According to the Employment Appeals Tribunal Annual Report 2011 the number of cases annually referred to the Tribunal increased three fold during the Irish economic recession (to a high of 9,458 cases in 2009).

The average number of annual referrals before the recession had plateaued at approximately 3,500.

Statistics for Unfair Dismissals cases:

The average compensation awarded by the Tribunal in Unfair Dismissal cases has risen dramatically in recent years.

For the year ended 31st December 2009 the average compensation in Unfair Dismissals cases was €11,476. In 2010 it was €16,064.05 and in 2011 it was €18,047.85.

This is a trend that employers really need to pay attention to as large sums of money like this can seriously damage a company.

It is crucial to stay up-to-date with employment legislation and to follow appropriate procedures when dealing with employee matters.

The HR Company: Services and Costs