Changes to Unfair Dismissal Qualifying Period

We would like to remind employers of an important upcoming change to unfair dismissal rights under the Employment Rights Act 2025.

Today marks six months until the normal qualifying period for protection against unfair dismissal is reduced from two years to six months, with the change expected to take effect from 1 January 2027.

This means employees whose employment is terminated on or after 1 January 2027 will only need to have been employed for six months to bring an ordinary unfair dismissal claim.

For dismissals where the effective date of termination falls before 1 January 2027, the current requirement for two years’ continuous service will continue to apply.

We encourage you to:

• Ensure probationary and performance management processes are robust and well documented.
• Consider any proposed dismissals carefully where notice periods may extend the effective date of termination into 2027.
• Get in touch for assistance if any issues or queries arise.

If you would like to discuss how these changes may affect your workplace or probationary procedures, please contact a member of the Employment Team at Geldards.