As the UK Government works through its phased COVID-19 recovery strategy and lockdown restrictions are progressively eased, employers in the United Kingdom are contemplating the implications of returning staff to the workplace. In this article, we address some of the key issues for employers to consider, with a particular focus on the UK Government’s “Covid-secure” workplace guidance. The issues raised in this article are subject to any local requirements that may apply in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
As we mentioned in our last UK Employment Alert, the government has introduced a new, pre-claim conciliation procedure for employment disputes. As of 6 May 2014, that procedure became mandatory.
Before lodging the vast majority of Employment Tribunal claims, a potential claimant is now required to contact the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) and notify it of his/her intention to do so. The purpose is to promote the earlier settlement of disputes but, as you will see from the example timeframe set out in this article, the early conciliation (EC) process may itself be the cause of dispute.
Three important legislative changes take effect on 6 April 2014 that will impact employment litigation and dispute resolution strategy in the United Kingdom.
2013 saw a raft of changes to UK employment law and there are likely to be more in 2014. In this Employment Alert, we recap some of the key changes that happened in 2013 and look ahead at what to expect in 2014.
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