Tribunal cases have risen by two thirds since July this year, when the Supreme Court abolished tribunal fees in the landmark case of R (on the application of Unison) v. Lord Chancellor. That's an increase of 66 per cent.
With tribunal fees now being a thing of the past, to disgruntled employees there may appear little to deter them from going to tribunal, or at least starting the process to apply pressure on employers to settle. Whilst this is true, individuals do also need to remember that tribunal judgments are now available online and so any negative findings would widely be available and could be reputationally damaging.
However, in light of this sharp increase in tribunal cases it would be pertinent for employers to place a renewed emphasis on ensuring that all grievances and disciplinaries follow company policy and take into account ACAS guidance. Companies should also review their employee handbook to ensure that all policies are up to date as well as potentially offering training to those likely to come across disciplinaries and grievances in the workplace.
To see our previous post on R (on the application of Unison) v. Lord Chancellor please click here and to see our previous post on online employment tribunal judgments please click here.
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