Employment Tribunal Time Limit Checker
Check your ET deadline instantly. Missing the time limit means the tribunal will almost certainly reject your claim.
Most Employment Tribunal claims must be submitted within 3 months minus 1 day of the act you are complaining about — for example the date you were dismissed, the date of the last discriminatory act, or the date your employer made an unlawful deduction from your wages. For acts on or after 1 October 2026 that limit is 6 months minus 1 day. Which limit applies depends on the date of the act itself, not the date you claim, so this calculator applies whichever is correct for your date.
Before you can submit an ET1 claim form, you must first contact ACAS for Early Conciliation. This is mandatory and pauses your deadline clock for the duration of conciliation. The calculator accounts for any ACAS extension to your deadline.
A small number of claim types — including statutory redundancy pay and equal pay — have a 6-month limit. Tribunals have very limited discretion to extend time limits, so acting quickly is essential.
Your Claim
Early Conciliation is mandatory before filing most ET claims. Contacting ACAS pauses your deadline clock.
How employment tribunal time limits work
The time limit since 1st October 2026
Since 1st October 2026, most employment tribunal claims must be brought within 6 months less one day of the event the claim is about. Before then, the limit was 3 months less one day.
The new limit generally applies where the date that counts for the claim is on or after 1st October 2026. If it was before 1st October 2026, the old 3-month limit normally applies. It covers most common claims, including unfair dismissal, discrimination and unlawful deductions from wages.
The date that counts
- Unfair dismissal: the effective date of termination, which is usually the last day of the notice period, or the day of dismissal if no notice was given
- Discrimination and harassment: the date of the act, or the last act in a series of connected acts
- Unlawful deductions from wages: the date of the deduction, or the last one in a series
- Statutory redundancy pay and equal pay: these claims already had a 6-month limit and keep their own rules
- Breach of contract (wrongful dismissal) in Scotland: the 6-month limit only applies where the employment ended on or after 9th November 2026. Before then it is still 3 months less one day. In England and Wales the change started on 1st October 2026
Acas early conciliation
Before bringing most claims, the employee must notify Acas for early conciliation. If they do so within the time limit, the clock stops while conciliation takes place, and once Acas issues its certificate there is always at least one month left to bring the claim. Contacting Acas after the deadline has passed does not revive it. This means a simple 6-month count is not always the final date.
How to use the checker
- Choose the type of claim
- Enter the date that counts for that claim
- If Acas has been contacted, enter the date of notification and, if issued, the date of the certificate
The checker works out whether the 3-month or 6-month limit applies and gives the likely deadline, and warns where the Scottish rule for breach of contract claims gives an earlier date. Time limits can turn on the details, so check the specific circumstances before relying on a date.
Frequently asked questions
What is the employment tribunal time limit?
For events on or after 1st October 2026, most claims must be brought within 6 months less one day. For events before then, the limit is normally 3 months less one day. For example, for a dismissal taking effect on 15th October 2026, the deadline would normally be 14th April 2027, before any extension for Acas early conciliation.
Does contacting Acas extend the deadline?
Yes, if Acas is notified before the deadline. The clock stops while conciliation takes place, and when Acas issues its certificate there is always at least one month left to bring the claim. Contacting Acas after the deadline has passed does not extend it.
Does an internal appeal or grievance pause the time limit?
No. The time limit keeps running during an internal appeal or grievance, so a claim may need to be started before the internal process has finished.
Can a tribunal accept a late claim?
Sometimes, but it should not be relied on. For unfair dismissal and most pay claims, the claim must show it was not reasonably practicable to bring it in time, and it must then be brought within a reasonable further period. For discrimination claims, the tribunal can allow a late claim if it is just and equitable to do so.
Which claims have a different time limit?
Statutory redundancy pay and equal pay claims already had a 6-month limit and keep their own rules. In Scotland, breach of contract (wrongful dismissal) claims only move to 6 months where the employment ended on or after 9th November 2026; until then they have 3 months less one day. Some other claims have their own time limits too, so check the specific claim.
Is there a fee to bring an employment tribunal claim?
No. Employment tribunal fees were abolished in 2017, and there is currently no charge to bring a claim.
Does someone need a solicitor to bring a claim?
No. People can represent themselves at an employment tribunal. For complex claims, or where a lot of money is at stake, specialist advice can help.
What should employers do about the longer time limit?
Keep records of dismissals, disciplinaries, grievances and pay decisions for long enough to deal with a claim brought up to 6 months later, plus the time early conciliation can add. Do not assume a dispute is over after 3 months.
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