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Employment tribunal deadline calculator
Most employment tribunal claims in England and Wales must be started within 6 months less 1 day of the event if it happened on or after 1 October 2026 (3 months less 1 day before that) - and the step that has to happen inside that window is notifying ACAS, not filing the claim form itself. Enter your dates below to see the deadline that applies to your situation.
Covers England and Wales. This tool gives legal information, not legal advice.
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For dismissal, this is usually your last day of employment (the effective date of termination). For discrimination, the date of the act you are complaining about - or the most recent act in a connected series. For unpaid wages, the date the wages were paid: the first short or missing payment is the safest date, and a series of deductions can count from the last one. For equal pay, usually your last day of employment, and for statutory redundancy pay, usually your leaving date. Each claim is counted from the date you enter, so if your claims started on different dates, check each one on its own.
How the time limit works
The clock starts on a trigger date that depends on the claim. For dismissal claims it is usually the effective date of termination - normally your last day of employment. For discrimination it is the act you are complaining about, or the last act in a connected series. For unpaid wages it is the date of the last deduction. Our tribunal deadlines guide walks through the trigger dates in detail.
Which limit applies depends on the date of the event, not the date you check. Section 152 of the Employment Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 October 2026 (SI 2026/954): an event on or after that date gets 6 months less 1 day, and an event before it keeps 3 months less 1 day. The 6-month time limit guide explains the change. Equal pay and statutory redundancy pay claims have their own 6-month limit, and what differs is when the clock starts: for equal pay it is usually 6 months beginning with the last day of the employment (Equality Act 2010 s.129(3)), so the clock does not start while you are still in the job; for statutory redundancy pay it is 6 months beginning with the relevant date, usually your leaving date (Employment Rights Act 1996 s.164(1)), and a written claim for the payment given to your employer within that time also meets it. These limits did not change on 1 October 2026.
Why ACAS is the date that matters
Before you can file an ET1 claim form, you must notify ACAS and go through Early Conciliation. The day you notify ACAS, the deadline clock pauses while conciliation runs. Once you receive your certificate you get the time you had left - or one month from the day you receive the certificate, whichever is longer - to file the ET1 form. That is why the practical deadline shown above is the date to start ACAS, not the date to finish your paperwork.
Common timing scenarios
- Dismissal / unfair dismissal - clock usually runs from the effective date of termination (often your last day of employment).
- Discrimination - clock usually runs from the act complained of, or the last act in a connected series of acts.
- Unpaid wages / deductions - often from the date of the deduction (or last in a series).
- Statutory redundancy pay - 6 months beginning with the relevant date, usually your leaving date, separate from the unfair dismissal clock.
- Equal pay - usually 6 months beginning with the last day of the employment, not the date of any one pay slip, so the date to enter is the day your employment ended.
If you have already missed a date, see the missed tribunal deadline guide. Extensions are narrow and not something to rely on.
Common questions
How long do I have to make an employment tribunal claim?
For most claims, including unfair dismissal and discrimination, the time limit is 6 months less 1 day from the event where the event happened on or after 1 October 2026, and 3 months less 1 day where it happened before then. The event is usually your dismissal date or the act you are complaining about. Equal pay and statutory redundancy pay claims have their own 6-month limit, and what differs is when the clock starts: for equal pay it is usually 6 months beginning with the last day of the employment (Equality Act 2010 s.129(3)), so the clock does not start while you are still in the job; for statutory redundancy pay it is 6 months beginning with the relevant date, usually your leaving date (Employment Rights Act 1996 s.164(1)), and a written claim for the payment given to your employer within that time also meets it. These limits did not change on 1 October 2026. You must start ACAS Early Conciliation within the window.
Does contacting ACAS stop the clock?
Yes. The day you notify ACAS, the deadline clock pauses for as long as Early Conciliation runs. Once you receive your certificate, you get the time you had left, or one month from the day you receive the certificate, whichever is longer, to file the ET1 claim form.
What happens if I miss the deadline?
In practice, missing the deadline almost always bars the claim. Tribunals can extend time only in narrow circumstances - where it was 'not reasonably practicable' to claim in time (unfair dismissal) or where it is 'just and equitable' (discrimination). Neither is something to rely on.
Is this calculator a substitute for checking my deadline officially?
No. It applies the standard statutory time limits to the dates you enter, but your exact deadline can depend on facts the tool cannot see - the precise trigger date, a connected series of acts, or ACAS conciliation dates. Verify your date independently and contact ACAS early.
What changed on 1 October 2026?
The Employment Rights Act 2025 doubled the standard time limit. Where the event happened on or after 1 October 2026, most claims must be started within 6 calendar months less 1 day: a dismissal taking effect on 15 October 2026 gives a window ending on 14 April 2027. Where the event happened before 1 October 2026, the old 3 months less 1 day still applies: a dismissal on 15 March gives a window ending on 14 June. Either way, ACAS Early Conciliation must usually be started within that window.
Does a grievance pause the tribunal deadline?
No. Raising a grievance does not stop the clock. Only starting ACAS Early Conciliation pauses the time limit while conciliation runs. That is why many people start ACAS even while a grievance is still open.
Legal basis & sources
This calculator applies published statutory rules in code - it is not AI generated. It is built on:
- Employment Rights Act 1996, s.111 (unfair dismissal time limit)
- Equality Act 2010, s.123 (discrimination time limit)
- S.I. 2026/954 (6-month time limit for events from 1 October 2026)
- Employment Rights Act 1996, s.207B (ACAS early conciliation - extension of time limits)
- ACAS - Early conciliation
We review these figures and rules regularly, but employment law changes - statutory rates uprate every April and reforms come into force on their own timetable - so what you see here may not yet reflect the very latest change. Always confirm the current position on the official source above (legislation.gov.uk, gov.uk or acas.org.uk) before relying on a figure or date. This is legal information, not legal advice.
Key terms
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