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Employment Tribunals - Road Map

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The Presidents of the Employment Tribunals (E&W, and Scotland) have updated their FAQ document containing details of how tribunals will operate during the coronavirus crisis.

There is a new road map (from page 19).  You need to read the whole document, but in summary:-

June 2020:  some hearings will start using the Cloud Video Platform developed by the Ministry of Justice, mainly straightforward money claims where there is little or no disputed evidence.  However, most hearings will not take place during June.

July/Aug 2020:  some standard track cases (typically unfair dismissal) will be heard remotely, and some short-track (simple money claims) and preliminary hearings will begin to be heard in person at tribunals which are ready to embrace social distancing measures.  It is unlikely open track cases (eg discrimination) will be heard, because few wing members will have been trained in the Cloud Video Platform.

Sept/Oct 2020: tribunals will begin to determine open-track cases using the Cloud Video Platform, with a small number of in-person hearings or hybrid hearings.

Nov/Dec 2020: this will be used as a period of consolidation and review.

The roadmap remarks that these are aspirations, and are contingent - in part - on increased staff numbers (especially in the London regions). It also emphasises that different ET regions are likely to go at different speeds, given the variable distribution of HMCTS staff.

As well as the roadmap, the answers to FAQs 2, 3, 9, 10 and 15 have been updated, and there are new FAQs 21, 22 and 25.

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