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BCC says average cost of defending cases is £8,500
A Freedom of Information request has revealed that Avon and Somerset Police has spent more than £63,000 dealing with an employment tribunal brought by three officers, only for the accusations to be dropped less than a week into the six-week hearing.
According to information provided by the police service, it spent £63,555 preparing defence for claims of harassment, victimisation and sex discrimination brought by three officers, no out of court settlement has been made, and each party would be paying their own costs.
A spokesman for the service said: “The three claimants in the employment tribunal taking place in Bristol withdrew all their allegations in full.”
Although no further action will be taken, the case will no doubt put the spotlight on the money organisations are still being forced to spend to defend potentially vexatious claims. This is despite the introduction of employment tribunal fees in 2013, which were intended to deter weak or opportunists claims and reduce unjustified expense for employers.
Introducing tribunal fees was supposed to cut the number of ‘have-a-go’ claims employers were being forced to defend. Employers complained of having to mount expensive defences to defend spurious claims, a fact substantiated by the fact only around 10-12 per cent of claims were ever found in favour of employees (source: Employment Tribunal Statistics).
Small piece of good news? If an employee is on long term sick they still accumulate holiday however the Employment Appeal tribunal have now ruled they can only go back 18 months irrespective of how long they have been off sick.
Have a good week!
Mike Newman
Newman HR Ltd
Tel 02036407748
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Email mnewman@ukemploymentlawadvice.co.uk
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