New figures released by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) have confirmed that employers are finding it increasingly difficult to deal with employment law red tape.
The figures show an increase of close to 30% of calls to the FSB's free legal helpline. The helpline received a total of 70,943 calls last year compared to 55,036 in 2004, with disciplinary procedures the subject of most calls.
Of the other major issues raised, the largest increases in calls to the helpline were seen in relation to dismissal procedure (up 174%) and retirement issues (up 128%).