Tribunal Statistics Reveal Overall Claims Have Fallen by 8%

The annual statistics for employment tribunals and the EAT for April 2010 to March 2011 have been published.

The statistics show an 8 per cent fall in the number of claims received by tribunals when compared with 2010, and a 9 per cent rise in the number of disposals. Conversely, the number of appeals to the EAT rose slightly while its disposals fell.

The statistics, published by HM Courts and Tribunals Service, also reveal that:

– the number of single claims received has fallen 15 per cent over the period in question

– the number of unfair dismissal and redundancy claims has fallen slightly – possibly as a result of the improving economic climate

– claims under the Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000 have nearly tripled

– age discrimination claims have risen 32 per cent, bucking the trend for other protected characteristics, and

– the median award of £12,697 for age discrimination claims is the highest of the discrimination strands, with all others around £5,000 and £6,000.

The reduction in the number of tribunal claims and the increase in the number of disposals appears to run counter to the idea held by some that the number of tribunal claims is rising inexorably and ‘clogging’ the system . However, the drop must be seen in the context of a surge in claims in the previous reporting year, where claims increased 56 per cent, thought to be due to a mixture of increased multiple claims and economic factors. The new report notes that this year’s claims represent an increase of 44 per cent on the 2008-09 number.