subject: How to make a claim at a employment tribunal [print this page] Disputes at work that have failed to be resolved within the workplace can be heard at an Employment Tribunal. Although hearings are less formal than a court hearing, the decisions made are legally binding and must be followed.
Cases are usually heard by a panel of three people, one of whom will be a qualified employment judge. The other two members will have past experience of dealing with employment problems, either as an employer or employee.
Making a claim should really be a last resort between you and your employer, but if it really hasn't been possible to sort the problem through your employers set procedures then you could be entitled to make a claim. Take note that an employment tribunal will only make decision on cases that are about specific rights.
Employment Tribunals will hear complaints that include the following: unfair dismissal, discrimination, breach of contract, equal pay, not being consulted about redundancy or not being allowed to have a companion at a disciplinary or grievance hearing.
Before making a claim you should get advice from an employment law solicitor although you don't need a knowledge of law to make a claim, legal advice proves useful in most cases. In many cases you can have a solicitor represent you at the tribunal, but if you wish to represent yourself a solicitor will be able to give you information about the tribunal process and the kind of evidence you might have to present to the panel.
If you choose to make a claim, you must fill in an ET1 form which are available at Citizens Advice Bureau offices, the tribunals service and at an employment tribunal office. However, when making a claim it is worth remembering that your application must be made within three months of the matter you are complaining about happening or three months of the date your employment ended.
