On 1 October 2026, the time limit for bringing most claims in the Employment Tribunal increased from three months to six months. Although the reform does not alter the substance of employees’ employment rights, it represents an important change to the management of workplace disputes and the period for which employers remain exposed to potential claims.
What has changed?
Before 1 October 2026, the starting point for the vast majority of employment rights claims (for example. unfair dismissal, discrimination claims and deduction from wages) was that they had to be presented within three months of the act complained of. A smaller number of claims, including equal pay and statutory redundancy payment claims, were already subject to a six-month time limit. So generally employees had to act quickly to meet the three-month deadline.
The Employment Rights Act 2025 and supporting secondary legislation have now made six months the standard limitation period for the majority of claims. The measures cover most statutory claims as well as claims under legislation dealing with part time and fixed term work. Breach of employment contract claims brought in the Employment Tribunal are also included in England and Wales. For breach of contract claims in Scotland the corresponding change is due to take effect on 9 November 2026.
Which claims benefit from the new limit?
In general, the extended period applies where the relevant event occurred on or after 1 October 2026. For a dismissal...
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