Workers who feel they’ve been unfairly treated at work are set to have significantly more time to do something about it, under changes confirmed by the government last week. From 1st October 2026, the time limit for bringing most employment tribunal claims will double, from three months to six.

It’s one part of a wider overhaul of workplace rights underway in 2026 and 2027, and Barrister Connect says many employees still don’t realise how much is changing or how little time they currently have to act.

“The strict time limit was a cliff edge that often did not reflect reality – after losing a job, the first few weeks are often consumed by shock and the search for new work, and by the time many are ready to act, the deadline has already passed. Increasing the limitation period to six months means that more cases will be decided on their merits. It is one of the most important access-to-justice reforms in years. Employers should expect claim numbers to rise. I would always recommend accessing legal advice on the merits and evidence at the earliest available opportunity”. said Paul O’Callaghan, employment barrister at Barrister Connect

Why this is happening now

The government confirmed the change on 16th July 2026 as part of the phased rollout of the Employment Rights Act, which ministers described as the most significant reform of workplace law in a generation. It follows a string of other changes already in force this year, including statutory sick pay and paternity leave becoming day-one rights for all employees, and new unfair dismissal protection kicking in after six months’ service rather than two years.

Further changes are due on 30th October 2026, when employers take on a new legal duty to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment at work, including harassment by third parties such as customers or clients.

The timing matters. Official labour market figures published by the Office for National Statistics on 21st July 2026 showed that the number of payrolled employees fell by 85,000 over the past year, and youth unemployment reached 16.4%, its highest level in 11 years. A tighter jobs market tends to bring more disputes over redundancy, treatment at work and dismissal, at exactly the moment more people are affected by it.

What it means for employees

Currently, most tribunal claims (including unfair dismissal, discrimination and unlawful deductions from wages) must be lodged within three months, less one day, of the incident or the last date of employment. Miss it, and in most cases the right to claim is lost for good, regardless of how strong the case is.

From 1st October 2026, that window extends to six months. Barrister Connect says this gives people meaningfully more breathing room to get advice, gather evidence and decide whether to pursue a claim, particularly for anyone who assumed they’d already missed their chance.

Barrister Connect is encouraging anyone who thinks they’ve experienced unfair treatment at work, whether recently or in the past few months, to get advice on where they stand rather than assume it’s too late.