How to Complete the ET1 Employment Tribunal Claim Form

Before you start

The ET1 starts an Employment Tribunal claim in England and Wales. Two things almost always need to be sorted first: your ACAS early conciliation certificate number, and your time limit. Claims are generally subject to a three-month-less-one-day limit, adjusted by the ACAS “stop-the-clock” rules. See ACAS and time limits before anything else.

Section by section

1. Your details. Name, address, and contact details for the claimant.
2. ACAS early conciliation number. The certificate number issued after early conciliation. The form asks for it directly.
3. Respondent details. The correct legal name of your employer (the entity on your payslip or contract, which may differ from the trading name), plus additional respondents if relevant.
4. Employment details. Job title, employment start and end dates, whether you are still employed, hours, and pay (gross and net). Accuracy here supports any later schedule of loss.
5. Type of claim. Tick the claim(s) you are bringing — for example unfair dismissal, unlawful deduction of wages, or discrimination. Choosing the wrong claim type, or missing one, causes problems later.
6. Particulars of claim. The free-text narrative. This is the part that matters most (see below).
7. Remedy. What you are asking for — for example compensation, and for unfair dismissal, whether you seek reinstatement or re-engagement.

Writing the particulars of claim

This is where most claims are won or weakened. A useful structure:

1. Identify the parties and the employment relationship.
2. Set out the key dates in chronological order.
3. State what the employer did.
4. Explain why that is unlawful, linking it to the claim type.
5. Describe the loss or remedy sought.

Facts and dates persuade a tribunal; adjectives do not. Where a document exists (a letter, a policy, an email), refer to it. Where it does not, say so rather than inventing detail.

Common mistakes

• Naming the trading name instead of the correct legal employer.
• Missing the time limit, or misreading how ACAS conciliation adjusts it.
• Ticking one claim type when the facts support more than one.
• Writing a long emotional account with no dates and no link to the law.
• Leaving the remedy section vague.

How to submit

The ET1 can be completed online through the GOV.UK employment tribunal service, or by post. There is currently no fee. Confirm the current process and any exemptions on GOV.UK before submitting.

How TribunalKit helps

TribunalKit focuses on the hardest part — the particulars. It asks structured questions about your facts and produces a source-linked draft narrative for your chosen claim type, which you review and paste into your own ET1. It does not submit the form for you, assess your claim, or give legal advice.

Start a draft: TribunalKit claim builders.

FAQ