Employment tribunal time limit calculator.
Automatic applies the transitional rule (SI 2026/954 reg 4; SI 2026/758 reg 10): the six-month limit applies only where the relevant date — the EDT, the act or failure complained of, or the last act in a series — falls on or after 1 October 2026. Fix the period manually for claims outside the standard rule, e.g. 3 months for an employment tribunal breach of contract claim in Scotland (expected to move to six months on 9 November 2026), or 6 months for a claim that already carried a six-month limit (equal pay; statutory redundancy payment).
For a series of acts or continuing conduct, enter the last act or the end of the period — this date also decides whether the 3- or 6-month limit applies
Leave blank if ACAS EC was not used
Enter the ACAS and ET1 dates to find the earliest event date that would still be in time.
Leave blank if ACAS EC was not used
Earliest event date still in time:
Time limit. From 1 October 2026 the standard limitation period for most employment tribunal claims (unfair dismissal, discrimination, unlawful deductions, detriment, working time, national minimum wage and others) is six months "beginning with" the effective date of termination or the date of the act or failure complained of: Employment Rights Act 2025, s.152 and Sch 12, commenced by the Employment Rights Act 2025 (Commencement No. 5 and Transitional Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/954); the Employment Tribunal (Extension of Time Limits) (Miscellaneous Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/758) extend further claims (including part-time worker, fixed-term employee and blacklisting claims) and the Employment Tribunals Extension of Jurisdiction (England and Wales) (Amendment) Order 2026 (SI 2026/759) extends breach of contract claims in England and Wales. The limit expires on the day before the corresponding date three or six months later.
Transitional rule. The six-month limit applies only where the relevant date is on or after 1 October 2026 (SI 2026/954 reg 4; SI 2026/758 reg 10). The relevant date is the effective date of termination for dismissal claims; otherwise the date of the act, conduct or failure complained of, or, for a series of similar acts or failures, the last in the series (for conduct extending over a period, the end of the period). Dismissals and acts or failures wholly before 1 October 2026 remain subject to the three-month limit, whenever the claim is presented. Claims that already carried a six-month limit (equal pay; statutory redundancy payment) are unchanged, and the limit for breach of contract claims in Scotland is expected to increase from 9 November 2026 under the draft Employment Tribunals Extension of Jurisdiction (Amendment) (Scotland) Order 2026 — use the "Limitation period" setting for these.
ACAS early conciliation. The extension is calculated in accordance with s.207B Employment Rights Act 1996 (and the equivalent provisions, e.g. s.140B Equality Act 2010), which are unaffected by the 2026 changes. The clock stops from the day after Day A to Day B (s.207B(3)). If the limitation period would expire during the period from Day A to one month after Day B, it is extended to one month after Day B (s.207B(4)).