Employment tribunals over Christmas and New Year 2026

HM Courts and Tribunals Service has published its opening arrangements for courts and tribunals over Christmas and New Year 2026. If you have an employment tribunal claim, a hearing or a deadline in December or early January, check these dates in advance.

Below, we explain which days tribunal offices are closed, how the arrangements differ in Scotland, and what this means for hearings and claims.

Closure dates in England and Wales

In England and Wales, courts and tribunals are closed on:

• Friday 25 December 2026
• Monday 28 December 2026
• Friday 1 January 2027

Some tribunals are also closed on Thursday 24 December 2026. HM Courts and Tribunals Service has not said which tribunals close on that day. If your matter depends on Thursday 24 December 2026, contact the tribunal office in advance.

Arrangements in Scotland

In Scotland, tribunal offices are open on Thursday 24 December 2026. All tribunal offices in Scotland are closed on Monday 4 January 2027, in addition to the closure dates over Christmas and New Year.

Hearings over the holiday period

Hearings over Christmas and New Year may take place in person, by video or by telephone. The tribunal confirms which in the hearing notice. Read your notice carefully, check the date, time and format, and keep it with your other case papers. If the tribunal has ordered you to send documents or information by a date over the holidays, that date still applies unless the tribunal changes it.

Some smaller hearing venues may have different opening arrangements. You can find the contact details for your tribunal through the Find a Court or Tribunal service on GOV.UK.

Making a claim over the holidays

You can submit an employment tribunal claim online at any time, including on days when tribunal offices are closed.

The time limit for making a claim is set by law. Office closures over Christmas and New Year do not change the date your time limit ends. If your deadline falls in late December or early January, plan to submit your claim well before the holiday period.

Before you make most claims, you must notify ACAS and receive an early conciliation certificate. Allow for this when you plan your dates.

Two examples

A hospitality worker's time limit for her claim ended during the Christmas period. She could have submitted her claim online even on a day the tribunal office was closed. She prepared and submitted it in early December, so that she had time to resolve any technical problem before her deadline.

A teaching assistant in Aberdeen had a preliminary hearing listed for Monday 4 January 2027. All tribunal offices in Scotland were closed that day, so she contacted the tribunal office in advance to confirm her hearing arrangements.

These are illustrative scenarios. They are not real Belonge clients or decided cases.

Time limits

For most claims where the act complained about happened on or after Thursday 1 October 2026, the time limit is six months less one day. Where the act happened before Thursday 1 October 2026, the time limit is three months less one day. Check the date of the event before relying on the longer limit. ACAS early conciliation may extend the time limit.