ELAS Offers Advice on Changes to Employment Tribunals

ELAS, a leading, expert provider of business support solutions in the UK, offers advice on the recently proposed changes to employment tribunal legislation.

It has been proposed that in April 2013, set fees will be introduced to help standardise employment tribunals and encourage more disputes to be settled out of court.

Three new fees have been suggested in an effort to simplify the tribunal process and increase the resources dedicated to more significant claims.

The proposed fees are:
• £390 for ‘Level 1’ claims, breaking down into £160 when issuing the claim and £230 just before the hearing

• £1,200 for more complicated ‘Level 2’ claims, comprising £250 when issuing and £950 before the hearing

• £600 for a judge-led mediation, or just £160 for ACAS settlement before the hearing fee is incurred.

ELAS Employment Law Consultant, consultant Dominic Cooper, commented: “The proposed changes to the tribunal system have come about due to three reasons. Firstly, by introducing fees the hope is that the cost to the taxpayer will be reduced. At £84million a year, the current bill will be subsidised by fee payments.

“Secondly, the changes aim to encourage early mediation and settlement outside of court. And thirdly, the intention is that weak or frivolous claims will be weeded from the system early, thus helping free up resources for meaningful claims.

“We invite any businesses with queries or concerns about the proposed tribunal changes to contact us for further advice.”

For more information on ELAS and their business services, please visit http://www.elas.uk.com.

About ELAS:
ELAS Integrated Business Support has been operating throughout the UK since 1996, and offers a comprehensive range of business compliance services. ELAS’ team of experts support thousands of businesses all over the UK and Ireland in employment law, health & safety, payroll, CRB checks, accredited training, absence management and intelligent software solutions.