Significant Employment Law Changes
Added On: 4th April 2012
Some of the most significant changes in employment law for years come into effect on 6 April.
Most people are aware that the qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims increases from one year to two years for anyone recruited from this date.
An equally important change which comes into effect on the same day is the change to Employment Tribunal procedure whereby witness statements will be taken as read, unless the judge orders otherwise. This means that a Tribunal will read the witness statements at the beginning of the hearing, and then witnesses will simply be called in to be cross-examined.
This is potentially great news for employers because it could significantly reduce the time that witnesses spend in Tribunal, with a consequent reduction in the overall cost of a hearing.
However, a note of caution ..... at least one Employment Tribunal (Leeds) has advised solicitors that supplementary questions will not be allowed under this new regime, so witnesses who have forgotten to include something important in their written statements will not be allowed to add this at a later stage during the hearing. So, even more than ever, it is essential that witness statements are well drafted and contain everything relevant to the case.
