Employment Tribunal Eligibility Checker

Five quick questions. Find out whether you have grounds to bring a claim — and what to do next.

What happened to you?

I was dismissed / made redundant

I resigned because of how I was treated

I was discriminated against at work

I was harassed or bullied

How long had you been working there when it happened?

What was your employment status?

Employee (permanent or fixed-term)

Worker / zero-hours contract

Self-employed / contractor

When did the dismissal or incident happen?

Within the last 3 months

More than 6 months ago

Have you notified ACAS for early conciliation yet?

Yes — I have an EC certificate

No — I haven't contacted ACAS yet

Genuinely self-employed contractors generally cannot bring unfair dismissal claims — but you may still have rights depending on your situation.

Most employment tribunal claims must be filed within 3 months of the dismissal or incident. At over 6 months, the standard deadline has likely expired.

The 2-year qualifying period applies to standard unfair dismissal — but there are important exceptions that do not require any length of service.

Discrimination and harassment claims have no qualifying period — you can bring them from day one of employment. The key question is whether a protected characteristic was involved.

If you were forced to resign because your employer fundamentally breached your contract, that is constructive dismissal — and you can claim just as if you had been dismissed.

Based on your answers, the key eligibility requirements for an unfair dismissal or related claim appear to be met. The strength of your claim depends on the specific facts.

Do I need 2 years service to bring an employment tribunal claim?

The 2-year qualifying period applies to standard unfair dismissal. It does not apply to discrimination, whistleblowing, pregnancy, or other automatically unfair dismissal categories.

What is the time limit for an employment tribunal claim?

Usually 3 months less one day from the effective date of termination or the act complained of. ACAS early conciliation pauses the clock.

Can agency workers bring employment tribunal claims?

Agency workers have some rights but fewer than employees. It depends on the specific type of claim — discrimination protections apply from day one, unfair dismissal does not.

Employment Tribunal Eligibility Checker

What this means for you

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Common eligibility questions

Do I need 2 years of service to bring an employment tribunal claim?

The 2-year qualifying period only applies to standard unfair dismissal. It does not apply to discrimination claims, whistleblowing claims, pregnancy and maternity dismissals, dismissals for asserting a statutory right, or dismissals related to trade union activity. These are called automatically unfair dismissals and you can bring them from day one.

Can I claim if I resigned?

Yes — if your employer fundamentally breached your contract of employment and you resigned in response, that is constructive dismissal. You are treated as if you were dismissed. These claims can be harder to prove because you must show a fundamental breach and that you did not accept it by staying on. The standard 3-month time limit still applies from your resignation date.

What if I was employed for less than 2 years?

You can still bring a claim if any of the automatic unfair dismissal exceptions apply — whistleblowing, discrimination, pregnancy, asserting a statutory right, or trade union membership. You can also bring a wrongful dismissal claim (breach of contract) regardless of length of service. Review whether your situation falls into any of these categories before assuming you cannot claim.

Do agency workers and zero-hours workers have employment tribunal rights?

It depends on the claim type. Discrimination protections under the Equality Act 2010 apply to workers as well as employees, so agency workers and zero-hours workers can bring discrimination claims from day one. Standard unfair dismissal rights generally require employee status. Your employment status is a matter of law and may differ from what your contract says.

Most claims must be submitted within 3 months less one day from the effective date of termination or the act complained of. ACAS early conciliation pauses the clock — any days spent in conciliation are added to your deadline. Missing this deadline is the most common reason valid claims are permanently lost, as tribunals have very limited power to extend it.