Figures display low unfair dismissal payouts

-

The most recent Ministry of Justice Employment Tribunal statistics show that the average compensation payout for unfair dismissal is just £4,560 and only 2% of unfair dismissal awards exceed £50,000.

So despite Business Secretary Vince Cable’s plans to lower the cap on unfair dismissal awards, these new statistics show that very few awards reach the existing cap of £72,300.

Following these new figures, XpertHR Senior Employment Law Editor, Stephen Simpson, said:

“These statistics highlight again that the small number of big payouts that grab the headlines are atypical. They don’t support the Government’s plan for the unfair dismissal compensation cap to be reduced, or the even more radical suggestion from some business groups that there should be a maximum award payable for discrimination.

HRreview Logo

Get our essential weekday HR news and updates.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Keep up with the latest in HR...
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
Optin_date
This field is hidden when viewing the form

 

“Tribunals rarely give out awards of more than a few thousand pounds and, even when the employer or a member of its staff acts in a disgraceful manner, compensation is unlikely to surpass £20,000. For example, in the recent pregnancy discrimination case of Stone v. Ramsay Health Care UK Operations Ltd in which the employee was given work just two days after she gave birth, the Tribunal gave the claimant just £18,000.”

During the period from 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2012, there were 186,300 Employment Tribunal claims, which is a 15% decrease on the figures from the previous year.

During 2011-12, 59,200 single claims and 127,100 multiple claims were accepted, falls of 2% and 19% respectively.

Pamela Flores is an events professional with experience at Symposium Events, a UK-based conference and events organization. She has worked in editorial and event coordination roles within the HR and expatriate management sector, contributing to the organization of major conferences including the Expatriate Management and Global Mobility conference. Her background spans online editorial work and events management within the professional conference industry.

Latest news

Govt unveils visa support scheme to help scale-ups hire global talent

Fast-growing firms will receive visa fee support and recruitment assistance under plans designed to help businesses attract international talent and expand.

Employment tribunal roundup: Disability testing, discrimination evidence, procedural fairness and training access

Recent EAT rulings examine disability discrimination, religion and belief claims, procedural fairness and access to workplace training opportunities.

Half of grieving workers handle ‘death admin’ during work hours, study finds

Many bereaved employees are managing probate, pensions and financial paperwork during working hours, with four in five saying it affects their ability to work.

Lauren Webb: Empowering women to lead the way in analytics and AI

Women remain wildly underrepresented in technical and digital leadership, making up just 22% of the UK’s AI talent. It’s jarring.
- Advertisement -

Employers urged to balance flexibility and fairness as England’s World Cup campaign begins

Employment lawyers are advising organisations to plan ahead for leave requests and workplace flexibility as the 2026 FIFA World Cup gets under way.

Amy Coleman on uncertainty and pressure at work

“Many of you shared feelings of uncertainty and pressure as the work evolves.”

Must read

James Meachin: Getting the gig – recruitment during uncertain times

As we move towards the New Year, when new budgets are being prepared and hiring processes are given a fresh lease of life, it is vital that we are vigilant about the way in which we recruit staff. It can be tempting to seek out familiar options during times of uncertainty, such as in wake of Brexit and Donald Trump’s victory in America. Many will be anxious, and fearful of the future. However, we can overcome these anxieties, learn and evolve with current circumstances.

Peter Sewell: Top tips for SMEs that are going global

SMEs and start-ups are facing some serious challenges as they begin to go international far earlier in their development than ever before.
- Advertisement -

You might also likeRELATED
Recommended to you