HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) updated the ET1 and ET3 forms for use in employment tribunal claims on 3 August.
There are now separate boxes for the parties to indicate whether they can take part in either video or phone hearings and preferred methods of contact are limited to email or post. If a claimant indicates that they can't take part in either video or phone hearings they will need to explain why they cannot do so.
The forms give examples of reasonable adjustments that may be made for those claimants or respondents who identify any disability or condition that means they need support during proceedings.
A claimant no longer has to identify themselves as male or female as there's a "prefer not to say" alternative. A claimant in a whistleblowing claim can also now specify the relevant regulator (prescribed person) they would like a copy of the ET1, or information from it, to be sent to.
The ET3 form asks "what type of employer" the respondent is, and the respondent is asked to indicate whether it wishes to contest all or part of the claim. The respondent can choose to provide annual figures for a claimant's pay before tax and normal take-home pay, rather than weekly or monthly figures.
