Employment Tribunals - The Unstoppable GrowthThe Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) has published its annual report for 2007-2008. The most significant – and perhaps alarming – statistic is that overall claim numbers have risen from 180,420 in 2006-2007 to 227,782; a rise of 26% in a single year. Although ACAS attribute this rise particularly to an increase in equal pay claims, particularly in the public sector. However, as the increase in these cases was just under 30,000 it appears that the increase is across the piece.However, the increase in equal pay claims did lift it to the position of being the most prolific complaint, even more than unfair dismissal, usually the most “popular” claim lodged with the Tribunal. One thing is absolutely certain, the continuous growth in claims and attendant costs was not the situation first envisaged by the administrations responsible for the development of the original legislation. Far from being a simple, cost-effective means of resolving disputes in the workplace, the Tribunals and employment law as a whole has become one of the largest, most complex and most rapidly developing areas of law. With continual development from the European Commission’s rolling Social Action Programme, and Union pressure on a weakened Labour administration as other sources of funding dry up; it is extremely unlikely that less employment legislation will be forthcoming in the next 18 months. As has been seen over the last week at the Union/Labour party summit in Warwick, further developments in flexible working, parental leave and the minimum wage have already been mooted. The future looks to be even further regulated. Watch this space……………….
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