If someone has slandered you, the main remedy you can claim is damages. The damages are designed to compensate you for the harm which has been caused to your reputation by the slander. There are however other remedies that can also be sought from a defendant.
Rather your employer or the person who made the defamatory statement must prove that it is true. If your case is successful you may receive damages as decided by the High Court, dependent upon the seriousness and extent of the damage to your reputation.
Untrue statements are now only actionable if they have caused or are likely to cause serious harm to the claimant's reputation. Claimants must therefore demonstrate that the defamatory statement has had a tangible negative impact on their reputation, in real life.
The statement must be untrue and presented as a factual claim rather than an opinion to be defamation. Additionally, there must be evidence that the statement caused or has the potential to cause significant damage to the reputation of the individual or entity targeted.
Yes, UK defamation, libel and slander law states that for a company's defamation claim to be successful, they must prove that the defamatory words or material has caused or is likely to cause significant harm to their business. Significant harm tends to mean a serious financial loss.
Defamation that causes long-term damage, particularly if it affects your career, social standing, or personal life, will result in higher damages than something short-term that might be forgotten within a year. The more severe and lasting the harm, the greater the compensation.
English law allows actions for libel to be brought in the High Court for any published statements which are alleged to defame a named or identifiable individual in a manner which causes them loss in their trade or profession, or damages their reputation.
Not only are libel cases hard to bring, as others have said, they require substantial deposits but UK law in particular is notoriously stringent about them, to the point that very few people sue for libel in the UK and even fewer win.
There are also many instances in which defamation in the workplace could occur. For instance, a surprise meeting may prompt an employee to circulate emails which falsely claim this was held to discuss misconduct, defaming the individuals involved.
The law of slander says that in most cases, you have to prove that you have suffered actual financial loss as a result of the slander, as well as serious harm to your reputation. This is different from libel claims, where you are only required to prove that you have suffered serious harm to your reputation.