The total number of employment-related lawsuits filed in U.S. federal courts increased by 4% in Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 over the previous year, according to statistics released recently by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO). At the same time, the AO reports that the overall total number of civil lawsuits filed in federal courts dropped by 6% during the same period. Employment-related lawsuits represented 11% of all actions filed, fairly consistent with previous years.
Within specific categories, lawsuits brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) increased by 10% over 2014, and lawsuits under the Fair Labor Standards Act increased by 7%, hitting an all-time high.