Employment tribunal deadlines can expire while you are negotiating with your employer. If you may bring a claim, check the deadline and notify Acas within the applicable time limit. Some claims have special or much shorter deadlines.
Employment tribunal claims have strict time limits. From 1 October 2026, the general limit increased to six months minus one day for most claims where the relevant event falls on or after that date. Most claims relating to earlier events remain subject to the previous three-month-minus-one-day limit. Notifying Acas within time can pause the clock during early conciliation, but you must calculate the deadline that applies to your particular claim.
If you are considering an employment tribunal claim, two dates matter immediately: the deadline for your claim and the date you notify Acas. Acas early conciliation is a process intended to help you and your employer resolve a dispute without a tribunal hearing. It also affects how the tribunal time limit is calculated.
The rules changed on 1 October 2026, so older online guidance may give the wrong general deadline for a recent workplace dispute. The date of the relevant event, the type of claim and, in some cases, where in Great Britain you work can all affect the calculation.
This guide covers the main rules for England, Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland has a separate employment tribunal system, and its time limits and procedures are not generally the same.
1. What is the employment tribunal time limit?
An employment tribunal time limit is the legal period within which you must start a claim. For many claims, you must first notify Acas that you are considering a tribunal claim. You should do this before the applicable deadline expires.
For most claims, the usual deadline is calculated as a period of calendar months minus one day. However, the length of that period now depends on when the relevant event occurred and what kind of claim you intend to bring.
| Relevant event | General time limit |
|---|---|
| Before 1 October 2026 | Usually three months minus one day for most claims, although some claim types already have a six-month limit or another special rule. |
| On or after 1 October 2026 | Six months minus one day for most claims, subject to exceptions and special rules. |
| Breach of contract claims in Scotland | The change to six months takes effect on 9 November 2026, so the relevant date must be checked carefully. |
These are general rules, not a substitute for calculating the deadline for your claim. The Employment Rights Act 2025 and associated commencement and transitional provisions introduced the changes. The new limit does not automatically apply to every older dispute.
Read the current Acas employment tribunal time limits guidance and the government’s summary of the October 2026 changes.
2. When does the tribunal clock start?
The start date depends on the type of claim. It is not always the date you decided to complain, the date you received legal advice or the date your employer completed an internal investigation.
- Unfair dismissal: the relevant date is usually linked to the effective date of termination, which may depend on notice arrangements and the circumstances of dismissal.
- Unpaid wages: the date of the alleged failure to pay correctly may be important. Repeated deductions can raise additional calculation issues.
- Discrimination: the time limit generally runs from the most recent act of discrimination included in the claim. Whether several events form a continuing act is a legal question, not something to assume.
- Redundancy-related claims: the relevant date depends on the specific right being claimed, such as statutory redundancy pay or a challenge to the dismissal.
- Breach of contract: the applicable tribunal time limit and the relevant date depend on the claim and the jurisdiction. Scotland has a separate commencement date for the 2026 change.
One workplace dispute can involve more than one legal claim. For example, a dismissal might raise unfair dismissal, discrimination and unpaid wages issues, each of which may need a separate deadline calculation.
Keep a written chronology of the relevant events, including the dismissal date, notice period, pay dates, grievance dates and any alleged discriminatory acts. These details can help identify which time limits need to be checked.
3. What is Acas early conciliation?
Acas early conciliation is a legal process in which an impartial Acas conciliator contacts the parties to explore whether they can resolve an employment dispute by agreement rather than proceeding to a tribunal hearing.
If you are considering an employment tribunal claim, you generally need to notify Acas before submitting the claim, unless a specific exemption applies. Acas will explain the conciliation process and ask whether you want to take part. Participation in early conciliation is voluntary.
The conciliator may speak to you and your employer separately, explain the process and explore possible terms for settlement. The conciliator does not act as your legal representative, decide whether your claim is strong or weak, or tell you what settlement to accept.
How the process usually works
- Notify Acas. Give the required information about you, your employer and the dispute. Make sure you do this within the applicable tribunal time limit.
- Consider conciliation. Acas offers the opportunity to try to resolve the dispute. You and the employer can choose whether to take part.
- Discuss possible settlement. If both sides take part, the conciliator may communicate with each side to explore whether an agreement is possible.
- Receive a certificate if the process ends without settlement. The certificate contains a reference number needed for the tribunal claim form, ET1.
- Calculate the remaining time. Work out the deadline for presenting the ET1 using the applicable early conciliation rules. Do not rely on an estimate or assume you have unlimited time after the certificate arrives.
Acas early conciliation can last up to 12 weeks. It may end sooner, including where a party declines to participate or the process cannot continue.
Read the official Acas guide to early conciliation and how the process works.
4. How does early conciliation pause the time limit?
When you notify Acas within the applicable tribunal time limit, the clock is paused in accordance with the early conciliation rules. The calculation is then adjusted to account for the conciliation period. If the process ends without settlement, the rules generally provide at least one month from the date you receive the certificate to present the tribunal claim, provided Acas was notified in time.
This is a legal calculation, not simply a rule that adds a fixed number of days to every deadline. The exact result depends on the dates and the statutory rules that apply to the claim.
Illustrative example
Suppose a worker has a potential claim and calculates that the deadline to notify Acas is approaching. The worker notifies Acas within that deadline. Early conciliation then takes place and ends with a certificate. The worker must use the applicable statutory calculation to determine the final ET1 deadline; the conciliation period affects the calculation, and the rules generally ensure at least one month after receipt of the certificate when notification was in time.
This example illustrates the process only. It is not a deadline calculation for an actual claim. Do not use a generic example to calculate your own final date.
5. Does raising a grievance or appeal stop the clock?
No. Raising an internal grievance, appealing a disciplinary decision, taking part in an investigation or negotiating directly with your employer does not, by itself, pause or extend the employment tribunal time limit.
You may still want to use your employer’s internal procedures. A grievance or appeal can help clarify the issues and may resolve the dispute. But you should manage the tribunal deadline separately rather than waiting for an internal decision before contacting Acas.
For example, if your employer says it will respond to your grievance next month, that promise does not automatically give you another month to bring a claim. If the time limit expires while you are waiting, you may face a serious obstacle to bringing the claim.
Acas explains this directly in its official time limits guidance.
6. What if your deadline has already passed?
If you think the deadline has passed, do not assume that every option is closed. Some tribunal claims have limited provisions allowing a late claim, but the legal test depends on the type of claim. A tribunal may reject a claim that is out of time.
For some claims, the tribunal may consider whether it was reasonably practicable to present the claim within time. For discrimination claims, different rules can apply to extending time where the tribunal considers it just and equitable. These are not general extensions that can be relied on automatically.
Act promptly. Gather the key dates and documents, check the relevant claim type and seek advice about whether a late claim may be possible. Do not delay further because you are unsure how to calculate the deadline.
7. Common mistakes that can put a claim at risk
- Using an outdated deadline. The general rules changed on 1 October 2026, and the transitional provisions mean the date of the relevant event matters.
- Assuming the new six-month period applies to every dispute. Some claims have exceptions, special time limits or different relevant dates.
- Waiting for a grievance or appeal outcome. Internal procedures do not automatically stop the clock.
- Notifying Acas too late. Early conciliation affects the deadline only under the applicable rules; do not rely on it to rescue a missed time limit.
- Confusing the Acas certificate with the tribunal claim. The certificate is not the ET1 claim form. You must still present the claim to the tribunal in time.
- Assuming the conciliator will calculate your deadline. Acas conciliators cannot decide whether a claim is in time or give personalised legal advice on that question.
- Ignoring multiple claims. Different claims arising from the same events may have different limitation rules.
8. What to do now if you may have a tribunal claim
- Write down the key dates. Include the event you are complaining about, any dismissal or notice dates, pay dates, and the most recent event if the issue involves a series of incidents.
- Identify the possible claim types. For example, unfair dismissal, discrimination, unpaid wages, redundancy pay or breach of contract. Do not assume that one deadline covers all of them.
- Check the current official guidance. Start with the Acas time limits page and confirm the rules that apply to the relevant date and claim type.
- Notify Acas in time if you are considering a claim. Do not wait for every document to be collected or for your employer’s internal process to conclude.
- Keep the certificate and correspondence. Save the Acas reference, the certificate date and all relevant communications.
- Calculate the ET1 deadline separately. Use the early conciliation rules that apply to your case and allow enough time to complete and submit the claim correctly.
- Seek urgent advice if the date is close or uncertain. A small error in identifying the relevant date or claim type can make a material difference.
9. When a deadline and limitation review may help
General guidance explains the rules, but calculating a deadline for a particular dispute may require closer analysis. This is especially true where several events occurred, different legal claims may apply, early conciliation has already started or ended, or the dispute crosses the 1 October 2026 change.
A focused limitation review can help organise the chronology, identify potential claim types, check which rules may apply and work through the effect of Acas early conciliation. It can also identify urgent next steps and missing information. The outcome depends on the facts and the documents; no review can guarantee that a tribunal will accept a claim.
Unsure how much time you have left?
If you need help understanding the potential time limit for your employment dispute, the Legal Clarity Review route may help you assess the relevant dates, documents and next steps.
Prepare a short timeline, your dismissal or decision letter if relevant, any grievance or appeal correspondence, and your Acas certificate if you already have one.
Next step: Use the current approved WorkRights Legal Clarity Review route to request advice about your situation.
Frequently asked questions
1. What is the usual employment tribunal time limit in 2026?
For most claims relating to events before 1 October 2026, the general time limit remains three months minus one day, although some claims have a longer or different limit. For most claims relating to events on or after 1 October 2026, the general limit is six months minus one day. Special rules and exceptions apply.
2. Does the six-month limit apply to claims about events before 1 October 2026?
Not generally. The transitional rules mean the previous time limits usually apply where the relevant date falls before 1 October 2026. Some types of claim already had a six-month time limit or have their own rules, so the exact claim and relevant date must be checked.
3. Does Acas early conciliation stop the tribunal time limit?
Notifying Acas within the applicable time limit pauses the clock in accordance with the early conciliation rules. When conciliation ends, a statutory calculation determines the remaining time. The rules generally provide at least one month after receipt of the certificate if notification was made in time, but the exact deadline should be calculated for the individual claim.
4. How long can Acas early conciliation last?
Acas early conciliation can last up to 12 weeks, although it may end earlier. The effect on the tribunal deadline depends on the applicable statutory calculation and whether Acas was notified in time.
5. Do I have to finish my grievance before contacting Acas?
No. You may pursue an internal grievance or appeal, but those procedures do not automatically pause the tribunal time limit. If you are considering a claim, check the deadline and notify Acas in time rather than waiting for your employer’s final response.
6. What happens if I miss the tribunal deadline?
A tribunal may reject an out-of-time claim, although some claim types have limited rules allowing an extension. The legal test varies by claim. Seek advice promptly and do not assume that a late claim will be accepted.
7. Does receiving an Acas certificate mean I have submitted my tribunal claim?
No. The certificate contains a reference number needed for the ET1 claim form. You must still submit the claim to the employment tribunal within the applicable deadline.
8. Are employment tribunal time limits the same in Northern Ireland?
No. Northern Ireland has a separate employment tribunal system and its own rules. The 2026 changes discussed in this guide apply principally to Great Britain, with only limited changes for specified claims in Northern Ireland. Check the rules for the relevant jurisdiction.
9. Where can I check my employment tribunal deadline?
Start with Acas’s current employment tribunal time limits guidance. You may need legal advice to identify the correct claim type, relevant date and effect of early conciliation, especially if several claims or events are involved.
Official guidance and legislation
- Acas — employment tribunal time limits
- Acas — what early conciliation is
- Acas — how early conciliation works
- GOV.UK Business — employment tribunal time limit changes
- Employment Rights Act 2025
- GOV.UK — making an employment tribunal claim
For a broader overview of tribunal claims and the issues that may arise, see the WorkRights guide to employment tribunal claims and time limits.
This article provides general information about employment tribunal time limits and Acas early conciliation. It is not personalised legal advice and does not create a solicitor-client relationship. The applicable deadline depends on the type of claim, relevant dates, jurisdiction and statutory rules. Northern Ireland has a separate employment tribunal system. Check current official guidance and obtain advice promptly if a deadline may be approaching.