On top of the worry of whether the claim will succeed or not, there are a variety of other issues that come into play, including:
- The wasted time and effort of managers in preparing for and attending at the Tribunal hearing.
- Adverse publicity - most Tribunal hearings are in public and the press look out for household names and any salacious aspects of the hearing.
- Staff morale - it is likely that the employee's current or former colleagues will know about the hearing. Some may have sympathy with him/her; others may not.
- Legal costs - although Tribunals do have power to award costs, costs orders are rarely made. That means that even if you win at Tribunal, you will more than likely have to bear all the legal costs you incur in defending the claim.
If you are faced with a Tribunal claim, it is essential that you have a full understanding of the nature of the claim, of what the best- and worst-case scenarios are, and of what your chances of winning are. You also need to explore how those "extra” factors listed above might impact on proceedings.
After Tribunal papers are served on you, you have 28 days in which to lodge a Response at the Tribunal. If you miss this deadline, it is likely that default judgment will be entered against you and the claimant will receive whatever compensation he/she is claiming.
Many employment lawyers focus solely on the legal aspects of the claim. Here at Darbys, we understand that there are many more issues at play. What employers need is clear, focused advice from lawyers who do not sit on the fence - this is exactly what you get from the Darbys Employment Law Team.
As we say, we are always there for businesses who are in our BLUE LAW scheme, so we invite you to join BLUE LAW now. Once you have joined, we try to answer any legal enquiries that you have, free of charge. If legal work is needed, we give you a price, and you are then free to "shop around". If you wish to speak to us now, please click on "Please Contact Me Now” or call us on 0800 084 3256. We look forward to always being there for you.
PLEASE NOTE:
We offer to businesses an overall employment law solution - BLUE PLUS - that gives you the following benefits:
We set your contracts, policies and procedures up so that they are fully compliant and so that they give your business maximum protection.
Access to our legal helpline manned by our team of specialist employment lawyers who can advise you as soon as any issue arises.
Representation in any tribunal claims that are brought against you.
Full cover in respect of all legal costs and any awards that are made against you in any tribunal case.
