Claims to employment tribunals have more than doubled in the last two years, latest official figures show, causing a growing backlog of cases. 

While the Ministry of Justice received 4,291 single claims from January to March 2017, it received 9,500 from January to March of this year. Employment tribunal fees were declared unlawful by the Supreme Court in July 2017.

Although single claim receipts grew by just 6% compared with the same quarter last year, the outstanding caseload rose by 39% to 26,664.

The mean age at disposal also rose compared with the same quarter last year, from 27 weeks to 33 weeks.

Brian Gegg, partner and head of employment at top-60 firm BDB Pitmans, said: ‘These statistics show that employees are now becoming more prepared to issue claims whilst at the same time tribunals are under increased pressure in dealing with them.

‘Employers clearly need to be mindful of how to structure workplace changes given that employees appear to be more litigious than in recent times.’

Alex Denny, partner at Faegre Baker Daniels, added: ‘Following yet another increase in the number of claims brought in the UK employment tribunal, we continue to see the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision almost two years ago to abolish tribunal fees.’