Minister not backing notice period increase

Current regulations mean that people are entitled to one week's notice if their time in the job is two years or less

Jersey's Social Security Minister has said she will not support a proposition to increase minimum notice periods.

Politicians in Jersey are due vote next month on whether employers should be forced to give more notice when making someone redundant.

Current regulations mean that people are entitled to one week's notice if their time in the job is two years or less.

Deputy Lyndsay Feltham said "balance was an important thing to strike."

'Not clear'

The proposal, from Deputy Max Andrews, would increase minimum notice from one week to four weeks.

Other notice periods would also rise, on a scale up to a maximum 12 weeks if the employee's period of continuous employment is eight years or more.

Mr Andrews said current laws were "inadequate", and leave people in "financial trouble".

Ms Feltham said she would not support her colleague's proposition "at this point in time" because it was "not clear" whether protections would be enhanced by his proposal.

'More complex'

She said: "I think we need to strengthen the law in regards to unfair dismissal, with regards to adherence to the discrimination law, and with regards to areas of termination of employment.

"The areas around termination of employment are a lot more complex than just looking at those notice periods.

"We need to look at the reasons people can dismiss people, we also need to look at the redundancy elements of the law, and the elements of the law that relate to tribunals."

Deputy Lyndsey Feltham encouraged workers to become members of the relevant trade unions

Speaking to BBC Radio Jersey Ms Feltham encouraged workers to become members of trade unions so they could get "the relevant help and support and negotiate for better terms and conditions with their employers."

She said: "We need to make sure any changes to the employment legislation give us the best outcomes for employers and employees."

States Members are due to vote on the proposition next month.