Employment tribunal time limits extended to six months from 1 October 2026

The new limit applies where the relevant event occurred on or after that date; earlier events remain subject to the previous three-month limit. The corresponding change for tribunal breach of contract claims in Scotland takes effect on 9 November 2026.

The rules allowing additional time for Acas early conciliation and the tribunal’s powers to extend time remain unchanged. Employers may therefore receive notification of a claim considerably later than six months after the event.

Revised ET1 claim and ET3 response forms also took effect on 1 October. Both allow parties to express a preference for a final hearing before a judge alone or a panel. The ET1 additionally asks for the date of the most recent event complained about, to help the government monitor the impact of the extended time limits. Updated Practice Directions and guidance also address the presentation of claims, responses and statutory appeals.

Employers should review record retention policies to ensure relevant evidence remains available to defend later claims, update guidance and templates referring to the previous time limit, and ensure they use the current tribunal forms.

For more information or advice, please get in touch with Eleanor Searle in our Employment team.