Saridakis, George, Sen Gupta, Sukanya, Edwards, P. K. (Paul K.) and Storey, D. J.. (2008) The impact of enterprise size on employment tribunal incidence and outcomes : evidence from Britain. British Journal of Industrial Relations, Vol.46 (No.3). pp. 469-499. ISSN 0007-1080

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Abstract

Employment Tribunals are the formal means of adjudicating disputes over individual employment rights in the UK. This article hypothesizes that, because small firms favour informality over formality, they are more likely (i) to experience employee claims than large firms; (ii) to be subject to different types of claims; (iii) to settle prior to reaching a formal Tribunal; and (iv) to lose at a Tribunal. Data from the 2003 Survey of Employment Tribunal Applications are used to examine these hypotheses. They are generally supported, although in relation to the third there was no size effect. Furthermore, our results show that firms that have procedures and follow them are more likely to win than those firms that do not have any procedures. Recognizing the benefits of informality, while also ensuring that small firms follow proper standards of procedural fairness, is a policy dilemma that has yet to be resolved.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
Divisions:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Warwick Business School > Industrial Relations & Organisational Behaviour Faculty of Social Sciences > Warwick Business School
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Labor courts -- Great Britain, Arbitration, Industrial -- Great Britain, Small business -- Great Britain
Journal or Publication Title:	British Journal of Industrial Relations
Publisher:	Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
ISSN:	0007-1080
Date:	September 2008
Volume:	Vol.46
Number:	No.3
Number of Pages:	31
Page Range:	pp. 469-499
Identification Number:	10.1111/j.1467-8543.2008.00687.x
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
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URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/29596

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