Beware Tribunal Claims - Use Correct Procedures

My Blog entry this week relates to employers trying to be kind, and finding they have been bitten.
How would you feel if you had to make a redundancy, with only one person in the role and they had been an excellent employee for many years? Imagine they had just had a bereavement - you did not want to put them through hell but you had to make the redundancy. You do not carry out the redundancy by the book, but in a way that gives her more money and less stress. How would you feel if you the received Tribunal papers backed by a “no win – No Fee” solicitor and they are looking for £25,000?

This is just one case on my desk this week – there have been others. An employee with 11 weeks service is dismissed for poor work on a Friday. The employer confirmed the dismissal in writing the following week whilst the employee is serving their notice. AFTER this the employee states she is pregnant and is now taking the employer to Tribunal claiming £21,000 for dismissing her when pregnant! Even stranger is that the Tribunal have allowed a 2-day hearing for this case, costing thousands of pounds. Again this is being brought through a “No win – No fee” solicitor.

What I am saying to EVERY employer is ………. please, please do things by the book. The correct paperwork to prove you have done things properly is all-important. When the law changes in April I believe the paperwork will become even more important. If you do not want the costs in time and money of Employment Tribunal to prove you acted reasonably, COMPLETE THE PAPERWORK TO PROVE YOU WERE RIGHT.

If you have any doubts ring the support help line on 01455 444222

Reduced Tribunals in 2008 Using HR4UK

0.046% - FANTASTIC!

2008 figures just released prove it is possible to reduce the chances of your business being taken to Employment Tribunal to almost zero.

The figures show that just 0.046% of employees managed by employers using the HR4UK online personnel scheme made claims to Employment Tribunals in the year; all other disputes were sorted out in-house. (This is just 46 in every 100,000 employees).

When announcing this Peter Abraham, Managing Director of HR4UK.com Ltd, said This result illustrates the procedures for dealing with grievances and appeals incorporated in clients contracts of employment really do work, avoiding nearly all Tribunal claims.

The scheme has a number of unique benefits making it particularly suitable for small employers, and employers with multiple sites. HR4UK.com have provided services to the sub-post offices of the UK for over 18 years and to other well known names such as Spar and Chambers of Commerce.

The popularity of the scheme has increased immensely since the Internet version was released in 2003, and being Internet based it is very cost effective; a company with 10 staff can use the system for around £50 per month.

Peter Abraham has also been presenting seminars for Business Link in the East Midlands entitled How to Make Employment Tribunals Redundant. Peter has also been pointing out to businesses recently that changes being introduced on April 1st 2009 will increase the importance of a high quality dispute resolution procedure being incorporated in every contract of employment.

Details of the scheme, with free advice, can be found on http://www.hr4uk.com/ or phone 0870 5133269.