prepared by

Nicholas C J Lakeland

Head of Employment Law
Silverman Sherliker LLP

Silverman Sherliker LLP
Solicitors

7 Bath Place London EC2A 3DR
Tel: 020 7749 2700 Fax: 020 7739 4309
Email: ncjl@silvermansherliker.co.uk

INTRODUCTION

This is the 4th year in which we have circulated these statistics. This year they have been produced inexplicably late due to the reorganisation of the Tribunals service. The statistics include full details of cases brought using discrimination legislation in relation to Age, Religion and Sexual Orientation. Again we have seen a significant fall in number of cases brought with a fall from 102,587 in 2006/2007 to 81,587 in 2007/2008. There is already evidence that the number of Employment Tribunal claims is increasing significantly as the credit crunch bites but we won't, of course, know the full extent of the increase until next year's figures are published.

2.1	Unfair dismissal claims still top the chart together with breach of contract and unfair deduction from wages claims
2.2	Discrimination claims have remained relatively stable with Sex discrimination claims still taking representing a major part of all such claims.
2.3	Whilst there has been an increase in Age Discrimination claims it has not proved to be the flood some had feared. Again claims relating to sexual orientation and religious discrimination are relatively rare.
3.0	The Tribunals are awarding significant amounts of compensation for Unfair Dismissal claims, as shown below.
3.1

3.1	The maximum award for compensation is limited to £63,000: awards may however be above the maximum where they include a basic award element
4.0	As can be seen in the following tables, Unfair Dismissal claims have resulted in relative high awards of compensation. Race Discrimination, Sex Discrimination and cases brought for Disability Discrimination have also paid out high awards of compensation. The highest maximum award in any jurisdiction has been £227,208 for Disability Discrimination.
4.1	It is noticeable that the awards under the jurisdictions for discrimination on the Grounds of Age, Sexual Orientation and Religion are all realtively modest.
5.0

6.0

7.0

8.0

9.0

10.0
	Maximum Award: £5,750 Average Award: £3,203
11.0	Costs are rarely awarded but where they have been the awards have been relatively modest.