Employment tribunal time limits: 3 or 6 months in 2026?

From 1 October 2026, the time limit for most employment tribunal claims in Great Britain rises from 3 months minus 1 day to 6 months minus 1 day. The longer limit applies only where the time limit starts on or after 1 October 2026; if yours started before that date, the 3-month limit still applies. Because the start date depends on the type of claim, writing down your dates is the first step.

What changed, and where it is written

Section 152 and Schedule 12 of the Employment Rights Act 2025 extend most tribunal time limits from three months to six. Regulations made on 1 September 2026 (S.I. 2026/954) bring them into force on 1 October 2026 and say the change does not apply where the “relevant date” is before 1 October 2026. Acas's time limits page, updated on 4 September 2026, says the same in plain terms.

A few claims, such as statutory redundancy pay and equal pay, already had 6 months minus 1 day. Interim relief in some unfair dismissal cases keeps a 7-day limit. GOV.UK's implementation timeline gives a later date for breach of employment contract claims in Scotland, so check the government's latest guidance if that applies to you.

What starts the clock

The regulations set the relevant date by claim type. For example:

• Unfair dismissal: the effective date of termination. Acas says that in almost all cases this is the last day of your notice period, or the date you were dismissed if you were not given notice.
• Deductions from wages: the date of the payment, or the last in a series.
• Equality Act 2010 complaints, including harassment: the date of the act or, for conduct extending over a period, the end of that period.
• Claims not listed separately in the regulations: the date of the act or failure complained of, or the last in a series.

Bullying on its own is not a claim type, so your date depends on how a claim would be framed. Whether several incidents count as one course of conduct is a legal question: list every incident with its own date instead of choosing one yourself. For what to note about each incident, see what to record in a bullying at work diary.

Two fictional examples

Invented dates, using Acas's method of adding the calendar months and taking off 1 day, before any pause for early conciliation:

• An Equality Act complaint where the last act complained of was on 18 September 2026: before 1 October, so 3 months minus 1 day, ending on 17 December 2026.
• An unfair dismissal claim with an effective date of termination of 9 October 2026: on or after 1 October, so 6 months minus 1 day, ending on 8 April 2027.

Your own deadline can differ.

Checklist: dates to write down

1. Each incident date, with the most recent marked.
2. The date you were told of any dismissal and your last day of employment.
3. Grievance, outcome and appeal dates. Acas says these procedures do not change your time limit.
4. Your provisional deadline, and whether the 3-month or 6-month rule seems to apply.
5. The date you notified Acas and your reference number. Notifying within the limit pauses it until early conciliation ends. See how to prepare for Acas early conciliation.
6. The date you received the early conciliation certificate. Acas says you then have at least 1 month to claim, if you notified in time.
7. Where and when you checked the rules, and any advice you received.

If a time limit has passed, Acas says you can still make a claim and a judge decides whether to accept it, but in most cases time limits are strictly enforced. The Acas helpline can explain how time limits work; for an exact date, Acas suggests legal advice.

Our incident log template shows one way to keep incident dates in order. Kirokune can hold dated notes and imported chats in a timeline on your iPhone; it does not calculate deadlines or give legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

Is the employment tribunal time limit 3 or 6 months?

It depends on when your time limit starts. Acas says most claims have 6 months minus 1 day if it starts on or after 1 October 2026, and 3 months minus 1 day if it started before then. A few claims, such as equal pay, already had 6 months minus 1 day.

Does the 6-month limit apply to things that happened before October 2026?

Not where the relevant date is before 1 October 2026. For Equality Act complaints about conduct extending over a period, the relevant date is the end of that period, so list every incident and ask Acas or an adviser how your dates apply.

Does early conciliation stop the tribunal clock?

Notifying Acas pauses the time limit until early conciliation ends, but only if you notify within the limit. A grievance or appeal does not pause it.

Kirokune helps you keep a record. It does not diagnose, decide what happened, or give legal advice.