Employment tribunal claims: what the statistics actually tell you

Whether an employment tribunalAn independent court that hears disputes between employees and employers. It is free to bring a claim as a claimant, and most hearings take place in public. claim is worth bringing depends entirely on your specific situation; some claims are strong, and some are not. What follows is what the published statistics actually show, not a sales pitch either way.

How many claims are actually brought

Around 50,000 single claims were received by employment tribunals in 2025/26, with around 101,000 total disposals across single and multiple claims that year. This is not a rare or unusual step. Every year, tens of thousands of employees bring a claim.

What actually happens to claims once they are brought

Most claims never reach a hearing at all. In the most recent quarter, 91 percent of claims were resolved without a hearing taking place: around 29 percent settled through ACASThe Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service. A public body that provides free, impartial guidance on workplace rights and disputes, and runs the mandatory early conciliation process before any ... conciliation, and around 24 percent were withdrawn. Only around 9 percent of disposed claims went as far as a hearing.

Of the claims that did reach a hearing, 44 percent succeeded. That figure is easy to misread. It does not mean most claims fail. It means most claims are resolved, one way or another, long before a tribunal ever has to decide anything.

The ACAS early conciliation route

Before you can bring most tribunal claims, you have to notify ACAS first, through early conciliationA free process run by ACAS that you must go through before you can submit a claim to an employment tribunal. ACAS contacts your employer to see if a settlement can be reached, and the process pauses y.... Around 68 to 69 percent of early conciliation notifications never turn into a tribunal claim at all. Of those, around 70 to 74 percent are because ACAS helped both sides reach a settlement, not because the employee gave up.

In practice, this means the majority of disputes that start down this road are resolved during conciliation, before anyone sets foot in a tribunal.

What compensation actually looks like

Unfair dismissalA legal claim you can bring if your employer dismissed you without a fair reason or without following a fair process. You normally need two years of continuous employment to qualify, though some dismi... compensation is not a fixed amount. It is calculated from your actual circumstances: a basic awardA fixed element of an unfair dismissal award, calculated by reference to your age, length of service, and weekly pay. Unlike the compensatory award, it is less affected by Polkey reductions. (similar to a redundancyA dismissal that occurs when your employer no longer needs the work you do, either because the business is closing, a workplace is closing, or the requirement for employees to carry out that kind of w... calculation, based on age, length of service, and pay) plus a compensatory awardThe main part of an unfair dismissal award, calculated to cover your actual financial loss. It is not automatic and can be reduced, including to nil, if the tribunal concludes you would have been dism... for your actual financial losses, subject to a statutory cap. Even a tribunal finding your dismissal unfair does not guarantee the full amount; your award can still be reduced depending on the circumstances.

Discrimination claims work differently. Alongside any financial loss, you can be awarded compensation for injury to feelingsA head of compensation in discrimination claims that recognises the distress and hurt caused by discriminatory treatment, separate from any financial loss. The amount is assessed using the Vento guide..., set within bands known as the Vento bands. For claims presented on or after 6 April 2026, injury to feelings falls into three bands, known as the Vento bands.

• Lower band: £1,300 to £12,600, for less serious cases
• Middle band: £12,600 to £37,700, for cases that do not merit the top band
• Upper band: £37,700 to £62,900, for the most serious cases, with exceptional cases capable of exceeding that

Who qualifies

Most unfair dismissal claims require at least two years of continuous service before you qualify to bring one. That length-of-service rule does not apply to every claim, though. Discrimination claims, whistleblowingMaking a disclosure about wrongdoing in your workplace, such as a health and safety risk, a criminal act, or a miscarriage of justice. If the disclosure qualifies as protected, the law gives you signi... dismissals, and dismissals related to pregnancy or maternity are protected from your first day of employment, regardless of how long you have worked there.

What it actually costs, beyond the numbers

The statistics do not capture the time and stress involved. Even a claim that settles early can take months, and one that goes all the way to a hearing can take considerably longer, so it is worth weighing that realistically against what you are likely to get from it before deciding how to proceed.

Time limits and what to do next

Employment tribunal claims normally have to be brought within three monthsThe standard time limit for bringing most employment tribunal claims, running from the date of the act complained of. Because the limit is three months less one day, you should not wait until what fee... less one day of the act you are complaining about, or your dismissal date. This deadline is strict, and ACAS early conciliation can extend it, but only if you contact them in time. Do not wait to get advice while you weigh up your options.

Our guide on whether to raise a grievance is a good starting point if you have not already been through that process. For an honest assessment of where you stand, book a call with us directly.