Employment Tribunal Claims Down by Nearly 80%

Tribunal Statistics and the Impact of Fees 

  

Employment tribunal claims slumped by 79 percent in the last quarter of 2013 following the government's introduction of employment tribunal fees.

Many of you will recall that fees for bringing a claim were introduced last summer for the first time, with employees having to shell out £1,200 for claims of unfair dismissal or discrimination. The qualifying period to claim for unfair dismissal has also now increased from one year to two years.

The team here at KSA has concerns.... Kate's view: "Clearly, the introduction of fees has prevented a number of employees from bringing claims to an employment tribunal.  Which for many is seen a good thing. However, if employees feel that they aren't able to pursue claims in an employment tribunal they may look to do so in other ways, such as joining trade unions to follow issues through. The work we do within organisations is about promoting positive working environments and only time will tell if this is a constructive step towards promoting a productive working culture."

The recent statistics can be viewed here.