Employment tribunals, explained

An employment tribunal is an independent judicial body that decides disputes between workers and employers, such as unfair dismissal, discrimination, breach of contract and unauthorised deductions from pay. It costs nothing to bring a claim. Before you claim, you normally have to notify Acas, which offers free early conciliation to see if the dispute can be settled. If it is not settled, you make your claim on form ET1, online or by post.

The time limit is the thing to get right first. For most claims about something that happened on or after 1 October 2026, you now have six months. If it happened before that, the old limit of three months (less a day, in practice) still applies. This page covers employment tribunals in Great Britain, including Scotland; Northern Ireland has a separate system.

What a tribunal can deal with

GOV.UK lists the main types of claim as unfair dismissal, discrimination at work, breach of contract and unauthorised deductions from pay. Other claims include redundancy pay, holiday pay, whistleblowing detriment and failure to allow you to be accompanied at a disciplinary or grievance meeting.

Some limits worth knowing:

• Breach of contract claims can only be brought in the tribunal if the claim arises or is outstanding when employment ends, and the tribunal can award no more than £25,000. Larger contract claims go to the civil courts, where the limit is generally six years in England and Wales and a five-year prescription period in Scotland.
• Unfair dismissal usually needs two years’ service (until 1 January 2027) and employee status. Discrimination claims need no minimum service. See unfair dismissal and discrimination at work.

Time limits on 2 October 2026

The Employment Rights Act 2025 extended tribunal time limits from three to six months from 1 October 2026. The new limit applies only where the “relevant date” falls on or after 1 October 2026.

Claim	What the clock runs from	Event on or after 1 Oct 2026	Event before 1 Oct 2026
Unfair dismissal	Effective date of termination (usually the end of your notice, or the day you were dismissed without notice)	Six months	Three months
Discrimination	The act, or the end of conduct over a period	Six months	Three months
Unauthorised deductions	The payment, or the last in a series	Six months	Three months
Breach of contract (tribunal)	End of employment	Six months in England and Wales; Scotland from 9 November 2026	Three months

Because the periods “begin with” or “start with” the relevant date, the last day is in practice the day before the anniversary: six months less a day, or three months less a day for older cases.

Exceptions and extensions

• Acas early conciliation pauses the clock. The days from the day after you notify Acas to the day you get your certificate do not count. If your deadline would fall within a month after you get the certificate, it moves to one month after that date.
• Late claims are rarely accepted. For unfair dismissal, the tribunal can only allow a late claim if it was “not reasonably practicable” to claim in time. For discrimination, it can allow a period it thinks “just and equitable”. Neither is something to rely on.
• Interim relief applications in some dismissal cases, such as whistleblowing, must be made within seven days of dismissal.
• Raising a grievance does not stop the clock. Acas warns that time limits keep running while you try to sort things out internally.

How a claim works, step by step

1. Try to resolve it at work. A grievance or appeal is usually expected. Under the Acas Code of Practice, a tribunal can raise or reduce an award by up to 25% if either side unreasonably failed to follow it. See grievances and disciplinaries.
2. Notify Acas. Early conciliation can last up to 12 weeks. If it does not settle, you get a certificate with a number you need for your claim. See Acas early conciliation.
3. Submit form ET1. You need the names and addresses of the claimants and respondents and your Acas certificate numbers. Your employer’s correct legal name is often on your contract or payslips.
4. The respondent replies. It usually has 28 days to reply in writing.
5. Preliminary hearing and orders. A judge may decide whether the claim can go ahead and set a timetable for sharing documents and witness statements.
6. Share documents. You must share relevant documents, even ones that do not help your case, and so must the employer.
7. The final hearing. You normally get at least 14 days’ notice. The decision is sent to you later, or sometimes given on the day, and is published on GOV.UK.

You can still settle at any point before judgment, through Acas (a COT3 agreement) or through a settlement agreement.

What the tribunal can award

Depending on the claim, a tribunal can order compensation, reinstatement or re-engagement, and steps to reduce the effects of discrimination. Key figures for events on or after 6 April 2026:

Award	Figure
Unfair dismissal basic award	Same formula as statutory redundancy pay, with a week’s pay capped at £751
Unfair dismissal compensatory award	Capped at the lower of £123,543 or 52 weeks’ pay; no cap for whistleblowing or health and safety dismissals
Injury to feelings (discrimination), claims presented from 6 April 2026	Lower band £1,300 to £12,600; middle £12,600 to £37,700; upper £37,700 to £62,900; more in exceptional cases
Breach of contract in the tribunal	Up to £25,000

The compensatory award cap is due to be removed for dismissals with an effective date of termination on or after 1 January 2027. See the Employment Rights Act 2025.

Costs, and what it is like

There is no fee. GOV.UK warns you may have to pay witness expenses, and the tribunal can order you to pay the respondent’s costs if it decides you acted unreasonably. You can represent yourself, or someone else can, such as a lawyer, friend or family member. GOV.UK says you normally give evidence first, unless your case is about unfair dismissal. In unfair dismissal, the law puts it on the employer to show the reason for dismissal.

Ministry of Justice figures for April to June 2026 show the tribunal received 14,000 single claims and disposed of 6,100, and the open caseload of single claims reached 70,000, up 51% on a year earlier. Expect a wait.

After the decision

If you lose, you can ask the tribunal to reconsider within 14 days of the written decision being sent, giving good reasons, or appeal to the Employment Appeal Tribunal on a point of law. If you win and the employer does not pay, it has 42 days to appeal first; after that you can ask the Fair Work Agency to issue a warning notice, or enforce through the courts. In Scotland, you ask the tribunal office for an extract of the judgment for a sheriff officer to enforce.

Scotland

Claims about work in Scotland go to the Employment Tribunals (Scotland), which has its own President and a central office in Glasgow. The law on unfair dismissal, discrimination and pay is the same as in England and Wales, and the same Vento bands apply, though the Presidential Guidance notes a separate paragraph for Scottish claims. The six-month limit for breach of contract claims in the tribunal starts on 9 November 2026 in Scotland. Enforcement of awards is through sheriff officers rather than the county court.

What to check in your contract or letter

• Your employer’s correct legal name and address, often on your contract, offer letter or payslips; you need it for Acas and the ET1.
• Your start date and termination date, which decide your service and your time limit.
• Notice clause and any PILON clause, which affect the effective date of termination.
• The dismissal or outcome letter, for the reason given and any right of appeal.
• Grievance, disciplinary and appeal procedures in your contract or handbook, and whether you used them.
• Pay and deduction clauses, for wage and holiday pay claims.
• Any legal expenses insurance on your home or other policies, which may cover advice.
• Any confidentiality or settlement wording you have already signed, which may limit claims.

When it helps to speak to a solicitor

A solicitor can work out your time limit, which claims you can bring, what they may be worth, and whether an offer is worth considering. That is most useful early, before the deadline, and when there are several possible claims, such as unfair dismissal and discrimination together. EmployedRight’s free document check can help you gather the dates and clauses first.

Common questions

How long do I have to make an employment tribunal claim?

For most claims about something that happened on or after 1 October 2026, six months: for unfair dismissal, six months beginning with the date your employment ended; for discrimination, six months starting with the act complained of. If the date was before 1 October 2026, the old three-month limit applies, which in practice is three months less a day. Acas early conciliation can extend these deadlines.

Does it cost anything to go to an employment tribunal?

There is no fee to make a claim. You may have other costs, such as witness expenses, and the tribunal can order you to pay the other side's costs if it decides you acted unreasonably. Many people pay for legal advice or representation, and some have it through a trade union or a legal expenses insurance policy, so it is worth checking.

Do I need a solicitor for an employment tribunal?

No. GOV.UK says you can present your own case, or someone else can do it for you, such as a lawyer, friend or family member. You still have to meet deadlines and follow the tribunal's orders on sharing documents and bringing witnesses. A solicitor can advise on whether you have a claim, what it may be worth and how to prepare it.

How long does an employment tribunal take?

There is no fixed timetable. The respondent usually has 28 days to reply to your claim, and you normally get at least 14 days' notice of a hearing. Ministry of Justice figures show the open caseload of single claims reached 70,000 at the end of June 2026, the highest in the series, which suggests many claims are taking longer.

Where are employment tribunal hearings held in Scotland?

Claims about work in Scotland are dealt with by the Employment Tribunals (Scotland), which has its own President and a central office in Glasgow. GOV.UK says cases are normally heard at the tribunal office closest to where you worked, and hearings may be by phone, video or in person. The same core employment law applies across Great Britain.

What happens if my employer does not pay a tribunal award?

Contact them first. If they still do not pay, GOV.UK says you can ask the Fair Work Agency to send a warning notice, and the employer may have to pay a fine if it does not respond within 28 days. In Scotland you can ask the tribunal office for an extract of the judgment, which a sheriff officer can use to enforce payment.

Sources

1. GOV.UK: Make a claim to an employment tribunal checked Fri Oct 02
2. Employment Rights Act 1996, section 111 (unfair dismissal time limit) checked Fri Oct 02
3. Equality Act 2010, section 123 (time limits) checked Fri Oct 02
4. Employment Rights Act 2025 (Commencement No. 5 and Transitional Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations 2026, SI 2026/954 checked Fri Oct 02
5. GOV.UK: Plan to Make Work Pay and Employment Rights Act timeline update checked Fri Oct 02
6. Employment Rights Act 1996, section 207B (extension of time limits for conciliation) checked Fri Oct 02
7. Acas: How early conciliation works checked Fri Oct 02
8. Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order 2026, SI 2026/310 checked Fri Oct 02
9. Employment Rights Act 1996, section 124 (limit of compensatory award) checked Fri Oct 02
10. Presidential Guidance: Ninth Addendum on injury to feelings awards (Vento bands), 30 March 2026 checked Fri Oct 02
11. Employment Tribunals Extension of Jurisdiction (Scotland) Order 1994, article 10 (£25,000 limit) checked Fri Oct 02
12. Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, section 207A (Acas Code adjustment) checked Fri Oct 02
13. Ministry of Justice: Tribunal Statistics Quarterly, April to June 2026 checked Fri Oct 02
14. Employment Tribunals Extension of Jurisdiction (Scotland) Order 1994, article 3 checked Fri Oct 02
15. Employment Rights Act 1996, section 98 (fairness of dismissal) checked Fri Oct 02
16. Employment Relations Act 1999, section 11 (right to be accompanied: complaints) checked Fri Oct 02
17. Acas: Early conciliation checked Fri Oct 02
18. Acas: Unfair dismissal checked Fri Oct 02
19. Citizens Advice: Claiming constructive dismissal (time limits; insurance) checked Fri Oct 02
20. Limitation Act 1980, section 5 checked Fri Oct 02
21. Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973, section 6 checked Fri Oct 02

This guide is general information about employment law in Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland). Northern Ireland has its own employment law. It isn't legal advice and doesn't take your circumstances into account.