Latest News From Complete Clarity Solicitors

With the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) having recently clarified the rules concerning the types of companions that workers can bring with them to grievance or disciplinary hearings, following a period of consultation, ACAS has now published a revised draft of the of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures.

The EAT judgement in  Toal and another -v- GB Oils, which caused ACAS to act, held that workers have the right to be accompanied anyone at Disciplinary and Grievance hearings, provided the accompanying individual falls into one of the categories, which are listed in section 10 of the Employment Relations Act 1999. Workers, therefore, have the right to be accompanied at such hearings by trade unions officials, certified union representatives and fellow workers.

The largest teachers’ union, the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), saw a 24% increase in the amount of compensation paid to its members in 2012. The majority of the awards related to employment, equality and personal injury claims.