£2.5M+
Recovered for clients
500+
Cardiff employees helped
93%
Settle before tribunal
Do You Qualify for No Win No Fee?
Most Cardiff employees with a genuine workplace dispute qualify. Quick check:
Within time limit?
3 months minus 1 day from the incident
Have evidence?
Emails, letters, witnesses, or records
Qualifying service?
2 yrs for dismissal (none for discrimination)
Clear wrongdoing?
Employer acted unfairly or unlawfully
Not sure? That’s what the free assessment is for.
Check If You Qualify →How No Win No Fee Works for Cardiff Employees
From first contact to compensation in five steps
Free Assessment
Call us or complete the online form. We’ll review your Cardiff case within 48 hours at no cost and with no obligation.
Agreement Signed
If your case is strong, we’ll send you a Damages-Based Agreement. Our 35% success fee is inclusive of VAT, as required by law under the Damages Based Agreement Regulations 2013. You keep 65% of every penny you win. Transparent pricing with no hidden costs or additional charges.
Claim Submitted
We draft and submit your ET1 form to Wales Employment Tribunal, ensuring all evidence is properly presented and deadlines are met.
Settlement Negotiation
Most cases settle through ACAS Early Conciliation or direct negotiation before reaching the tribunal hearing room in Cardiff.
You Receive 65%
When compensation is paid, you keep 65%. If we don’t win, you don’t pay us a penny. Simple.
Cardiff’s economy employs nearly 195,000 people across financial services, healthcare, education, media, and public administration. When Admiral Insurance, Cardiff University, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, or any other Cardiff employer implements restructuring programmes, fails to follow proper procedures, or discriminates against staff, employment disputes surface with patterns our solicitors recognise from years of tribunal representation.
Employment law disputes in Cardiff often follow predictable patterns. Cardiff University’s 2025 restructuring placed over 1,800 academics at risk, triggering concerns about selection criteria, redundancy consultation processes, and potential discrimination claims. The NHS faces ongoing workforce pressures. Financial services firms in Central Square make bonus decisions that sometimes lack transparency. Small businesses across Pontcanna, Cathays, and Roath occasionally get disciplinary procedures wrong.
Our no win no fee employment solicitors represent Cardiff clients at Wales Employment Tribunal on Fitzalan Place, whether you’re facing unfair dismissal from a city centre office, discrimination at University Hospital of Wales, or whistleblowing retaliation at a media company in Cardiff Bay. The tribunal is 10 minutes’ walk from Cardiff Central Station, but most cases settle through negotiation before you ever need to attend a hearing.
Why Choose Our Cardiff Employment Solicitors
Every employment solicitor claims expertise. Here’s what genuinely sets our Cardiff service apart:
True No Win No Fee
Our 35% success fee is inclusive of VAT, as required by law. You keep 65% of your compensation. If we lose, you pay nothing. Zero hidden costs. Many firms claim “no win no fee” but then charge for disbursements or admin. We don’t.
Cardiff Knowledge
We understand Cardiff’s employment landscape. We know which employers have poor disciplinary processes, which sectors see frequent discrimination claims, and how Employment Judges at Wales Employment Tribunal approach evidence.
Realistic Advice
Some solicitors accept any case to collect fees. We only take cases we believe have genuine prospects of success. If your case is weak, we’ll tell you honestly in the free assessment rather than wasting your time.
Settlement Focus
93% of employment tribunal claims settle before final hearing. We negotiate hard to secure fair compensation without the stress of a tribunal hearing. But if your employer won’t negotiate reasonably, we’re ready to fight at tribunal.
Wales Employment Tribunal, Cardiff
Wales Employment Tribunal handles all employment disputes for Cardiff and the whole of Wales. Most claimants never attend a final hearing because cases settle through negotiation, but understanding the tribunal process helps inform settlement strategy.
Wales Employment Tribunal Address
3rd Floor
Cardiff and the Vale Magistrates Court
Fitzalan Place
Cardiff
CF24 0RZ
Phone: 02920 678 100
Email: [email protected]
Welsh Language Helpline: 03003035176
Getting to the Tribunal
The tribunal is located on Fitzalan Place, a 10-minute walk from Cardiff Central Station. Exit Cardiff Central onto Central Square, walk east along Churchill Way, then turn right onto Queen Street. Continue onto Fitzalan Place. The tribunal is on the third floor of Cardiff and the Vale Magistrates Court.
By train: Cardiff Central Station is served by Transport for Wales, Great Western Railway, and CrossCountry services. The station has step-free access via lifts to all platforms. From Cardiff Central, the tribunal is 0.5 miles.
By bus: Multiple Cardiff Bus routes serve Fitzalan Place, including routes 11, 17, 26, 28, 29, 44, 49, 50, 52, 57, and 58. The nearest stops are on Queen Street and Churchill Way.
By car: Parking in Cardiff city centre is limited. The nearest car park is NCP Dumfries Place, which offers discounted rates (£11 per 24 hours instead of the usual £24). Book parking in advance where possible. The tribunal building does not have dedicated parking.
By taxi: Taxi ranks are located outside Cardiff Central Station on Saunders Road. The journey to Fitzalan Place takes approximately 5 minutes depending on traffic.
What to Expect Inside
The tribunal is located on the third floor of the magistrates court building. When you arrive, you’ll pass through security screening similar to an airport. Bags will be x-rayed and you’ll walk through a metal detector. This is standard procedure for all courts and tribunals.
Lifts provide access to the third floor (stairs are also available). The tribunal has a waiting area with seating where claimants, respondents, and witnesses wait before hearings. Four interview rooms on the first floor are available for confidential discussions with your solicitor.
The tribunal has three hearing rooms on the top floor reserved for employment cases. Hearing rooms are less formal than traditional courtrooms. The Employment Judge sits at a table (not an elevated bench), usually with two lay members (one with employer experience, one with employee/trade union experience). You’ll sit at a table facing the panel, with your solicitor beside you.
Accessibility: The building has disabled access, accessible toilets, and hearing enhancement facilities. Assistance dogs are welcome. If you need hearing loops, wheelchair access, or other adjustments, contact the tribunal on 02920 678 100 at least two weeks before your hearing to arrange this.
Video and Telephone Hearings
Preliminary hearings (case management discussions, strike-out applications) often take place by video or telephone. Full hearings where witnesses give evidence typically happen in person, though the tribunal can arrange video hearings in exceptional circumstances. Your solicitor will advise which format applies to your case.
Cardiff is home to 194,000 employees across financial services, healthcare, education, media, and public administration. When Admiral Insurance, Cardiff University, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, or Welsh Government implement restructuring, discrimination surfaces, or dismissals occur without proper process, patterns emerge that we see repeatedly in tribunal claims.
Common Employment Disputes in Cardiff
Cardiff’s diverse economy creates predictable patterns of employment disputes. Understanding common issues helps evaluate whether your situation justifies legal action.
Cardiff University Redundancy and Restructuring
Cardiff University employs approximately 7,000 academic and professional services staff across Cathays Park and Heath campuses. In January 2025, the university announced plans to delete 400 full-time equivalent positions under its “Academic Futures” programme, placing 1,807 academics at risk of redundancy. This represented one of the starkest cuts programmes in UK higher education. In November 2025, a further 1,100 professional services staff were told their roles were at risk, bringing the total to 41% of the workforce facing potential job losses within a single year.
The University and College Union secured strike mandates with 83% support for industrial action. Following ACAS-mediated negotiations, the university committed to no compulsory redundancies in 2026 and removed 187 academics from the redundancy pool. Schools of Music, Modern Languages, History, Archaeology and Religion were particularly affected. Professional services staff faced concerns about role downgrades, increased workloads to cover 200 unfilled positions, and pressure to accept voluntary redundancy rather than potentially unsuitable redeployed roles.
Typical legal issues in university restructuring include unfair selection for redundancy (where selection criteria lack objectivity or are applied inconsistently), inadequate consultation (particularly where Section 188 collective consultation obligations aren’t met properly), failure to consider suitable alternative employment, discrimination (union analysis suggested ethnic minority staff were disproportionately at risk), and constructive dismissal where working conditions deteriorate significantly during restructuring.
⚠️ Warning for Cardiff University staff:
If you’re “at risk” of redundancy, seek legal advice before accepting voluntary redundancy or alternative roles. Selection criteria must be objective and fairly applied. You may have claims for unfair dismissal, discrimination, or breach of contract even if no compulsory redundancies occur. Time limits apply from your last day of employment, so don’t delay.
Admiral Insurance and Financial Services
Admiral Insurance, headquartered at Ty Admiral on David Street in Cardiff city centre, employs over 10,000 staff across its group companies including Admiral, Diamond, Bell, Elephant, and confused.com (sold in 2021). As a FTSE 100 financial services company, Admiral has generally maintained workforce stability compared to many other Cardiff employers. However, the financial services sector creates specific employment law risks even at well-managed companies.
Typical disputes in financial services include discretionary bonus withholding, where employees believe performance criteria were met but bonuses are reduced or withheld. Employers have wide discretion over bonuses, but this discretion isn’t absolute. If bonus schemes have clear criteria, failure to pay when criteria are met can constitute breach of contract. Commission disputes follow similar patterns. Performance management in call centre environments raises concerns about whether targets are genuinely achievable and whether capability procedures follow fair process. Reasonable adjustments for disabled employees sometimes fail in high-pressure call centre roles where rigid productivity metrics don’t accommodate disability-related limitations.
Financial services employers must comply with Financial Conduct Authority requirements on whistleblowing protections. Employees who report suspected regulatory breaches, mis-selling, or financial crime have statutory protection against detriment and dismissal. Whistleblowing claims don’t require two years’ service and have no compensation cap. Gender pay gap issues occasionally surface in financial services where male-dominated senior roles skew bonus distributions. Age discrimination can occur during restructuring or when introducing new technology platforms that older workers allegedly struggle to adapt to.
💡 Tip for financial services employees:
Keep detailed records of bonus calculations, performance reviews, and any discussions about discretionary payments. Document FCA regulatory concerns immediately if you’re considering whistleblowing. Financial services employers typically have strong HR and legal teams, so early legal advice improves settlement prospects.
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (NHS)
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board employs approximately 14,000 staff across University Hospital of Wales (Heath), University Hospital Llandough, Cardiff Royal Infirmary, Barry Hospital, and other facilities. As the main provider of specialist services for South Wales, CAVUHB operates under constant resource pressure. NHS employment disputes follow predictable patterns across trusts, but Cardiff and Vale has specific issues including historical staffing level complaints (over 3,600 recorded complaints between 2012-2015) and recent tribunal losses.
In February 2025, the Employment Tribunal found Cardiff and Vale guilty of sex discrimination in Gibbins v Cardiff and Vale University Local Health Board. A healthcare support worker returning from maternity leave needed a lockable room to express breast milk. The trust failed to provide this, discriminating against her on grounds of sex. The tribunal noted that the cost of a lock was just £5.50, while the compensation awarded would be substantially disproportionate to this minimal expense. This case illustrates how NHS trusts sometimes fail on basic employment obligations despite having extensive HR infrastructure.
Common NHS employment issues include inadequate investigation in disciplinary matters (particularly where patient complaints are used to scapegoat staff), race discrimination in discipline (statistics often show disproportionate rates), failure to make reasonable adjustments for disabled healthcare workers, and retaliation against whistleblowers who raise patient safety concerns. Redeployment during service reorganisation sometimes fails to meet consultation obligations. NHS employers occasionally mishandle long-term sickness, dismissing employees without proper occupational health input or consideration of redeployment to less demanding roles.
📋 Note for NHS workers:
Document patient safety concerns in writing before raising them formally. NHS disciplinary processes must follow Maintaining High Professional Standards (MHPS) framework for doctors and AFC policies for other staff. Pregnancy and maternity discrimination remains common. Contact your union representative early and seek legal advice if disciplinary action follows whistleblowing or maternity leave.
Areas Served Across Cardiff
We represent employees across Cardiff and the surrounding areas:
Getting Started with Your Cardiff Employment Claim
Taking legal action feels daunting, but the process is straightforward when you work with experienced employment solicitors.
What You Need to Get Started
- Basic details about your employment (dates, job title, employer name)
- Brief description of what happened
- Approximate timeline of events
- Key documents (contract, dismissal letter, emails) if you have them
You don’t need everything perfectly organised. We’ll guide you through gathering evidence and building your case during the free assessment.
Option 1: Online Form
Complete the LexConnectPro assessment form. Takes 5-10 minutes. We’ll review within 48 hours.
Start Online Assessment →Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Cardiff Employment Tribunal located?
Wales Employment Tribunal is located on the 3rd Floor of Cardiff and the Vale Magistrates Court at Fitzalan Place, Cardiff CF24 0RZ. The tribunal is a 10-minute walk from Cardiff Central Station.
Contact: 02920 678 100, [email protected]. Welsh language helpline: 03003035176. Open 9am-5pm Monday-Friday.
I work for Cardiff University. Can you help?
Yes. Cardiff University’s 2025 restructuring placed over 1,800 academics and 1,100 professional services staff at risk. We can advise on selection criteria, consultation processes, discrimination claims, and constructive dismissal where working conditions deteriorated.
Do I need to live in Cardiff to use your service?
No. We represent employees across Wales and England. What matters is where you work and which tribunal has jurisdiction. Wales Employment Tribunal handles claims where work was performed in Wales or where the employer’s principal place of business is in Wales.
What happens if I lose my case?
If you lose, you pay nothing. Our 35% success fee is inclusive of VAT as required by law under the Damages Based Agreement Regulations 2013. Employment tribunal claimants rarely pay the other side’s costs even if they lose. Cost awards require the tribunal to find you acted unreasonably or vexatiously.
Is 35% too much for a no win no fee solicitor?
Our 35% success fee (including VAT) is the legal maximum under the Damages-Based Agreements Regulations 2013. Compare to hourly solicitors charging £250-400/hour. A typical case costs £7,500-20,000 in fees. With no win no fee, if you win £20,000 you keep £13,000. If you lose, you pay nothing. With hourly billing, fees are payable whether you win or lose.
I’m facing redundancy at a Cardiff employer. Can you help?
Yes. Whether you work for Cardiff University, Admiral Insurance, Cardiff and Vale UHB, Welsh Government, or any Cardiff employer, we can review redundancy processes. Key issues include unfair selection criteria, inadequate consultation, failure to consider suitable alternative employment, and discrimination in selection.
How long does a tribunal case take in Cardiff?
Most cases settle within 6-12 months of submission. Cases proceeding to full hearing typically take 12-18 months from claim submission to final hearing. However, 93% of employment tribunal claims settle before final hearing through negotiation or ACAS conciliation.
Do I have to attend Cardiff tribunal in person?
Preliminary hearings often take place by video or telephone. Full hearings where witnesses give evidence typically happen in person at the tribunal on Fitzalan Place. The tribunal can arrange video hearings in exceptional circumstances or where all parties agree.
I’m still employed. Can I bring a claim?
Yes. You can bring discrimination claims, whistleblowing claims, and some other claims while still employed. However, this risks victimisation. Most employees wait until after dismissal to bring claims, or resign and claim constructive dismissal. Discuss timing strategy during your free assessment.
What’s the maximum compensation for unfair dismissal?
The compensatory award cap for unfair dismissal is £118,223 or 52 weeks’ gross pay (whichever is lower) for dismissals in the 2025/26 tax year. The basic award maximum is £21,570. Note that the Employment Rights Act 2025 will abolish the cap from 1 January 2027, making compensation unlimited for unfair dismissals after that date.
Related Guides
Unfair Dismissal Guide
Understand your rights, time limits, and compensation for unfair dismissal claims.
Read Guide →Discrimination Claims
Protected characteristics, evidence requirements, and the Equality Act 2010.
Read Guide →Redundancy Rights
Selection criteria, consultation requirements, and unfair redundancy.
Read Guide →Ready to Discuss Your Cardiff Employment Case?
Get a free case assessment within 48 hours. No obligation, no upfront cost.
Legal Disclaimer: This page provides general information about employment law and no win no fee agreements. It does not constitute legal advice for your specific situation. Employment law is complex and individual circumstances vary. Time limits apply to employment tribunal claims (usually 3 months minus 1 day). Always seek professional legal advice about your particular case. TribunalClaimSolicitors.co.uk is the trading name of Tom Street & Co. Solicitors, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA number 566718).
Sources
Tom Street
Solicitor | SRA 566718
Tom Street represents employees in unfair dismissal, discrimination, and whistleblowing claims at employment tribunals across England and Wales, including Wales Employment Tribunal in Cardiff. Tom founded TribunalClaimSolicitors.co.uk in 2010 to provide no win no fee representation to employees who couldn’t otherwise afford legal advice.
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