How to communicate with an Employment Tribunal if your case number starts with a 6 and you ARE a representative
Following the digital working processes introduced by HMCTS reform, nearly all cases begun since summer 2024 have a digital case file which can be accessed by you as a representative, by the other side (or their representatives), by HMCTS administrative staff (including legal officers) and by judges.
Certain types of representative, mainly legal professionals, access the portal through the “MyHMCTS” service. They must register with the service in order to use it. There is more information at this website.
All communications between the Tribunal and the other side will be with you as the representative, not with the person you represent. You will have access to the digital case file but they will not. It is your responsibility to keep the person you represent updated about the case so they see all relevant documents and are aware of any hearing dates.
You can stop being a representative at any time by notifying the Tribunal and the other side and providing details of who will be representing the claimant or respondent instead, or whether they will be representing themselves.
If you have a disability which makes working digitally difficult for you, or that is true for some other reason, you should write directly to the Employment Tribunal office handling your case.
You should access the portal on a screen bigger than a mobile phone, if possible. This is because you will need to read documents (unless you are able to print them).
Starting the case
A claimant begins a case by completing a claim form (called an “ET1”) and submitting it online to the Employment Tribunals using this website.
The form is then considered by HMCTS staff to make sure that it can be accepted. If it is accepted, the staff send it to the proposed respondent. The respondent is given 28 days to submit a response form (i.e. its defence). This time period may be extended if, in response to an application by a respondent, a judge or legal officer agrees to an extension.
There is more information about responding to a claim via MyHMCTS.
When the Tribunal has received the response, HMCTS staff will notify the claimant by email. The claimant can log on to the portal to read the response.
During the case
Once the claim has started, both parties should communicate with the Employment Tribunal office handling the case through the portal, not by email.
So, if you want to contact the Tribunal about something, you need to log on to the portal and select the appropriate option from a dropdown menu. You will then be able to fill in details of what you are telling the Tribunal about the case or asking the Tribunal to do.
The system will automatically copy your application to the other side unless you say that you do not want that to happen. You must have a good reason for this as the general rule is that both sides see everything sent to or from the Tribunal.
The same will apply to the other side when they communicate with the Tribunal. You will be notified by email when that happens so you can log on and see what they have said. In that way you and the person you represent will be able to respond to any applications the other side makes.
Any documents issued by the Tribunal, such as letters, case management orders or judgments, will be uploaded to the portal and you will be notified by email that you should log on in order to see them. That is how you will be made aware of any directions given by the tribunal and given notice of any hearing dates. You must pass these on to the person you represent.
When documents are required for a hearing, they can be uploaded to the portal.
At each stage, the system will help you with explanations about what you need to do.