According to the Ministry of Justice, it has seen an increase in single claims by 25% in October to December 2020 compared with the same period in 2019 and an 82% rise in multiple cases with 29,000 claims being received.

The rising number of cases appear to be as a result of the increase in unemployment and altered working conditions brought on by the effects of the pandemic.  It is thought, that further rises in cases would occur when furlough ended in September 2021. 

Interestingly, figures showed that working time claims had replaced unfair dismissal claims as the most common claim and that there had been a significant increase in claims for age discrimination. 

The increase in backlog is causing waits of up to 46 weeks for a hearing, up from 41 weeks before the pandemic.  It is anticipated that the delays are likely to get worse as the pandemic has given rise to a greater number of employment disputes triggered by redundancies, cost cutting and health and safety issues. 

Additional support is being given to Tribunals, including opening recruitment of new judges and the extension of the consultation period between employers and employees to increase the chance of reaching an agreement.

If you believe you may have a claim against your employer or require any advice in respect of employment law, please do not hesitate to contact our employment specialists at deana@gepp.co.uk or 01245 493939.

This is not legal advice; it is intended to provide information of general interest about current legal issues.