Employment tribunal time limits: how the clock works it out

From 1 October 2026 most employment tribunal claims must be made within 6 months less a day. If what happened was before 1 October 2026, the old limit of 3 months less a day still applies. Notifying Acas pauses the clock.

Which limit: the date it happened decides

The 6-month limit came into force on 1 October 2026. It does not apply where the relevant date is before 1 October 2026 (SI 2026/954, regulations 3 and 4). The relevant date is set per claim: for unfair dismissal, the effective date of termination; for unpaid wages, the payday (or the last in a series); for discrimination, the act, or the end of conduct that went on over time.

Counting: add the months, take off 1 day

Acas's own examples: paid the wrong amount on 30 September 2026, the limit ends on 29 December 2026; paid the wrong amount on 1 October 2026, it ends on 31 March 2027. Where the month has no matching day (31 August plus 6 months), the clock ends the period on the last day of that month and says so; filing a day earlier removes any doubt.

The Acas pause

The day Acas gets your notification is Day A. Day B is the day you receive the certificate; an emailed certificate counts as received the day it is sent. The days from the day after Day A to Day B do not count. Then, if the limit would end between Day A and one month after Day B, it ends one month after Day B instead (Employment Rights Act 1996, section 207B; Equality Act 2010, section 140B). The conciliation itself lasts up to 12 weeks where Acas was notified on or after 1 December 2025 (it was 6 weeks before).

Breach of contract

England and Wales: 6 months less a day where the employment ended on or after 1 October 2026 (SI 2026/759). Scotland, breach of contract: Acas says the limit stays at 3 months less a day until 9 November 2026. We could not find the Scottish amending order on legislation.gov.uk on 2 October 2026, so where the breach is on or after 9 November the clock shows both dates.

Not covered by this clock

Statutory redundancy pay and equal pay have had their own 6-month rules all along, and interim relief has 7 days with no Acas step (GOV.UK). We do not work those out here.

Late claims

A tribunal can accept a claim after the date: for unfair dismissal and pay claims where it was not reasonably practicable to claim in time, for discrimination where it is just and equitable. That is the tribunal's decision; Acas says that in most cases time limits are strictly enforced.

Sources, each opened on 2 October 2026