Delays at employment tribunals are set to increase, with discrimination cases taking as long as 14 months to reach a court hearing, according to the latest research.
The data has found that the coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on the justice system, and delays are increasing with England now in its second national lockdown.
The report has stated that Employment Tribunals are listing discrimination cases as late as December 2021, with backlogs caused by the pandemic causing significant delays.
The delays emanating from the abolition of tribunal fees in 2017 have also contributed to the issue, with courts now struggling with staffing issues and an increase in employment cases relating to the coronavirus.
The Government had announced in September that the rules surrounding Employment Tribunals were being relaxed so that more hearings could be held online, with the changes giving the judiciary the option of deploying non-employment judges into Employment Tribunals.
Dame Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: “Employment tribunals ensure workers’ rights are protected in some of the most serious cases, but right now they are facing the perfect storm of rising demand at a time of restricted capacity.
“We know that disabled people, those asked to shield, and parents and carers are at greater risk of redundancy. But if they want to challenge an unfair dismissal or discrimination, they already face waiting nine months for their case to be heard, and the pandemic is only going to increase this.”
For help and advice on key employment law matters, including redundancy and employment tribunals, contact our expert team today.