Me, I'd wait for the word "could" to be clarified before rubbing the material off the arms of my armchair.

The balance is not easy. An employer has to assess risk when employing people. If there are tears before bedtime for either party, can the employer afford that?

In essence, and without expressing a view one way or the other, there is a balance between fewer people employed with lots of protection versus more people employed with less protection. Having been both sides of the table, I would have preferred this to be preceded with a tweaking of tribunal criteria, as spurious claims are making employers nervous, and bad employers are spoiling the system for potential employees.

The arbitrary lengthening of qualifying time is a blunt tool when the opportunity to look at mutual trust in the employment arena is what Lord Young should, in my humble opinion, be addressing.