The United Kingdom's Plan to Reduce Employment Conflict

Abstract

One of the most lamented aspects of employment relations is attention to employment tribunal procedure. And yet, to this neglected area the Coalition Government has brought in a host of reforms ostensibly to address an economic imperative. This comment considers the employment law reforms contained in the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 as well as The Employment Tribunals (Constitution and Rules of Procedure) Regulations 2013. This legislative overhaul of employment relations is tied to efforts to improve the country’s economic future. The package of reforms aims in particular to ease the regulatory burden on small to medium-sized businesses. In so doing, there is a noticeable shift resulting in a more aggressive and singular view of employment litigation: workers have been cast in a nefarious role while employers (principally small to medium-sized businesses) are viewed as victims. At their essence, these reforms may well assist employers (though small to medium-sized businesses may not notice a change), but the Act and Regulations present a serious issue regarding access to redress for the infringement of rights in employment law.