The employment tribunal bundle — how to prepare your evidence

A badly assembled bundle — missing key documents, poorly organised, or submitted late — can seriously damage your tribunal claim. A well-constructed bundle that tells a clear chronological story of what happened to you makes the judge's job easier and strengthens your case.

Build your tribunal bundle the right way — organised, paginated, complete

Build your tribunal bundle

What is a tribunal bundle?

The employment tribunal bundle is a single, jointly agreed paginated file containing all the documentary evidence that will be referred to at the hearing. It is prepared before the final hearing, usually in the few weeks before the hearing date, and is used by the judge, lay members, all parties, and any witnesses.

Who prepares the employment tribunal bundle?

The respondent (employer) is usually responsible for preparing the trial bundle, because they typically have more documents and more resources to compile it. However, both parties contribute documents and must agree on the contents. If the respondent fails to prepare a bundle, the claimant can do so or apply to the tribunal for an order.

What documents go in the bundle?

The bundle should include: the ET1 and ET3, any ACAS Early Conciliation certificate, employment contract and key policy documents, disciplinary or grievance correspondence, emails and messages relevant to the claim, dismissal and appeal letters, payslips and P60s (for financial loss), medical reports (if relevant), and any other document either party intends to refer to at the hearing.

Can I include WhatsApp messages and emails in the bundle?

Yes. WhatsApp messages, texts, emails, social media screenshots, and other digital communications are regularly included in tribunal bundles. They should be printed and formatted consistently. Screenshots should show the sender, recipient, date, and time. If the message was deleted and recovered, note how it was obtained.

What happens if the parties disagree about what goes in the bundle?

Either party can include documents they wish to rely on, even if the other party objects. The convention is to include documents in the bundle even if disputed — their relevance or authenticity can be argued at the hearing. Documents should not be excluded from the bundle merely because one party disagrees with their content.

Employment Tribunal Bundle

The employment tribunal bundle — how to prepare your evidence

GOV.UK hearing guidance

Last updated: April 2026

Every page gets a sequential number — this is how witnesses give evidence

Both parties contribute — the bundle is ideally agreed jointly

A full index at the front makes navigation easy for the panel

What goes in the tribunal bundle

The bundle should contain every document that either party intends to refer to during the hearing. Nothing that is not in the bundle can be introduced at the hearing without the tribunal's permission. The standard sections are:

The ET1 claim form and the ET3 response. These go first. They tell the panel what the dispute is about and frame the issues for the hearing.

ACAS Early Conciliation certificate

Proof that Early Conciliation was completed before the ET1 was submitted. This is technically a procedural document but is conventionally included.

Employment contract and key policies

The written statement of employment particulars, employee handbook, disciplinary policy, grievance policy, sickness absence policy, and any other document your employer relies on or that is relevant to your claim.

Disciplinary and grievance documentation

The complete paper trail: invitation letters, minutes of meetings, scripts or notes from meetings, outcome letters, and appeal correspondence. This section is often the most important.

Emails, letters, WhatsApp messages, and texts that are relevant to the claim. Organise chronologically where possible. Each page should be included in full — do not summarise.

Pay and benefits documents

Payslips, P60s, bonus records, and pension statements. These are needed to calculate financial loss and to establish what you earned at the time of dismissal.

Occupational health reports, GP or specialist letters, sick notes (fit notes). Relevant where capability, stress, or disability is an issue.

Post-dismissal job search evidence

Applications made, rejections received, Universal Credit records. The tribunal expects you to have mitigated your loss — this evidence shows you have been actively looking for work.

How to format and paginate the bundle

WhatsApp and digital evidence

Digital communications — WhatsApp messages, Teams chats, texts, emails — are all admissible and frequently determinative in tribunal cases. Export or screenshot conversations showing the sender, recipient, and timestamp. Print in a readable font and include in chronological order within the correspondence section. Where messages were deleted and recovered via backup or a legal request, note that clearly.

Bundle questions answered

Build a strong, organised evidence file for your hearing.

Start My Claim helps you collect, organise, and annotate your evidence — so your bundle tells the clearest possible story for the tribunal panel.

No card required. Takes about 5 minutes.

Your claim, estimated

What could you actually be owed?

No sign-up, no card, no email. Your numbers just appear below as you type — then you decide whether to build the full case.