New research released by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has revealed a significant fall in the number of claims taken to employment tribunals over the first quarter of this year.
The figures showed a drop of 59 per cent in the number of individual claims made between January and March – a total of 5,619 – which follows a similar significant drop in the last three months of 2013.
The fall comes after the implementation of fees of up to £250 to bring a claim, which were rolled out in the summer of last year. Further fees must be paid once the claim has been listed.
Alongside the fall in the number of individual claims made, the number of multiple claim cases also saw a drop over the last two quarters. These claims fell from a level of around 1,500 in January to March of last year to around 400 in January to March of this year.
The MoJ report also noted fluctuations in the type of claims being made, with those made under the part-time workers regulations rising by 521 per cent over the first quarter of 2014 compared to the same time period the year prior.
An increase of 629 per cent was noted in relation to claims made for sexual orientation discrimination in the first three months of this year compared to the first quarter of 2013.
A related survey commissioned by the Government found that 49 per cent of employers and employees who were involved in the tribunal system last year would be put off from going forward with a claim if fees were involved.