11. Bringing a tribunal claim

Most employment rights are enforced through employment tribunals or, in Northern Ireland, industrial tribunals or fair employment tribunals.

All tribunal claims are subject to strict time limits; most must be issued within three months of the act complained of. The claimant must first apply to Acas or the LRA for Early Conciliation.

Tribunals have wide case management powers that allow them to issue a range of orders.

Each party usually bears their own legal costs, but there are exceptions where the tribunal can order one party to pay all or some of the other party’s costs.