#employmenttribunal

BBC News | Unfair dismissal claims face five-year delay as tribunal backlog grows AI generated summary, Read the full article for complete information. Unfair‑dismissal cases in England and Wales are now facing unprecedented delays, with tribunals backlog‑ed by nearly 72,000 claims and many claimants waiting up to five years for a full hearing. The article follows Catriona Ball, whose husband Lewis died in 2024 after quitting a stressful job; she filed a constructive unfair‑dismissal claim in February 2025, but the case will not be heard until 2029, leaving her in legal limbo and forcing her to sell the family home to fund the dispute. Lawyers warn that such protracted delays cripple both workers—who often lack income and legal aid—and employers, and they call for radical reform, including more judges, AI‑assisted triage, and a new dispute‑resolution body to separate simple claims from complex ones. The Ministry of Justice says it is working to reduce the backlog through virtual hearings, additional judges and digital systems, but for claimants like Ball the personal and financial toll remains severe. Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp9pj2pk2j7o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss #EmploymentTribunal #EmploymentLawyersAssociation #MinistryofJustice #CatrionaBall #Lewis

BBC News | Disabled man spied upon by bosses wins £300k payout AI generated summary, Read the full article for complete information. Alan Jones, a 59‑year‑old disabled worker at Pilkington UK Ltd, was wrongfully dismissed after the company hired a surveillance firm to monitor him, his wife and daughter on suspicion that he was working while on sick leave for a radiation‑induced neuropathy caused by past cancer treatment. A tribunal found the dismissal unfair and discriminatory, leading Pilkington to agree to pay Jones £329,000 in damages and lost earnings following a six‑year legal battle supported by the Unite union. Jones, who had been with the firm since 1983, described the ordeal as a betrayal and likened the loss of his job to “a death in the family,” but expressed relief that justice had been served and emphasized that the compensation was about principle rather than money. Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62x76x0ze1o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss #AlanJones #PilkingtonUK #Unite #EmploymentTribunal