Date set for introduction of Employment Tribunal fees

The Ministry of Justice has announced that Employment Tribunal fees will be introduced on 29 July this year.

From that date, subject to the necessary Parliamentary approval, employees wishing to bring a claim to a tribunal will have to pay fees on a sliding scale depending on the nature of the claim and the number of claimants.

Level 1 claims include breach of contract, equal pay, holiday pay, redundancy issues and wages.

Level 2 claims include unfair dismissal, detriment and discrimination.

For a Level 1 claim, the employee will have to pay an Issue Fee of £160 to begin the claim and then a further £230 if the case proceeds to a Tribunal hearing.

Level 2 claims will require an Issue Fee of £250 and a Hearing Fee of £950.

Fees for groups of claimants will vary depending on how many people are involved. For example, if there are between 2 and 10 claimants, the Issue Fee will be £500 followed by a Hearing Fee of £1,900. Cases involving more than 200 people will involve an Issue Fee of £1,500 and a Hearing Fee of £5,700.

The new arrangements are designed to discourage employees from bring weak cases which can be both costly and time consuming for employers.

Please contact John Carter or Robert Bedford if you would like more information about the issues raised in this article or any aspect of employment law.