It involves more use of telephone and video hearings, with video and telephone the default for many types of hearings. In-person hearings will remain the default for final hearings of discrimination and whistleblowing cases.
The ongoing HM Courts and Tribunals reform programme to improve technology in the courts will reach the employment tribunal in the coming financial year, ushering in changes to document management and listing, and moving from a paper-based to an electronic system of working.
Find out more about the roadmap at: bit.ly/3rGg36X.
Law Society president I Stephanie Boyce said the backlog in the employment tribunal was ‘truly worrying’.
‘Since employment tribunal fees were abolished in 2017, the number of claims has increased substantially, without the same increase in the resources needed to be able to deliver justice promptly,’ she said.
‘The pandemic has exacerbated the backlog of claims and these are only likely to increase due to the economic fallout caused by Covid-19 and resultant employment issues. Lengthy waiting times for cases to be heard will also lead to delays in the emergence of the case law needed as employers and employees face up to a post COVID-19 pandemic working environment.’
