New Tribunal rules came into effect on 29 July 2013 with a view
to reducing (tax payer's) expenses, avoid delays and to
reduce needless formality.
The introduction of an initial 'paper sift' stage once a
employment claim has been lodged to an employment tribunal is one
of the many new tribunal rules this year. A judge will
review the case based on what it set out in the application with a
view to giving instructions on the next steps or, if appropriate,
considering whether a claim should be struck out due to it lacking
a reasonable prospect of success.
Between April 2011 and March 2012 there were 186,000 cases heard
by the employment tribunals, according to figures from the
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). Each case
costs the taxpayer £1,900, while the average cost to employers is
£3,900. In light of these figures, the new rules comes as part of
ongoing reforms to the tribunal system, as well as the Government's
wider-ranging employment law review.
If you have a dispute with an employee, or would like to talk
about any employment matters please call on my direct line
(01273 447069) or email me Nicole.Humphreys@acumenbusinesslaw.co.uk.