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📋 Toolbox Talk · Employment Rights

Tribunal Time Limits
and Early Conciliation

The deadlines that decide whether a claim can be heard, and the first step before most claims.

📅 Last reviewed: October 2026📚 GOV.UK · Acas · LRA · OITFET🇬🇧 England, Wales & Scotland, with a Northern Ireland slideukworkrights.co.uk

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Tribunal claims

The basics

There is no fee to make an employment tribunal claim.
You can represent yourself. Losing a claim does not usually mean you pay your employer's legal costs.
Before most claims you must notify Acas for early conciliation. It is free and confidential.

The time limits

3 months or 6 months?

Most claims: 3 months less 1 day from the act you are complaining about.
It is 6 months less 1 day only where that act (or the last act in a series) happened on or after 1 October 2026.
If it happened before 1 October 2026, you still have 3 months less 1 day, even if you claim after that date.
Statutory redundancy pay and equal pay have 6 months less 1 day.

⚠ Watch out

Your employer's grievance, disciplinary or appeal process does not change your time limit.

Tribunal claims

Dismissal and pay

Dismissal: the time limit runs from the effective date of termination — in almost all cases the last day of your notice, or the day you were dismissed if no notice was given.
Unpaid wages or holiday pay: counted from when the pay was due. For a series, from the last one.
Unlawful deductions cannot go back more than 2 years before the claim is made — so claiming sooner protects more.
Notice pay (breach of contract) in Scotland stays at 3 months less 1 day for now.

Early conciliation

Acas first

Notify Acas online at acas.org.uk or call 0300 123 1100. Your time limit is paused while conciliation runs — but only if you notify Acas within your time limit.
If you contacted Acas on or after 1 December 2025, conciliation can last up to 12 weeks.
Put your employer's correct legal name on the form. Check Companies House if it is a limited company.
After conciliation you get a certificate. You then have at least 1 month from receiving it to make your claim.

Unfair dismissal

How long you need to have worked

Now: at least 2 years of continuous employment for ordinary unfair dismissal.
Where the employment ends on or after 1 January 2027: at least 6 months.
No minimum service for automatically unfair reasons, such as whistleblowing, pregnancy or raising a health and safety concern. Discrimination claims need no minimum service.

Tribunal claims

Missed it? Making a claim

A late claim is up to the tribunal judge. In most cases time limits are strictly enforced.
The tribunal can extend the time only on narrow grounds: "not reasonably practicable" for most claims, "just and equitable" for discrimination.
The claim form is the ET1, online from GOV.UK. Your employer usually has 28 days to reply on an ET3.

Northern Ireland is different

Tribunal claims in Northern Ireland

Claims go to an industrial tribunal (or the Fair Employment Tribunal for religious belief or political opinion discrimination), through OITFET, not GOV.UK.
Tell the Labour Relations Agency (LRA) before most claims. There is no Acas early conciliation in Northern Ireland.
Most claims, including unfair dismissal and discrimination: 3 months less 1 day. The October 2026 6-month change reaches only a few claims in Northern Ireland.
Telling the LRA within the time limit stops the clock for up to 1 calendar month, plus up to 14 more days if both sides agree.
Unfair dismissal needs at least 1 year of continuous employment.

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

I'm appealing my dismissal internally. Does that give me more time?

No. Notify Acas (or the LRA) before your time limit runs out, even while the appeal is going on.

Will it cost me anything to claim?

There is no fee. Costs orders against you are rare.

I was dismissed on 15 October 2026. Is it 3 or 6 months?

In England, Wales and Scotland, an act on or after 1 October 2026 has 6 months less 1 day for most claims. In Northern Ireland, most claims stay at 3 months less 1 day.

Free rights guidance

Check your
tribunal deadline

Get plain-English guidance on your rights and your employer's legal duties.

Acas

0300 123 1100

Mon–Fri 8am–6pm · acas.org.uk

LRA (Northern Ireland)

03300 555 300

Labour Relations Agency

OITFET

Forms, no advice

employmenttribunalsni.co.uk

Equality Commission NI

028 9050 0600

Northern Ireland

Citizens Advice / Advice NI

Free advice

Advice NI 0800 915 4604

UK Work Rights — Free guide

Employment Tribunal Claims (England, Wales and Scotland)

ukworkrights.co.uk/guide-employment-tribunal-gb.html

General rights guidance only — not legal advice · © UK Work Rights Ltd · Company No. 17228507 · ICO Registration No. ZC239465 · Registered office: 71–75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ · hello@ukworkrights.co.uk
Published by UK Work Rights Ltd
Drafted with AI assistance, using official sources.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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