New data from the Ministry of Justice shows that with more than 50,000 open case in the employment tribunal system claimants are waiting 60% longer than they were in 2010.
Those working within the system blame a shortage of resources and difficulties in recruiting staff.
One effect of the delays is the impact on the quality of the court proceedings, with key witnesses becoming unavailable, and memories fading.
It is also said to be leading to more claimants agreeing a settlement. Other recent data from the Ministry of Justice does show however that claims are returning slowly to pre-pandemic levels, with single claims received and disposed of decreasing by 1% and 3% respectively between July and September 2023, and open cases down by 17% compared with the same period in 2022.
