The government is consulting on the jurisdictions of employment tribunals, the Employment Appeal Tribunal and the civil courts in employment and discrimination matters. Although the consultation will not include a major restructuring of the ET system or consider major policy issues such as the limits on unfair dismissal compensation, it will consider (among a range of other more technical matters) whether:
* Tribunals should have exclusive jurisdiction on unfair dismissal and employment related discrimination; and whether equal pay claims should be the exclusive jurisdiction of the ET, but with a six-year time limit.
* Time limits for bringing these claims should be extended from three to six months
* The limit of £25,000 in damages for breach of contract claims should be raised and if so, to what level; and whether employers should be able to initiate breach of contract claims against employees
* ET jurisdiction should extend to hear claims for personal injury (other than connected to discrimination), claims concerning the provision of living accommodation, relating to intellectual property, confidentiality nor restraint of trade or to issue injunction.
The consultation closes on 11 January 2019.
