The Government issued a Mid-Term Review yesterday, taking stock of the progress made in implementing the coalition agreement signed in May 2010.
The Mid-Term Review reviews the Government’s progress and highlights its reforms, including its changes to employment law. In particular, it highlights its reforms to labour market law by increasing the qualification period for unfair dismissal from one to two years; streamlining employment tribunals; and introducing measures to encourage early resolution of workplace disputes.
The Government also confirms that it will make further improvements by:
• taking forward many of the recommendations made by Graeme Nuttall, a partner at Field Fisher Waterhouse, in his independent review of employee ownership;
• extending the right to request flexible working to all employees and creating a system of shared parental leave;
• introducing a new employment status of ‘employee shareholder’;
• introducing new settlement agreements to provide speedy resolution of workplace disputes without the risk that the offer of such an agreement could be used to bring about an unfair dismissal claim;
• reducing vexatious employment litigation by introducing fairer rules for Employment Tribunals;
• reforming the operation of Employment Tribunals, as proposed by Mr Justice Underhill;
• introducing a system of equal pay audits that with compel companies found to have unequal pay practices to amend their systems; and
• working with others to press for changes to the Working Time Directive and insisting on maintaining the right of UK citizens to opt out of its provisions.