Employment tribunal claim deadline doubles to six months from today

Workers in Great Britain now have six months, up from three, to file an employment tribunal claim. The change took effect on 1 October under the Employment Rights Act 2025.

The government extended the limit to give employers and employees a longer window to resolve workplace disputes internally or through conciliation, potentially reducing the number of claims that enter the tribunal system. Ministers also expect the change to improve access to justice, giving employees more time to build a case and raise funds.

What the new limits mean for different claims

Acas guidance sets out how the rules apply. Employees have six months minus one day to bring claims for statutory redundancy pay, equal pay, and claims against a trade union.

For unfair dismissal, the clock starts on the "effective date of termination" — either the last day of a notice period or the day an employee is dismissed without notice. Pay and wages claims run from the date an employee was not paid correctly. Discrimination claims run from the date of the last act of discrimination included in the claim.

Acas has published guidance to help employees calculate time limits, particularly for complex situations where workplace issues span more than one type of claim or involve multiple, continuous incidents.

Missed deadlines are not always fatal

If the time limit has passed, employees can still file a claim. The tribunal judge decides whether to accept it out of time. In practice, that gives late claimants a route into the system, but no guarantee — acceptance remains at the judge's discretion.

One exception: Scotland

The extension does not apply uniformly across Great Britain. The time limit for breach of contract claims in Scotland stays at its current level until 9 November 2026.

Broader reform still in motion

The government said it continues to undertake "extensive engagement and consultation" on implementing its Plan to Make Work Pay and the Employment Rights Act 2025, to ensure the changes "work for both workers, and businesses of all sizes". A full list of consultation documents is available on the Department for Business and Trade website.

For HR teams, the doubling of the claim window means dispute exposure now lasts twice as long per case, strengthening the case for documented internal resolution processes. For employees, the change removes some of the pressure of the old three-month deadline — but the risk-based rules on when each clock starts remain, so checking the Acas guidance early still matters. Further implementation dates in the Employment Rights Act rollout will shape how the expanded claims window interacts with the wider reform package.