United Kingdom · employment

How to Complete Form ET1 for an Employment Tribunal in the UK

Submitting Form ET1 formally lodges your claim against your employer in the Employment Tribunal across England, Wales, or Scotland. Employers and their HR teams often rely on technical errors and missed limitation dates to get valid claims struck out before a judge ever reviews the merits. Knowing how to correctly identify your employer, structure your particulars, and meet statutory requirements protects your claim from immediate rejection.

Strict Deadlines and the Legal Framework in the United Kingdom

Presenting a claim to an Employment Tribunal in the United Kingdom is governed by Schedule 1 of the Employment Tribunals (Constitution and Rules of Procedure) Regulations 2013. Under Rule 8, every claim must be made on an approved form (Form ET1). Before an ET1 can be validly submitted, you must first notify Acas for Early Conciliation pursuant to section 18A of the Employment Tribunals Act 1996, which generates a unique Acas Early Conciliation Certificate number.

Strict statutory limitation periods apply. Under section 111 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 for unfair dismissal, or section 123 of the Equality Act 2010 for workplace discrimination, claims must generally be brought within three months less one day from the effective date of termination or the specific act complained of. Acas conciliation can pause this limitation clock, but miscalculating your final day to file is fatal to your claim unless you prove exceptional statutory grounds for late submission.

Crucial Sections of the ET1 Form

Getting the respondent's identity right is where many unrepresented claimants stumble. Under Rule 12(1)(f) of the 2013 Rules, an Employment Judge can reject your claim if the respondent named on Form ET1 is not the exact legal entity named on your Acas certificate. You must check your written contract of employment, wage slips, or Companies House to identify the true legal entity (e.g., 'Company Ltd'), rather than using an informal trading name or the name of an individual manager.

Sections 8 and 9 of the ET1 represent the core of your case: the type of claim and the details of your claim (particulars). You should draft your particulars of claim as a numbered, chronological narrative. Avoid venting or unfocused emotional language. Focus on concrete dates, specific incidents, the identities of decision-makers, and how the employer's actions breached specific statutory rights, such as unlawful deduction from wages under section 13 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 or detrimental treatment for whistleblowing under section 47B.

Avoiding Procedural Traps and Strengthening Your Position

Under Rules 10 and 12 of the Employment Tribunal Rules, the tribunal administration and judges have the power to reject an ET1 if mandatory information is missing or if the claim cannot sensibly be responded to. If you fail to tick the appropriate claim boxes in Section 8 or omit critical factual allegations, you may later have to make a contested application to amend your claim under principles set out in Selkent Bus Co Ltd v Moore [1996] ICR 836, which tribunals do not grant automatically.

Preparation is essential before hitting submit. You must preserve all contemporaneous evidence—such as internal emails, grievance outcomes, and pay records—and calculate an indicative schedule of loss setting out the compensation you seek. You do not have to face this administrative process isolated or unprepared: you can use Caunsel to research relevant tribunal precedents, securely store and organise your evidentiary documents in a structured case file, or book time with an independent employment lawyer to review your draft before you lodge it.

Steps

• Notify Acas and obtain your mandatory Early Conciliation Certificate number before the standard limitation clock expires.
• Verify the exact registered legal name and registered office address of your employer using your contract, P60, or Companies House.
• Draft your 'Particulars of Claim' in a separate word processor using short, numbered paragraphs that follow a clear chronological timeline.
• Access the official online ET1 submission portal on GOV.UK and input your personal details, respondent details, and Acas number exactly as they appear on your certificate.
• Paste your structured particulars into Section 8.2 (or attach them as a document where permitted), select all relevant jurisdictional boxes, and submit your form.
• Download and securely archive your submission confirmation receipt containing your tribunal reference number and timestamp.

Common mistakes

• Naming a trading name or your immediate line manager as the primary respondent instead of the legal entity named on your Acas certificate.
• Miscalculating the primary 3-month minus 1 day limitation deadline by misinterpreting how Acas Early Conciliation pauses statutory time.
• Drafting an emotional narrative that fails to identify specific dates, contractual terms, or statutory provisions breached by the employer.
• Forgetting to tick all relevant claim boxes in Section 8, requiring a complex and risky formal application to amend later.
• Failing to keep an exact copy and timestamped tribunal receipt of the submitted ET1.

Questions people ask

What happens if the employer name on my ET1 does not match my Acas certificate?

Under Rule 12(1)(f) and Rule 12(2A) of the Employment Tribunal Rules 2013, the tribunal will reject your claim unless the judge considers that the claimant made an understandable error and that it is not in the interests of justice to reject it. Discrepancies can lead to strike-outs or costly preliminary hearings, so the names should match precisely.

Is there a fee to file an ET1 Employment Tribunal claim in the UK?

No. Submitting Form ET1 is completely free. Employment tribunal issue and hearing fees were struck down as unlawful by the UK Supreme Court in R (on the application of UNISON) v Lord Chancellor [2017] UKSC 51.

Can I add new claims or facts after my ET1 has been submitted?

You can only amend an existing claim by applying to the tribunal under Rule 29. The tribunal will apply the legal test from Selkent Bus Co Ltd v Moore [1996] ICR 836, balancing the hardship and injustice to both parties. Substantial amendments or entirely new legal causes of action submitted outside the statutory limitation period are often resisted by employers and may be refused.

General information only, last updated 2026-10-13. Caunsel is not a law firm and does not practise law. AI answers and this guide are not legal advice. Verify filings, deadlines, and statutes with a licensed lawyer in United Kingdom.