Employee Relations News
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RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENT
I shall be retiring at the beginning of April 2012 and closing the consultancy. Consequently I shall not be taking on new clients or projects in the next 3 months.
I am grateful for the support of clients and others who have visited the News pages of this site and give everyone my best wishes for the future.
Barry Gibbs
Long Term Sickness
November 2011
It is only 18 months since the Government brought in the Fit Note system to enable GPs to advise employers whether an earlier return to work may be possible for a sick employee if some work adjustments are made. Now an independent review has suggested that the Government should establish an Independent Assessment Service (IAS) to which employers and GPs can refer long-term absence cases for advice. The Review also suggests tax breaks for employers who employee people with long term conditions and a job brokering service to place employees who are no longer fit for their current job. There are many questions to be answered e.g. will there be enough occupational health experts to staff the IAS; what will be the status of IAS opinions? The Government is expected to respond to the Review in the New Year. Meanwhile NHS Occupational Health Services at hospitals can provide advice to employers and GPS (alternatively telephone 0800 0 77 88 44 or visit www.health4work.nhs.uk).
Government Proposes Reforms for Employment Law
The key points announced by Vince Cable include:
- Call for evidence into whether small firms can dismiss staff without their agreement and without the possibility of a tribunal
- Consultation on allowing employers to have discussions about poor performance without fear that they could be used as evidence in a tribunal
- Increasing the minimum period of employment to enable an employee to make claim of unfair dismissal from 1 to 2 years
- Consultation on the cost of tribunal to be transferred from taxpayer to claimant
- Call for evidence on reducing the statutory consultation period on large planned redundancies from 90 days to 30
- All claims to be conciliated by ACAS before reaching employment tribunals
- A streamlined scheme for simple tribunal cases to be settled within three months
The Press observes that these may be a compromise negotiated between the Coalition parties. Lyme Bay Consulting will be keeping a watching brief for further developments and also hopes that employers and employees will participate in the Government consultation.
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Lyme Bay Consulting aims to make these MONTHLY NEWS items fresh and relevant. However by its very nature, news may be an interpretation of events at the time or what is expected in the future and may change as the reported matters progress. Readers should not take the information or advice given as applicable to their specific or generic circumstances.
