Protect your business when employee disputes arise.

Before most tribunal claims can be issued, the employee must notify ACAS. A conciliator then contacts both sides to see whether the dispute can be settled, usually over a period of up to six weeks. The clock on the employee's time limit pauses while this happens.

Early conciliation is often the cheapest point to resolve a dispute. Any agreement is recorded on a COT3 form, which is legally binding and normally ends the claim for good.

How we help: We assess the strength of the potential claim, advise whether to engage, and negotiate through the conciliator on your behalf.

To defend an unfair dismissal claim, an employer must show a fair reason for dismissal (conduct, capability, redundancy, a legal restriction or some other substantial reason) and that it acted reasonably in following a fair process.

Employees currently need two years' service to bring a standard claim. Under the Employment Rights Act 2025 this is due to fall to six months, expected in 2027, so robust procedures matter more than ever. Failing to follow the ACAS Code can increase an award by up to 25%.

How we help: We review the reason and process, identify weaknesses early, and build your defence from the evidence.

Constructive dismissal arises when an employee resigns and claims the employer committed a fundamental breach of contract, such as cutting pay, demoting them, or a serious breakdown of trust and confidence.

Defences often turn on whether a breach really occurred, whether it was serious enough, and whether the employee delayed resigning and so accepted the change.

How we help: We test the employee's account against the documents and witness evidence, and challenge claims that do not meet the legal threshold.

Some reasons for dismissal are automatically unfair, and most need no minimum length of service. They include dismissal for whistleblowing, pregnancy or maternity leave, asserting a statutory right, raising health and safety concerns, or trade union activity.

In these cases the key question is the real reason for the dismissal, so the employer's paper trail and decision-making are central.

How we help: We help you show the genuine reason for dismissal, supported by clear evidence of the decision-making process.

The Equality Act 2010 protects employees and job applicants from direct and indirect discrimination because of nine protected characteristics, including age, disability, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, and pregnancy and maternity.

No qualifying service is needed and compensation is uncapped, including awards for injury to feelings. Employers can be liable for the acts of their staff unless they took all reasonable steps to prevent them.

How we help: We defend discrimination claims at every stage and help you show the legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons behind your decisions.

Harassment is unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic that violates a person's dignity or creates a hostile or offensive environment. Employers are often named alongside the individual alleged harasser.

Employers now have a positive duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their workers. A breach can increase compensation by up to 25%.

How we help: We defend harassment claims and help you put in place the policies, training and records that demonstrate preventative steps.

Victimisation occurs when an employee is treated badly because they made, or supported, a complaint of discrimination. The original complaint does not need to succeed for a victimisation claim to be brought.

These claims often follow grievances, so how a complaint is handled afterwards is crucial.

How we help: We advise on managing employees who have raised complaints and defend claims where treatment has been misunderstood.

Employers must make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees and applicants where a policy, physical feature or lack of an auxiliary aid puts them at a substantial disadvantage. The duty applies when the employer knows, or could reasonably be expected to know, about the disability.

What is reasonable depends on cost, practicality and effectiveness. Failure to make adjustments is one of the most common disability discrimination claims.

How we help: We advise on what adjustments are reasonable and defend claims where adjustments were considered or properly declined.

Workers who make a protected disclosure about wrongdoing in the public interest are protected from detriment and dismissal. No qualifying service is needed and compensation for dismissal is uncapped.

Many claims depend on whether the disclosure was legally protected and whether it truly caused the treatment complained of.

How we help: We scrutinise whether a protected disclosure was made and separate the disclosure from legitimate management decisions.

Breach of contract claims arising on termination, such as unpaid notice pay, bonuses or commission, can be brought in the employment tribunal, where damages are capped at £25,000. Larger claims may be brought in the civil courts.

Where an employee has brought a contract claim, the employer can bring its own counterclaim, for example to recover overpayments or training costs.

How we help: We assess the contractual position, defend unfounded claims and pursue counterclaims where appropriate.

Employers must give employees and workers a written statement of the main terms of employment on or before their first day. A missing or incomplete statement does not create a claim on its own.

However, if an employee succeeds in another claim, the tribunal can add two to four weeks' pay to the award for the failure.

How we help: We review your contracts and statements so they are compliant, and limit exposure where documents are missing.

The TUPE Regulations protect employees when a business, or a service contract, transfers to a new employer. Employees move across on their existing terms, and dismissals because of the transfer are automatically unfair unless there is an economic, technical or organisational reason.

Both the old and new employer must inform, and where needed consult, affected employees. Failure can lead to awards of up to 13 weeks' pay per employee.

How we help: We advise outgoing and incoming employers on transfers and defend claims arising from them.

An employer can ask the tribunal to strike out a claim that has no reasonable prospect of success, is scandalous or vexatious, or where the claimant has not complied with tribunal orders.

Where a claim has little reasonable prospect of success, the tribunal can instead order the claimant to pay a deposit as a condition of continuing. Both can end weak claims early and save significant cost.

How we help: We identify claims that are suitable for an early application and make it on your behalf.

A party can ask the tribunal to reconsider a judgment where it is in the interests of justice, for example because of a procedural error or new evidence that could not reasonably have been available at the hearing.

Applications must normally be made within 14 days of the written judgment being sent, so prompt advice is essential. An appeal to the Employment Appeal Tribunal may also be an option on a point of law.

How we help: We advise on judgments, prepare reconsideration applications and assess the prospects of an appeal.