| Acas

There are strict time limits for making a claim to an employment tribunal.

If you're thinking about making a claim, the first step is to notify Acas. You should do this within your time limit. You have either:

3 months minus 1 day – for most claims
6 months minus 1 day – for a few claims

For example, you were paid the wrong amount on 1 May. To work out your time limit, add on 3 calendar months then take off 1 day. Your time limit starts on 1 May and ends at 11:59pm on 31 July.

You have 6 months minus 1 day for:

statutory redundancy pay claims
equal pay claims
unfair dismissal claims related to strike action
certain claims made against a trade union
certain claims if you're a member of the armed forces

Going through grievance, disciplinary or appeal procedures does not change your time limit. If those procedures take a long time, you still need to notify Acas before your time limit runs out.

When your time limit starts

In most cases, your time limit starts from the date the problem at work happened.

For example:

unfair dismissal – the time limit starts from the 'effective date of termination'. In almost all cases, this means either the last day of your notice period, or the date you were dismissed if your employer did not give you notice
pay and wages – the time limit starts from the date you were not paid correctly
discrimination – the time limit starts from the date of the last act of discrimination you're including in your claim

Working out time limits can be complex, especially if:

your problem at work covers more than one type of claim, for example both unfair dismissal and discrimination
there have been multiple incidents or the problem is still happening

Get help

For help with understanding how time limits work, or to talk through your options, contact the Acas helpline.

If you need to work out your exact time limit, you might need to get legal advice.

If your time limit has passed

If your time limit has passed, you can still make a claim to an employment tribunal. It's up to the judge to decide whether they will accept your claim. However, in most cases time limits are strictly enforced.

To find out more about your options, contact the Acas helpline.

How early conciliation can pause your time limit

When you notify Acas that you're thinking about making a claim to an employment tribunal, we will offer you early conciliation. This is when a conciliator speaks with you and your employer separately to help you come to an agreement.

If you try early conciliation, your time limit is paused for up to 6 weeks while conciliation takes place.