Definition of employment tribunal

The term "employment tribunal" originated in the UK in the late 1960s as part of a significant overhaul of employment rights legislation. Before this time, employees who felt they had been unfairly dismissed or subjected to workplace discrimination had very limited avenues for redress. In 1964, the United Kingdom parliament passed the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act, which included the creation of the National Industrial Relations Court (NIRC) to hear disputes between employers and trade unions. The NIRC had the power to award compensation to individuals who had been unfairly dismissed or subjected to other forms of detrimental treatment due to their trade union activities. In 1969, the Sex Discrimination Act was introduced, which extended the legal rights of women in the workplace. This Act established the UK's first independent tribunals - the conciliation committees and designated courts - to hear complaints of sex discrimination in the workplace. Building upon this legislative framework, the Employment Protection Act of 1975 introduced the concept of "employment tribunals," which became the standard hearing and decision-making body for claims related to employment disputes. The term combines the functions of both NIRC and the designated courts, as these new tribunals had the authority to consider non-trade union-related disputes, such as those relating to unfair dismissal, equal pay, and discrimination based on race, religion, or disability. Since then, the concept of employment tribunals has evolved in the UK, with the establishment of multiple tribunal systems, including employment tribunals, tax tribunals, and social security tribunals, to name a few. Today, employment tribunals - now known as 'et4' - have a nationwide network that handles more than 100,000 cases annually. Employees and employers alike can refer disputes to these entities when seeking a resolution to employment-related grievances.