Employment tribunal claims increase

There has been a 15% increase in the number of employment tribunal claims in 2006-07, according to Tribunals Service statistics.

The figures, which cover 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007, show that 132,577 claims were registered with employment tribunals in 2006-07, compared to 115,039 in 2005-06.

The total number of jurisdictional claims brought within these claims was 238,546 in 2006-07, compared to 201,514 in 2005-06. Unfair dismissal was the most common complaint, with 44,491 claims brought, compared to 41,832 in 2005-06. The second most common complaint was equal pay, with 44,013, compared to only 17,268 in 2005-06.

The large increase in equal pay claims can be explained by no-win, no-fee lawyers bringing large-scale claims against public sector bodies.

There were 972 age discrimination claims, although the legislation came into force on 1 October 2006, halfway through the period covered in the report.

The average awards included:

  • £7,974 for unfair dismissal;

  • £14,049 for race discrimination;

  • £10,052 for sex discrimination; and

  • £15,059 for disability discrimination.

The average award of costs in employment tribunal cases was £2,079.

Also

Equal pay claims swamp normal tribunal processes and Employers rue cost of employment tribunal victories   From HR & Compliance Centre's employment intelligence blog.

Discrimination compensation tops £4 million and Low awards for religious and sexual orientation discrimination   Compensation of more than £4 million was awarded for unlawful discrimination in 2006, with the average award across all strands of discrimination at £13,260 and the median at £7,500, according to Equal Opportunities Review research.

Acas reissues annual report   There has been only a slight decrease in the number of employment tribunal claims in 2006/07, with 105,177 cases compared to 109,712 in 2005/06, according to Acas's reissued annual report, which shows amended figures.