ADVICE workers are offering to help employees and bosses understand new rules on how workplace disputes are settled.

Wear Valley Citizens Advice Bureau is urging both employers and employees to make efforts to understand the changes, which came into effect in October.

Citizens Advice, the national body for Citizens Advice Bureaux, has produced a booklet on the regulations. Under the new rules, employees have a right to expect their employer to have minimum procedures in place for dealing with grievances, dismissal and disciplinary action.

And employees with a grievance have a duty to follow new procedures after first trying to resolve a dispute informally.

If the guidelines are not properly followed an employment tribunal may decide to reduce or increase compensation paid to an employee or even refuse to accept a claim .

Bureau manager Peter Singer said: "It is important that everyone understands the changes and acts within the time limits laid down, because if the procedures are not followed they could seriously affect people's rights to make a claim to an employment tribunal."

The booklet is available at the CAB office in the Four Clocks Centre, Newgate Street.