Dismissed in England or Wales: Acas, the tribunal and the deadline

Losing a job is a shock, and the first week tends to go on the practical side of it: money, the people at home, what to say to colleagues. The legal side runs on a clock that starts on the day the employment ends, so it is worth understanding the outline early, even if you decide to do nothing.

Keep the paperwork

Put together your contract and any changes to it, the dismissal letter, your last payslips, any notes from disciplinary or performance meetings, and emails or messages that bear on the reasons. If something important was said only out loud, write down what was said, by whom and when, while you still remember it clearly.

Do you need two years' service?

For an ordinary unfair dismissal claim, an employee usually needs at least two years' continuous service with the employer. There are important exceptions. Some reasons for dismissal are automatically unfair and need no qualifying service at all — for example dismissal connected with pregnancy, whistleblowing, trade union membership, health and safety concerns or jury service. Discrimination claims also have no qualifying period.

The two-year rule is due to change. Under the Employment Rights Act 2025, the qualifying period for unfair dismissal is set to fall to six months from January 2027, and Acas describes this as a future change rather than the law today. Which rule applies to you depends on the date your employment ends, so check the current position at the time.

The time limit changed on 1 October 2026

Employment Tribunal claims have strict time limits. According to Acas, the law changed on 1 October 2026:

• for problems that happened before 1 October 2026, most claims, including unfair dismissal, had a limit of 3 months less one day;
• for problems on or after 1 October 2026, most claims have 6 months less one day.

For unfair dismissal the clock usually starts on the last day of your notice period, or on the day you were dismissed if no notice was given. A tribunal judge can sometimes accept a late claim, but you should not plan around that.

Step one is Acas early conciliation

Before you can bring most claims to the Employment Tribunal (the independent body that hears workplace disputes), you must notify Acas. Acas then offers early conciliation: a free, confidential process in which a conciliator talks to both sides to see whether the dispute can be settled. Taking part is voluntary for both you and your employer.

Notifying Acas within your time limit pauses the clock while conciliation runs, and Acas says conciliation can last up to 12 weeks. If it does not produce an agreement, or either side declines, Acas issues an early conciliation certificate. Its number goes on the tribunal claim form (the ET1), and without it most claims cannot proceed.

Settlement agreements

Many disputes end with a settlement agreement: the employer pays a sum and you give up the right to bring certain claims. Under the rules Acas sets out, such an agreement is only legally binding if it is in writing, you have received advice from a relevant independent adviser (often a solicitor) who is insured, the agreement names that adviser, and it states that these conditions have been met. Employers often contribute towards the cost of that advice; ask whether they will.

A settlement is a final bargain. Before signing, make sure you understand which claims it covers, how any payment is taxed, what the reference will say, and whether it includes confidentiality terms.

When to get advice

Get advice early if you think the dismissal was linked to discrimination, pregnancy, whistleblowing or a health and safety complaint, if you have been offered a settlement, or if your time limit is getting close. Trade union members can usually get help through their union, and some home insurance policies include legal expenses cover for employment disputes.

This page is general information about how these matters usually work in England and Wales. It is not legal advice about your own case, and only a lawyer who has read your documents can give you that. An employment lawyer near you can be found in the directory.