Caroline Field has commented for Personnel Today, Employer News and HR Grapevine on the proposed changes to employment tribunals recently recommended by the Law Commission. These include an extension in the time limit for bringing a claim and the creation of a new informal specialist “Employment and Equalities List” for specialist employment related matters within the High Court. This would ensure that employment-related claims are heard by specialist judges.
Fox supports the implementation of the proposals. The prospect of early resolution, possibly even to preserve the employment relationship, is often undermined by the need for employees to issue protectively within a three-month limitation period while employers are under pressure to run complex investigations. “These tight timescales are a particularly vexed issue where complex internal processes are being delayed by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic”.