The changing employment law landscape and how technology can help firms to adapt
The employment law sector has always been fast paced, both in periods of economic growth and decline however, like many other services and sectors across the UK, the sector has been impacted by the recent events. This has led to changes to the employment law landscape with a number of challenges and opportunities coming to the fore.
In this blog, we look at the trends and factors affecting the sector, the challenges these are creating and the approaches firms can take to meet new demands whilst also preparing for the future.
The employment law landscape in numbers:
- Multiple claims in the employment tribunal increased by 82% at the end of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019
- The number of single claims also increased by 25% in the first quarter of 2021 as unemployment rises and working conditions change
- Outstanding employment claims up by 45% compared to pre-covid
- Two in five organisations with staff on furlough say they will have to make some or all of their furloughed staff redundant when the scheme comes to an end
- Citizens Advice has seen huge demand for help during the pandemic with its coronavirus content having over 6m views since March 2020, and its online self-help advice has been viewed 63m times – an increase of nearly 10m on the previous year.
- Current unemployment rate in the UK is 4.9% and expected to rise further
- In April 2020, 46.6% of people in employment did some work at home.
Increased caseloads for the employment law sector
During the recent uncertain times and challenged UK economy, many businesses have been badly affected with some having to close or reduce the amount of staff they have employed. With the rising unemployment and amount of redundancies, the employment law sector has seen an unprecedented increase in the number of cases as some employers have claims of unfair or inappropriate dismissals made against them.
Whilst an increase in chargeable work is a good thing for firms, the volume of cases can be a significant challenge. With so many cases ongoing, fee earners are stretched to complete tasks and progress cases. The knock-on effect could lead to a number of negative outcomes including reduced standards of work, over worked and demotivated staff, unhappy clients and more. With the furlough scheme ending in September 2021, more businesses are expected to have to let staff go and further claims are expected to arise.
Businesses that have just about hung on this year are unlikely to see it through another winter if there’s another wave of lockdowns, so the next 12-18 months is a very uncertain time. Currently, the Employment Tribunal is rather backlogged, with hearings being listed in 2022. If further economic challenges occur and increased redundancies as a result, this could cause havoc for the justice system and for practitioners, as well as for businesses.
Another big challenge for the employment sector is the change to a hybrid model of working where staff can work from home and more flexibly. Some businesses had already adopted this model of working in recent years so are already set up appropriately however others, who have been forced into homeworking, are having to review their employment contracts and ensure their staff have the appropriate health and safety assessments in place as they still have a duty of care. Some in the industry believe there’s a ticking time bomb of personal injury claims by employees who have suffered an injury while working from home. Any discrepancies or failure to conduct a full risk assessment could again lead to claims, for personal injuries or unfair dismissals, against the business and further cases for the employment law sector to action.
How can employment law firms cope with this increased demand?
With the number of cases likely to rise, firms need technology which is quick enough to cope with demand and increase efficiency. Case management software will play a vital role in supporting fee earners to complete tasks much faster than before, deliver a higher quality of service to clients, and generate more revenue for their firm.
Access Legal have the perfect solutions to support firms in the employment law sector. Our case management software enables you to save time and effort by automating routine tasks whilst increasing accuracy and consistency across your firm. Ready-to-go, configurable employment specific workflows guide your fee earners and support the full lifecycle of a case.
Furthermore, the software caters for both Claimants and Respondents. Its flexible nature means that no matter what your role as a solicitor, you have all the relevant information to hand, quickly and easily.
Find out more about our Employment Law Case Management solutions and how they can help your firm. You can also read customer stories relating to employment law services.
