Employment Tribunal statistics – how low can we go?
We have been watching the Employment Tribunal statistics with great interest since the introduction of fees in July last year.
The latest statistics for October to December 2013 (the first full quarter since the introduction of fees) show that there has been a 79% drop in Employment Tribunal claims compared to the equivalent period in 2012. The Employment Tribunals received 9,801 claims in this quarter, 79% fewer than the same quarter in 2012 and 75% fewer than in the previous quarter.
This is a significant drop indeed and good news for employers. We will await the next set of statistics to see if the trend continues (although we expect it to level out at some point).
The recent challenge to the fees regime by Unison failed because of a lack of evidence of the impact of fees on access to justice. At the time the High court made it clear that this may need review if statistics show that the principle of access to justice was being infringed. Undoubtedly, some will argue that these statistics show that the fees regime should be scrapped or substantially amended. We will keep you updated on any further challenges.
If you would like to talk through a situation you are dealing with, or if you need advice on any aspect of employment law, please contact any member of the Pure Employment Law team (01243 836840 or [email protected]).