Independent UK employment rights guide
UK employment rights, from the employee's side
Most employment law content is written for HR departments managing risk. This is written for the person on the other side of that desk, wondering how long they actually have to do something, and what actually changed this year.
Work out your tribunal deadline
The time limit doubled from three months to six on 1 October 2026, but only for things that happened after that date. This calculator applies the right regime and factors in Acas early conciliation.
What changed and when
- The Employment Rights Act changes, dated
- Sick pay from day one
- Zero-hours contract rights
- The fire-and-rehire ban
Deadlines by claim type
- Discrimination claims
- Whistleblowing claims
- Constructive dismissal
- TUPE claims
- Working time regulations
- What counts as the date of dismissal
Practical steps
- Starting Acas early conciliation
- Statutory notice period calculator
- Flexible working request letter
- Maternity and paternity leave rights
Employment law here changes in stages rather than all at once, so a page written in early 2026 can be describing a right that doesn't take effect until later that year. Every page states its assumptions and the date it was last checked.