Consultation on ending the employment relationship and DWP's response to 'Health at work - an independent review of sickness absence'

It was a busy day for employment law yesterday, as well as the TUPE consultation and the response to consultation about ending the employment relationship, the Government also published a consultation on proposals for the implementation of Early Conciliation.

The intention to introduce Early Conciliation was announced by the Government in November 2011 as one of their proposals to simplify and streamline the employment tribunal process.  Early Conciliation will require most potential tribunal claims to be referred to Acas in the first instance to allow parties to be offered the option of resolving their dispute through conciliation before a claim is made.  The consultation, which closes on 15 February 2013, sets out how it is proposed this will work in practice.

To read the consultation document click here.

Separately, the Department for Work and Pensions also published the Government's response to 'Health at work - an independent review of sickness absence'.  The response includes the planned introduction of state-funded Occupational Health assessments from 2014.  To read the response click here.