By its very nature the work involved in many rural businesses is still of a relatively labour-heavy, manual nature and, with that in mind, those at management level should be mindful of a recent change that may impact upon them.
In the late summer of 2017, a landmark ruling in the Supreme Court saw the abolition of the £1,200-a-time fees for a person to lodge any kind of Employment Tribunal claim, big or small.
What follows may not come as a surprise, especially with regards to smaller claims as Government data for the first two months since abolition revealed an overall increase of 64 per cent in the number of employment tribunal claims lodged across the country.
With the above in mind, there has never been a more appropriate time for rural businesses to give themselves a legal health check. Farms will often have differing shift patterns and a changing and seasonal workforce – all elements that can give rise to complications, if not handled properly.
Tribunal claims can be time-consuming, complex and expensive and you need to be confident that your business is doing the right thing, by protecting itself in the event of potential claims being made - whether they be large or small.
Take the time now to make the necessary checks, seek the latest legal information on employment rules and regulations and ensure you are operating by-the-book.
