Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise

Employment lawLatest NewsEconomics, government & businessEmployment tribunals

Tribunal claims rise by more than 50% as recession bites

by Daniel Thomas 6 Sep 2010
by Daniel Thomas 6 Sep 2010

The number of employment tribunal cases rocketed by more than 50% last year as employees fought back against recession cutbacks, official figures have revealed.

In the 12 months ending 31 March 2010, 236,100 workers brought claims to tribunal – up 56% from 151,000 in the previous year and three times the numbers of the late 1990s, the Tribunals Service said. Taking into account multiple claims – which rose by nearly 90% on 2008-09 figures – the total number of claims reached 392,800.

The courts granted an estimated £1 billion in payouts to those who claimed they had been wrongly dismissed or suffered discrimination. The biggest payout was £729,347 in a disability discrimination case. For sex discrimination the largest award was £442,366, and the most successful race discrimination claimant won £374,922. Amounts handed out to those who showed they had suffered poor treatment because of their age were lower, with the biggest award £48,710.

The increase in claims was largely as a result of the rise in multiple claims but also as a result of the recession, according to Kevin Sadler, chief executive of the Tribunals Service. “There is no doubt that economic conditions have contributed to an increase in the number of cases received,” he said.

Of the 392,800 claims received in 2009-10, just under a quarter, (95,200) were related to the Working Time Directive (largely multiple airline industry cases that are resubmitted every three months), and 75,500 were unauthorised deductions under the Wages Act.

There were 126,300 claims associated with unfair dismissal, breach of contract and redundancy – 17% higher than in 2008-09 and 62% higher than in 2007-08.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Of the claims that were disposed of, 32% were withdrawn, 31% were Acas conciliated settlements and 13% were successful at tribunal.

The number of race discrimination claims reached 5,700 last year, meaning they have risen 40% in just two years. There were also large increases in claims over alleged discrimination on grounds of disability, religion, sexual orientation and age.

Daniel Thomas

previous post
HR news round-up: HR stories making the headlines 6 September 2010
next post
Jobs market defies summer slump in August

You may also like

Bank holidays: six things employers need to know

22 Aug 2025

Exec hauled over coals for sleeping in sauna...

22 Aug 2025

Lidl enters agreement with EHRC to prevent sexual...

22 Aug 2025

Workers need more protection from heatwaves, says WHO

22 Aug 2025

Immigration: huge fall in health and care worker...

22 Aug 2025

Government takes control of UK’s third largest steelworks

22 Aug 2025

X settles severance claims of former Twitter employees

22 Aug 2025

Space X scores court win against US National...

22 Aug 2025

Nature charity unfairly dismisses employee in ‘woeful’ process

22 Aug 2025

What will new workplace heat guidance mean for...

22 Aug 2025

  • Elevate your L&D strategy at the World of Learning 2025 SPONSORED | This October...Read more
  • How to employ a global workforce from the UK (webinar) WEBINAR | With an unpredictable...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise