Schedule of Loss Calculator

A schedule of loss is the document that tells the employment tribunal exactly how much compensation you’re claiming. Getting the figures right is essential, both for presenting your case to the tribunal and for negotiating a settlement with your employer.

Our free schedule of loss calculator gives you a quick estimate of what your claim might be worth. Simply enter your employment details and the calculator will work out the main components of your potential award.

Schedule of Loss Calculator

Use this calculator to estimate the key elements of your employment tribunal compensation. You’ll need your gross and net salary, length of service, and details of any benefits you’ve lost.

Note: This calculator provides an estimate only. The actual amount you receive will depend on the specific facts of your case, any deductions the tribunal makes, and whether you’ve successfully mitigated your losses. For a detailed breakdown of how to prepare your formal schedule of loss, see our complete guide to writing a schedule of loss.

What the Calculator Covers

The schedule of loss calculator estimates the main components of compensation in an unfair dismissal claim. These figures form the foundation of your schedule of loss document.

Basic Award

The basic award is calculated using the same formula as statutory redundancy pay. It depends on your age, length of service, and weekly pay. The weekly pay figure is capped at £719 for the 2025/26 tax year, which means the maximum basic award is £21,570.

The formula works as follows: half a week’s pay for each complete year of service when you were under 22, one week’s pay for each year between ages 22 and 40, and one and a half weeks’ pay for each year when you were 41 or over. Only the last 20 years of service count.

Compensatory Award

The compensatory award covers your actual financial losses from the dismissal. This includes loss of earnings from dismissal until you find equivalent work, loss of pension contributions, loss of benefits like private health insurance or a company car, and reasonable expenses such as job search costs.

For standard unfair dismissal claims, the compensatory award is capped at the lower of £118,223 or 52 weeks’ gross pay. This cap doesn’t apply to discrimination, whistleblowing, or certain health and safety dismissals.

Loss of Statutory Rights

When you start a new job, you’ll need to work for two years before you’re protected against unfair dismissal again. The tribunal recognises this and typically awards between £350 and £500 to compensate for this loss. Most claimants include £500 in their schedule.

Understanding Your Estimate

The figure you get from the calculator represents a starting point for your schedule of loss. The actual amount the tribunal awards will depend on several factors that the calculator can’t account for.

Mitigation matters. You have a legal duty to take reasonable steps to find new work. The tribunal will expect to see evidence that you’ve been actively job hunting. If they find you haven’t made proper efforts to mitigate your losses, they can reduce your compensation.

Deductions may apply. The tribunal may make what’s called a Polkey reduction if they find a fair procedure would have led to your dismissal anyway. They can also reduce your award for contributory fault if your own conduct contributed to the dismissal.

ACAS Code adjustments. If your employer unreasonably failed to follow the ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures, your award can be increased by up to 25%. Conversely, if you unreasonably failed to follow the Code, your award can be reduced by the same amount.

Discrimination and Whistleblowing Claims

If your claim involves discrimination or whistleblowing, your compensation is not capped and you may be able to claim additional heads of loss.

Injury to feelings compensates you for the hurt, humiliation, and distress caused by discriminatory treatment. Awards are assessed using the Vento bands, which for claims presented on or after 6 April 2025 are: lower band £1,200 to £12,100 for less serious cases, middle band £12,100 to £36,400 for serious cases, and upper band £36,400 to £60,700 for the most serious cases involving prolonged harassment.

Interest can be claimed on discrimination awards at 8% per annum. Interest on financial losses runs from the midpoint between the discriminatory act and the hearing date. Interest on injury to feelings runs from the date of the discriminatory act.

For more detail on these additional elements, see the discrimination and whistleblowing section of our schedule of loss guide.

Current Compensation Limits (2025/26)

These limits apply to dismissals on or after 6 April 2025:

Element	Maximum Amount
Weekly pay (for calculations)	£719
Basic award	£21,570
Compensatory award	£118,223 or 52 weeks’ pay
Loss of statutory rights	£350–£500 (typical)

Important: The Employment Rights Act 2025 will remove the compensatory award cap for unfair dismissal claims. This change is expected to take effect from January 2027. Once in force, compensation will be based on your actual financial losses with no statutory ceiling.

From Estimate to Formal Schedule

The calculator gives you a quick estimate, but you’ll need to prepare a formal schedule of loss document for the tribunal. Your schedule should include your background information, detailed calculations showing how you’ve arrived at each figure, and a clear breakdown of each head of loss.

Our complete guide to writing a schedule of loss explains exactly what to include and provides worked examples you can follow. You can also download our free schedule of loss templates to use as a starting point for your own document.

When to Update Your Schedule

Your schedule of loss is a living document. You’ll need to update it as your circumstances change, for example if you find a new job, if the hearing date moves, or if you receive additional information about your losses.

Most claimants produce several versions during their claim. It’s good practice to include the words “The Claimant reserves the right to serve an amended Schedule of Loss” at the end of your document.