What has changed?
From 1 October 2026, the time limit for bringing most Employment Tribunal claims increases from three months to six months. This aligns claims for unfair dismissal, unlawful deductions from wages, discrimination, harassment and victimisation with the existing time limits for redundancy pay and equal pay claims.
The six-month limit applies only where the unlawful act occurs on or after 1 October 2026.
- A dismissal on 1 October 2026 will have a deadline of 31 March 2027.
- A dismissal on 30 September 2026 will have a deadline of 29 December 2026.
Transitional cases
For discrimination and wages claims based entirely on unlawful acts that occurred before 1 October 2026, the three-month limit will continue to apply. Where a claim concerns a series of unlawful acts and at least one act occurs on or after 1 October 2026, the claimant should in most cases be able to rely on the six-month limit.
ACAS Early Conciliation
In practice, almost all claims must first be registered for ACAS Early Conciliation. Registration triggers a 12-week conciliation period. Once that period has ended and ACAS has issued the Early Conciliation certificate, the claimant may present their claim to the Employment Tribunal.
What does the change mean in practice?
For claimants
The extension is likely to benefit claimants by giving them more time to assess the issues, decide whether to take legal action, obtain legal representation and prepare their cases properly. It may be particularly helpful to those who might otherwise struggle to meet the deadline because of childbirth, bereavement or ill health.
For employers
For employers, the position is more mixed. The longer limit may provide additional time to complete internal processes, such as appeals, that could potentially resolve a complaint. In termination cases, an employee may also secure new work quickly, conclude that any financial loss and compensation would be modest, and decide that bringing a claim is not worthwhile.
On balance, however, the change is unlikely to be good news for employers. Combined with the long delays in the Employment Tribunal and the further change taking effect on 1 January 2027—when employees will need only six months’ service to bring an unfair dismissal claim—the extended deadline is likely to merely prolong the period of uncertainty following workplace decisions.
What should employers do?
- Review and update privacy, data-retention and document-management policies, as relevant evidence may need to be kept for longer.
- Gather and preserve witness evidence at an early stage.
- Train managers to handle grievances and disciplinary matters consistently and effectively.
How can we help?
If you are an employer and would like advice on preparing for the forthcoming employment law changes, contact Just Employment on 01483 303636 or email info@justemployment.com.
This article provides general information as at October 2026 and does not constitute legal advice. Employment law is changing rapidly and employers and individuals should obtain advice on their particular circumstances.
