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🇬🇧 UK Employment Law · ERA 2025 Updates · Free

Employment Tribunal Deadline Calculator 2026

Instantly calculate your exact ET1 filing deadline. Built to handle the complex 3-month minus 1 day rule and ACAS Early Conciliation clock pauses.

✓3-month - 1 day logic✓ACAS Clock Pause✓1-Month Rule Extender✓Free — no sign-up

Claim Details

The "Effective Date of Termination" or the date the discrimination occurred.

Final ET1 Deadline Date

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Deadline Calculation Breakdown:

Incident Date:—
Raw Deadline (No ACAS):—
Final ET1 Deadline:—
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How Long Do I Have to Make an Employment Tribunal Claim?

The time limits for filing an Employment Tribunal claim in the UK are incredibly strict. Missing your deadline by even a few minutes can result in your entire claim being thrown out. For the vast majority of claims—including unfair dismissal, discrimination, and unlawful deductions from wages—the time limit is 3 months minus 1 day.

If you have been dismissed, the clock starts ticking on your Effective Date of Termination (usually your last day of work). If you are claiming discrimination, the clock starts on the date the discriminatory act occurred. If you were dismissed and are checking your final pay, you should also calculate your Notice Pay and Redundancy Pay to ensure you aren't owed money.

What Is the 3-Month Minus One Day Rule?

The deadline isn't calculated in days (e.g. 90 days), it is calculated in calendar months. You simply find the corresponding date 3 months in the future, and go back one single day. For example, if you are unfairly dismissed on the 10th of May, you look 3 months ahead to the 10th of August, and then step back one day. Your absolute final deadline is the 9th of August.

How Does ACAS Early Conciliation Affect My Deadline?

Before you can submit your ET1 claim to the Tribunal, you are legally required to notify ACAS to attempt "Early Conciliation". Because this process takes time, the law effectively "pauses" the countdown clock on your deadline.

How the Clock Is Paused (A + B Days)

The law adds the number of days you spent in conciliation directly onto your deadline. The period starts the day after you notify ACAS (Day A) and ends on the day you receive your Early Conciliation Certificate (Day B). Our calculator automatically does this math for you.

The 1-Month Extension Rule

What happens if you enter ACAS right at the last minute? The law protects you. If your adjusted deadline ends up being less than one month from the day ACAS finishes, the deadline is automatically extended to give you exactly one full month from the date you receive your ACAS certificate to prepare and file your ET1 claim.

Different Time Limits by Claim Type

While 3-months minus 1 day is standard, there are exceptions. The most notable exception is for Equal Pay claims, which have a much longer time limit of 6 months minus 1 day. Statutory redundancy pay claims also have a 6-month time limit.

What If I Miss My Employment Tribunal Deadline?

Missing the deadline is fatal to almost all Employment Tribunal claims. Even if you miss it by one single day, the judge will throw your case out. The Tribunal will only accept late claims in exceptionally rare circumstances, such as if you were hospitalized in a coma, meaning it was "not reasonably practicable" to submit it in time. Do not risk it. If our calculator warns you that you have less than 14 days, you must act immediately.

ET1 Claims

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to make an Employment Tribunal claim?
For most claims, including unfair dismissal and discrimination, you have 3 months less one day from the date the incident happened or from your Effective Date of Termination.
What is the 3-month minus one day rule?
This is the legal standard for calculating UK employment tribunal deadlines. It means the deadline falls on the day before the corresponding date 3 months later. For example, if you are dismissed on 5th January, your deadline is the 4th of April.
What happens if I miss the Employment Tribunal time limit?
Missing the deadline usually means your claim will be thrown out entirely. Tribunals only accept late claims in very rare circumstances where it was 'not reasonably practicable' to present the claim in time, or if it is 'just and equitable' to extend the time (for discrimination claims).
Do I have to go through ACAS before filing an ET1?
Yes. For almost all Employment Tribunal claims, it is a legal requirement to notify ACAS and begin the Early Conciliation process before you are allowed to submit an ET1 claim form to the tribunal.
Does ACAS early conciliation extend my time limit?
Yes. The clock on your deadline 'pauses' for the exact number of days you are in ACAS Early Conciliation. If your original deadline expires while you are in conciliation (or shortly after), the law guarantees you at least one full month from the day ACAS ends to file your claim.
When does the clock start for an unfair dismissal claim?
The clock starts on your 'Effective Date of Termination' (EDT). This is usually your final day of employment. If you are dismissed without notice, it is the day you are dismissed.
Is the time limit different for a discrimination claim?
The time limit is the same (3 months less one day), but the clock starts from the date the act of discrimination occurred. If it was a continuous 'course of conduct', the clock starts from the date of the last discriminatory act.
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