What is an Employment Tribunal?
The Employment Tribunal is a new government organization that was established in April 2006. This Tribunal is designed to be a judicial body to determine arguments between employees and their employers over rights.
Anyone, employees and employers alike, is able to submit a claim through the Employment Tribunal. In addition, if you have multiple claim submissions, you can submit them at one time online.
Responding and Making Claims
Prior to making a claim, you need to ensure that you have the right to do so. Depending on the nature of your claim, it can go to one of three commissions designed to deal with the claim.
- The Sexual Discrimination Equal Opportunities Commission deals with gender and sexual discrimination claims.
- The Race Discrimination Commission for Racial Equality handles the race discrimination claims.
- Disability Discrimination Disability Rights Commission manages the claims of those who say they have discriminated against because of their physical, mental and emotional disabilities.
Also before making a claim, you have free services such as legal advice and other professional services. These services will provide you with information and guidance to making your claim so that you can respond to or make your claim accurately and honestly.
Once your claim has been made, you wait until it gets heard. During this time, the claimant or respondent may wish to gather more information to build their case against or defence of the claim. The Employment Tribunal strongly recommends that this be done in writing so that it cannot be disputed later when the case is heard.
Your case may or may not be heard on the date given - some cases take longer to hear and thus push others back on the docket. However, the Employment Tribunal does try their best to ensure a timely hearing of your case. In addition, if you need more time to gather evidence for your claim, you can ask for a postponement of the hearing.
If you have a change of heart, you can also withdraw your claim. However all withdrawals must be made in writing, not only to the Employment Tribunal but also to the respondent. This is only considerate, especially if you do not have the resources, energy, or time to pursue the claim.
HR Outsourcing and Employment Law Specialists
Copyright 2008 http://hr.1kit.com