Employment Tribunal backlog continues to grow

The backlog of employment tribunal cases continues to grow, with more than 50,000 cases awaiting a hearing or decision at the end of last year

Lastest figures from HM Courts and Tribunals Service show that there were 50,518 open employment tribunal cases in December 2022, up from 47,041 a year earlier.

Since employment tribunal fees were abolished in 2017 there has been a significant rise in claims. However, the Law Society says the tribunals’ service has not received the resources it needs to make swift decisions.

Cases are often listed for a hearing 12 months after a claim has been submitted, while more complex cases can take more than two years to get a judgment. The employment tribunal backlog means employees and employers aren’t getting the swift resolution they should.