If you are thinking of bringing an employment tribunal Manchester claim, or you have already submitted your ET1 claim form, one of the first practical questions is where your case will actually be heard. The answer matters: the tribunal office that takes your case affects how far you may need to travel, whether your hearing is in person or by video, and how your claim is managed.
Unlike the civil courts, there is no single building for employment cases. Hearing centres are spread across England, Wales and Scotland, with the employment tribunal in Manchester serving as the main hub for the North West. We use the employment tribunal Manchester office as a running example in this guide, as it is one of the busiest centres in the country. Below, we explain the main UK locations, how venues are chosen, when you can ask for a change, and what to expect on the day. If you are new to the process itself, start with our complete guide to the employment tribunal first.
Employment Tribunal Manchester: The North West’s Main Hearing Centre
The Manchester Employment Tribunal is one of the busiest hearing centres in England and Wales. It handles claims arising across Greater Manchester and much of the wider North West, including Cheshire, Lancashire, Merseyside and Cumbria. If your dispute arose anywhere in that catchment, the employment tribunal Manchester office is almost certainly where your case will be listed.
Most people searching for “employment tribunal Manchester” want to know whether a case arising from a job in the city will be heard locally. In most cases it will be: the tribunal office nearest to where you worked normally receives your claim, so it will almost always be listed at the employment tribunal in Manchester.
The employment tribunal Manchester centre deals with the full range of claims, from unfair dismissal and discrimination to wages disputes and whistleblowing detriment. Shorter preliminary hearings for Manchester cases are also frequently held by video, which can save a trip into the city centre for routine case-management appointments.
How Your Hearing Venue Is Allocated
You do not choose your tribunal office. On the ET1 claim form you give your address and your employer’s address, and HM Courts and Tribunals Service allocates the case to the office covering the area where you worked or where the claim arose.
In practice, that means:
- Employees who worked in England or Wales have their claims handled by the employment tribunal office for that region.
- Employees who worked in Scotland are dealt with by the Scottish tribunal offices, which form a separate administrative region.
- Where the parties are in different areas, the tribunal weighs convenience, travel and witness locations before fixing the venue.
Employers should note that the venue follows the claimant’s workplace, not the company’s head office. A national employer headquartered in London may still have to defend a claim at a regional office if that is where the employee worked.
Once allocated, all correspondence about your case, including hearing notices and case-management orders, comes from that tribunal office. Tell the tribunal promptly if you move house or change representative so that notices reach you.
Employment Tribunal Offices Across England and Wales
England and Wales are divided into tribunal regions, each with one or more hearing centres. The busiest locations are set out below.
London and the South East
London’s tribunal capacity is split across several offices. The London Central Employment Tribunal serves central London, the London South Employment Tribunal covers the south of the capital, and the East London Employment Tribunals Service handles claims from the east of the city and surrounding areas. Just outside the capital, the Watford Employment Tribunal serves Hertfordshire and parts of north and west London.
The Midlands
Birmingham is the main centre for the West Midlands, with Nottingham serving the East Midlands and cities such as Coventry, Derby, Leicester and Wolverhampton.
The North of England
Leeds is the principal office for Yorkshire and the Humber, while the Newcastle upon Tyne Employment Tribunal covers the North East, including Sunderland, Durham and Northumberland. Sheffield also hosts hearings for South Yorkshire, and Manchester remains the primary centre for the North West.
The South West and Wales
The Bristol Employment Tribunal is the main office for the South West, covering Somerset, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Devon. In Wales, Cardiff is the principal tribunal office, serving claims arising across South Wales.
Employment Tribunal Locations in Scotland
Scotland operates as its own tribunal region. Claims arising from employment in Scotland are handled by the Scottish tribunal offices, principally in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Employment law in Scotland is largely the same as in England and Wales for tribunal claims: unfair dismissal, discrimination and most statutory rights apply UK-wide, and the same ET1 claim process is used. The main practical differences are the venue and the administration of the case.
One difference worth knowing is that employment tribunal decisions in Scotland are published on a separate Scottish decisions register rather than the register used for England and Wales. Our guide to employment tribunal decisions explains how the registers work and what they reveal about a case.
Employment Tribunal Northern Ireland: A Separate System
There is no employment tribunal Northern Ireland office within the England, Wales and Scotland system. Employment disputes arising in Northern Ireland are heard by the Industrial Tribunals and the Fair Employment Tribunal, based in Belfast, under Northern Ireland’s own employment legislation, so if you worked there, the venues in this guide do not apply to you.
Requesting a Change of Tribunal Venue
Sometimes the allocated venue does not suit you. You may have moved since submitting your claim, face a difficult journey because of a disability or caring responsibilities, or find that most witnesses are based elsewhere. For example, a case allocated to the employment tribunal Manchester office might be inconvenient if you have since relocated to the south of England. In these situations you can ask the tribunal to transfer your case to a different office.
To request a change, write to the tribunal office handling your case, explaining:
- which office you would like the case moved to, and why;
- how the move would reduce travel, cost or hardship for you or your witnesses;
- whether the other party agrees to the transfer.
An employment judge decides the application, weighing convenience and fairness to both sides. The other party’s agreement helps but does not guarantee success, and the transfer is not granted until the tribunal confirms it in writing. Apply as early as possible: last-minute requests are far less likely to succeed, particularly once a hearing date has been fixed.
Attending in Person vs Video Hearings (CVP)
Not every hearing requires a trip to a tribunal building. Employment tribunals make extensive use of the Cloud Video Platform (CVP) for remote hearings, and many preliminary and case-management hearings are now held by video as standard.
Whether your hearing is in person or remote depends on the type of hearing and the tribunal’s directions:
- Preliminary hearings, especially those dealing with case management or time limits, are commonly listed by video or telephone.
- Final hearings, where witnesses give evidence and are cross-examined, are more often held in person, although remote or hybrid final hearings do take place.
- Either party can ask for a hearing to be held remotely, or to attend remotely, but the tribunal decides what is appropriate.
If your hearing is listed at the employment tribunal in Manchester but will be conducted by CVP, you can join from home or your representative’s office. Test your connection in advance, join in good time, and treat a video hearing with the same seriousness as an in-person one: dress appropriately, avoid interruptions, and have your documents to hand.
What to Expect at the Tribunal Venue
Tribunal buildings are working court buildings, but less formal than the Crown Court. Whether your hearing is at the employment tribunal Manchester centre or another office, knowing what to expect takes some of the stress out of the day.
- Arrive early. Aim to reach the tribunal office at least 30 minutes before your hearing. You will pass through security screening, similar to an airport, so allow time for queues.
- Report to reception with your name and case number; staff will direct you to the waiting area.
- Waiting areas are shared. You may be waiting near the other party and their witnesses. You do not have to speak to them; if you have a representative, stay with them.
- Hearings are usually public. Members of the public and press can attend, although the tribunal can restrict attendance in sensitive cases.
- Facilities vary. Most offices have accessible entrances, hearing loops and private rooms for witnesses. If you need adjustments, such as step-free access or regular breaks, tell the tribunal in advance.
- Bring everything. Take your hearing bundle, witness statements, ID and tribunal correspondence, even if you have sent copies already.
The Employment Appeal Tribunal in London
If you lose your case, or the other side challenges a decision in your favour, the next step is the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) in London. The EAT does not re-hear the facts: it only decides appeals on points of law, such as whether the tribunal misapplied the legislation or reached a conclusion no reasonable tribunal could have reached.
Appeals must normally be lodged within 42 days of the written judgment being sent to the parties, and the EAT applies that deadline strictly. Parties from across the UK may need to travel to London, although some EAT hearings are remote.
Employment Tribunal Locations: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I choose which employment tribunal hears my claim?
No. The office is allocated according to where you worked or where the events behind your claim happened. You can, however, apply to transfer the case to a different office if you have good reasons.
I worked in Manchester but now live elsewhere. Where will my hearing be?
Your case will usually stay with the employment tribunal in Manchester, because the venue follows the workplace rather than your current address. If travelling back is difficult, you can request a transfer or ask to attend remotely.
Are employment tribunal decisions in Scotland published?
Yes. Employment tribunal decisions in Scotland appear on a separate Scottish register, while decisions from England and Wales appear on the main Employment Tribunal decisions register.
What happens if I do not attend my hearing?
The tribunal can proceed in your absence and decide the case without hearing your side. If you cannot attend, contact the tribunal office immediately to seek a postponement rather than simply not turning up.
Key Takeaways
- The employment tribunal Manchester office is the main hearing centre for the North West, covering Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Lancashire, Merseyside and Cumbria.
- Your venue is allocated according to where you worked or where the claim arose; you do not choose it on the claim form.
- London is served by several offices, including London Central, London South, the East London Employment Tribunals Service and Watford; other major centres include Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Cardiff and Newcastle upon Tyne.
- Scotland has its own tribunal offices and a separate decisions register, while Northern Ireland uses an entirely different system.
- You can apply to change venue, and many preliminary hearings take place by video rather than in person.
- The Employment Appeal Tribunal, based in London, hears appeals on points of law only.
Whether your hearing is before the employment tribunal Manchester office or a tribunal elsewhere in the UK, preparation matters more than postcode. Understanding the venue and arriving ready give you the best chance of a fair hearing. For the full picture of how a claim runs from start to finish, read our complete guide to the employment tribunal process.
