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Acas code of practice under revision
19 May 2008
The government is reviewing the Acas code of practice for disciplinary and grievance procedures, with a proposed new code that could adjust compensatory awards by up to 25 per cent.
Chief executive John Taylor said the provision for tribunals to adjust awards could be used if they consider an employer or employee unreasonably failed to follow the code.
According to government statistics there were 132,577 claims accepted in 2006-07.
Of 10,762 claims that were originally rejected that year, 3,861 were re-submitted and accepted.
Mr Taylor said the new code of practice will provide good practice on the handling of discipline and grievance situations and can be taken into account at employment tribunals.
"Our current code of practice is being revised as the government is in the process of removing the statutory discipline and dismissal procedure that has been in place since 2004, which is referred to widely in our code," he said.
A report by Michael Gibbons in 2006 concluded that the current procedure brought some benefits, but also had "unintended negative consequences and should therefore be repealed," Mr Taylor added.
