Employment tribunals 'on the rise'

The number of employment tribunal cases in the UK has increased, partly due to the economic downturn, it has been suggested.

According to statistics released by the Tribunals Service, there was an increase of 56 per cent in accepted claims in 2009 to 2010, compared to the previous period.

The rise in receipts (accepted claims) is largely due to a rise in the number of multiple claims. These increased by almost 90 per cent in 2009-10, from 88,700 to 164,800.

Rakesh Patel, head of the employment rights team at Thompsons in London, said some employers have taken advantage of the redundancy process during the recession, using it to get rid of staff they do not want.

"Multiple cases for failing to consult people over redundancies [and] multi-claimant cases have increased. I'm sure the number of claims for unfair dismissal has also increased as have cases for breach of contract," he said.

"[Employers] probably use redundancy as a way of getting rid of workers, when there's a downturn in business."

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