Markel is unveiling a new service for its employment practices liability clients.
Markel UK Assist is a free employment law advice and guidance resource.
The service is a response to a climate of frequent and expensive employment disputes. Between April 2003 and April 2004 there were 155,000 employee tribunal applications within the UK and nearly 27m awarded to employees.
Markel UK Assist will provide advice on topics such as discrimination, maternity, disciplinary procedures and redundancy.
The service will include a website, an employer helpline, a quarterly bulletin and a series of employment seminars.
Steve Carroll, managing director of Markel, said: "I believe that we are making a big step towards creating greater awareness and understanding of employment law. Markel UK Assist can make a genuine and positive difference to how employers manage their staff."