How long do I have to bring an unfair dismissal claim?

The time limit for an unfair dismissal claim in the Employment Tribunal is 3 months less one day from the effective date of termination (EDT) — the date your employment actually ended, not the date notice was given. For example, if your last day was 15 June, your claim must be received by the Tribunal by 14 September. Missing this deadline is almost always fatal to your claim — extensions are granted only in very limited circumstances (where it was not reasonably practicable to comply).

Before filing, you must contact ACAS for early conciliation (EC). The time limit is paused while EC is active and for a further 1 month afterward. If your 3-month deadline would have expired during EC or the 1-month post-EC window, you get extra time. Practically: contact ACAS as early as possible, and if your deadline is approaching, make sure EC has been initiated before it expires.

Some other employment claims have different time limits: discrimination claims are also 3 months from the act, unlawful deduction claims are 3 months from the deduction, wrongful dismissal contract claims are 3 months if in the tribunal (or 6 years in court), and redundancy pay claims are 6 months. Always check the specific time limit for your claim type — mixing them up is a common mistake.