EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNALS SET TO RETURN THANKS TO NEW TIMETABLE

Those waiting for employment tribunals will be thankful that hearings are returning now COVID-19 restrictions are easing.

From June, employment tribunals will start to take place again, which will come as a relief to people who have been waiting many months to resolve their cases. Couchman Hanson, a family and business law firm based in Liphook, is looking forward to getting back to doing what it does best, achieving the best outcomes for its clients.

The Presidents of the Employment Tribunals have laid down a timetable for the resumption of tribunals:

• June 2020 – Hearings will begin using the Ministry of Justice’s secure Cloud Video Platform. These are likely to be the most straightforward cases, where there is little to no disputed evidence.

• July and August – More cases will take place on the Cloud Video Platform, while tribunals that can operate social distancing will be able to conduct hearings in person. Again, these will still be more straightforward cases, such as unfair dismissals and simple claims for money.

• September and October – More complex cases will be able to be heard on the Cloud Video Platform, with in-person tribunals still available under social distancing measures.

November and December are marked as months for evaluation and consolidation.

Whether tribunals can keep to this timetable depends on the number of staff members that go back to work. Staff that use the Cloud Video Platform will also need to be trained on it. For these reasons, it’s expected that some regions will be further ahead on the timetable than others.