Conciliation helps cut number of tribunal cases

Tuesday 14 February 2017

JACS – the Jersey Advisory and Conciliation Service – says its conciliatory role has substantially cut the number of tribunal cases.

In its annual report the service says: “In 2016 we successfully assisted employers and employees in achieving a resolution to their disputes using PCC – Pre-claim conciliation – on 186 occasions”.

According to the service one of the major advantages of using PCC rather than taking the more formal approach is that if successful it can “allow the employment relationship to continue rather than end”.

The number of claims JACS received from the Employment and Discrimination Tribunal during 2016 was 175 with an additional 47 being carried forward from 2015.

Of the new cases JACS have received from the Tribunal Registrar a total of 132 of these have been resolved. Of these 132, JACS have resolved 77; with 38 resolved by the Tribunal; and 17 were withdrawn or settled by the parties themselves.

Of the additional 47 claims carried forward from 2015, only 5 remain outstanding, with JACS and the Tribunal both settling 16 claims each, the 10 claims not accounted for were either settled or withdrawn by the parties themselves.

JACS also notes “discrimination claims in employment for race, sex or age have not greatly contributed to the number of claims being lodged."