A survey of public sector leaders to be published on Monday from Zurich Municipal illustrates the potential legal costs that may ensue from the huge cost-cutting exercise now under way across the whole public sector.
The issues are as shown in the Guardian as follows:
If you spend less money on highways maintenance? Expect more complaints and demands for compensation from people tripping over oles in pavements.
If you need to reduce staffing numbers? Expect more unfair dismissal claims for those now out of a job and more claims from remaining staff about stress.
If you reduce costs by renegotiating existing contracts? Expect legal claims from disgruntled suppliers.
If you cut services? Expect costly challenges via judicial review from consumer and charity organisations on behalf of those impcated by service cuts.
Some observations.
The world is a far more litigious place than it was before. Lawyers are more competitive as well and are willing to do cases on a non win no fee.
Individuals are more willing to sue as well.
From my experience there is bound to be more legal claims unless a lot of thought is gone into how the cuts are made.
This shows why mediation embedded at different levels of the organisation is a sensible way forward. This is a proven way to cut costs and legal fees. It is staggering the level of waste on legal fees.
Justin Patten, Mediator