Possible important changes to employment law
A major further review of employment laws remains ongoing with the current Government determined to reduce the cost of civil courts, including the Employment tribunal, as a drain on taxpayers resource. The number of Tribunal cases has continued to rise and it appears the balance on employment law, a highly political area, is being titled in favour of employers. The press are suggesting that the new Government plans will include :-
- reducing the amount of time employers have to consult staff before making them redundant.
- Cap maximum awards for discrimination cases
- the right to request flexible working and shared parental leave will be brought forward to 2015, earlier than previously mooted and possibly a counterbalance to the other pro-employer changes
We stress that at the time of writing, these are not confirmed. We will update on this issue further.