Employment Law
Employment disputes are one of the most common reasons people end up in front of a tribunal. Below you'll find real Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal cases, broken down into plain-English summaries — what went wrong, what each side argued, and what the tribunal decided.
Topics in Employment
Recent cases
Hours dropped to zero after telling boss about pregnancy: discrimination upheld
A hospitality worker on a zero-hours contract had her shifts cut from 35 a week to zero within a fortnight of telling her manager she was pregnant. The tribunal awarded over £22,000.
Redundancy with no consultation: a small employer's costly mistake
A graphic designer was told her role was redundant in a five-minute meeting with no warning, no consultation and no consideration of alternatives. The tribunal awarded £14,200.
Dismissed over a private Facebook post: when does social media cross the line?
A care worker was sacked for gross misconduct after a Facebook comment about a colleague. The tribunal found the dismissal unfair — but reduced compensation by 25% for contributory conduct.
Dismissed during long-term sick leave: a capability dismissal that went too fast
Employer dismissed a long-serving warehouse worker after eight months of sickness absence without obtaining an up-to-date medical report. The tribunal found the dismissal unfair.
The UK Employment Tribunal hears tens of thousands of claims every year. Most cases never reach a final hearing — they settle, are withdrawn, or get struck out at an early stage. The cases shown here are decisions that made it to a reasoned judgment, which means a tribunal panel set out in writing what they decided and why.
We cover claims under the Employment Rights Act 1996, the Equality Act 2010, the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, and related legislation.