Tribunal Fees
14 Feb 2018
It was one off the most significant legal rulings of 2017 – and its impact will be truly seen over the next 12 months.
The Supreme Court ruled last July that the system of forcing people to pay a fee of up to £1,200 to bring a claim at an Employment Tribunal was unlawful.
In a single stroke, the Supreme Court removed one of the largest obstacles facing workers who thought they had been badly dealt with by their bosses.
So, if you think you have been treated badly at work should you now reconsider seeking a remedy through a tribunal?
The short answer is yes – but with a number of caveats.
It’s vital before bringing any action that you have gone through all the necessary steps at work to resolve your grievance amicably. So, have you talked to your manager or someone in a position of responsibility about your issue? Have you given the company a chance to put things right through its internal processes? And have you investigated other ways of settling the matter – such as mediation?
If you think done all this and you still want to bring a claim, assess the evidence you have to support your case. Employment Tribunals take a dim view of weak claims and will strike them out before a hearing if they think there is no chance of them succeeding.
At this point, it’s a good idea to get some expert advice – from an HR specialist such as HR Solutions Shropshire or a legal expert.
We can go through each step of the process and weigh up the best way forward. If we think you have a strong case, we’ll tell you so. Equally, if you have no chance at Tribunal, we’ll be straight about that.
Among the questions we’ll ask you are:
- Are you prepared to face a tribunal, with all the stress and anxiety that can bring?
- What documentary evidence do you have to support your case?
- What do you need to do to get more evidence?
- Do you have the time and the commitment to see a claim through from start to finish?
- How will you finance the claim – do you have an insurance policy or Union protection to help meet some of the costs?
- If you win, will your employer pay up? Once you are certain that you want to proceed, we can help with representation at the tribunal to take some of the stress away and ensure you have everything you need to give you the best chance of success. Of course, nothing is guaranteed in this world. But with expert help, you give yourself the best possible chance of getting justice.
