This ‘How to’ guide sets out how to enforce an award of compensation or Costs made by an employment tribunal, or an Acas-conciliated Settlement agreement (COT3).

Further, more detailed, guidance on Enforcement generally is available in Practice Note: Enforcement of employment tribunal awards and Acas COT3 settlements.

The main ways in which an individual can pursue and seek enforcement of an unpaid tribunal award or sum agreed to be paid as part of an Acas conciliated (COT3) settlement are to:

1. •

   put pressure on the employer to pay by registering the unpaid amount with the government’s penalty scheme

2. •

   file a copy of the judgment with the County Court and use that court’s general enforcement processes

3. •

   use the Acas and employment tribunal fast track enforcement procedure

An employer who fails to pay an employment tribunal award which has been registered with the government’s penalty scheme, can also be ‘named and shamed’ if the worker agrees. The naming scheme does not currently apply to COT3 settlements.

The options available are summarised