In the recently published statistics for the year ending 31 March 2009, unfair dismissal claims were up 29%, while there was a 31% surge in breach of contract claims, which the BPIF said usually centred around allegations of insufficient notice.

The biggest single increase came in claims related to redundancy pay, which were up 48% on the previous year, leading the BPIF to warn printers that it is more important than ever for companies to ensure they comply with employment legislation.

Last week, Spirax Binding (Scotland), which ceased trading at the end of last year, was ordered to pay its former employees compensation after a tribunal found it had breached terms of the Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act by failing to inform staff over pending redundancies.

Overall, the Tribunals Service recorded a 20% decrease in claims although, when multiple claims were excluded, the figure rose to just a 4% decrease.