7/29/2019 Everett Tomlin Lloyd & Pratt outline changes to employment tribunal regulations in the UK

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businessupdateT

FebruaryNews6

Commerciallyspeaking

By David Jones,

Surveyor,Hutchings &Thomas, CharteredSurveyors

What is the one single thingthe 500-plus new peoplesoon to be working inNewport city centre willmost probably need at leastonce every day? Food.

And just where arethese new city centreprofessionals going to getthis food in Newport?

Well, thats the conundrum.Work has now started on demolition of the Cambrian

Road car park which will end in the construction forScarborough Development of its pre-let, 80,000 sq ft,six-storey office block housing the aforementioned 550workers employed by Wales business giant Admiral

Insurance with space for another 600 in the future.For anyone associated with the city the completion

of this scheme just cant come soon enough. The veryfact that work has started has got the entrepreneurialjuices flowing in some quarters. Which is where foodcomes into the equation.

Apart from the usual pubs, snack bars andconvenience stores, the city centre is relatively bereft ofeateries. But, make note, its not lacking in the number ofplaces where said eateries can flourish due to theuncommon amount of empty retail space currentlyavailable and on offer in the centre.

Entrepreneur Michelle Hayes had the foresight tosee the potential for catering success with the openinglast year of her Bettys caf on favourable rental terms.Michelle recognised the opportunity in opening herbusiness venture on Upper Dock Street as she hadconfidence of potential for her business with theproposed developments for the city centre.

So put workers and empty space and food togetherand what have you got? A thriving city centre, buzzingwith professionals who throughout the day are

frequenting these cafs and restaurants and again in theevenings and also at the weekend, injecting a newvivacity into Newport.

And while were on the subject of vivacity itshappening slowly but surely and Newports Bridge Streetis now one of the busiest in the centre packed with ahost of professionals from lawyers to estate agents,financial advisers, accountants and recruitmentcompanies making this part of the city their home. Thestreet is almost at capacity so other streets in the centrewatch out theyre coming for you.

Meanwhile its all seems to have gone uncommonlyquiet on the Friars Walk front although that could well bebecause those involved are so busy signing up nationaloperators and tenants eager to take space?

It was great news that Cineworld want to be anchorcinema tenant taking 26,000 sq ft in the 100m,Queensbury Real Estate scheme. Were toldDebenhams remain in the frame with a flagship storetotalling 93,000 sq ft. Construction on this mammothundertaking, 390,000 sq ft, is set to start this yearcreating 1,000 jobs in a project which is to deliver 30

shops, seven restaurants 400 car parking spaces a newbus station.

Out of town, Junction 28 area seems to be the placeof keenest interest with the sale of 22,000 sq ft HexagonHouse at Cleppa Park, Gocompare.coms acquisition of26,000 sq ft Imperial House and Target Groupsexpansion into 21,000 sq ft at Imperial Way.

While Marks and Spencer has eased into its newberth at Spytty bolstering the retail offering at NewportRetail Park with its sparkling new mezzanined store andfood hall.

Now, if something could only be done to thateyesore former car showroom on the corner and atenant or tenants found for the former Megabowl site,then wed really be motoring. Follow us on Twitter: @SWABusine

By Ashley Harkus, managingpartner with Everett TomlinLloyd & Pratt Solicitors in

Newport

T

he UK coalition Governmentsrecent attempts to reform bothemployee rights and theEmployment Tribunal system is

a concerted attempt to reducethe number of unfair dismissal claimsbrought by employees,

In 2011/2012 there were 186,000claims brought in the Employment Tribunal.

Many employers feel that the system isfirmly weighted in favour of the employeeas it is free for them to issue a claim onlineand costs are very rarely awarded onfailure. Many parties are legallyrepresented.

While initially, when the EmploymentTribunal service was created, it wasintended to be an informal arena for thequick settlement of employment disputes,over the years its rules and procedureshave become more complicated andtranches of complex legislation have meantthat an unrepresented employer oremployee is at a serious disadvantage.Industry lobby groups have longcomplained that it is too easy to take a

claim and the cost to business is too high.The reforms began in earnest in April of

2012 when legislation increased the periodof time that an employee had to be in workbefore they were entitled to make a claimfor unfair dismissal from one to two year.The reforms reflect the Governmentsconcerns about both the level ofemployment claims being brought and thecost to employers. The reforms will also

prevent any employee, who started workafter that date, from taking a claim other

than for discrimination unless they havetwo years qualifying service.

In a furthereffort to reduce the current84m running cost of the EmploymentTribunal system the Government nowintends to introduce fees in the summer ofthis year, 2013, for issuing a claim in theTribunal.

It is anticipated that those issue feeswill start at 160 but may be more,

although employee groups hopbe a procedure to waive the feemployees can show they havstate benefit as a result of the dHowever, this is still subject to

Means tested state fundedassistance for claimants is alsoremoved for the vast majority ofrom April 2013 as part of widelegal aid cuts meaning that sacemployees will either have to r

themselves, pay privately for lefind a solicitor able to offer a no(contingency fee) agreement. Ararely awarded on success anywill have to be deducted from acompensation recovered.

The Government states thmeasures will encourage quiccheaper alternatives like, for exmediation.

It is intended that the natioconciliation service, ACAS, wilprovide a new pre-claim concilprocess to help to resolve dispa background of falling budgetserious concerns over how muthis will have and if ACAS will bdeliver an extended service witsubstantial additional funding.

Many businesses have welreforms, predicting that makin

challenge a dismissal should reoverall costs of employing stafincreased recruitment.

Unions and employee grouquestioned whether the reductemployee rights will benefit resemployers and ask if businesseemploy extra staff just becausedismiss them.

Is time running out

Ashley Harkus

Backing means printercan press aheadGwent-based magazineprinter Pensord hasacquired one of the worldsleading printing presses to

help improve efficiency,boost quality control, andgive publisher customersan even greater competitiveadvantage, after securing a3m asset finance packagefrom Santander Corporate& Commercial.

The funding will be usedto purchase a newHeidelberg 8 Colour press,the companys sixth in thepast nine years, to replacetwo existing machines.

This will help thecompany to reduceoverheads, improveworkflow and generatecapacity.

The investment is thebiggest in thePontllanfraith-based

printers history and makesthe company the first tobring this market-leadingprinting technology to the

UK.Pensord, which

produces periodicalmagazines, was acquiredby its current managementteam, led by managingdirector Darren Coxon, viaa management buyout in2010.

Since then it has heavilyinvested in upgrading theequipment and technologyto drive furtherimprovements in efficiencyand quality. Pensordcurrently prints around 400regular publications, mainlyfor independent publishers,and is the current BritishPrinting IndustriesFederation Company of theYear.

Expansion at law f

Law firm Watkins & Gunn hasexpanded its team with theappointment of two newsolicitors.

Aron McMahon, 35, fromCardiff, and Leah Rhydderch,31, from the Llyn Peninsula, jointhe firm, which has offices inNewport and Pontypool.

Managing partner CliveThomas said: Aron and Leahare fantastic appointments for

the firm as they are both highly

regarded and expersolicitors, each withskill-set. They will plinstrumental role in dour offices and buildrelationships with thcommunity. Were dhave them on board

The firm opened1,000 sq ft office in LCardiff in Decemberthe its offices in New

Pontypool.

Aron McMahon and Leah Rhydderch