Employment Rights Act 2025

The Employment Rights Act 2025 will, from 1 October 2026, extend time limits for bringing tribunal claims from three to six months.

Previously, most tribunal claims need to be brought within three months of the act complained of. A pledge to increase tribunal time limits was included in the Labour Party’s Plan to Make Work Pay. 

All employees now have six months to bring a claim. This applies to all types of claims, including discrimination claims, unfair dismissal claims and breach of contract claims (the operative date for breach of contract claims in Scotland will be 9 November 2026). 

The new time limits apply only where the relevant act, detriment or termination takes place on or after 1 October 2026. Existing rules on extending time limits, including the effect of ACAS early conciliation in pausing limitation periods,  remain unchanged.