Scottish law firm's iPhone app for compensation claims

Image caption, The app includes sections on unfair dismissal, redundancy, maternity leave and equal pay

A Scottish law firm has launched an iPhone app which will help employers calculate compensation claims.

The free HR Adviser app includes an interactive unfair dismissal compensation calculator and an interactive redundancy calculator.

Law firm MacRoberts said its app was designed to give employers useful information about UK employment law.

It will also have links to government sites and bodies such as Acas and the Equal Opportunities Commission.

Graham Mitchell, employment law partner at MacRoberts, said: "We have listened very carefully to our HR clients and have developed a practical, useful and relevant app which addresses the issues HR professionals face every day in an increasingly difficult employment law environment.

"Many of our clients are large employers and they have issues with employment law all the time. It is an area in which reliable information is often needed quickly and it lends itself to an information-based system such as HR Adviser."

The app includes sections on unfair dismissal, redundancy, maternity and paternity leave and equal pay and discrimination.

Automatic update

Details of the current statutory rates, such as the minimum wage, are automatically updated.

The interactive redundancy calculator allows the user to input details such as age, length of service and salary, after which the app will calculate the estimated statutory redundancy payment.

The compensation calculator will provide an estimate of the likely award at tribunal should an employee raise an unfair dismissal claim.

Mr Mitchell added: "Others have shied away from compensation estimates because of the considerable amount of variables involved, but we have included - and highlighted - some reasonable presumptions, allowing us to provide an informed assessment which will be of real value to HR professionals."