Employment tribunal time limit calculator
Enter the date of your dismissal or the act you're complaining about. Add your Acas dates to see when your ET1 claim is due. For England, Wales and Scotland.
How the deadline works
What is the time limit for an employment tribunal claim?
For dismissals and other acts on or after 1 October 2026, the Employment Rights Act 2025 gives six months less one day for tribunal claims in England, Wales and Scotland. Before that date most claims had three months less one day, although some, such as equal pay and statutory redundancy pay, already had six months.
Do I have to contact Acas first?
In most cases, yes. You must notify Acas for early conciliation before you can submit a claim, and you need to do it within the time limit.
How does early conciliation affect my deadline?
The days between contacting Acas and the date on your certificate don’t count towards the time limit. If your deadline would then fall within one month of the certificate date, you get until one month after the certificate.
Does this apply in Northern Ireland?
No. Industrial tribunals in Northern Ireland have their own rules and early conciliation runs through the Labour Relations Agency.
What if the problem is ongoing?
For a series of acts or an ongoing situation, the time limit usually runs from the last act. That can be hard to pin down, so speak to Acas or an adviser and don’t wait.
Get your claim organised
The Case Ready employment file takes you from grievance to hearing: a workplace incident log, Acas and tribunal deadline tracker, chronology and evidence index, with your details on every page. See it on Etsy or read the free employment tribunal bundle checklist.
Sources: Acas: how early conciliation works; GOV.UK: before you make a claim; Lewis Silkin on the October 2026 change. This calculator gives general information, not legal advice. If you're unsure, contact Acas.