Employers, Employment Law Solicitors and Government on Tribunal Claims
Over recent years employers and chambers of commerce have been louder and louder in their calls for a reduction of red tape for small businesses and for the burden of employment law on small companies which are forced to spend huge sums of money on compliance. Over the past fifteen years, more laws relating to employment have been passed and of course the equality which has been brought about has been welcomed by employment law solicitors and employees alike.
However, the number of claims being launched at the Employment Tribunal in the past two years has risen so dramatically that there are concerns from employers, the government and employment law solicitors that the system is becoming saturated and is therefore failing those people who really need its help.
Several suggestions have come from all parties to reduce the number of claims that are being made on the off chance of success or as knee jerk reactions from disgruntled employees. One suggestion has been changing the rules so that employees have to have worked with a company for two years in order to claim for unfair dismissal. This is twice the current requirement and many employment solicitors are concerned that it could leave people unnecessarily vulnerable.
Another suggestion which has received more support from solicitors is to require individuals to pay a deposit at the beginning of their claim which would be refunded were it successful. Figures which have been suggested have varied from around £5 to £250, all of which are affordable and might make people think about their claim before launching it.
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