The ‘Employment Tribunals (Early Conciliation: Exemptions and Rules of Procedure) Regulations 2014 (SI 2014/254)’ have been amended.

Thus far, the time for the early conciliation period (“EC”) has been one month with an extension allowed of another two weeks, if both parties agree.

From 1 December 2020, the EC period has changed so that it will automatically be six weeks and there will not be an option to extend this irrespective of what either party wants.

This should not have a significant impact in the way employers deal with EC, but the purpose of the change is to allow parties the ability to have a longer period in which to (hopefully) come to an agreement before the matter proceeds to the Employment Tribunal.