Govt increases qualification period for unfair dismissal

The government has announced changes to employment law that could make it harder for workers to challenge their employers for unfair dismissal.

Chancellor George Osborne and business secretary Vince Cable have announced that the qualification period for these rights will be extended from one to two years from April 1st 2012.

The changes follow a consultation that was published in January and proposed a number of methods designed to allow the early resolution of disputes and to reduce the number of vexatious claims.

Mr Cable announced that these measures will tackle a key obstacle businesses have identified as a barrier to growth.

He said: "We have one of the most flexible labour markets in the world but there is more we can do to give British business the confidence it needs to create more jobs and support the wider economy to grow."

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has also recently called for businesses to provide suggestions on how to reduce the red tape that they face in order to reduce the cost of regulations.

Published by Phil Hammond