Tribunal claims rise after recession

“New figures have revealed a recent surge in employment tribunals” align=”right”>Official figures have revealed the number of employment tribunal cases heard in the UK rose by more than half last year in the wake of the global economic downturn, with nearly a quarter of a million employees taking action.

Data released by the Tribunals Office showed that 236,100 workers brought cases against their employers in the 12 months up to March 31st 2010, an increase of 56 per cent on the previous year's figure.

"There is no doubt that economic conditions have contributed to an increase in the number of cases received," said Tribunals Service chief executive Kevin Sadler.

Around £1 billion was paid out to individuals who claimed they had been wrongly dismissed, while the amount of multiple claims jumped by 90 per cent on 2008-09 to reach a total of 392,800.

Managers seeking advice on how to implement the measures contained in the Equality Act should consider attending the Workplace Equality and Diversity Forum in November.

Posted by Hayley Edwards