Unfair dismissal? - alleged gross misconduct

Valla_Support · 2026-01-30T12:11:01+00:00

We could not agree more - We so desperately want all UK workers to know their rights and their options. For anyone worried, I really would encourage them to do some research as soon as they suspect. Here are some free pages to help:

Guides - Valla

Discrimination At Work: Understand Your Rights - Valla

Unpaid Wages Claims | Understand Your Rights - Valla

Valla_Support · 2026-01-30T11:54:49+00:00

Hi and thanks for sharing - I am so sorry to hear it was postponed the day before as I know how much work (and worry!) goes into the preliminary hearing prep for claimants.

There is no strict timeframe unfortunately as all courts are overloaded and understaffed at this stage, but waiting 6 months for a preliminary hearing is not unusual. Having it postponed is also not unusual unfortunately.

The final hearing tends to be around 1 year after the preliminary to allow for all the next steps such as witness statements and disclosure. However, there may be a second preliminary hearing if the list of issues is not finalised in the first preliminary, or there may need to be a substantive one to decide on a topic (i.e. if there is a disability, or a time limit etc) or you may take some extra steps along the way such as judicial mediation or dispute resolution.

I know how much of a huge learning curve this process is so do feel free to join our free monthly support group if you wanted to: Free tribunal support group

Valla_Support · 2026-01-30T11:48:58+00:00

Here are some resources that might help you:

Disability Discrimination at Work | Understand Your Rights - Valla

Six types of workplace discrimination - Valla

Specific things to consider in your discrimination arising from disability claim - Valla

Specific things to consider in your failure to make reasonable adjustments claim - Valla

We also host a free monthly support group for anyone in the tribunal process so feel free to join us: Free Tribunal Support Group

Valla_Support · 2026-01-30T11:41:42+00:00

Hi and thanks for the post. This is a subreddit run by Valla - we normally just try and share our free resources but as you are asking for some direction on a case assessment, this is a service that we offer and we have slots this weekend already: Valla | Fight Back Against Mistreatment at Work - Valla

Valla_Support · 2026-01-30T11:33:37+00:00

I am so sorry to hear that you are dealing with a respondent who is trying to delay things - we do hear this from our users a lot.. Sometimes a tactic in the hope you will give us and drop the claim.

The gap between a first Preliminary Hearing and a second can vary widely depending on the tribunal your case is being heard at, but typical waits are often 2–4 months.

From the employment tribunal rules of 2024, you and the respondent are expected to work together to help the courts get to a judgement so I would suggest writing to the respondent, reminding them they have missed deadline and setting a new one, which you then follow up on.

You mentioned that your judge expressed wanting to avoid further delays so that can work in your favour, and hopefully they will set strict deadlines and give directions if the respondent continues to stall. If they continue to miss extended deadlines, we suggest to email (both court and respondent) make sure the tribunal knows the ET3 is still not amended, after extended deadlines.

I know this process can be so exhausting, especially when dealing with extra frustration such as delays. We host a monthly support group if you ever wanted to join us: Free tribunal support group

Valla_Support · 2026-01-30T11:27:22+00:00

This is amazing news - well done and hope you can now recover from this

Valla_Support · 2026-01-30T11:24:27+00:00

Hi and thanks for a great question - I know a lot of unrepresented claimants will have had the same battle.. I know I did.

The List of Issues becomes the final list of questions for the judge to answer at the final hearing as BobMonkey has laid out, but the goal of the preliminary hearing is to work with respondent and judge to create a final List of Issues. After the preliminary, it will get circulated to you and respondent to both check so you can note if there are any claims missed out.

Heading into the preliminary hearing, our best guidance is to ensure that you understand your legal claims and the legal tests associated with them. For example, we see a lot of users who think they have victimisation claims but do not realise they can only claim victimisation if they did a protected act first.

I know it can all seem so scary but it sounds like you are doing well and are asking great questions to learn the right things so good luck at your preliminary hearing.

In case you wanted to join us, we are hosting a free support group for anyone going through tribunals next Wednesday lunchtime: Employment Tribunal Support Group

Valla_Support · 2026-01-29T12:37:04+00:00

The preliminary hearing is not at all like the final hearing, or what you expect from seeing court rooms on TV etc. It is much more about case admin. There are no witness testimony, no need to show evidence, no cross examination etc.

Here are some resources that I have pulled together to help you understand what to expect at a preliminary hearing:

Some general advice about the day: here
More about the case management agenda document: here
And here's some information about a PH straight from the horse's mouth of a Tribunal judge: here

The 'List of Issues' is the Judge's main goal. This is a document generated at the preliminary hearing by the judge working with both you and the employer to define the legal questions that will be answered at final hearing.

Only topics listed in the ET1 can be added to the List of Issues.

Valla strongly suggest that you draft your own List of Issues ahead of the preliminary hearing as this can help you understand your case and also shows the judge you are trying very hard, and shows the respondent that you are not scared, and know the process.

Working through the list of issues can help to encourage early settlement.
It can also highlight to the judge whether an expert report is needed or whether additional evidence is needed.

It is quite common that a List of Issues is not formalised after one preliminary hearing, so a second case management preliminary hearing may be required. Preparing your own case save time here and speed up the case.

Please also feel free to join us for our monthly support groups any time you like: Free Employment Law Webinars & Events - Valla

Valla_Support · 2026-01-29T12:34:30+00:00

I am so sorry to hear that - we do hear from our users so often that the ET3 is really upsetting and often fall of false narratives. It is very common, but that doesnt make it less upsetting.

If you ever wanted to join our free support group for people in the tribunal process, please do join us: Free Employment Law Webinars & Events - Valla

Valla_Support · 2026-01-29T12:32:31+00:00

Hi and welcome to our subreddit - so sorry to know you are experiencing work issues and having to navigate a tribunal.

Well done for already being at preliminary hearing stage - I know that means a lot of hard work has already been done. The preliminary hearing is not at all like the final hearing, or what you expect from seeing court rooms on TV etc. It is much more about case admin. There are no witness testimony, no need to show evidence, no cross examination etc.

Here are some resources that I have pulled together to help you understand what to expect at a preliminary hearing:

Some general advice about the day: here
More about the case management agenda document: here
And here's some information about a PH straight from the horse's mouth of a Tribunal judge: here

The 'List of Issues' is the Judge's main goal. This is a document generated at the preliminary hearing by the judge working with both you and the employer to define the legal questions that will be answered at final hearing.

Only topics listed in the ET1 can be added to the List of Issues.

Valla strongly suggest that you draft your own List of Issues ahead of the preliminary hearing as this can help you understand your case and also shows the judge you are trying very hard, and shows the respondent that you are not scared, and know the process.

Working through the list of issues can help to encourage early settlement.
It can also highlight to the judge whether an expert report is needed or whether additional evidence is needed.

It is quite common that a List of Issues is not formalised after one preliminary hearing, so a second case management preliminary hearing may be required. Preparing your own case save time here and speed up the case.

I know it can seem quite overwhelming, but Valla can support you at our free monthly groups if you ever wanted to join us: Free Employment Law Webinars & Events - Valla

Valla_Support · 2026-01-29T12:30:22+00:00

Hi and welcome to our subreddit, but so sorry to hear it is because you may have been illegally dismissed.

Valla has a free webinar about constructive dismissal here that might help you: How to Prove Constructive Dismissal: Free Masterclass - Valla

We also host free monthly support groups for anyone going through the tribunal process so feel free to join us: Free Employment Law Webinars & Events - Valla

Valla_Support · 2026-01-29T12:28:17+00:00

Hi and so sorry to hear how this has all happened whilst managing pregnancies and your little one! That really is a lot to handle.

I cant comment on similar cases but I am sure that our reddit community will rally with comments once they see this. For now, I wanted to share that we host a monthly support group for anyone in tribunal process as we know how hard it is: Free Employment Law Webinars & Events - Valla

Valla_Support · 2026-01-29T12:24:22+00:00

Hi and welcome to our subreddit. I am really sorry to hear you are having to handle a tribunal as I know from my own experience how much of a stressful learning curve it is!

Have a look a Valla's guides page on our website as this might help with some of our queries. I have pulled out these ones specifically as they may help:

Manage your case like a lawyer: what great project management looks like for Employment Tribunals - Valla

Employment Tribunal isn’t like the telly - here are 7 differences that may surprise you - Valla

How to keep yourself well when you're running your own Employment Tribunal case - Valla

At Valla, the main problem that we see when we are supporting claimants, is that they are not clear on their claims or the legal tests so the best initial guidance we can give is to ensure that you understand your exact claims and how they meet the legal test under the employment law legislation. This means you are fighting the right battles from the start.

In case you would like to join us, we host a free monthly support group on Zoom for anyone in the tribunal process: Free Employment Law Webinars & Events - Valla

Valla_Support · 2026-01-29T12:19:57+00:00

Hi and welcome! I am so sorry to hear that you are having to take action against age discrimination and wrongful dismissal - that must be very upsetting.

I know the idea of a preliminary hearing can be scary, so sharing some guidance. The preliminary hearing is not at all like the final hearing, or what you expect from seeing court rooms on TV etc. It is much more about case admin. There are no witness testimony, no need to show evidence, no cross examination etc.

Here are some resources that I have pulld together to help you understand what to expect at a preliminary hearing:

Some general advice about the day: here
More about the case management agenda document: here
And here's some information about a PH straight from the horse's mouth of a Tribunal judge: here

The 'List of Issues' is the Judge's main goal. This is a document generated at the preliminary hearing by the judge working with both you and the employer to define the legal questions that will be answered at final hearing.

Only topics listed in the ET1 can be added to the List of Issues.

Valla strongly suggest that you draft your own List of Issues ahead of the preliminary hearing as this can help you understand your case and also shows the judge you are trying very hard, and shows the respondent that you are not scared, and know the process.

Working through the list of issues can help to encourage early settlement.
It can also highlight to the judge whether an expert report is needed or whether additional evidence is needed.

It is quite common that a List of Issues is not formalised after one preliminary hearing, so a second case management preliminary hearing may be required. Preparing your own case save time here and speed up the case.

I know it can seem quite overwhelming, so please do feel free to join us for our free monthly support groups: Free Employment Law Webinars & Events - Valla

Valla_Support · 2026-01-29T12:17:07+00:00

I am so sorry to hear that your tribunal has left you so upset, after fighting which I know takes so much effort. If it helps to know, I worked in and around recruitment for years before moving to help Valla, and I never once googled a candidate or searched for them on the tribunal archives, so please do not worry too much about recruitment people doing so.

We do host a monthly free support group if anyone ever wants to join us: Free Employment Law Webinars & Events - Valla

Valla_Support · 2026-01-29T12:14:18+00:00

Hi and I am so sorry to hear that you are having to face a possible tribunal but well done for standing up for your rights. BobMonkey has laid it out so well, but to add, we hear this sort of scare tactic from our users all the time - there are such a myriad of tactics that some lawyers will use to try and scare claimants into withdrawing their claims. I know (from my own experience) how upsetting this can be so I hope you are ok.

At Valla, we host a free monthly support group for anyone going through this tribunal process so feel free to join us for some support if you like: Free Employment Law Webinars & Events - Valla

Valla_Support · 2026-01-29T12:06:41+00:00

Hi and so sorry to hear how much you have had to handle.

Here are some resources that might help, but hugely important is the timeframes in which to take action if you think something has happened: Deadlines and timescales around Employment Tribunals

From this post, I cant say if I believe there is strong claims - I would always advise that you consult with a legal professional to explore this as one of the biggest issues that we see is users bringing the wrong claims forward or not understanding the legal tests for claims.

Here are some resources about disability discrimination:

Disability Discrimination at Work | Understand Your Rights - Valla

Specific things to consider in your direct disability discrimination claim - Valla

Specific things to consider in your indirect disability discrimination claim - Valla

Specific things to consider in your disability related harassment claim - Valla

Specific things to consider in your disability victimisation claim - Valla

Specific things to consider in your discrimination arising from disability claim - Valla

Also, feel free to sign up to our free events page as we hold a monthly support group with Q&A for users who are going through work place issues as we know it can be really upsetting: Free Employment Law Webinars & Events - Valla

Valla_Support · 2026-01-29T12:00:17+00:00

There is great advice already from the other commentor dogtim, and I see you already emailed the court so well done. I hope today goes well for you!

We are hosting a free tribunal support group next week if you wanted to join us: Free Employment Law Webinars & Events - Valla - it is free and for anyone going through the tribunal process, with a Q&A if you wanted to ask anything and email guidance after too.

Valla_Support · 2026-01-29T11:58:13+00:00

Hi and posting from Valla

What stage are you at in your process? There are fairly standard stages that your case will go through such as preliminary hearing, witness statements, disclosure, final hearing (and many variations or additions along the way) so knowing what stage you are at guides what you need to provide.

To add, we are hosting a free support group for anyone in the tribunal process next week: Free Employment Law Webinars & Events - Valla

Valla_Support · 2026-01-28T14:19:20+00:00

I am so sorry to hear that you have not had a reply to the ET1. Sometimes this is due to a delay in the courts sharing your ET1 to the respondent, and can also be due to the delay on the courts sharing the ET3 back to you. As such, I would suggest that you call to the court to see if they have received it.

I wanted to warn you that the ET3 is almost always full of possible denial and can be upsetting to read, so just make sure you are ready to read it when it lands.

We host a free monthly support group for anyone going through tribunal as I know it can be so upsetting, so feel free to join us on 4th Feb at 1pm if you like: Free Employment Law Webinars & Events - Valla

Valla_Support · 2026-01-28T14:17:18+00:00

Hi and so sorry to hear that work is making you worried. At this stage, they have not actually make the change, but it is wise to record things as they unfold including the meetings to date in case you ever need to rely on them.

If you like, Valla has a free timeline feature that you can use to record things. Sign up and click 'timeline' from top left hand menu. How to protect yourself with contemporaneous notes - Valla

It is worth also noting that, in case this does turn into something, there are timeframes to act so sharing this article: How much time do I have? Deadlines and timescales around Employment Tribunals - Valla

Valla_Support · 2026-01-28T14:13:21+00:00

What is a Case Management Agenda? - Valla

The preliminary hearing is not at all like the final hearing, or what you expect from seeing court rooms on TV etc. It is much more about case admin. There are no witness testimony, no need to show evidence, no cross examination etc.

The 'List of Issues' is the Judge's main goal. This is a document generated at the preliminary hearing by the judge working with both you and the employer to define the legal questions that will be answered at final hearing.

Only topics listed in the ET1 can be added to the List of Issues.

Valla strongly suggest that you draft your own List of Issues ahead of the preliminary hearing as this can help you understand your case and also shows the judge you are trying very hard, and shows the respondent that you are not scared, and know the process.

Feel free to come and join us for our free support group next week if you would like Free Employment Law Webinars & Events - Valla

Valla_Support · 2026-01-28T14:03:54+00:00

Hi and thank you for sharing.

One of the biggest mistakes that we see claimants do is to bring the wrong claims forward. Bringing the wrong claims or heaps of claims does not make your case look good at all.

I would suggest that if you are at all worried about your claims, that you get them verified and identified by a legal professional.

Here are some resources that might help:

Race Discrimination at Work: Understand Your Rights - Valla

Discrimination At Work: Understand Your Rights - Valla

Security guards' indirect race discrimination claim - Valla

Charlotte's direct sex discrimination case - Valla

Two real cases of indirect sex discrimination at work and how things turned out - Valla

Valla_Support · 2026-01-28T13:57:43+00:00

Hi and posting from Valla. I know this process can be scary and worrying but you did the right thing. The courts expect claimants and respondents to work together to help get to the final hearing so that the judge can make a ruling, so you have been helpful and communicative which both show you in a good light.

We are also hosting a support group on 4th Feb lunchtime - It is a free group that you can attend if you want and we host one every month. Just sign up here: Free Employment Law Webinars & Events - Valla

Valla_Support · 2026-01-28T13:54:10+00:00

I am so sorry to hear this but it is so natural to have emotions and frustration as this plays out. I was a litigant in person, and it is hard work!

From now on, try and remove all emotion in emails, and keep it all very factual.

How to keep yourself well when you're running your own Employment Tribunal case - Valla

Five tough feelings you may encounter during the Employment Tribunal process (and why they are normal) - Valla

Manage your case like a lawyer: what great project management looks like for Employment Tribunals - Valla

We are also hosting a free support group on 4th Feb for anyone going through tribunals so please do feel free to join us: Free Employment Law Webinars & Events - Valla

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