Almost four out of ten employment tribunal appeals concern public sector employers, research has revealed.
According to a survey published today by the law firm EMW, 37% of employment appeals are brought by former public sector workers, even though the public sector employs just 22% of the UK workforce.
There has also been a marked rise in the number of appeals, up 24% in the past five years.
An acceleration in the pace of public sector job cuts is likely to fuel this increase further, the lawyers warn.
Louise Holder, a principal in the employment team at EMW, said: ‘The public sector is already burdened by a disproportionately high number of employment claims and the problem could get worse as cost and efficiency savings are put in place.
‘Many of these claims will be from public sector workers who have been made redundant. People are much more likely to bring unfair dismissal claims during tough economic conditions, particularly if they feel that their prospects of getting another job quickly are slim. With more public sector job cuts on the way, this could be the tip of the iceberg.’
The firm also warned that public sector workers were likely to be asked to work harder for less money, creating stress and resentment, which could also fuel claims over the next 12 months.
Rigorous public sector performance targets and efficiency drives could be interpreted as bullying by some employees, Holder said.
