The highly anticipated 'Keep Britain Working' report, spearheaded by Sir Charlie Mayfield for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) was published today. It has thrown its weight behind proposals aimed at overhauling the current system of employment dispute resolution.
The report specifically endorses work submitted by a distinguished team of Cambridge academics: Professor Catherine Barnard (Trinity College), Sarah Fraser Butlin KC (Selwyn College), and Dr Maayan Menashe (Selwyn College). The Cambridge team's contribution centered on draft recommendations from a comprehensive review of employment dispute resolution, conducted in collaboration with the Employment Lawyers Association (ELA). These recommendations focus on greater utilisation of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to proactively reduce conflict in the workplace. The report strongly backs these proposals, asserting they "offer an opportunity to reduce the adversarial nature of the current system."
A key element highlighted in the report is the recommendation to integrate Workplace Health Provision (WHP) certification into ADR frameworks. This move is designed to create a positive incentive, ensuring that employers who demonstrate commitment to best practices through certification face a lower risk of costly and time-consuming tribunal action.
The report signals a potential shift in government strategy toward minimising workplace conflict and maximising resolution outside of the formal court system.