Schedule of loss

The document that converts your unfair dismissal or discrimination claim into concrete figures — what you have lost, what you will continue to lose, and what the tribunal is being asked to award. Getting it right is as important as winning on liability.

When do I need to submit a schedule of loss?

The tribunal will usually set a deadline in the case management order — commonly two to four weeks before the remedy hearing. For straightforward unfair dismissal claims where both sides want to settle, serving a draft schedule early (sometimes before any hearing) helps focus negotiations. If the tribunal has not set a deadline, serve your schedule at least seven days before the remedy hearing so the other side has time to respond.

Is there an official template for a schedule of loss?

There is no single mandatory form, but the Presidents of the Employment Tribunals have issued Presidential Guidance on preparing schedules of loss. It sets out the headings expected — past loss, future loss, pension loss, injury to feelings if applicable, interest, and the basic award. Many employment judges work from those headings, so following them reduces the risk of your schedule being returned for amendment.

Does the compensatory award cap apply to discrimination claims?

No. The statutory cap on the compensatory award in unfair dismissal claims (currently the greater of 52 weeks' gross pay or £115,115) does not apply to discrimination claims brought under the Equality Act 2010. Discrimination compensation is uncapped, which is why cases involving both unfair dismissal and discrimination require careful presentation of each head of loss separately.

What is the weekly pay cap for the basic award?

For dismissals on or after 6 April 2026, a week's pay is capped at £751. The basic award is calculated as: number of complete years of service (up to 20) multiplied by a multiplier that depends on age (0.5 for under 22, 1 for 22-40, 1.5 for 41 and over), multiplied by a week's capped pay. The maximum basic award is therefore £22,530. The figures are reviewed each April.

How do I calculate future loss of earnings?

Future loss is the net weekly pay you have lost (or will continue to lose) between the hearing date and the date you would reasonably be expected to find comparable work. Estimate the period honestly — tribunals will reduce inflated figures. Show your net weekly pay from recent payslips, state the period you claim, and explain your mitigation efforts. If you have already found a new job, future loss ends at the start date.

What is an ACAS uplift and how does it appear in the schedule?

An ACAS uplift is an increase of up to 25% applied to the compensatory award where the employer unreasonably failed to follow the ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures. List it as a separate line item after your base compensatory award, showing the percentage claimed and the sum it adds. Tribunals have discretion both on whether to award it and on the percentage.

Do I need to include interest in the schedule?

Interest is payable on employment tribunal awards under the Employment Tribunals (Interest) Order 1990. Simple interest at 8% per annum accrues on sums unpaid 42 days after judgment. For injury to feelings awards in discrimination claims, interest is calculated differently — at the current rate (8%) from the mid-point of the discriminatory period to the date of judgment. Include an interest calculation as a separate section if you are seeking it.

Can I update the schedule after I have served it?

Yes, and you should — particularly if your employment situation changes, you find a new job, or the hearing is delayed. An outdated schedule undermines your credibility. Serve an updated version as soon as figures change and flag what has been amended. Most tribunals welcome an up-to-date schedule rather than a stale one.

Employment Tribunal · Glossary

Last reviewed: June 2026

Employment Tribunal track

is a structured document you serve before a tribunal remedy hearing, setting out every head of compensation you are claiming — the basic award, compensatory award, any injury to feelings, pension loss, ACAS uplift, and interest — with the figures and the method used to reach them.

Where this comes from

Employment Rights Act 1996, ss.118–122

— the basic award: calculation method, multipliers and the weekly pay cap.

Employment Rights Act 1996, ss.123–124

— the compensatory award: "just and equitable" basis, cap (greater of 52 weeks' pay or £115,115).

Employment Rights Act 1996, s.207A

— ACAS uplift: up to 25% increase where employer failed to follow the ACAS Code.

Equality Act 2010, s.119

— injury to feelings: available in discrimination claims, assessed using the Vento bands.

Employment Tribunals (Interest) Order 1990 (SI 1990/479)

— 8% simple interest on awards unpaid 42 days after judgment; separate rules for discrimination loss.

Presidential Guidance on Schedules of Loss

— the authoritative template issued by the Presidents of the Employment Tribunals (England & Wales and Scotland).

What a schedule of loss actually does

Winning on liability — persuading a tribunal that you were unfairly dismissed, or that you suffered unlawful discrimination — is only half the battle. The second half is remedy: what should the tribunal award you, and how much? That is what the schedule of loss addresses.

The schedule is a formal document served on both the tribunal and the respondent before the remedy hearing. It breaks your claim into its component parts, puts a figure on each, and shows how you arrived at those figures. Without it, the remedy hearing cannot run efficiently — neither the tribunal nor the employer can respond to a claim whose figures they have never seen. Most case management orders require it. Even where no order exists, failing to serve one is a serious tactical error.

The document serves a second purpose: it drives settlement. Once the other side sees your figures set out precisely, they can assess their exposure. A clear, well-evidenced schedule often prompts a realistic offer. An inflated or chaotic one gives the employer room to argue your claim down or to stall.

The standard heads of claim in an unfair dismissal schedule are: the

(a statutory payment calculated from age, service and weekly pay);

past loss of earnings

(net earnings lost from the dismissal date to the hearing, minus any new income);

future loss of earnings

(a projection of how long you will remain out of comparable work);

loss of statutory rights

(a small conventional sum, typically £500–700, reflecting the loss of your accrued service protection);

(employer contributions you have missed); and any

where the employer breached the disciplinary code. In discrimination cases,

is also claimable and is assessed using the Vento bands rather than a financial loss calculation.

runs on certain heads of claim in discrimination cases — from the mid-point of the period of discrimination to the date of judgment on injury to feelings, and from the date of the financial loss on past losses. For unfair dismissal, interest runs on the award only if it remains unpaid 42 days after judgment, so it typically does not appear in the schedule itself.

How it works in practice

Deborah is 44 and has worked for her employer for six years as a senior project manager, earning

£52,000 gross (£3,400 net per month)

. She was dismissed on 15 October 2025. Her employment tribunal claim succeeds on both unfair dismissal and age discrimination. The remedy hearing is listed for 20 June 2026 — eight months after dismissal. She secured a new, lower-paid role on 1 April 2026, earning £40,000 gross (£2,650 net per month).

Her schedule sets out each head separately:

Basic award (6 complete years × 1.0 × £751 cap)

Past loss: Oct 2025–Mar 2026 (5.5 months × £3,400 net)

Ongoing net loss from new job (£3,400 – £2,650 = £750/month × 12 months projected)

Pension loss (employer contrib. £250/month × 17 months)

Loss of statutory rights (conventional figure)

Injury to feelings — lower Vento band (age discrimination)

Interest on injury to feelings (8% × mid-point Oct 2025–Jun 2026 = ~4 months)

ACAS uplift on compensatory award (20%)

Notice that Deborah has

inflated past loss to the full eight months. She shows only the five and a half months she was entirely out of work, then switches to the ongoing pay differential. This is honest presentation — and it is harder for the employer to attack than a figure that ignores mitigating income. The ACAS uplift appears as a percentage of the compensatory award sub-total, not the basic award.

The compensatory award cap (£115,115) is checked after all deductions but before the ACAS uplift. Here the compensatory award is well below the cap, so it does not bite. On the discrimination head there is no cap at all, which is why keeping the two claims clearly separated in the schedule matters.

Common pitfalls for claimants

• Treating the schedule as an afterthought.
• Many claimants spend months on their liability case and produce a sketch schedule the night before the hearing. A poorly evidenced schedule can result in the tribunal awarding far less than you lost — or in a costs warning for wasting the other side's preparation time.
• Failing to deduct income received.
• The compensatory award is net of any earnings from new employment or self-employment since dismissal. If you omit this and the employer has your HMRC or payslip records, the tribunal will make the deduction anyway — and your credibility suffers. Calculate honestly and show the deduction explicitly.
• Confusing gross and net figures.
• The compensatory award is calculated on
• pay (take-home after tax and National Insurance), not gross. Using gross figures inflates the claim and triggers a reduction at the hearing. Use your payslips.
• Forgetting the pension.
• Pension loss is a legitimate head of claim, but it is commonly omitted. For a defined contribution scheme, multiply the employer contribution rate by the months of loss. For a defined benefit scheme, specialist actuarial input may be needed — but a simplified approach using the Employment Tribunals Guidelines on Pension Loss is usually sufficient for smaller claims.
• Overclaiming injury to feelings.
• Injury to feelings is assessed using the Vento bands. The lower band (currently £1,100–£11,700) covers isolated or less serious acts. The middle band (£11,700–£35,200) covers more serious or sustained discrimination. The upper band (£35,200–£58,700) is for the most serious cases. Claiming the top of the upper band for a single act of indirect discrimination is likely to be reduced and will invite challenge on the whole schedule.
• Not serving an updated schedule.
• If your employment situation changes between serving the schedule and the hearing, update it. An outdated schedule that ignores months of new employment damages your presentation and can trigger a costs application.

Frequently asked questions

Sources & further reading

• Employment Rights Act 1996, sections 118–122
• — basic award (legislation.gov.uk)
• Employment Rights Act 1996, sections 123–124
• — compensatory award and cap (legislation.gov.uk)
• Employment Rights Act 1996, section 207A
• — ACAS uplift (legislation.gov.uk)
• Equality Act 2010, section 119
• — injury to feelings (legislation.gov.uk)
• Employment Tribunals (Interest) Order 1990
• — interest on awards (legislation.gov.uk)
• Presidential Guidance on Schedules of Loss
• — authoritative template (judiciary.gov.uk)
• Employment tribunal compensation

Need to build your schedule of loss?

Start My Claim walks you through each head of claim, applies the current caps and bands, and produces a ready-to-serve document — so nothing gets left out.

Last reviewed: June 2026.

Statutory figures verified against the Employment Rights Act 1996 and the Employment Tribunals (Interest) Order 1990 as currently in force. Weekly pay cap £751 applies to dismissals on or after 6 April 2026; compensatory award cap £115,115.

This page is explanatory only and is not legal advice. Start My Claim is self-service software, not a law firm — its tools help you build and run your own case.