UK Recruitment Glossary
Employment Tribunal
In recruiter context
Most claims must be brought within 3 months of the incident (or last incident, for ongoing issues). Acas early conciliation is mandatory before filing. Most cases settle before tribunal — fewer than 30% of filed cases reach a hearing. Awards are typically split into basic award (similar to statutory redundancy), compensatory award (capped at the lower of 12 months' pay or £105,707 in 2024-25 for unfair dismissal), and discrimination awards (uncapped, often higher). Legal representation isn't required but improves outcomes meaningfully — many candidates use union reps or no-win-no-fee employment lawyers.
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