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Injury to feelings
Adrian Fryer
If an employee wins their claim for discrimination they will be entitled to compensation. That compensation may include a payment for injury to feelings. A case called Vento v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police set guidelines for how injury to feelings awards should be calculated.
Cases will fall into three bands: the lower band is for less serious cases of discrimination including one off or isolated acts; the middle band is for serious cases which don’t merit a top band award and the top band for the most serious cases of discrimination including lengthy campaigns.
Back in 2002 when Vento was decided the compensation guidelines for those bands looked neat – £500 to £5000 for the bottom band, £5000 to £15,000 for middle band and £15,000 to £25,000 for the top band. The value of those bands is adjusted each year to take account of inflation. From 6th April 2022, the Vento band compensation ranges will be:
Lower band – £990 to £9,900.
Middle band – £9,900 to £29,600
Top band – £29,600 to £49,300.
Only in the most exceptional cases will compensation exceed £49,300.
Adrian Fryer, Partner & Head of Employment
t: 0151 224 0539