Industrial Tribunal - compensation advice on tribunals in the UK

Industrial Tribunal

Industrial Tribunals (otherwise known as Employment Tribunals) resolve disputes between employers and employees over employment rights.

Facts about Industrial Tribunal hearings:

The Industrial Tribunals in the UK are judicial bodies that as described provide a resolution to disputes between employers and their employees.

You generally have only 3 months from the time of effective termination of employment to apply for a Tribunal hearing.

An Industrial Tribunal is not a court of law but decisions are deemed to be very persuasive and usually go unchallenged.

Both sides get an opportunity to present their case at the Industrial Tribunal and can support their complaint with witness evidence and necessary documentation.

The overriding objective of the Tribunal is to deal with both participants fairly and justly.

You can appeal an Industrial Tribunal decision to the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) if there are reasonable grounds. The EAT decision is binding over the lower ranked Industrial Tribunal decision. It is possible to lodge an appeal directly through the courts if the EAT decision is considered unjust or inconsistent. Such an appeal, with leave, would be made through the Court of Appeal.

Industrial Tribunals are empowered to award compensation to the complainant where appropriate along with loss of earnings and other heads of damage.

If you think you might have a claim for unfair dismissal and wish to learn more about the Industrial Tribunals process - just complete the brief form below. Our team will respond to all written enquiries within 24 hours.

For immediate assistance please call our Industrial Tribunal HELPLINE ON:

0113 268 8898

open 8am-8pm 7 days

Please note that any information you submit will be held on computer and consequently will be covered under the provisions of the Data Protection Act. "The Claims Connection" is a subsidiary of MJN Marketing Ltd. (registered number 04772563)

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IS FOR GENERAL GUIDANCE ONLY AND BASED ON CURRENT LEGAL ARGUMENTS. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS SEEK FORMAL LEGAL ADVICE IF YOU FEEL YOU HAVE BEEN UNFAIRLY TREATED BY YOUR EMPLOYER.

GENERAL NOTES

MAKING A CLAIM TO THE INDUSTRIAL TRIBUNAL

The information above summarises generally under what circumstances you should consider making a claim to the industrial tribunal. If you feel that you have been unfairly dismissed by your employer then provided you fit the criteria you really should consider taking legal advice on your claim prospects.

"NO WIN NO FEE" INDUSTRIAL TRIBUNAL SERVICE - This means that if we do not win your claim you owe us absolutely nothing in fees regardless of how much work we have undertaken. If we do win your unfair dismissal case then we will agree to share your damages as part payment of costs incurred. Regrettably there is little scope for recovering costs in any other way at a tribunal.

▲back to top

SO WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DO CLAIM? Before considering a compensation claim you obviously need to know more about the process involved in taking your employer to a tribunal. Firstly we recommend that you instruct an employment law solicitor who can act on your behalf

REPRESENTATION - Firstly we recommend that you instruct an employment law solicitor who can act on your behalf. It is possible to pursue a claim personally and many people do this. However you will generally be facing an employer who will have a solicitor acting for them and this will immediately put you at a disadvantage. You want to ensure that you have the best possible chance of winning your industrial tribunal case.

PREPARING YOUR CASE - Your solicitor will advise you what evidence is required to prepare for the tribunal hearing and to support your case for unfair dismissal. Usually the evidence will consist of witness statements, wages information, a chronological summary of certain events and various other documents. Your employment solicitor will know what information is needed to support your claim.

ARE INDUSTRIAL TRIBUNALS FAIR - These hearings are regarded as very fair indeed. There is a level playing field throughout and so long as you / the claimant cooperates with the Tribunal there should be no concerns about the fairness of the process.

▲back to top

WHAT COMPENSATION WILL I RECEIVE - This is a difficult question to answer because all cases are very different in terms of the issues involved with any dispute and the remuneration or career prospects at stake. Very often compensation will take the form of lost earnings or a drop in earnings suffered by the claimant should they win their dismissal case. Such losses need to be proven and documentary evidence such as wage slips etc will be needed.

WILL I HAVE TO ATTEND THE TRIBUNAL HEARINGS - There may well be a series of hearings leading to a final "FULL" hearing on your case. Generally all claimants are expected to attend their own hearings in order to respond to questions about the issues of the case and witness events as they unfold. Some claims do settle outside of the tribunal process because many employers would prefer to deal with matters amicably and perhaps avoid the risk of a public hearing that may lead to negative publicity. Around 60% of our cases settle outside of the Tribunal process.

DO NOT BE AFRAID OF MAKING AN ENQUIRY - There is nothing to be frightened of or anxious about when it comes to making an initial enquiry. Know your rights, find out about what powers you have to right the wrong that has been inflicted upon you. If you are entitled to compensation then you need to act swiftly because you have generally no more than 3 months to make your claim at an industrial tribunal.

- call 0113 268 8898 or complete the form above NOW -

▲back to top

The Claims Connection Industrial tribunals section - UK employment compensation specialists.

- no win no fee accident claim - unfair dismissal main page - dept of trade - employment tribunal official site