Employment Tribunal fees deny workers access to justice

Since July 2013 workers with an employment dispute have had
to pay fees to take their case to an Employment Tribunal. As a
result many people can no longer afford to use the Tribunal to
seek justice in employment-related disputes. Between January
and March 2014, the number of Employment Tribunal cases
lodged fell by 81% compared to the same period in 2013,
clearly demonstrating the prohibitive impact that fees are
having. A fee waiver scheme for those on low incomes has so
far been of little help due to the complexity of the scheme and
stringent qualifying conditions.
This policy briefing describes the impact on workers of ET fees and the policy implications.