Employment Claims Terms & Conditions | ELSG Ltd
If you are reading this page, you are almost certainly considering, or already using, our services to recover compensation from an employer following a workplace dispute. This page sets out, in plain English, the terms on which we act for you, including our fees, your responsibilities, and what happens if things do not go entirely to plan. Employment claims can feel daunting, particularly when money, deadlines and an ex-employer are all involved, so we have tried to make these terms as clear as possible while keeping them legally accurate.
What This Agreement Is and Who We Are
This document is the agreement between you and ELSG Ltd, company registration number 04520558, whose registered office address is Building 2, 1st Floor, Croxley Green Business Park, Watford, England, WD18 8YA. Throughout this agreement, “You” refers to the person or people instructing us, “We”, “Us” and “Our” refer to ELSG Ltd (or anyone we lawfully transfer our rights to), and “Employer” means your current or former employer, or any other contracting party who paid you for work carried out directly or indirectly. “Compensation” means any amount your Employer is ordered, or agrees, to pay you. “Working Days” means Monday to Friday, excluding bank and public holidays.
These terms are intended to be read alongside any client care letter or specific written confirmation we send you, and they apply from the moment we confirm, by any means, that we have accepted your application.
How Your Claim Begins
Once your instruction is accepted, we act on it depending on how you have completed box 35 of your application form. If box 35 is ticked, we begin taking steps against your Employer on the next Working Day after you make the payment referred to in the fees section below. If box 35 is not ticked, we begin on the first Working Day after 15 calendar days from the date you signed this agreement, provided payment has been made within that period; if payment has not been made in time, we begin on the next Working Day after it is received.
Employment tribunal claims are subject to strict statutory time limits, and these can be very short indeed. If box 35 is not ticked, you accept that your claim may, as a result, become time-barred, causing you potential loss. Should this happen, you agree to indemnify us for a period of 12 years from the date of this agreement against losses, costs and fees arising from your decision not to tick box 35. Because timing genuinely matters in employment claims, it is worth discussing box 35 carefully with us before signing.
Our Role and Your Responsibilities
You instruct us to act as your sole representative in relation to claims arising from your employment, including breaches of employment law or your contract by your Employer. You confirm that no other agency or person is acting for you in recovering compensation at the point you instruct us.
You agree to provide all relevant information available to you when your instruction begins, and to supply anything further we reasonably request as quickly as possible. You authorise us to request additional information from your Employer or any third party where appropriate. Once we have everything we need, we may give you an approximate value of your potential compensation, although this figure is never a guarantee.
We cannot be held liable for any loss caused by information you provide being inaccurate, incomplete, late or misleading, and you warrant that everything you give us is true and complete. You agree to follow our reasonable instructions, which may include attending a hearing; failing to do so without a reasonable excuse can amount to a breach of this agreement, with the consequences set out later in these terms. If any event might affect your ability to attend a hearing, you must tell us in writing as soon as reasonably possible.
Should the Employer, or anyone connected to them, contact you directly, by letter, email, phone or in person, you must report this to us within three days and forward any related documents promptly. If we cannot reach you for more than seven days (or sooner, where circumstances demand it), and we reasonably believe it is in your interests, you authorise us to compromise your claim on terms we consider reasonable.
Negotiating and Settling Your Claim
Where our review of your case shows a viable claim, we will submit the necessary information to your Employer and negotiate on your behalf. You agree not to negotiate directly with the Employer, or accept any settlement offer communicated to you, unless this has been agreed with us in writing beforehand.
We may ask you to provide documents, information or take particular steps by a specified date, normally at least 14 days from the request, or the latest date we consider safe for your claim, for example to avoid it becoming time-barred or breaching a court order. If you fail to comply, we may, at our discretion, treat this as a refusal of a reasonable settlement offer, which will trigger the success fee described below.
Our Fees Explained
Where we agree to represent you in recovering compensation, our fees are structured in two parts. An initial fee of £299.00 (including VAT) is payable within seven days of the invoice date, or the date shown on the invoice, whichever is sooner. This covers opening your file, reviewing your documents, an initial view on your prospects and the likely value of your claim, submitting the claim to ACAS, liaising with ACAS, and negotiating with your Employer where possible. This fee applies in every case, regardless of the eventual outcome.
In addition, a success fee of 35% (VAT inclusive), less the £299.00 initial fee already paid, applies to all amounts your Employer is ordered, or agrees, to pay, whether or not payment is actually made, and covering the total value of any benefit to you, whether monetary or otherwise. Put simply, you will never pay more than 35% of your recovered compensation in total, excluding any travel and accommodation costs.
Fee Examples: What You Actually Keep
The examples below illustrate how our fees are calculated. They are examples only and must not be read as any promise, indication or guarantee of what you might recover; every claim depends entirely on its own facts.
- If your claim settles or succeeds for £1,000.00, our total invoice is £350.00. Since you have already paid £299.00, your final payment is £51.00, leaving you with £650.00 (excluding travel and accommodation, where applicable).
- If your claim settles or succeeds for £3,000.00, our total invoice is £1,050.00. Your final payment, after deducting the £299.00 already paid, is £751.00, leaving you with £1,950.00 (excluding travel and accommodation, where applicable).
- If your claim settles or succeeds for £10,000.00, our total invoice is £3,500.00. Your final payment is £3,201.00, leaving you with £6,500.00 (excluding travel and accommodation, where applicable).
Accepting your instruction does not guarantee that we will take your claim all the way to a hearing, or to an earlier settlement; every case is assessed as it progresses.
Court Proceedings and Additional Costs
Any court fees or solicitors’ costs we incur on your behalf are payable in addition to our fees above, and we will notify you in writing if we consider this step necessary. Court fees must be paid in advance, no later than 14 days before they fall due.
If you reject an offer from your Employer, made directly or through us, and we consider that rejection unreasonable, the offer will be treated, for fee purposes, as if compensation had already been recovered on your behalf, meaning our fees become payable in the usual way.
Unless we agree otherwise in writing with our director, compensation should be paid directly to us, or, where it reduces a debit balance you owe the Employer, you and we must each notify the other within three Working Days of becoming aware of this. You remain liable to pay our fees, and any related costs, within three days of our invoice.
Hearings, Travel and Accommodation
Where legal action becomes necessary, you authorise us to prepare the relevant applications and represent you at hearings where applicable. Our hourly rate for preparing and presenting recovery action is £99.00, and the same rate applies if you ask us to prepare objections following an appeal by your Employer, or to defend a counterclaim brought against you.
No travel or accommodation costs apply where a hearing takes place within the M25. Outside the M25, you are responsible for either 45p per mile travelled by car (each way) plus reasonable parking, or the cost of a train arriving no earlier than two hours before the hearing, payable no later than 14 days beforehand. Overnight accommodation, of at least three-star standard, is required where a hearing starts before 11am and the venue is more than 50 miles from our office, and must be paid for no later than 14 calendar days in advance. We retain sole discretion over which mode of travel or accommodation to book.
If Things Go Wrong: Inaccurate Information and Non-Compliance
If information you provide turns out to be untrue, misleading or incomplete, and this causes, or materially contributes to, an unsuccessful claim, withdrawal or unnecessary work, you will be liable for all fees and disbursements incurred, payable within seven days of our invoice. In these circumstances we may also end this agreement without notice, charging for work already completed.
You agree to indemnify us for seven years after this agreement ends against loss or cost caused by your failure to provide accurate, complete and timely information, including any adverse costs order made against us as a result. We may also arrange translation of documents or transcripts of relevant conversations on your behalf, but these must always be paid for in advance, and a written quotation will be provided beforehand.
Your Right to Cancel
You may cancel this agreement in writing within 14 days of the date your instruction began. Sending a signed cancellation notice by recorded delivery is recommended, though not essential, and a model cancellation form is available for this purpose. You may also cancel verbally, provided you agree to us recording that part of the conversation.
If you cancel within 14 days and box 35 was not ticked, you owe us nothing, and any fees already paid will be refunded in full. If you cancel within the same 14 days but box 35 was ticked, you remain liable for our fees incurred up to the date of cancellation, calculated at £99.00 per hour (in units of six minutes, charged at £9.90 per unit), or under the initial and success fee structure above, whichever is greater. This is payable within seven days of our invoice.
Ending the Agreement After the Cancellation Period
After the initial 14 days, you may end this agreement at any time, but you will be liable for costs equivalent to those payable under the fees section had your claim settled in full, or, if the value of your claim is unknown, for our reasonable costs at £99.00 per hour. We may also end the agreement if, for example, we consider your claim’s recoverable value too small to justify continuing, in which case you owe nothing beyond the initial fee already covered.
We may terminate this agreement where you fail to pay any sum due within 14 days of invoice, or fail to comply reasonably with our requests for information, evidence or signatures, and, in either case, our fees to the date of termination are calculated on the same basis as set out above. We may exercise a lien over your documents until any outstanding balance is settled in cleared funds, and we retain intellectual property rights, including copyright, in all documents we prepare; you must not reuse these without our prior written consent. We keep your documents for three months after your claim concludes, after which they may be securely destroyed without further notice.
Payments, Interest and Recovery of Our Fees
Unless stated otherwise, all fees are payable within seven calendar days of the invoice date. Interest is charged on unpaid amounts, even where we agree to a postponement, at 8% per annum from the date the invoice or obligation arises until payment in full, and this applies to every fee or cost referred to in this agreement.
Should you fail to pay us what is owed, we may pursue recovery through the County Court, adding a claim preparation fee of £150.00, a hearing fee of £300.00 (where attendance is required), all applicable court fees, travel and accommodation costs, and interest at 8% per annum until payment in full. You remain responsible for any loss caused by errors in the bank details you provide for payment of your compensation; for security reasons, we will not pay compensation to any third party, and where account details do not match your original instruction, payment will instead be made by cheque.
Confidentiality, Records and Other General Terms
We will not share your information without your consent, except where required by law, a court order, or a request from a government or law enforcement body, or where necessary to transfer or subcontract our obligations under this agreement. You authorise us to record telephone conversations relevant to your claim, and to verify your identity electronically, which may leave a mark on your credit file.
This agreement represents the entire understanding between you and us, and you confirm you are not relying on any statement or promise beyond what is written here, save where made fraudulently. Neither party is in breach where prevented from performing obligations by matters beyond reasonable control. The agreement is governed by English law, and any dispute falls under the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales. Any compensation figures we mention are estimates only and are never guaranteed. If any part of this agreement is found invalid or unenforceable, the remaining terms continue to apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to pay anything before you start working on my claim?
Yes, an initial fee of £299.00 (including VAT) applies in every case, covering our early review and administrative work, including submission to ACAS. This is payable regardless of the eventual outcome of your claim.
What happens if my claim is unsuccessful?
If we are unable to succeed in recovering compensation from your Employer, no further fee is normally payable beyond the initial fee already covered, subject to the specific circumstances set out in this agreement, such as failure to provide accurate information or non-compliance with our reasonable requests.
Can I cancel after signing the agreement?
You have 14 days from the start of your instruction to cancel in writing, or verbally where you agree to us recording the call. If box 35 was not ticked, you owe nothing. If box 35 was ticked, you remain liable for work already carried out, charged at our hourly rate or under our standard fee structure, whichever is higher.
What if I gave incomplete or inaccurate information by mistake?
Providing inaccurate, incomplete or misleading information can affect your claim significantly, and may make you liable for costs already incurred if it leads to an unsuccessful outcome or unnecessary work. If you realise information needs correcting, tell us as soon as possible, since acting early generally limits the impact.
My Employer contacted me directly about a settlement. What should I do?
Do not negotiate or accept anything directly with your Employer. Report the contact to us within three days and send us any related correspondence, so we can assess whether the offer is reasonable before you respond.
How much of my compensation will I actually keep?
Under our fee structure, our total charge will never exceed 35% of the compensation recovered, inclusive of VAT, though travel and accommodation costs, where applicable, are charged separately. The worked examples on this page show how this is calculated in practice.
What is box 35, and why does it matter?
Box 35 affects when we begin acting on your claim and how your cancellation rights work. Employment claims are subject to strict statutory deadlines, so how you complete box 35 can genuinely affect whether your claim proceeds in time. It is worth discussing this with us before you sign.
My case involves unusual or complicated circumstances. Can you still help?
Every claim is assessed on its own facts, and complex circumstances do not necessarily prevent us from acting for you. The sooner you provide full details, the sooner we can give you a realistic view of your options and the evidence needed to support your claim.
This page summarises the standard terms on which ELSG Ltd may act for clients pursuing employment-related compensation claims and does not replace the full, signed client care letter and agreement issued to you individually. Fees, timescales and the availability of any particular option depend on the specific facts of your case and are confirmed in writing before work begins. Nothing on this page guarantees any particular outcome, settlement figure or Tribunal decision. For general guidance on employment tribunal procedure, see GOV.UK.
Last legally reviewed: 3 October 2025
By: Adam Sierant
