Jonathan Djanogly, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice and his colleague, Ed Davey MP at the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, have today launched a consultation on resolving workplace disputes. Key themes in the consultation include;

• Claimants may have to pay a fee to take a case to court.
• A proposed increase in the qualification period for unfair dismissal from one to two years.
• Dispute resolution must be attempted before a case can go to court.

Mr Djanogly said; ‘Disputes in the workplace cost time and money. For individuals, the potential for personal distress is considerable. Moreover, disputes can affect morale, reduce productivity and ultimately undermine economic growth. Concerns about ending up in an employment tribunal can be a significant barrier that prevents employers, particularly small firms, from taking on staff in the first place. ‘As a Government, we need to encourage employers and employees to work together to resolve disagreements that arise in the workplace. We want to help people to help themselves. It makes good sense to preserve the working relationship where possible, and to achieve a swift resolution where it’s not. ‘Achieving lasting economic growth is our core priority in the years ahead. It is incumbent on us to lay the foundations to allow businesses to thrive. This consultation is a significant milestone in our review and an important step towards providing a framework that enables businesses and individuals to develop ways of working that best suit their needs and that supports sustainable growth.’