Employment tribunal cases rise by 15%

The number of cases brought to employment tribunals in Britain in 2006–07 rose by 15%, from 115,039 in 2005–06 to 132,577, new figures from the Tribunals Service reveal.

Those disposed of last year also rose, by 19%, from 86,083 to 102,597. Unfair dismissal remains the most popular ground of claim: there were 44,491 of these compared to 41,832 the previous year.
Race discrimination cases were one of the few categories which saw a drop, falling from 4,103 in 2005–06 to 3,780 in 2006–07, while equal pay claims shot up to 44,013 compared to 17,268 the year before. Sex discrimination cases, meanwhile, almost doubled —rising from 14,250 to 28,153 year on year. Many of these, the research reveals, were brought in conjunction with equal pay claims.

Jeanne Spinks, chief operating officer of the Tribunals Service which administers employment tribunals, says: “The significant reason for the increase in employment tribunal cases in 2006–07 is a 155% increase in equal pay claims. We have set up two dedicated teams to process equal pay cases from NHS staff and have been working closely with our judiciary to ensure that all equal pay claims are progressed as efficiently as possible.”
She adds: “Despite an overall increase in cases this year, we’ve also managed to reduce the waiting times for single cases appearing before employment tribunals.”

Lyndon Willshire, sales manager at legal expenses insurer DAS UK, says the new figures dash suggestions that employee relations are becoming less combative and predicts a further rise in claims.

“The government’s attempts to reduce the number of claims going to tribunal have clearly only had a temporary effect. The three stage mandatory grievance procedure has not created a forum for mediation, rather a mechanism for concluding matters more efficiently. More legislation is on the way, and the effects of recent laws on age, belief and sexual orientation have yet to bite,” he adds.