News: Contract Law
Employment law training: Firms 'must avoid redundancy minefield'
13 May 2009
Companies looking to make redundancies must be careful if they are to avoid a potential minefield of litigation, an expert asserts, highlighting the importance of employment law training.
James Baker, senior solicitor at Macfarlanes, tells The People Bulletin that managing the dismissal process correctly can reduce the impact of any subsequent appeals or claims.
Among the mistakes he lists are not giving enough information to staff, delaying the start of the consultation process and failing to assess employees properly.
"Failure to do these can open the door to claims in the employment tribunal for unfair dismissal and compensatory rewards of up to £66,200," he asserts.
Mr Baker advises companies to plan redundancy preparations in advance, as this can help prevent successful claims for unfair dismissal, the news provider reports.
People Management recently reported that solicitor and managing director of the ADR Group Michael Lind is advising firms to examine mediation, as this can affect awards made by tribunals.
