How to Make an Employment Tribunal Claim After Unfair Treatment at Work

What can you claim for at an Employment Tribunal?

Employment Tribunals in England, Scotland and Wales decide legal disputes connected with work. GOV.UK lists common examples including:

• unfair dismissal;
• discrimination at work;
• breach of contract; and
• unauthorised deductions from wages.

The tribunal is independent of government. The person bringing the claim is the claimant, while the employer, potential employer, trade union, organisation or other person the claim is made against is the respondent.

This procedure covers Employment Tribunals in Great Britain. Northern Ireland has a different tribunal and conciliation system.

What is the Employment Tribunal time limit right now?

Time limits are strict. As of 10 September 2026, most Employment Tribunal claims still need to be started within 3 months minus 1 day from the relevant event.

Examples given by Acas include:

• for unfair dismissal, the time usually runs from the effective date of termination;
• for unpaid wages, it usually runs from the date you were not paid correctly; and
• for discrimination, it normally runs from the last act of discrimination included in the claim.

Some claims already have a different limit. For example, statutory redundancy pay and equal pay claims generally have a 6 months minus 1 day time limit.

What changes on 1 October 2026?

A major deadline change takes effect shortly after this procedure was verified. For most claims where the time limit begins on or after 1 October 2026, the standard limit increases from 3 months to 6 months minus 1 day.

If the workplace event that starts the limitation period happened before 1 October 2026, the existing 3-month rule generally continues to apply.

There is a specific later date for employee breach-of-contract claims in Scotland: the new six-month limit applies where the termination giving rise to the claim occurs on or after 9 November 2026. For equivalent employee breach-of-contract claims in England and Wales, the change starts on 1 October 2026.

Because a few weeks can determine which rule applies, use the date of the actual legal event rather than assuming all claims made after October automatically receive six months.

Does a grievance or appeal extend the tribunal deadline?

No. Acas specifically warns that going through a grievance, disciplinary process or internal appeal does not change the Employment Tribunal time limit.

You can try to resolve the dispute internally, but you should still notify Acas before the applicable tribunal deadline expires.

What is Acas early conciliation?

Before making most Employment Tribunal claims, you must notify the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas).

Acas offers free early conciliation, where a conciliator communicates with you and the prospective respondent separately to see whether the dispute can be settled without a tribunal hearing.

Early conciliation can last for up to 12 weeks. Participation in settlement discussions is voluntary, but notifying Acas is legally required for most tribunal claims.

How do you notify Acas?

You can submit the official early conciliation notification to Acas or provide the required information by telephone. You will need basic information about yourself and the employer or other prospective respondent.

If you intend to claim against more than one respondent, the HMCTS guidance states that you should complete a separate early conciliation notification for each prospective respondent.

What happens if you reach a settlement?

If you and the respondent reach agreement through Acas, the terms are recorded in a COT3 agreement. A COT3 is legally binding.

Once the dispute is settled through Acas, you cannot continue to a tribunal hearing on the settled claim.

What happens if settlement is not reached?

Acas issues an early conciliation certificate containing a unique certificate number. You normally need to enter this number on your ET1 claim.

If there is more than one prospective respondent, Acas issues a certificate for each respondent.

Does early conciliation pause the deadline?

Yes, provided you notified Acas within the applicable tribunal time limit. Starting early conciliation pauses the limitation clock while the early conciliation process runs.

Once early conciliation ends and you receive your certificate, you will have at least one month from receipt of the certificate to make the tribunal claim. In some cases the resulting deadline is later than one month.

Calculating the exact revised deadline can be complicated. Acas makes clear that it is the claimant's responsibility to submit on time and that only the tribunal can ultimately decide whether a claim is in time.

Are there exceptions to Acas early conciliation?

There are limited exceptions. GOV.UK gives examples including situations where:

• you are joining a claim with someone who has already completed early conciliation;
• the respondent has already notified Acas and you can provide the required evidence;
• you are making only an unfair dismissal claim combined with an application for interim relief; or
• Acas does not have legal power to conciliate on some or all of the claim.

If none of the exemptions clearly applies, GOV.UK advises notifying Acas before filing.

What is the 7-day interim relief deadline?

Some people making particular automatically unfair dismissal claims can apply for interim relief, which can in certain cases allow paid employment to continue while the tribunal claim is decided.

GOV.UK identifies examples involving dismissal for whistleblowing, trade union activity or acting as a worker representative.

The deadline is exceptionally short: an interim relief application must be made within 7 days of dismissal.

You do not need to notify Acas first if the only claim is an unfair dismissal claim with an interim relief application. If you make additional claims that require early conciliation, those claims still need to follow the Acas rules.

Do you need 2 years of service for unfair dismissal?

For dismissals covered by the current rules, ordinary unfair dismissal normally requires you to have legal employee status and at least 2 years of continuous service.

There are important exceptions. No minimum qualifying period is required for various automatically unfair reasons, including certain dismissals connected with whistleblowing, pregnancy, asserting statutory rights, health and safety activities and trade union rights.

From 1 January 2027, the government has confirmed that the general qualifying period for ordinary unfair dismissal is due to reduce from 2 years to 6 months.

Do you need 2 years of service for a discrimination claim?

No. Acas confirms that the 2-year service requirement that currently applies to ordinary unfair dismissal does not apply to a workplace discrimination claim.

A person may sometimes have both an unfair dismissal claim and a discrimination claim arising from the same dismissal, but each legal claim has its own requirements.

The tribunal can also hear discrimination complaints involving people who are not existing employees, such as certain job applicants.

Can you claim for unpaid wages or deductions?

An Employment Tribunal can consider claims for unauthorised deductions from wages where the legal requirements are met.

Under the rules in force on 10 September 2026, Acas states that a single wrong deduction generally has a deadline of 3 months minus 1 day from the deduction. For a linked series of deductions, the current deadline generally runs from the most recent deduction.

For linked deductions under the current rules, Acas states that a worker can generally claim up to 2 years back where the applicable conditions are met.

For limitation periods beginning from 1 October 2026, the wider tribunal time-limit reforms should also be checked before calculating the final filing date.

What do you need before starting the ET1 claim?

For an online Employment Tribunal claim, GOV.UK says you need:

• the names and addresses of all claimants;
• the names and addresses of all respondents; and
• the relevant Acas early conciliation certificate numbers.

You can often find the employer's correct details in your job offer, employment contract or payslips.

Use the respondent's correct legal identity. Errors in respondent details or Acas certificate information can create serious procedural problems, particularly when a claim is being submitted close to the deadline.

What should your ET1 explain?

Your claim should identify what legal complaint you are making and clearly explain the events behind it. Include relevant dates and enough factual information for the respondent and tribunal to understand the case.

Do not include details of confidential Acas early conciliation discussions in the ET1. HMCTS guidance specifically states that early conciliation discussions should not be included in the claim form.

Keep copies of documents connected with the dispute. During the tribunal process, parties normally have to share relevant documents, including documents that may not support their own case.

How do you submit an Employment Tribunal claim online?

You can file through the official HM Courts and Tribunals Service Employment Tribunal online service.

The online system allows you to:

• start a new claim;
• save the claim before submitting it;
• return to an unfinished claim; and
• view submitted applications through the service.

You can make a claim for yourself, make a claim jointly with other people treated in the same way, or act as another person's representative where permitted.

Can you apply by post instead?

Yes. HMCTS provides form ET1 for an individual Employment Tribunal claim.

If you are making a claim with other people, HMCTS provides the applicable multiple-claim procedure, including form ET1A for adding claimants to a multiple claim.

The paper ET1 must be sent to the correct Employment Tribunal address specified by HMCTS for where you were working. Follow the current official ET1 and T420 instructions rather than using an old tribunal postal address.

How much does an Employment Tribunal claim cost?

There is no fee to make an Employment Tribunal claim.

Acas early conciliation is also free.

That does not mean a case can never involve other costs. GOV.UK notes possible expenses such as witness costs and says the tribunal can, in some circumstances, order a party to pay the other side's costs if that party has acted unreasonably.

Can you ask the tribunal for reasonable adjustments?

Yes. If a disability or health condition affects your ability to participate in the tribunal process, GOV.UK says you can tell the tribunal that you need reasonable adjustments.

You can request adjustments when you make the claim or at any later point during the tribunal proceedings.

What happens after you submit ET1?

HMCTS checks the claim before it proceeds. Its March 2026 claimant guidance shows an estimated 5 days for the claim submission and initial acceptance stage, although this is an estimate rather than a guaranteed service deadline.

If the tribunal accepts the claim, it gives the case a number and sends a copy to the respondent with a response form.

The respondent normally has 28 days from when the tribunal sends the claim to submit its response, unless the tribunal grants an extension.

If the respondent does not respond properly in time, an employment judge may be able to decide the claim without a full contested hearing, although a separate hearing may still be needed to determine compensation.

What happens before the final hearing?

After the respondent's response is accepted, the tribunal manages the case. This can include orders requiring both sides to provide information, exchange documents or prepare evidence.

A preliminary hearing may be held in person, by telephone or by video. At that stage a judge can deal with matters such as whether all or part of the claim can proceed, the hearing timetable and what both sides must do to prepare.

HMCTS's March 2026 guide gives an indicative 26-week estimate for case management. It is not a fixed completion time and actual cases can vary substantially.

Can you settle after making the tribunal claim?

Yes. Acas conciliation does not end merely because ET1 has been filed.

An Acas conciliator can continue helping the parties try to reach settlement during the tribunal proceedings, up until judgment.

If the case settles through Acas, the tribunal is informed and the case does not continue to a final hearing on the settled issues.

What can happen if you win?

The remedy depends on the legal claim. GOV.UK gives examples of tribunal orders that can include:

• paying compensation;
• reimbursing qualifying witness expenses;
• taking steps to reduce the effects of discrimination; or
• giving you your job back where reinstatement is an appropriate remedy.

The amount of compensation can depend on the type of claim, financial loss, salary, age, length of service and statutory rules applicable to the particular remedy.

What if the employer is insolvent?

An Employment Tribunal dispute can overlap with insolvency rights. If an employer is in administration, liquidation or another formal insolvency process, special government payment schemes can apply to certain employment debts.

If your workplace problem involves an insolvent employer, Helpydo has a separate guide to claiming redundancy pay when your employer is insolvent.

What if you also need financial support after losing work?

A tribunal claim and benefits claim are separate processes. Starting an Employment Tribunal case does not automatically apply for financial support while you are out of work.

If you meet the contribution and other conditions after losing a job, you can separately check whether you can claim New Style Jobseeker's Allowance. People on a low income may also need to check Universal Credit eligibility.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Missing the limitation deadline while waiting for an employer's grievance or appeal procedure to finish.
• Assuming every claim currently has a 6-month deadline before the 1 October 2026 reforms apply.
• Failing to notify Acas before the deadline where early conciliation is required.
• Using the wrong employer or respondent legal name.
• Entering an incorrect Acas certificate number or failing to obtain a separate certificate where required for another respondent.
• Assuming an ordinary unfair dismissal claim currently has no minimum service requirement.
• Failing to recognise the exceptional 7-day interim relief deadline where that remedy may apply.
• Including confidential early conciliation discussions in the ET1 claim.
• Waiting until the final day to submit a claim and leaving no time to correct an application that is not accepted.
• Ignoring tribunal directions or failing to disclose relevant documents after the case begins.

Final deadline check before you file

Before submitting ET1, confirm four dates: the date the workplace event happened, the date Acas received your early conciliation notification, the date you received the Acas certificate and your calculated tribunal deadline.

For a time limit beginning before 1 October 2026, do not assume the future six-month rule saves an otherwise late claim. For a time limit beginning on or after 1 October 2026, check the new six-month regime and any claim-specific exception. If the claim is an employee breach-of-contract claim in Scotland, also account for the separate 9 November 2026 commencement date.