In 2000 the Employment Relations Act dramatically moved maximum compensation awards for employment tribunals from £12,000 to £50,000 (in 2009 that maximum had moved to £63,000). This change to the compensation maximum had an equally dramatic effect on the quality and availability of representation open to employees and perhaps not surprisingly there have been some significant awards of compensation. The figures listed below show the highest awards of compensation during 2008/9 as issued by the Employment Tribunal Service in each category of claim.
| Claim Submitted |
Maximum Award in 2008/9 |
| Unfair Dismissal |
84,005 |
| Race Discrimination |
1,353,435 |
| Sex Discrimination |
113,106 |
| Disability Discrimination |
388,612 |
The publicity and awareness created by the tribunal awards have resulted in increasing numbers of individuals making claims and challenging their employers. In 2009, 151,028 claims were submitted to the employment tribunals. It is of note that the burden, in time and effort, of this litigation has to be borne by the parties, as last year costs were awarded in only 367 cases, representing less than one quarter of one percent of all claims submitted.
In addition, tribunal procedure is now much more challenging than the informal round table forum envisaged through the Industrial Training Act 1964 legislation that brought tribunals into existence as a response to the cumbersome process of enforcing employment contracts through civil litigation. However, now even straightforward claims can take six months to be heard, take key company people away from the organisation for extended periods, and cause serious anxiety as well as prevent all concerned from running the business.
In these circumstances it can be extremely beneficial to have assistance in managing both the process of preparing for hearing and representing your interests in the tribunal. With a wealth of tribunal experience Click HR Ltd can assist you in navigating the tribunal system and take away much of the pressure.
In cases we can provide clients with the following services:
- Drafting responses to submitted claims
- Witness statement preparation
- Case risk assessments
- Preparation of pleadings for hearings
- Advice and guidance on the tribunal experience
- Mock tribunal hearings
- Tribunal representation
- ACAS negotiations
