Interim Relief Bundle

Interim relief is one of the most urgent applications in employment law - and one of the most powerful. Available only to employees dismissed for a limited set of prescribed reasons, including whistleblowing under section 103A ERA 1996, carrying out health and safety activities, and performing trade union or workforce representative functions, a successful application results in a continuation of employment order that keeps pay and benefits running until the final hearing - which, given current tribunal backlogs, can be a year or more away.

The time limit is strict and cannot be extended: the application must be presented within seven days of the effective date of termination. No ACAS Early Conciliation is required. The tribunal must then hear the application as soon as practicable, giving the employer at least seven days' notice.

Because the bundle has to make its case without cross-examination - the tribunal makes a summary assessment of whether the claimant is "likely to succeed" on every element of the claim - a clear, focused chronology and a compelling witness statement are worth more here than a voluminous document pack.