The HM Courts and Tribunals Service has confirmed that fees will be introduced into the Employment Tribunals and Employment Appeals Tribunal on Monday 29 July 2013.
A claimant will be expected to pay an issue fee upon raising a claim in the employment tribunal and a hearing fee prior to the hearing date. Subject to Parliamentary approval of the draft Order, different level of fees will apply as follows:
| Type | Issue Fee | Hearing Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 Claims (e.g. unpaid wages and redundancy payment) | £160 | £230 |
| Level 2 Claims (e.g. unfair dismissal and discrimination) | £250 | £950 |
And for lodging an appeal to the Employment Appeals Tribunal, the appellant will be required to pay an issue fee of £400 and a hearing fee of £1,200.
Tribunals will also have power to order the unsuccessful party to reimburse the fees incurred by the successful party.
Finally, to ensure access to justice the Government intends to introduce a fee remission scheme similar to what operates in civil courts.
While the Government’s intention in introducing the fees is to make users of the service (and not just taxpayers) contribute to the cost of running employment tribunal claims, from an employer’s perspective the fees will help deter employees from bringing spurious claims.