Employment Tribunal claims taking eight months to be heard

The Guardian - 29 July 2019

Government funding cuts and a surge in complaints have led to an average eight-month wait in employment tribunal claims in the UK.

A report found that waiting times have risen for the fourth year in a row, meaning the average delay between a claim being lodged and an employment tribunal taking place is now 237 days. This compares with 207 days last year, according to research by employment law firm GQ|Littler.

The number of claims has also jumped by more than 25% to 35,430 over the past year.

Claims have been on the rise since 2017, when the fees required to launch a claim were abolished. It came at a time when tribunal services were already struggling due to government funding cuts that make it tough to hire enough frontline staff to handle bigger caseloads.

That, in turn, led to growing delays that have left both employers and workers facing months of uncertainty.

Raoul Parekh, a partner at GQ|Littler, said: “Employment tribunals will soon reach breaking point. Eight-month delays are just not sustainable and can be very challenging for both parties involved.

“On this kind of timeline, it is not uncommon for key witnesses to leave, move to other roles or countries, and memories can also fade.”

Delays have even affected the tribunal inquiries helpline, where callers can be left waiting for hours, he said.

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