My Employment RightsFAQ
Below are a series of frequently asked questions that are asked about the services we provide. If the question you have is not here, please Contact My Employment Rights
- What does it cost?
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Nothing. Nothing at all. If you are prepared to put in the time to complete the form, we are prepared to give you our opinion without charge. The only time you have to start paying is if you decide to instruct a solicitor to take on your case. However, that is a matter for you to discuss with the solicitor and MER.com does not receive a share of the fees charged.
- Do you receive a referral fee from the solicitor?
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No. The solicitors in our network pay an annual subscription to be included on our panel, regardless of whether cases are referred to them or not. This means that we are not incentivised to send your case to them, where it is not in your interests to do so. This means we can be entirely fair and balanced in our judgment.
- Why do I require a solicitors advice as well?
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The purpose of the Case Assessment is to take an initial snapshot of the facts and see whether a case has a legal basis. We will also give guidance on the next steps you should take.
Given the limited information available, we will not necessarily be able to give a definitive answer, even though we would hope to be able to give a fair summary of the issues. Indeed, in the majority of cases, the facts and merits change as the case progresses and more documentary and witness evidence is uncovered. Therefore, it is necessary to continually review cases right up to, and indeed during, the hearing.
A solicitor will be best placed to do this, using their experience and knowledge of both the law and your case. Equally, there are rules that apply to the conduct and preparation of employment tribunal cases that need to be followed and the solicitor will be in charge of managing these issues for you.
- How much detail is needed in the Case Assessment?
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It is up to you.
Obviously it will depend on the type of complaint and what you consider to be relevant.
If you do not give us enough information about your situation, we may not be able to give you a comprehensive view. There are certain details in the Case Assessment Form that are required to be provided and, if you do not complete them, you will not be able to submit your form.Otherwise, it is up to your judgment.
We would say that the key is to only include information that it relevant. If, for example your complaint is about a dismissal, we need to know about the circumstances that you or your employer say are relevant to the decision to dismiss. We do not need to know a full breakdown of your employment history.
On the other hand, if you are complaining about a prolonged period of bullying, then we clearly need to know about all the events that you say amount to such treatment, although no necessarily a "word by word" account.
If you have documents that you can upload, then feel free to attach them where indicated.
- Can I telephone you for advice?
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Unfortunately, not. We do not have the capability to deal with telephone queries at present. In exceptional cases, we might need to telephone you where, for example, an urgent matter, such as a time limit, comes to our attention.
