Tribunal cases jump 90%

The numbers of employment tribunals has jumped 90% since the abolition of fees, say the government’s latest quarterly statistics.

The Ministry of Justice reported that, in October to December 2017, 8,173 single claims were brought - up from 4,200 in the same period in 2016.

Tribunal fees of up to £1,200 were introduced in 2013, which the government said would cut the number of malicious and weak cases. However, in July 2017 they were deemed unlawful, and the government had to repay up to £32m to claimants.

Arran Heal, Managing Director at CMP Resolutions, told HR Grapevine that the upsurge in numbers of tribunals was expected once the fees were reversed. “Making employees pay fees for tribunals wasn't doing anything to help problems go away, it just meant grievances being bottled up [and] perhaps made worse,” he said.