Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978

Interim relief E+W+S

77 Interim relief pending determination of complaint of unfair dismissal. E+W+S

[F1 (1) An employee who presents a complaint to an industrial tribunal under section 67 alleging that the dismissal is to be regarded as unfair by virtue of section 58 may apply to the tribunal for an order under the following provisions of this section.]

(2) An industrial tribunal shall not entertain an application under this section unless—

(a) it is presented to the tribunal before the end of the period of seven days immediately following the effective date of termination (whether before, on or after that date); and

(b) [F2 in a case in which the employee relies on section 58(1)(a) or (b)] before the end of that period there is also so presented a certificate in writing signed by an authorised official of the independent trade union of which the employee was or had proposed to become a member stating that on the date of the dismissal the employee was or had proposed to become a member of the union and that there appear to be reasonable grounds for supposing that the reason for his dismissal (or, if more than one, the principal reason) was one alleged in the complaint.

(3) An industrial tribunal shall determine an application under this section as soon as practicable after receiving the application and [F3 (where appropriate)] the relevant certificate, but shall [F4 give at the appropriate time—

(a) to the employer; and

(b) in the case of a section 76A request made at least three days before the date of the hearing, to the person to whom the request relates;

a copy of the application and certificate (if any) together with notice of the date, time and place of the hearing.

(3A) In subsection (3)—

• “appropriate time” means—

  (a)

  in relation to paragraph (a), not later than seven days before the date of the hearing;

  (b)

  in relation to paragraph (b), as soon as reasonably practicable; and

  • “section 76A request” means a request made under section 76A(1) for the tribunal to direct a person to be joined or sisted as a party to the proceedings]

(4) An industrial tribunal shall not exercise any power it has of postponing the hearing in the case of an application under this section except where the tribunal is satisfied that special circumstances exist which justify it in doing so.

(5) If on hearing an application under this section it appears to an industrial tribunal that it is likely that on determining the complaint to which the application relates the tribunal will find that the complainant [F5 is by virtue of section 58 to be regarded as having been unfairly dismissed], the tribunal shall announce its findings and explain to both parties (if present) what powers the tribunal may exercise on an application under this section and in what circumstances it may exercise them, and shall ask the employer (if present) whether he is willing, pending the determination or settlement of the complaint—

(a) to reinstate the employee, that is to say, to treat the employee in all respects as if he had not been dismissed; or

(b) if not, to re-engage him in another job on terms and conditions not less favourable than those which would have been applicable to him if he had not been dismissed.

(6) In subsection (5) “terms and conditions not less favourable than those which would have been applicable to him if he had not been dismissed” means, as regards seniority, pension rights and other similar rights, that the period prior to the dismissal shall be regarded as continuous with his employment following the dismissal.

(7) If the employer states that he is willing to reinstate the employee, the tribunal shall make an order to that effect.

(8) If the employer states that he is willing to re-engage the employee in another job and specifies the terms and conditions on which he is willing to do so, the tribunal shall ask the employee whether he is willing to accept the job on those terms and conditions, and—

(a) if the employee is willing to accept the job on those terms and conditions, the tribunal shall make an order to that effect; and

(b) if the employee is unwilling to accept the job on those terms and conditions, then, if the tribunal is of the opinion that the refusal is reasonable, the tribunal shall make an order for the continuation of his contract of employment, but otherwise the tribunal shall make no order under this section.

(9) If, on the hearing of an application under this section, the employer fails to attend before the tribunal or he states that he is unwilling either to reinstate the employee or re-engage him as mentioned in subsection (5), the tribunal shall make an order for the continuation of the employee’s contract of employment.

(10) In this section—

• F6 “authorised official”, in relation to a trade union, means an official of the union authorised by the union to act for the purposes of this section;

and any reference to the date of dismissal is a reference—

(a) where the employee’s contract of employment was terminated by notice (whether given by his employer or by him), to the date on which the employer’s notice was given; and

(b) in any other case, to the effective date of termination.

(11) A document purporting to be an authorisation of an official by a trade union to act for the purposes of this section and to be signed on behalf of the union shall be taken to be such an authorisation unless the contrary is proved, and a document purporting to be a certificate signed by such an official shall be taken to be signed by him unless the contrary is proved.

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 77(1) substituted by Employment Act 1982 (c. 46, SIF 43:5), s. 8(1) with saving in S.I. 1982/1656, Sch. 2

F2 Words inserted by Employment Act 1982 (c. 46, SIF 43:5), Sch. 3 para. 24(1) with saving in S.I. 1982/1656, Sch. 2

F3 Words inserted by Employment Act 1982 (c. 46, SIF 43:5), Sch. 3 para. 24(2) with saving in S.I. 1982/1656, Sch. 2

F4 Words substituted by Employment Act 1982 (c. 46, SIF 43:5), s. 8(2) with saving in S.I. 1982/1656, Sch. 2

F5 Words substituted by Employment Act 1982 (c. 46, SIF 43:5), Sch. 3 para. 24(3) with saving in S.I. 1982/1656, Sch. 2

F6 Definition of “appropriate time" repealed by Employment Act 1982 (c. 46, SIF 43:5), Sch. 4 with saving in SIF 1982/1656, Sch. 2

Prospective

77A F7 Procedure on hearing of application and making of order. E+W+S

(1) If on hearing an employee’s application for interim relief it appears to the tribunal that it is likely that on determining the complaint to which the application relates the tribunal will find that the reason (or, if more than one, the principal reason) for his dismissal was one of those specified in section 57A(1)(a) and (b) [F8 or section 57AA][F9 of this Act or section 46 of the Pensions Act 1995] the following provisions shall apply.

(2) The tribunal shall announce its findings and explain to both parties (if present) what powers the tribunal may exercise on the application and in what circumstances it will exercise them, and shall ask the employer (if present) whether he is willing, pending the determination or settlement of the complaint—

(a) to reinstate the employee, that is to say, to treat him in all respects as if he had not been dismissed, or

(b) if not, to re-engage him in another job on terms and conditions not less favourable than those which would have been applicable to him if he had not been dismissed.

(3) For this purpose “terms and conditions not less favourable than those which would have been applicable to him if he had not been dismissed” means, as regards seniority, pension rights and other similar rights, that the period prior to the dismissal should be regarded as continuous with his employment following the dismissal.

(4) If the employer states that he is willing to reinstate the employee, the tribunal shall make an order to that effect.

(5) If the employer states that he is willing to re-engage the employee in another job and specifies the terms and conditions on which he is willing to do so, the tribunal shall ask the employee whether he is willing to accept the job on those terms and conditions; and—

(a) if the employee is willing to accept the job on those terms and conditions, the tribunal shall make an order to that effect, and

(b) if he is not, then, if the tribunal is of the opinion that the refusal is reasonable, the tribunal shall make an order for the continuation of his contract of employment, but otherwise the tribunal shall make no order.

(6) If on the hearing of an application for interim relief the employer fails to attend before the tribunal, or states that he is unwilling either to reinstate the employee or re-engage him as mentioned in subsection (2), the tribunal shall make an order for the continuation of the employee’s contract of employment.

Textual Amendments

F7 Ss. 77-79 inserted (30.8.1993) by 1993 c. 19, s. 28, Sch. 5 para. 10; S.I. 1993/1908, art. 2(1), Sch. 1 (previous versions of ss. 77-79 having been repealed (16.10.1992) by 1992 c. 52, Sch. 1)

F8 Words in s. 77A(1) inserted (26.10.1995) by S.I. 1995/2587, reg. 14(3)

F9 Words in s. 77A(1) inserted (prosp.) by 1995 c. 26, ss. 122, 180(1), Sch. 3 para. 7

78 Orders for continuation of contract of employment. E+W+S

(1) An order for the continuation of a contract of employment under section 77 shall be an order that the contract of employment, if it has been terminated, shall continue in force as if it had not been terminated and if not, shall on its termination, continue in force, in either case until the determination or settlement of the complaint and only for the purposes of pay or any other benefit derived from the employment, seniority, pension rights and other similar matters and for the purpose of determining for any purpose the period for which the employee has been continuously employed.

(2) Where the tribunal makes any such order it shall specify in the order the amount which is to be paid by the employer to the employee by way of pay in respect of each normal pay period or part of any such period falling between the date of the dismissal and the determination or settlement of the complaint and, subject to subsection (5), the amount so specified shall be that which the employee could reasonably have been expected to earn during that period or part, and shall be paid, in the case of a payment for any such period falling wholly or partly after the order, on the normal pay day for that period and, in the case of a payment for any past period, within a time so specified.

(3) If an amount is payable by way of pay in pursuance of any such order in respect only of part of a normal pay period the amount shall be calculated by reference to the whole period and be reduced proportionately.

(4) Any payment made to an employee by an employer under his contract of employment, or by way of damages for breach of that contract, in respect of any normal pay period or part of any such period shall go towards discharging the employer’s liability in respect of that period under subsection (2), and conversely any payment under subsection (2) in respect of any period shall go towards discharging any liability of the employer under, or in respect of breach of, the contract of employment in respect of that period.

(5) If an employee, on or after being dismissed by his employer, receives a lump sum which, or part of which, is in lieu of wages but is not referable to any normal pay period, the tribunal shall take the payment into account in determining the amount of pay to be payable in pursuance of any such order.

(6) For the purposes of this section the amount which an employee could reasonably have been expected to earn, his normal pay period and the normal pay day for each such period shall be determined as if he had not been dismissed.

Valid from 22/08/1996

[F10 F11 78A] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . U.K.

Textual Amendments

F10 Ss. 77-79 and cross heading inserted (30.8.1993) by 1993 c. 19, s. 28, Sch. 5 para.10; S.I. 1993/1908, art. 2(1), Sch.1 (previous versions of ss. 77-79 having been repealed (16.10.1992) by 1992 c. 52, Sch. 1).

F11 S. 78A repealed (22.8.1996) by 1996 c. 18, ss. 242, 243, Sch. 3 Pt. I (with ss. 191-195, 202) and subject to an amendment (1.8.1998) by 1998 c. 8, s. 1(2) (with s. 16(2)); S.I. 1998/1658, art. 2, Sch. 1

78A F12 Application for variation or revocation of order. E+W+S

(1) At any time between the making of an order under section 77A and the determination or settlement of the complaint, the employer or the employee may apply to an industrial tribunal for the revocation or variation of the order on the ground of a relevant change of circumstances since the making of the order.

(2) Sections 77 and 77A apply in relation to such an application as in relation to an original application for interim relief except that, in the case of an application by the employer, section 77(4) has effect with the substitution of a reference to the employee for the reference to the employer.

Textual Amendments

F12 Ss. 77-79 inserted (30.8.1993) by 1993 c. 19, s. 28, Sch. 5 para.10; S.I. 1993/1908, art. 2(1), Sch.1 (previous versions of ss. 77-79 having been repealed (16.10.1992) by 1992 c. 52, Sch. 1)

79 Supplementary provisions relating to interim relief. E+W+S

(1) At any time between the making of an order by an industrial tribunal under section 77 and the determination or settlement of the complaint to which it relates, the employer or the employee may apply to the tribunal for the revocation or variation of the order on the ground of a relevant change of circumstances since the making of the order, and that section shall apply to the application as it applies to an application for an order under that section except that—

(a) no certificate need be presented to the tribunal under subsection (2)(b), and no copy of the certificate need be given to the employer under subsection (3), of that section; and

(b) in the case of an application by an employer, for the reference in the said subsection (3) to the employer there shall be substituted a reference to the employee.

(2) If on the application of an employee an industrial tribunal is satisfied that the employer has not complied with the terms of an order for the reinstatement or re-engagement of the employee under section 77(7) or (8),—

(a) the tribunal shall make an order for the continuation of the employee’s contract of employment and section 78 shall apply to an order under this subsection as it applies to an order for the continuation of a contract of employment under section 77; and

(b) the tribunal shall also order the employer to pay the employee such compensation as the tribunal considers just and equitable in all the circumstances having regard to the infringement of the employee’s right to be reinstated or re-engaged in pursuance of the order under section 77(7) or (8) and to any loss suffered by the employee in consequence of the non-compliance.

(3) If on the application of an employee an industrial tribunal is satisfied that the employer has not complied with the terms of an order for the continuation of a contract of employment, then—

(a) if the non-compliance consists of a failure to pay an amount by way of pay specified in the order, the tribunal shall determine the amount of pay owed by the employer to the employee on the date of the determination, and, if on that date the tribunal also determines the employee’s complaint that he has been unfairly dismissed by his employer, the tribunal shall specify that amount separately from any other sum awarded to the employee; and

(b) in any other case, the tribunal shall order the employer to pay the employee such compensation as the tribunal considers just and equitable in all the circumstances having regard to any loss suffered by the employee in consequence of the non-compliance.