Unfair Dismissal Rights are Changing

This is a reminder for employers to prepare now for a significant change to unfair dismissal protection.

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 that employees recruited on or before today, will by 1 January 2027 have reached six months’ service and will have unfair dismissal protection from that date.

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.

What should employers do now?

•  Ensure probationary and performance management processes are robust and well documented.
• Review probationary periods and make sure performance concerns are managed early, clearly and consistently.
• Check notice periods carefully where a dismissal could push the termination date into 2027.

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.