Tribunal service publish 2008/9 employment
tribunal figures
The
Tribunals Service has eventually published the final version of the employment
tribunal statistics for 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009. Key figures show major
increases in claims for unfair dismissal (up 29%), breach of contract (up 31%)
and redundancy pay (up 48%).
The
2008/9 figures show an overall decrease in the number of claims and an increase
in the number of disposals. Key findings are as follows:
- Employment
Tribunals accepted 151,000 claims in 2008/9, a decrease of 20% on the 2007/8
figure of 189,300. - When
the jurisdictional mix of the claims is considered (more than one jurisdiction
in a single claim), there were 266,500 accepted jurisdictional cases, down by
10% on the 2007/8 figure of 297,000. - There
were rises in cases for unfair dismissal (up 29%); breach of contract (up 31%);
redundancy pay (up 48%) and redundancy. - The
Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) received 1,794 appeals compared to 1,841 in
2007/8. - The
median award for unfair dismissal was £4,269. - The
median awards in discrimination claims were: (i) £5,172 for race; (ii) £7,000
for sex; (iii) £7,226 for disability; (iv) £4,291 for religion; (v) £15,351 for
sexual orientation; and (vi)£3,000 for age. - The
median award for costs was £1,000, with the maximum being £25,000.
This provides summary information and comment on the subject areas covered. Where employment tribunal and appellate court cases are reported, the information does not set out all of the facts, the legal arguments presented and the judgments made in every aspect of the case. Employment law is subject to constant change either by statute or by interpretation by the courts. While every care has been taken in compiling this information, we cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Specialist legal advice must be taken on any legal issues that may arise before embarking upon any formal course of action.