WORKERS are increasingly using AI to fire off job tribunal claims – piling pressure on firms and clogging up the courts.
Experts warn a surge in chatbot-written cases is overwhelming an already stretched system, with some claims based on the wrong rules or even legal arguments that do not exist.
That can leave businesses forced to spend time and money fighting cases that do not stack up – while genuine disputes are pushed further back in the queue.
Justice minister Baroness Levitt this month admitted in a written parliamentary question the Government is aware claimants are using AI to assess and draft cases.
But she also revealed no formal assessment has been made of the impact on tribunal workloads.
Mike Hibberd, a partner at Doyle Clayton and employment and data privacy law expert, told The Sun: “We’re seeing a huge increase in AI-drafted interim applications, which is drastically increasing the, already strained Tribunal’s administrative resources. AI can also confuse different procedures.
“This results in applications being made for things that are either not applicable generally in proceedings or not available in the specific circumstances.
“Due to the prevalence of hallucinations, it is also increasing the Employment Tribunal’s workload on general case management.”
He said delays are now “snowballing” and warned Labour’s Employment Rights Act 2025 will pile on even more cases.
Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith urged Labour to do an urgent probe into the increased use of AI, adding: “The Employment Tribunal system has been failing for years but the very last thing anyone needs – least of all hard pressed employers – is AI online robots deluging the courts with spurious claims.
“Labour’s red tape employment laws will turn a crisis into a calamity with jobs and those with genuine claims the victims.”
A Courts and Tribunal Service spokesperson said: “All claims that progress to a hearing are thoroughly scrutinised by judges.
“We are working to reduce the outstanding Employment Tribunal caseload by recruiting more judges and investing in new technology to improve productivity”
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