Employment Tribunals are severely under-resourced, leaving claimants and respondents waiting up to 5 years for hearings. We call on the Government to invest sufficient funding to increase judicial resource into the ET system, and publish a clear, time-bound plan to reduce waiting times.

Employment rights only matter if they can be enforced in reasonable time. Many Employment Tribunal claimants wait years for hearings on unfair dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing and unpaid wages claims. These delays bring financial hardship, stress and uncertainty, and make it harder for people to move on with their careers and lives. Timely access to justice is a cornerstone of a fair legal system. Delays weaken the value of any remedy and erode public trust in the tribunal system.