29 May 2013

A letter sent via email to Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal stakeholders yesterday (28 May 2013) confirmed that employment tribunal fees will be introduced on Monday 29 July 2013.

The new fee structure will see claimants seeking holiday, redundancy and notice pay or compensation for wage deductions charged £160 to issue a claim and £230 for a hearing. Those with unfair dismissal, discrimination, equal pay and whistleblowing cases will be required to pay £250 to issue a claim and £950 for a hearing.

Over the past two years that the government has been planning to put employment tribunal fees in place, the Institute of Employment Rights has been highlighting the dangers and injustice of reducing workers' access to justice. Alongside several others changes to the law, including a doubling of the qualifying period for unfair dismissal, the halving of collective redundancy consultation periods and cuts to legal aid, together create a climate in which it is extremely difficult for workers to receive compensation and support if they are treated unfairly by their employer.

These issues are explored in-depth in our new publications Justice Deferred: a critical guide to the Coalition's employment tribunal reforms and Access to justice in employment disputes: surveying the terrain.

Related articles: IER consultation response to proposals to charge employment tribunal fees Peers criticise reform of the employment tribunal process Osborne and Cable stack tribunal odds against workers Access to justice: only for the rich Justice Deferred: a critical guide to the Coalition's employment tribunal reforms - Morning Star Review What price justice? Too dear for you!