Estimated Wrongful Dismissal Claim Value
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Wrongful Dismissal Calculator
Work out the value of your wrongful dismissal claim. Enter your notice entitlement, weekly pay, and any contractual benefits you lost — we calculate what your notice period was worth and flag whether it makes more sense to claim in tribunal or court.
Estimate only. Wrongful dismissal is a contractual claim — the exact value depends on your specific contract terms and losses. This tool gives you a clear structured figure to work from. If your claim exceeds £25,000 or involves complex contractual benefits, speak to an employment solicitor.
📅 Current rates
Tribunal cap: £25,000
Court: No cap
Tribunal time limit: 3 months − 1 day
See all statutory rates →
Part A — Your Notice Entitlement
Your claim is based on what you should have received during your notice period. Enter your service dates so we can calculate your statutory minimum, then tell us what your contract actually says.
The date you started with this employer
The date your employment actually ended
Use whichever is higher — statutory notice is the legal floor
Weeks already received as PILON or worked — deducted from the claim
Part B — Pay & Benefits Lost
Wrongful dismissal damages cover everything you would have received during the notice period — not just basic salary.
£
Basic salary before tax — your full gross weekly rate
£
E.g. car allowance, health insurance, pension contributions — weekly equivalent
£
Only if contractually guaranteed — discretionary bonuses are rarely awarded
Days accrued but not paid — calculated at your daily rate
Part C — Mitigation
You must take reasonable steps to reduce your losses. Earnings from new work during the notice period are deducted from your damages.
£
Earnings already received in new work during the notice weeks
How many notice weeks did you earn the new income across?
PAIRED GUIDE
Wrongful Dismissal Explained
What wrongful dismissal is, how it differs from unfair dismissal, when gross misconduct defeats a claim, and how to decide between tribunal and court.
Read the Guide →How Wrongful Dismissal Damages Are Calculated
Wrongful dismissal damages are designed to put you in the position you would have been in had your employer given you your proper notice. The starting point is always the gross value of your notice period — then mitigation (earnings elsewhere) is deducted.
| Years of continuous service | Statutory minimum notice |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 month | No statutory right |
| 1 month to under 2 years | 1 week |
| 2 years | 2 weeks |
| 3 years | 3 weeks |
| 4–11 years | 1 week per complete year |
| 12 years or more | 12 weeks (maximum) |
If your contract gives a longer notice period than the statutory minimum, your contractual notice is what applies. Always use the higher of the two.
Tribunal vs Court — Which Route?
| Factor | Employment Tribunal | County / High Court |
|---|---|---|
| Award cap | £25,000 | No cap |
| Time limit | 3 months minus 1 day | 6 years |
| Court fees | None | Yes — scales with claim value |
| Acas early conciliation | Mandatory first step | Not required |
| Costs risk if you lose | Low (each side usually pays own costs) | Higher (loser may pay winner's costs) |
| Best for claims… | Under £25,000; combined with unfair dismissal | Over £25,000; high earners; long notice periods |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between wrongful and unfair dismissal?
Wrongful dismissal is a contractual claim — it asks whether your employer broke the terms of your contract by dismissing you without proper notice. Unfair dismissal is a statutory claim — it asks whether your employer had a fair reason to dismiss you and handled it reasonably. You can bring both claims together if both apply to your situation, but a tribunal will not award double compensation for the same loss.
Does it matter that I have less than 2 years' service?
Not for wrongful dismissal. This is a contractual claim with no qualifying period. If your employer dismissed you without giving the statutory or contractual notice you were entitled to, and it was not a justified summary dismissal for genuine gross misconduct, you have a potential claim regardless of how long you worked there.
My employer paid me PILON — do I still have a claim?
Probably not for the basic notice pay. If your employer paid you the full gross value of your notice period including benefits, that payment extinguishes the wrongful dismissal claim even if there was no PILON clause in your contract. However, if the PILON payment was less than the full value of your notice period entitlement — for example it excluded a bonus, pension contributions, or other benefits — you may still have a claim for the shortfall.
Can I claim for a bonus I didn't receive during my notice period?
Only if the bonus was contractually guaranteed. Discretionary bonuses — where the employer had the right to decide not to pay — are generally not recoverable in a wrongful dismissal claim. If the bonus was guaranteed under your contract and would have been paid during the notice period, you may be able to include it.
What if my employer claims I was dismissed for gross misconduct?
If the gross misconduct allegation was genuine and justified, your employer was entitled to dismiss without notice and a wrongful dismissal claim will fail. But if the allegation was unfounded, was not properly investigated, or the conduct alleged did not actually amount to gross misconduct, you may still have a valid claim. The burden is on your employer to show the summary dismissal was justified.
Do I have to pay tax on wrongful dismissal damages?
Wrongful dismissal damages are treated as post-employment notice pay (PENP) for tax purposes — which means they are fully subject to Income Tax and employee National Insurance. This is different from the unfair dismissal compensatory award, which benefits from the £30,000 tax-free threshold. Since April 2018 there is no tax-free amount for notice pay damages regardless of how the payment is structured or labelled.