Challenge a dismissal properly

Unfair Dismissal Claim Help

An unfair dismissal claim usually turns on the reason for dismissal, the procedure followed and whether the employer acted reasonably.

What you need to prove

In many unfair dismissal cases the claimant must show employment status and sufficient service, while the employer must show a potentially fair reason and reasonable procedure.

Common dismissal issues

Common problems include sham redundancy, pre-decided disciplinary outcomes, failure to investigate, inconsistent treatment, ignored mitigation, no appeal and dismissal for raising protected concerns.

How ProHearings helps

ProHearings reviews the dismissal chronology, identifies procedural weaknesses, drafts the ET1 and helps organise the evidence needed for settlement or hearing.

The unfair dismissal checklist

Key questions include: were you an employee, did you have qualifying service or an automatically unfair reason, what reason did the employer rely on, was there a fair process, was dismissal within the range of reasonable responses and what loss followed:

Procedural weaknesses to look for

Look for no investigation, no evidence, no disciplinary invite, no right to be accompanied, no chance to respond, no appeal, inconsistent treatment, ignored mitigation or a decision that appears pre-determined.

Evidence that helps

Useful documents include disciplinary letters, investigation notes, policies, appeal documents, comparator evidence, mitigation evidence, job applications and payslips showing loss.

Official sources

Questions people ask

What is the time limit for unfair dismissal:
In most cases the deadline is 3 months less 1 day from the effective date of termination, subject to Acas early conciliation rules.
Do I always need 2 years of service:
Ordinary unfair dismissal usually requires qualifying service, but some dismissals may be automatically unfair and discrimination claims do not follow the same rule.
Can a bad process win an unfair dismissal claim:
A bad process can make a dismissal unfair, but compensation may still be reduced if the tribunal thinks dismissal could have happened anyway.
What if the employer says it was gross misconduct:
The tribunal will look at belief, investigation, grounds for belief and whether dismissal was reasonable in the circumstances.

Related ProHearings pages