Employers have made payments of more than £83,000 since a new penalty regime for unpaid employment tribunal awards came into force last year. Law Gazette report that since April last year, BEIS has issued 60 penalty notices as a result of 164 warning notices to employers for failure to comply with employment tribunal orders to pay compensation to applicants. Penalties of up to £5,000 for non-payment of tribunal awards came into force under the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015. The scheme applies to judgments given on or after 6 April 2016. Claimants can also use a fast-track scheme, in which a High Court enforcement officer recovers the award on their behalf.

The aim of this update is to provide summary information and comment on the subject areas covered. In particular, where employment tribunal and appellate court cases are reported, the information does not set out all of the facts, the legal arguments presented by the parties and the judgments made in every aspect of the case. Click on the links provided to access full details. If no link is provided, contact us for further details.  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, SM&B 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.