1) Gather your evidence
a) Keeping a diary is a very good, possibly an essential way of doing this (date,time of event, what happened, who was involved, who said or did what etc).
b) Keep any evidence safe. Don't throw letters from your employer away. If there is something on the noticeboard or elsewhere referring to you, get a copy or picture of it. If you send any letters - keep copies. Get a certificate of posting, or even better, send it recorded delivery. If you hand any grievance or other letters in to your employer, get the person accepting it to sign and date your copy or give you a receipt (printing their name below their signature).
2) Try not to say or do anything in anger or on the spur of the moment
Before taking advice: Don't walk off the job! Don't resign your job! Don't swear at the foreman (Before or after taking advice)! Don't be abusive! Don't be uncooperative (without a very good reason).
If despite all this you are put on the spot and your employer insists on an answer there and then, say that you are answering under duress, that you protest at having been put in this position. If you sign anything under such circumstances, write that you are signing under duress immediately above your signature.
3) Get in touch now!
If you let time slip away you might ruin your chances of getting justice for yourself.
4) Give us the facts (all of 'em)
When contacting WorkRep regarding your case include all the facts:- those supporting your case as well as those that could potentially undermine it. It can happen that an unpleasant fact if told to WorkRep early on could allow for a not very damaging interpretation to be placed on it, yet if it slips out during the tribunal hearing could be fatal to your case.
When you first contact WorkRep please include a word processed summary of what the problem is (a minimum of 1 or 2 pages)or your ET1 and the employer's response and send any documents you have as well. Your summary should be in chronological (date) order of events.
It is better to send as many relevant documents as possible with your first email, rather than to slowly feed them to your adviser in a drip by drip fashion. That way it will take a while to come to grips with your case.
If you have a disability that makes it difficult to send us a word processed explanation of the problem please inform us. We shall contact you to take your statement by phone/skype.
5) No Porkies
If your case is not settled earlier, you will be cross examined on your evidence at tribunal. It is likely that you will sometimes not know the answer to a question put to you by the employer's representative. Don't be tempted to try and think up on the spot a clever but untrue answer. Be totally frank and admit to not knowing the answer. In so doing, you might have just avoided stepping into a carefully laid trap. Your best defence against the opposition's cross examination is in following the golden rule of not being tempted to make anything up.