Employment Tribunals play a vital role in the UK justice system, resolving disputes between employers and employees.
The disputes handled by Employment Yribunaks (ET) may be on issues such as:
- unfair dismissal
- discrimination
- redundancy
- whistleblowing claims
- breach of contract
ET hearings involve evidence, witness testimony and legal arguments and are decided upon by a judge sitting alone, or by a panel made up of:
- a judge
- a panel member with a worker’s background
- a panel member with an employer’s background
Before the recent Reform Programme, there were a number of issues with the process:
- Panel members and HMCTS teams had to manually handle, transport and store high numbers of paper documents
- Transportation of this paper had environmental impacts and caused bottlenecks and delays to cases
- Forms weren’t intuitive or supportive, increasing the risk of human error
- Claimants and defendants often needed to travel to buildings for hearings
- Judges spent time making lower-level decisions, taking them away from complex matters that required them
The court service modernisation programme has aimed to transforming an outdated paper-based system that was struggling to meet modern expectations into an efficient, user-friendly service fit for the 21st century.
Benefits
Since July 2022, more than 17,500 people have made digital claims using the modernised service. These people benefitted from:
- an end-to-end digital journey for submitting and managing claims
- supportive, intuitive online forms and simplified procedures with reduced legal jargon, reducing the opportunity for errors
- the flexibility of real-time case tracking and 24/7 access to case files
- an increase in remote hearings which have reduced the need to spend time travelling, as well as additional environmental benefits
- faster progression of their case with streamlined administrative processes
Changes to regulations have also meant legal officers could be appointed to support judges with certain functions which they could in turn do more effectively through improved technology. This step ensured more efficient use of judicial time for more complex matters.
The digital transformation
The journey to reform Employment Tribunals began in 2021. Public consultation at the time showed strong support for modernisation and there began the process by developing and testing the digital claim form (ET1).
This would be the foundation of the modernised services, giving claimants (or their representatives) an accessible, intuitive form that they could access via GOV.UK and complete and submit online at any time.
We then gave users access to two key digital platforms:
- MyHMCTS – A specialised portal for legal professionals to manage and interact with case materials on behalf of their client
- CitizenUI – An accessible interface for members of the public to access directly
The national rollout completed last year in July 2024, transforming all Employment Tribunal offices. Throughout rollout, the court service claim that they made sure staff have felt supported and clear on the role they play in having a positive impact on the tribunal process.
The online service is also popular with 80% of all single claims now made digitally.
Getting support
While digital innovation is important, we’ve maintained our commitment to accessibility:
- Paper options remain for those who need them
- Development of central printing facilities
- Comprehensive guidance materials
- Support for those without digital access or confidence
Feedback and insights
Users across the system have embraced the changes:
Access to the relevant documents without waiting for either the parties or the staff to provide them… it is a game changer. – Tribunal Judge
The system/portal has great potential and should be a very useful and efficient tool for both users and HMCTS. – Legal Professional
I don’t have to carry so much stuff around… I can get what I need usually from the electronic file. – Tribunal Staff Member
Supporting Sarah through her workplace dispute
“I was looking forward to starting my maternity leave and spending time with my family but after a few months, I realised my employer’s attitude towards me had changed.
Before I told them I was pregnant, I was regularly encouraged to apply for promotion and my boss would send me details of vacancies and training opportunities. This contact stopped while I was on maternity leave and I later discovered colleagues had applied for and been promoted into roles I would have been perfect for, but I was never told about them. I was excluded and I felt my employer had discriminated against me and I became extremely unhappy.
It was a daunting prospect, but I decided to make a claim to an Employment Tribunal. I’d never done anything like this before and I was very nervous but the process has been great so far. Because it’s all online, I can log on whenever I want and see how the claim is progressing. This has been really important as I rarely have the time to make phone calls in the day, chasing people up. I also thought I’d have to travel to hearings on a regular basis, but that hasn’t been the case.
I’m actually enjoying the process and I look forward to the claim being settled so I can move on with my life.”
Working together
They worked closely with:
- Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) – now the Department of Business and Trade – and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to consult on plans to reform the service
- Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) to make sure free advice would be available to those using the digital service
- the judiciary as a vital partner at all levels
Future plans
There is commitment to continuous improvement through:
- developing Service Centre support by end of 2025
- implementing ‘ListAssist’ software for improved case listing
- developing capability for handling multiple claims
- enhancing system performance and improving how to navigate it further
- introducing bulk printing and scanning facilities
- refining user-friendly interfaces based on feedback from our teams
You can stay updated
You can keep informed about Employment Tribunals through:
- The latest guidance on making a claim, visit Make an Employment Tribunal Claim
- Keeping up to date with the latest Tribunals news and information by subscribing to e-alerts and newsletters.
PAYadvice.UK 25/3/2025