Ms A Telhai (also known as Hodo)(1) Mr A Hodo (2) v Mr G Singh Ghag — 2025

The tribunal heard two linked claims brought by Ms A Telhai and Mr A Hodo against Mr G Singh Ghag: unauthorised deduction of wages and breach of contract. The respondent disputed that either claimant had been employed, but the tribunal did not determine the underlying merits because it first had to decide whether the claims were in time.

For both claimants, the tribunal found that the claims were presented outside the primary three-month limitation periods. Ms Telhai said she last worked on 20 August 2023 and last received payment on 21 August 2023; Mr Hodo said he last worked on 26 August 2023 and expected payment by the end of that month. ACAS early conciliation did not begin until 23 December 2023, after the primary time limits had already expired, and the tribunal therefore considered whether it was not reasonably practicable to present the claims in time and whether any later presentation was within a reasonable further period.

Mr Hodo gave no reason beyond waiting for a response from the respondent and making no enquiries about how to bring a tribunal claim. The tribunal found that information about Employment Tribunal claims was readily available online and concluded that it would have been reasonably feasible for him to bring his claim within time. His claims were therefore dismissed for want of jurisdiction.

Ms Telhai was accepted to have been delayed initially by grief, childcare issues and accommodation problems, so the tribunal found it was not reasonably practicable for her to present her claim within the initial three months. However, by December 2023 she had contacted the Citizens Advice Bureau and then ACAS, and she was on notice that time limits applied. The tribunal found that her further delay after receiving the ACAS certificate on 8 January 2024, before presenting the claim on 3 February 2024, was not reasonable. Her claims were also dismissed for want of jurisdiction.