values. But more than that, I encourage a people-centric approach where open communication and mutual respect are at the core. By helping employers build trust, provide clear expectations, and address concerns proactively, we create environments where employees feel valued and businesses can thrive. A positive workplace culture reduces legal risks, improves retention, and ultimately supports long-term success.
As an Employment Law Expert, what advice would you give to employers looking to strengthen their workplace policies?
My key piece of advice is to ensure that workplace policies aren’t just legally compliant - they should also genuinely reflect the culture and values of the organisation. Too often, policies are seen as generic documents created to satisfy legal requirements, but when crafted thoughtfully, they can be powerful tools for shaping behaviour, building trust, and setting expectations. I encourage employers to review their policies regularly, involve staff in the conversation where appropriate, and make sure the language is clear, inclusive, and accessible. When policies align with how a business actually operates (and what it stands for) they’re far more likely to be followed, respected, and effective.
What should employees do if they feel they have been treated unfairly at work?
If an employee feels they’ve been treated unfairly, the first and most important step is to speak up, ideally by raising a formal grievance through their employer’s internal procedure. This allows the issue to be addressed internally and gives the employer an opportunity to investigate and resolve the matter appropriately. While it can feel daunting, following the proper process helps protect the employee’s position and shows that they’ve taken reasonable steps to resolve the issue. If the situation doesn’t improve, or if the internal process feels inadequate or biased, then seeking early legal advice can help them understand their rights and what options are available. No one should have to suffer in silence at work.
Are there any particular industries where you see a growing need for advice from an employment law expert?
Yes, industries such as manufacturing, retail, hospitality, and the wider service sector are all facing significant changes that make tailored employment law advice more important than ever. These sectors often rely heavily on flexible staffing models, including zero-hours contracts, which are set to undergo major reforms. With new legislation on the horizon aimed at curbing exploitative practices, employers in these industries will need to adapt quickly to remain compliant. Beyond contracts, these sectors also face challenges around staff turnover, workplace safety, diversity, and employee rights. Particularly in fast-paced, customer-facing environments. Legal guidance from an employment law expert can help employers navigate these complexities and build fairer, more sustainable workforce practices..
What motivates you most about being an employment law expert?
What truly motivates me is the opportunity to help people navigate some of the most complex and emotionally charged issues they’ll face in their working lives. Employment disputes can be deeply personal, impacting not just someone’s livelihood, but also their confidence, relationships, and mental health. Whether I’m supporting an employee through a grievance process or helping an employer manage a difficult situation fairly, I’m driven by the chance to find solutions that bring clarity, resolution, and often, a sense of justice. It’s incredibly rewarding to know that my employment law advice can help people move forward, rebuild trust, or grow stronger, both professionally and personally.
Get the best employment law advice today - call 0113 320 5000
How do you balance the often complex and emotionally charged nature of employment disputes?
By remaining calm and balancing the legal issues against acknowledging the impact that the issues are having on the client – whether that’s a commercial or individual client.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone considering a career in employment law?
Make sure you develop a love for reading and research. You also need to be ok with the principle of “the more you know the more you realise you don’t know” as this area of the law is constantly evolving (it’s heavily reliant on which political party holds office as well as case law) and therefore will keep you on your toes!
