Unpaid Wages & Holiday Pay Solicitors
Your employer owes you money. The law gives you clear routes to recover it.
Unlawful wage deductions, unpaid holiday pay, minimum wage underpayments, notice pay not honoured — these are enforceable legal claims, not HR disputes. An employment tribunal can award up to 2 years of back pay for holiday pay and there are no fees to bring the claim. A solicitor will calculate exactly what you are owed.
What You Can Claim
Six types of pay dispute — each with its own legal basis.
Pay disputes are among the most straightforward employment claims to quantify — but the rules on time limits, which tribunal has jurisdiction, and how pay is calculated vary by claim type. A solicitor will ensure you pursue the right claim in the right forum.
Unlawful deduction from wages
Under the Employment Rights Act 1996, your employer cannot deduct money from your wages unless the deduction is authorised by statute (such as income tax), your contract, or your written consent. Unauthorised deductions — including claw-back of bonuses, overpayment recovery without agreement, or deductions for alleged losses — can be recovered at tribunal. The claim must be brought within 3 months of the last deduction in a series.
Holiday pay — up to 2 years back pay
Workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks' paid holiday per year. Holiday pay must reflect normal remuneration — including regular overtime, commission, and certain allowances — not just basic salary. If your employer has been calculating holiday pay on basic pay alone, you may be able to recover the shortfall for up to 2 years, provided the tribunal claim is made within 3 months of the last underpayment.
National Minimum Wage underpayment
Every worker is entitled to the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage regardless of employment status, contract type, or length of service. Underpayment — through unpaid training time, excessive uniform costs, or misclassification as self-employed — can be recovered at tribunal with additional penalties for the employer. HMRC also has enforcement powers that run separately.
Notice pay not honoured
You are entitled to your contractual notice period or the statutory minimum — whichever is longer. If your employer dismissed you without notice and without paying you in lieu, or calculated PILON incorrectly, the shortfall is recoverable as a breach of contract claim. This can be brought in the employment tribunal (up to £25,000) or the civil courts for larger amounts.
Unpaid bonuses and commission
If your contract entitles you to a bonus or commission payment, your employer cannot simply withhold it — even if performance targets were not formally met, if payment was discretionary in name only, or if you were dismissed before the payment date. Contractual entitlements can be enforced; non-contractual discretionary bonuses can still be challenged if the employer exercised discretion irrationally or in bad faith.
Accrued holiday not paid on termination
When employment ends, your employer must pay out all accrued but untaken statutory holiday. Withholding this on termination is an unlawful deduction from wages regardless of the reason for leaving — including if you resigned or were dismissed for misconduct. The calculation must correctly account for any holiday taken and any outstanding entitlement at the date of termination.