New employment tribunal proposals.

Draft amendments to employment tribunal rules of procedure are due to be published in January 2001 and should come into effect early in the Spring.

They will include the following:

• Increase in costs awarded for unreasonable or vexatious behaviour from £500 to £10,000.
• Costs awarded will take into account unreasonable behaviour of the claimant’s representative.
• Tribunals will be able to strike out ill-founded claims which have no real chance of success.
• The deposit will be raised for lodging claims from £150 to £500.
• The management of cases by tribunals will be strengthened.

Alongside these measures, ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) will introduce a new scheme providing an alternative to employment tribunals.

It will allow bosses and employees to resolve unfair dismissal claims through voluntary arbitration rather than by going through a full tribunal hearing. This will also free up resources for other tribunal cases.

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