The Ministry of Justice has published the employment tribunal quarterly statistics for the period April to June 2019. During this period, single claim receipts and outstanding caseload increased by 14% and 19% respectively, when compared to the same period in 2018. In comparison, during the same period, disposals decreased by 3%. The mean age of cases at disposal increased from five weeks to 33 weeks.
Receipts and disposals in multiple claims decreased by 57% and 38% respectively compared with the same period last year, while there was an 11% increase in caseload outstanding. The mean age of multiple claims at disposal rose from 133 weeks to 140 weeks.
Between the launch of the fee refund scheme in October 2017 and 30 June 2019, 22,100 applications for refunds were received and 22,000 refund payments made, with a total value of approximately £17,600,000. The last quarter accounted for 138 of the applications and 310 of the refunds, with a value of £265,000.
The Ministry of Justice has also published employment tribunal annual statistics for the year 2018/19, providing information on representation and compensation levels. 64% of claimants were represented by a lawyer, compared with 74% in 2017/18. In contrast, 21% of claimants had no representative in 2018/19, up from 17% in 2017/18.
The mean average compensation for unfair dismissal and all forms of discrimination, save age, has dropped.
Overall, costs awards to claimants were made in a relatively small number of cases, dropping from 169 in 2017/18 to 51 in 2018/19. Awards to respondents dropped from 310 to 158.
