A number of national newspapers, along with the BBC, reported (from a Government source) that the Coalition were planning to introduce wide-ranging and controversial reforms to UK employment legislation.

This was to include:

• a cap on discrimination awards at tribunals
• dilution of the TUPE rights protecting transferring employees
• a reduction in the current redundancy consultation periods

The actual published statement when it came was somewhat weakened: they will be "looking carefully at the arguments for reform" and "legislation will not necessarily be the route to implement any change if there is a case for reform".

Presumably by then someone had twigged the limited extent to which they were actually able to make any changes.

In 1993 the last Conservative Government capped discrimination compensation awards at tribunals, only for the European Court of Justice to rule that this was unlawful.

The TUPE Regulations and the rules on collective redundancies are also subject to European law and any change would require to be in line with the relevant Directives.

We will be keeping an eye out for any employment law reforms that the Government announces over the coming months and will keep people updated via our blog and our Twitter account.