“We don’t need your insurance. We already have it covered.“
Have you read the small print?
Really - and have you already read the policy ? Are you aware, for example that many policies require you have to have prior approval for every step in managing your employees – or, that the insurer does not have to pay up if you have made a process error - that you may have to pay a £3000 fee if you want to use your own lawyer? Or that you cannot claim for any incident at all in the first 6 months? We could go on.
“I don’t need HR support, let alone employment insurance”
“I have never had a Tribunal – doubt I ever will”
It’s a common objection - a client that has never had a Tribunal thinks that it is impervious; nothing has happened so they think it never will. They forget there is now no handbrake that can be applied to Tribunal claims, it costs nothing to make a claim and buying legal representation ‘after the event’ is ten times more expensive.
A Perfect Storm of Uncertainty where reliable employment insurance is key.
In what may feel like a ‘perfect storm’ of uncertainty, the need for stability and risk reduction are valuable commodities for business owners – and trustworthy employment insurance has never been more important.
The UK did not leave the EU on time, the Prime Minister stood down, there were the European elections and the rise of the Brexit party. Plus a Conservative party leadership race, with Boris Johnson the new Prime Minister.
The invisible army One in 10 working-age adults in the UK work on gig economy platforms, double the number who did so in 2016, according to a study by the University of Hertfordshire and the TUC.
The research suggests that 4.7 million people now work in the gig economy and warns that workers’ rights have not kept pace. Ursula Huws, professor of labour and globalisation at the University of Hertfordshire, said: “In a period when wages have been stagnant, people are turning to the internet to top up their earnings. “We see the Uber drivers and food delivery workers on our streets every day. But they’re only a small proportion of gig workers. They’re outnumbered by an invisible army of people working remotely on their computers or smartphones or providing services in other people’s homes.”
Employment tribunal cases rise. More claimants represent themselves in an overloaded and complex court system
According to the employment barrister Bruce Carr, in most cases, claimants are left to pay their own costs in tribunal cases and that leaves many with no choice but to go it alone and represent themselves. He also says that the complexity of the process can be a huge disincentive and intimidating.
Last year, according to figures produced by the Ministry of Justice, there were 121,075 claims – a 10 per cent increase on the previous year. 2017 saw the biggest increase when tribunal fees were scrapped. This has left the tribunal system understaffed and in some cases, the claims process takes well over a year. According to the BBC, the Ministry of Justice has hired 58 extra judges to deal with the increase, has spent £8m on support measures and has pledged a further £3m. However, this is still not enough for a process that can be emotional and draining for both employers and claimants.
