Employment law tribunals

It is important that the terms of your contract are fair and that your employer upholds them in line with the letter of UK law, and we at First4Lawyers can help make sure that’s the case. Ministry of Justice statistics show there was a total of 109,706 employment tribunal claims made in 2018.

What are employment tribunals?

An employment tribunal is an independent judicial body that aims to resolve disputes between employers and employees. The types of claims you may take to a tribunal include, or relate to:

• Discrimination (such as gender, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, age or disability)
• Unfair dismissal
• Wrongful dismissal
• Constructive dismissal
• Redundancy payments
• Unequal pay
• Deductions from wages.

Employment tribunals are less formal than the court process, yet the two processes are still alike in many ways.

For example, almost all hearings are open to the public. In addition, tribunals cannot give out legal advice, and they will require you and others involved to give evidence under oath.

Usually, you will have to make a claim to tribunal within three months of the problem occurring, or your employment ending.

How do I bring a claim to an employment tribunal?

Assuming that you have tried to resolve your issue informally, but were unsuccessful, the next step will be to seek mediation from the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS). The organisation lays out a step by step process for early conciliation on its website.

The sole purpose of ACAS involvement is to help reach an agreement between you and your employer. The ACAS representative may put pressure on both parties to reach an early settlement.

With this in mind, please be aware that you may be able to get the type of compensation you’re looking for by taking the case to the tribunal. If you wish to seek advice before making a decision, contact us for a chat about your individual case.

If you wish to pursue the issue and make a claim to an employment tribunal, you need to fill out an ET1 form. Please note that the tribunal will not accept your claim unless you have completed ACAS early conciliation.

What happens if I lose the case?

If you lose your case, you can ask the tribunal to reconsider its decision. To do this, you must write to the tribunal office stating your desire to appeal the judgement within 14 days of getting the decision. Send your letter to the tribunal office that heard your claim. You can ask your solicitor for assistance.

What happens if I win the case?

If you win your case, your employer may have to:

• Pay you compensation.
• Pay any witness expenses you’ve paid.
• Give you your job back, if appropriate.
• Improve your working conditions.

I want legal help and advice regarding my claim – what should I do?

You can make your claim within three months of an unfair incident occurring. While this may seem like a long time, you should know that employment law is complex and there are all kinds of procedures you must follow to bring your case to a tribunal.

First4Lawyers are here to help guide you through the process. We will assign specialist employment solicitors to your case, and our advisors will give you an initial assessment free of charge.