A
record number of employment tribunals were held last year according to the
latest figures.
Statistics
released by employment law specialist Peninsular revealed there were 118,400
tribunals last year, an increase of 14 per cent on the previous year.
The
findings mirrored the results of Personnel Today’s recent survey on employment
tribunals, which also showed a substantial increase during 2000.
Mike
Huss, Peninsular’s senior employment law specialist, commented, “The rise in
employment tribunals as recorded by Peninsula shows that there is an increase
in awareness of employee rights.
“What
seems to be most frightening to the employer is that their employees now know
more about their rights than the employer does.”
Huss
also felt the increase of employment tribunals was adding to the administrative
burden firms were under.
“Despite
the Government’s promise in reducing red tape, the rise in employment tribunal
applications will continue. Businesses in the UK are weighed down by far too
much red tape,” said Huss.
Peninsula’s
statistics also showed that since 1990 there has been a 167 per cent increase
in employment tribunals.
By
Ben Willmott
