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HR & Employment Law

Tribunal Preparation ET3 Response & Hearing Support

Expert employment tribunal preparation — ACAS early conciliation responses, ET3 defence drafting, witness statement preparation, hearing bundle compilation, settlement negotiation and hearing preparation. We help you build the strongest possible defence.

Get Immediate Support 0333 3233 785
ET328-day response deadline
ACASEarly conciliation support
BundleProfessional compilation
£8.5KAverage employer legal costs
Tribunal Support

Facing an Employment Tribunal Claim?

A workplace risk assessment is a systematic examination of your work activities, premises and processes to identify what could cause harm to people — and whether you're doing enough to prevent it. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR), every employer must carry out a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety of their employees and anyone else who may be affected by their work activities.

If you have five or more employees, the significant findings of your risk assessment must be recorded in writing. But regardless of your size, risk assessment is the foundation of every health and safety management system — without it, you're managing safety blind.

RADCaT's qualified health and safety consultants carry out thorough, practical workplace risk assessments for businesses of every size and sector across the UK. We don't produce generic templates — we visit your premises, walk your processes, talk to your team and produce site-specific, task-specific assessments that genuinely reflect your operations and give you a clear, prioritised action plan for improvement.

Whether you need a general workplace risk assessment for your office, a task-specific assessment for high-risk activities in a factory, a site-wide review for a multi-building campus, or a pre-project risk assessment for a construction site — RADCaT delivers expert, HSE-compliant assessments tailored to your industry and your operations.

The average employer spends £8,500 on legal costs defending a tribunal claim — win or lose. Early, expert preparation from RADCaT often resolves claims at ACAS or early settlement stage, saving significantly more.

Tribunal Preparation from RADCaT
Types of Risk Assessment

Tribunal Services

From first notification to hearing day.

ACAS Early Conciliation

Response to ACAS early conciliation notifications. Assessment of the claim merits, negotiation strategy and settlement discussions before formal tribunal proceedings.

ET3 Response

Drafting of the employer's ET3 response within the 28-day deadline. Clear, factual defence addressing every allegation in the ET1 claim form.

Witness Statements

Preparation of witness statements for respondent witnesses — structured, factual narratives covering the relevant events, decisions and reasons.

Hearing Bundle

Professional compilation of the hearing bundle — chronological documents, paginated, indexed and cross-referenced. Including correspondence, policies, notes, investigation records and outcome letters.

Settlement Negotiation

Cost-benefit analysis of settlement vs hearing. Negotiation of terms, COT3 agreements through ACAS and settlement agreement preparation.

Hearing Preparation

Pre-hearing preparation including witness familiarisation with the bundle, chronology preparation, key issue identification and cross-examination anticipation.

Every Industry

Risk Assessments for Your Sector

Every industry has different hazards. We tailor every assessment to your specific sector and operations.

Factories & Warehousing

Machinery, forklift, racking, noise

Transport & Logistics

Depot safety, loading bays, vehicles

Construction

CDM, excavations, heights, demolition

Schools & Education

Classrooms, labs, playgrounds, trips

Care & Healthcare

Patient handling, clinical, infection

Chemical

Process safety, COSHH, DSEAR

Hospitality

Kitchens, fire, slips, public safety

SMEs & Offices

DSE, fire, general workplace

Charities

Events, lone working, volunteers
Our Process

How We Carry Out a Risk Assessment

1

Claim Assessment

We review the ET1 claim, assess its merits, identify your strengths and weaknesses and advise on the best strategy — defend, settle or negotiate.

2

ET3 Response

We draft the ET3 response within the 28-day deadline. Clear, factual and strategically positioned to support your defence.

3

Evidence Preparation

We prepare witness statements, compile the hearing bundle and organise all supporting documentation into a coherent, persuasive case file.

4

Settlement Consideration

At every stage, we assess whether settlement offers better value than continued proceedings. We negotiate terms where appropriate.

5

Hearing Readiness

If the case proceeds to hearing, we prepare your witnesses, finalise the bundle and ensure you walk into the tribunal room as ready as possible.

Related Services

Complete Your Compliance Puzzle

Employment Contracts

Day-one written statements

Company Handbooks

Policies & procedures

Disciplinary & Grievance

Fair process & compliance

Redundancy

Consultation & process

Tribunal Preparation

ET3 & hearing support

Day-to-Day HR

Ongoing advice line

TUPE

Transfer of undertakings

HR Policies

Workplace policy suite

Health & Safety

Workplace compliance

GDPR

Data protection

Training

Staff development

SME Solutions

Outsourced compliance
Common Questions

Tribunal Preparation FAQ

What is the ET3 deadline?

28 days from the date the ET1 claim is sent to you by the tribunal. This deadline is strict — late responses can only be accepted in exceptional circumstances. Contact RADCaT immediately when you receive a claim.

Should we try to settle?

It depends on the case. We conduct a cost-benefit analysis — comparing the likely costs and risks of defending at hearing against the cost of settlement. Many cases are best resolved through ACAS conciliation or negotiated settlement, saving time, money and management distraction.

Are you solicitors?

No. RADCaT provides HR and employment tribunal preparation support. For cases requiring formal legal representation at hearing, we prepare your case to an advanced stage and can work alongside your solicitor. For many employers, our preparation support is sufficient without separate legal representation.

What is ACAS early conciliation?

Before an employee can bring a tribunal claim, they must contact ACAS for early conciliation. ACAS contacts you to explore settlement. This is an opportunity to resolve the dispute without formal proceedings. RADCaT advises on your response and negotiation strategy.

What goes in the hearing bundle?

All relevant documents in chronological order: the employment contract, relevant policies, correspondence, investigation notes, hearing minutes, outcome letters, appeal documents, payslips and any other documents relied upon by either party. Paginated, indexed and professionally compiled.

How long does a tribunal claim take?

From ET1 to final hearing typically 6-12 months for straightforward claims. Complex discrimination or whistleblowing claims can take 12-24 months. Early settlement can resolve matters in weeks.

How much does tribunal preparation cost?

Based on claim type and complexity. Simple unfair dismissal defence to complex multi-claim proceedings. Contact us immediately when you receive a claim — early intervention is always more cost-effective.

Facing a Tribunal Claim?

Contact us immediately. The 28-day ET3 deadline is critical.

Get Immediate Support 0333 3233 785