Acas has said in its annual report that demand for its pre-claim conciliation service has risen by one-third (34%) in 2011/12, at a time when it is working with the Government to develop a "practical operating model" for the new early-conciliation system for employment tribunals.
The early conciliation service will be introduced in 2014. In the first instance, potential tribunal claims will be referred to Acas to see if it can resolve the dispute before it is lodged at the employment tribunal. The basic early conciliation period will be one month.
Other recent developments in the move to streamline the employment tribunal system include:
- Government publishes details of employment tribunal fees The Government has published its response to the consultation on charging fees in employment tribunals and the Employment Appeal Tribunal.
- Underhill publishes review of employment tribunal rules Mr Justice Underhill, the former President of the Employment Appeal Tribunal, has presented his recommendations for reforming employment tribunal procedures, including proposals for an initial sift stage for employment judges to review every case after the claim form and response have been received.
