The paper suggests that the best way of reducing the number of
employment tribunal cases is by focusing on improving employment
relations solutions in the workplace. It argues that more resources
should be targeted on dispute prevention in the workplace,
including mediation services.
"Acas helps to settle three quarters of individual workplace
disputes before they go down the much more costly and stressful
route of a full tribunal hearing," said Chief Executive John
Taylor. "Prevention is much better than cure in building good
employee relations."
He welcomed the DTI's forthcoming
review of the 2004 reforms to see if they are having the desired
effect. The number of tribunal claims initially dropped following
the introduction of the reforms – but Taylor warned that it is too
early to say whether this trend will continue.
The paper questions whether the reforms are encouraging a
genuine attempt by employers and employees to resolve disputes in
the workplace – or whether the new discipline and grievance
procedures mean that disputes are being formalised at too early a
stage.
Britain's employment tribunal system may offer a preferable
alternative to the more legalistic approaches in some other
European countries, but there is still room for improvement, says
Acas.
