Changes to Unfair Dismissal Qualifying Period and Employment Tribunal Fees

Changes to Unfair Dismissal Qualifying Period and Employment Tribunal Fees

George Osborne, the Chancellor, has announced two very important changes to Employment Law which are aimed at reducing the number of employment tribunal claims. Mr Osborne was speaking at the Conservative Conference on 3rd October 2011.

Firstly, an employee will need to have been employed for 2 years (the qualifying period) rather than the current 12 months.

Secondly, fees will be introduced for commencing Tribunal Claims. It appears as though the following fees will apply:

• upfront fee of £250 to commence a tribunal claim
• further fee of £1,000 payable by the Claimant when a hearing is listed
• higher fees if the claim is for over £30,000
• fees to be refunded if Claimant wins and forfeited if they lose
• fees to be waived for those with no money.

The financial test is yet to be set down by the Government, as is the legislation proposing these changes. For instance, if the test is that a person on Job Seekers Allowance gets a fee remission, then most people unfairly dismissed will still be able to bring employment tribunal proceedings for free.

If you have been unfairly dismissed by your employer and are considering an Employment Tribunal claim for unfair dismissal, please contact Steven Mather on 0116 255 18 11 or via email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it