Incompetence is not the only route to tribunal

I agree with Malcolm Houghton-le-Chapple (Letters, Personnel Today, 27 June) that HR should use legal knowledge to prevent tribunals happening. But to claim that HR has got it wrong because it ends up in a tribunal is a false proposition.

You arrive at any form of legal hearing because of a number of factors, many beyond the control of any HR practitioner. This could be the avarice of the complainant, the ego of a solicitor, or the circumstances of the employer (as opposed to the guilt or lack of guilt).

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So yes, do use your skills to the best of your ability, but it is not necessarily incompetence that finds you defending your firm.

Del Hunter, director of performance, SSR Personnel Services