Preparing & Agreeing the Bundle of Documents
- Duration
- 20 minutes
- Format
- Video
- Template
- Included
Written by Julia Gidney · former leading Employment lawyer.
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▸ Read the video transcript
Let me introduce you to your bundle of documents.
This collection of documents and how you use it, will become the very backbone of your Tribunal hearing. It will form the basis for your witness statement content and all of your hearing preparations.
Your cross examination of the other side's witnesses and your submissions to the Tribunal, will all heavily rely on the bundle and what's in it - as well as how it's been put together.
Leave a document out of the bundle and you may not be allowed to rely on it.
Turn up with two competing bundles and you'll have a very unhappy Judge, a delayed hearing and possibly a costs order against you.
In this Video Guidance, we'll look at what goes in to your bundle and what needs to stay out of it.
You'll be guided how to build both the physical and electronic bundles in the form the Tribunal requires for both the online and in-person hearings, so that they match perfectly, how to manage optical character recognition, which allows the Tribunal to annotate an online bundle, and how to get a large electronic file to the Tribunal in good time for the hearing, if that task falls to you.
We'll also look at the tricky issues that crop up along the way, such as what to do if the other side won't cooperate.
I have also included a template bundle index that you can download as well. Thanks for watching.
What This Video Guidance Covers
A step-by-step guide to assembling your Bundle of Documents the way a Tribunal expects to see it, indexed, ordered, and ready to use.
Guidance includes:
- 1 What a Tribunal bundle is
- 2 Where it fits in to the process
- 3 What goes into it
- 4 What must be left out of it
- 5 How to put together a physical bundle
- 6 How to put together an electronic bundle
- 7 Tribunal requirements for an e-bundle
- 8 How many copies you'll need
- 9 The documents that most often cause disputes
- 10 How to send a large document file to the Tribunal
- 11 Changing the bundle after its been sent to the Tribunal
- 12 The Index of Documents template
Good to Know
Who is this video for?
Anyone with an Employment Tribunal claim in England & Wales who has completed disclosure and needs to agree the bundle of documents for the hearing, whether you're preparing it yourself or checking what the other side has produced.
What's included?
A 20-minute video explaining what a Tribunal bundle is, where it fits in the process, what goes in it and what must be left out, and how to put it together in both physical and electronic form. It covers the Tribunal's requirements for e-bundles, how many copies you'll need, the documents that most often cause disputes between the parties, and what to do if the bundle needs changing once it's been sent to the Tribunal.
What templates come with it?
A downloadable part-worked template Index of Documents, so you can see the layout the Tribunal expects and use it as your starting point.
The employer usually prepares the bundle — do I still need this?
Yes. Even when the Respondent takes the lead, you're responsible for making sure everything you want to rely on is in it. If a document isn't in the agreed bundle, you may not be able to use it at the hearing.
What if the other side won't agree the bundle?
This comes up more often than you'd think. The video explains what to do, and what not to do, when the other side won't engage.
Do I need technical skills for the e-bundle?
Not really. The video explains the Tribunal's requirements in plain terms and reassures you about what happens if the technology defeats you.
Is it up to date?
Employment law, the Acas Code and Tribunal rules change regularly. We monitor these changes closely and update our videos when they happen. If we update this video, the new version appears in your personal video dashboard automatically, at no extra cost.
How long will I have access?
Employment Tribunal cases can take a long time to reach a hearing, so your video stays available to you for 24 months. If you need longer, just email us at info@wdidi.org and we'll extend it for you. We want you to have our guidance for as long as you need it.
Is this legal advice?
No. None of our guidance is legal advice. If you need advice on your own case, please contact a solicitor or other qualified representative. The Law Society's Find a Solicitor service is a good place to start — or your local Citizens Advice if cost is a concern.
Anything else?
More questions? Our full FAQ is here.
