BUSINESSES are being offered the chance to find out how an employment tribunal works and how they can avoid being taken to one. The Evening Gazette and its sister paper the Journal have teamed up with Weightman Associates and Dickinson Dees LLP to stage a mock event in November at Ramside Hall near Durham. Here, TONY WEIGHTMAN tells businesses why they should attend.

THE nebusiness Mock Employment Tribunal is back by popular demand.

Since our last event in 2008 recession has forced most managers to review their business. This will inevitably have involved changes to the way people work, and possibly redundancies - an area governed by employment rights.

For many managers one of their biggest fears is getting it wrong and ending up in front of an employment tribunal.

So the latest in our successful series of mock employment tribunals focuses on unfair selection for redundancy - the need to get it right and the consequences of failure.

There has been a major increase in tribunal hearings, and it’s a trend set to continue as employment law changes and staff become increasingly aware of their rights.

The mock tribunal organised with Weightman Associates, a leading management development consultant, and employment law experts Dickinson Dees Law, will help managers avoid the real thing by demonstrating how to handle discipline and redundancy cases correctly.

It is an opportunity to see how the system operates and identify the correct way to deliver evidence. Attending this event will boost the confidence of participants. It will also make them aware of the process and protocol.

Previous events have been praised for their practical nature and the opportunity to participate. At various stages the audience is invited to ask questions of those giving evidence and at the end they can quiz the solicitors about their methods of gaining a true representation of the events at work. Finally, they can interrogate the Chair about the day's contents and why he/she reached the decision they did.

Every registered person will receive a bundle of documents prior to the event. This shows what a tribunal requires prior to the case but is also used on the day, so the audience can become familiar with the case before arrival.

The Mock Employment Tribunal takes place on November 4. The cost is £175 + VAT per person. Early booking is recommended.

For further information and to book, contact: jennifer.cook@ncjmedia.co.uk or telephone 0191 204 3310.