Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • 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
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • 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
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Employment lawEmployment tribunals

Straw to get tough on employers that fail to pay damages claims

by Personnel Today 29 May 2009
by Personnel Today 29 May 2009

Tough measures to force employers to pay damages awarded against them by employment tribunals have been promised by Justice Secretary Jack Straw.

“I am determined to ensure that employees awarded settlements following a dispute get their dues paid,” he said.

“Ministry of Justice research shows as many as four out of 10 employers are not paying up, leaving individuals with money owed to them, which is completely unacceptable, especially if they have lost their job.”

The MoJ research, undertaken by IFF Research, polled 1,002 claimants and found the following:



  • Of 93 claimants who were awarded less than £500, 26% did not receive any payment at all.
  • Of 497 claimants who were awarded between £500 and £4,999, 40% did not receive any payment.
  • Of 377 claimants who had been awarded more than £5,000, 44% did not receive any payment.

Overall, 39% of those polled who had been granted awards had not been paid, while 53% had been paid in full. The research also found 49% of very small employers – with up to nine employees – failed to pay anything at all, compared with 16% of employers with 250 or more staff. Some 78% of employers with 250 or more staff had paid in full, compared with 51% of those with 10 to 49 employees.

Some 36% of claimants polled who had not been paid had tried to enforce the award through a county court, while 40% of unpaid claimants did not know they could do this.

As for respondents’ legal representation at tribunal or court, 58% said they were represented by a solicitor or lawyer, 16% by the Citizens’ Advice Bureau, 12% by a trade union, 9% by a friend or family member, 3% by an employment rights advisor and 1% by Acas.

Straw said high court enforcement officers (HCEOs) will be given powers to recover awards granted by employment tribunals or in out-of-court settlements.

As of November last year there were 63 HCEOs handling a wide range of court enforcement work. The MoJ said it will be “encouraging as many officers as possible to take up this work”.

The HCEOs will have the power to seize and sell respondents’ goods to cover debts and costs.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: “Rogue employers should no longer be able to avoid punishment for mistreating their staff.”

The MoJ said it had opened a telephone helpline to advise those pursuing unpaid tribunal awards. It will also send out leaflets to claimants containing similar advice.

Avatar
Personnel Today

previous post
MoJ aims to clip wings of no-win no-fee lawyers
next post
Fit note could mean extra costs for employers

You may also like

Police Federation discriminated against officers bringing pension claim

8 Jun 2023

Examiner was worker, not self-employed, finds tribunal

30 May 2023

Holiday pay changes: how entitlement will be simplified

26 May 2023

Bank holidays: six things employers need to know

26 May 2023

English nationalism is not a philosophical belief, says...

22 May 2023

Covid-resignation driving examiner to have tribunal claim reheard

19 May 2023

Embryologist unfairly dismissed after whistleblowing

18 May 2023

Non-compete clauses and proposed limits on their duration

12 May 2023

How are working time records changing in the...

12 May 2023

How ‘quiet layoffs’ could result in tribunal claims

11 May 2023

  • The HR Bundle: Your one-stop guide to building a successful global HR Department PROMOTED | Get your hands on Deel’s free HR bundle...Read more
  • The Benefits of an Employee Assistance Programme PROMOTED | EAPs support employees in a range of ways...Read more
  • Intergenerational working and how to manage up and down the generations PROMOTED | The benefits and challenges of intergenerational workplaces...Read more
  • Bereavement in the workplace: How training can help HR get it right PROMOTED | HR professionals play an essential role...Read more
  • UK workforce mental wellbeing needs PROMOTED | The mental wellbeing support employers are providing misses the mark...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
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2023

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2023 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • 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
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+