The Ministry of Justice has published the quarterly employment tribunal statistics for October to December 2013. Unlike the July to September quarter, there is no 'skewing' effect from those who rushed to lodge claims before the introduction of fees in July 2013.
There was a 79% drop (compared with the same period in 2012) in the number of applications lodged. The number of single claims has dropped from a monthly average of between 4,000 - 5,000, down to 1,700 (a drop of about 63%).
In Practice
Employment Associate Paul Burton says “This is great news for employers, who have been complaining that employment legislation has been moving more and more towards employees over the last decade or so. It appears that the new tribunal fees system is deterring potential Claimants from making spurious claims. However, the large drop in claims does mean, following the recent dismissal of UNISON’s judicial review application on fees (see last month’s newsletter), that there may be more pressure on the Lord Chancellor to review the system to see if it has gone too far and is now unreasonably barring access to justice for Claimants.”
At Frettens, all of our solicitors offer a free initial meeting to chat on the phone to answer your questions. If this article raises issues for you or your business, please call us on 01202 499255 and Kate or Paul will be happy to discuss it with you.
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