Vento Bands: Injury to Feelings Compensation

What are Vento bands?

Vento bands are the guidelines used by Employment Tribunals to determine how much compensation to award for "injury to feelings" in discrimination, harassment, victimisation, and whistleblowing cases.

They take their name from the case of Vento v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police [2002], in which the Court of Appeal established three bands of award depending on the seriousness of the discriminatory conduct.

The bands are updated annually based on the Retail Prices Index (RPI) and are published by the Presidents of the Employment Tribunals.

Current Vento Bands (2025/26, effective 6 April 2025)

• Lower Band: £1,200 – £12,100 — for less serious cases, such as isolated or one-off incidents of discrimination
• Middle Band: £12,100 – £36,400 — for serious cases involving repeated or sustained discriminatory behaviour
• Upper Band: £36,400 – £60,700 — for the most serious cases with severe, prolonged, and damaging discrimination
• Exceptional cases: Awards above £60,700 may be made in the most extreme circumstances

How the Tribunal decides which band applies

1. 01

   Severity of the conduct

   Was the discrimination a one-off remark, a pattern of behaviour, or a systemic failure? More severe and prolonged conduct pushes the award into higher bands.

2. 02

   Impact on the claimant

   The Tribunal considers the emotional, psychological, and physical impact. Medical evidence of anxiety, depression, or PTSD can support a higher award.

3. 03

   Duration of the behaviour

   Longer periods of discriminatory conduct generally attract higher awards. A campaign of harassment over months will be treated more seriously than an isolated incident.

4. 04

   The employer's response

   If the employer failed to investigate, dismissed complaints, or retaliated against the claimant, this can increase the award.

5. 05

   Vulnerability of the claimant

   Personal circumstances such as the claimant's age, health, or other protected characteristics may be considered when assessing the impact.

Key points to know

• Injury to feelings awards are separate from financial losses — they compensate for hurt, humiliation, and distress
• Discrimination awards are NOT subject to the compensatory cap that applies to unfair dismissal (52 weeks pay or £118,223)
• Multiple acts of discrimination can be considered together when deciding the appropriate band
• Interest is payable on injury to feelings awards from the date of the discriminatory act to the date of judgment
• ACAS uplift of up to 25% can be added if the employer failed to follow the ACAS Code of Practice
• Aggravated damages may also be awarded in addition to Vento band compensation in exceptional cases

Frequently asked questions