Figures show scale of open employment tribunal backlog

New figures have been released that show the scale of the backlog when it comes to open employment tribunal claims, with more than half a million awaiting resolution.

That figure is an official one released by the government and applying to the period between July and September. 26,000 receipts for employment tribunals were received during that period, with 46% of them being for single claims and 54% for multiple claims. Over the course of that three-month spell, a total of 10,000 employment claims were dealt with by the tribunal.

There was a rise of 33% in the number of receipts for single tribunal cases, whereas the number of disposals fell by 10%. In addition, there was a rise of 33% in the open caseload in comparison with the same three months of 2024. Receipts for multiple tribunal claims went down by 4%, but disposals dropped by 53%.

The highest percentage of tribunal claims were for unfair dismissal, which accounted for 23% of the total. This is likely to rise further due to the Employment Rights Bill, which will make HR more important than ever.

Companies will be even more desperate to avoid tribunals through dispute mediation. That is something an employee relations consultant in Hertfordshire can offer and demand for such services seems sure to rise.

Rob McKellar works for Peninsula as its legal services director. He said the growing backlog and the effects of the Employment Rights Bill would make it vital for companies to comply with employment law – ensuring their policies are up to date.