In this article, we cover the Unfair Dismissal Time Limit and clarify who is eligible to claim unfair dismissal. The ability to bring a claim in the employment tribunal is not always straightforward. Here are some of the key considerations.
Who has the right to claim Unfair Dismissal?
In general, this right is only available to employees who have been dismissed and have been employed for at least two years.
The two-year qualifying period does not apply in most cases where the dismissal is for an automatically unfair reason. If you have been dismissed with less than 2-years of service, there may be other claims that you can bring.
Further, there is no minimum service requirement for discrimination and whistleblowing claims. Therefore, employees and workers may still be able to bring claims if they are alleging that their dismissal was discriminatory or because there was a protected disclosure (whistleblowing).
If you have been dismissed, and have less than two years’ service, it would be prudent to take advice to understand if you can get the minimum service requirement. Further, you should also be aware of the unfair dismissal claim time limit, but good claims can be lost if you fall foul of the time limit.
What needs to be done before you can bring a claim?
Unfair Dismissal Time Limit
- An employee considering making a claim in the employment tribunal must first contact Acas to register the claim for Acas Early Conciliation (EC). Their representative can also do this for them.
- EC must be commenced before the expiry of the relevant time limit:
- For unfair dismissal claims where the employment ended before 1 October 2026, the time limit is three months less one day from the effective date of termination (when the employment ends). Where the employment ended on or after 1 October 2026, the time limit is six months less one day.
- For discrimination claims relating to acts before 1 October 2026, the time limit is three months less one day from the discriminatory act. For discriminatory acts on or after 1 October 2026, the time limit is six months less one day. It is often argued that the dismissal itself was a discriminatory act.
- However, section 123(3)(a) of the Equality Act 2010 states that “where an act or acts of discrimination extend over a period (commonly referred to as a “continuing act”), they are treated as having occurred at the end of that period.” Therefore, time does not start to run until the end of the course of discriminatory conduct (if you can establish there was a continuing act).
- The test for a “continuing act” is whether the employer is responsible for “an ongoing situation or a continuing state of affairs” in which the acts of discrimination occurred, as opposed to a series of unconnected or isolated incidents.
- When EC is commenced, Acas will try to facilitate a settlement.
- EC is scheduled to last 6 weeks but can be ended sooner (for example, if Acas determine there is no prospect of settlement being achieved).
- If a Claimant refers the dispute to Acas for EC, there is an automatic extension of time for submitting a claim. Broadly speaking, time stops running when EC starts and begins to run again when EC ends. Acas produce a certificate showing the start and end dates of the EC. If EC is started with less than 1 month left of the original time limit to bring a claim, the time to bring a claim is extended to 1 calendar month from the date EC ends in any event.
- If the Respondent commences EC, the time limit for bringing a claim is not extended.
- When EC ends and Acas produce the EC Certificate, it includes the EC number which is needed when bringing a claim in the employment tribunal.
See our Employment Tribunal Time Limit Calculator for further information on time limits, which includes the unfair dismissal claim time limit.
Disclaimer:
This blog is for information purposes only. Nothing should be relied upon as a substitute for legal advice and nothing written should be construed as legal advice or perceived as creating a lawyer-client relationship.