NEW figures show that the number of employment tribunals is rocketing.
Cases brought to tribunals in the last year rose by 15% to a total of 132,577, with the biggest increase – 155% – in equal pay claims.
Figures published by the Employment Tribunal Service also include age discrimination for the first time, with a total of 972 claims brought since the legislation came into force in October 2006.
One reason for the rise is the large number of equal pay claims being pursued against local authorities and the NHS, and the implementation of single status agreements throughout the public sector.
There are currently 17,000 equal pay claims in the pipeline, many of them achieving a high-profile as they set new precedents – and leading to huge payouts by employers.
It seems that the UK is becoming a more litigious society in which individuals are more likely to take a grievance through a legal process.
Certainly, the intention of the 2004 Dispute Resolution Regulations was to reduce the number of claims brought before employment tribunals – but the figures clearly show that they have not had the desired effect.
In this climate, employers should take a proactive approach to prevent claims by staff. In particular, employment policies and procedures must not be left on the shelf to gather dust – they should be regularly updated and staff should be involved in the process.
Organisations need to fortify their legal defences – preventing a claim is by far the easier and cheaper option.
ROSS MEADOWS is an employment specialist at Mace & Jones