Unfair dismissal

New and updated

• Date:

  11 June 2026

  Type:

  Commentary and insights

  Unfair dismissal reforms: Rethinking probationary periods

  As unfair dismissal protections tighten, many organisations are now rethinking how they operate their probationary periods. We explore how organisations are responding in light of the upcoming changes and what this means for probationary practices.

• Type:

  Employment law guide

  Unfair dismissal: effective date of termination

  The Government has confirmed that the amendment to the unfair dismissal qualifying period and the removal of the compensation cap apply only if the effective date of termination is on or after 1 January 2027. HR teams must audit their employee exit timelines and calculate termination dates for dismissals and review contractual rights to use PILON.

• Type:

  Employment law guide

  Unfair dismissal: automatically unfair reasons for dismissal

  The Government has confirmed that the reduced unfair dismissal qualifying period and removal of the compensation cap apply only where the effective date of termination is on or after 1 January 2027. HR should review exit timelines, termination dates and PILON clauses.

• Type:

  Employment law guide

  Unfair dismissal: qualifying conditions for claiming

  Recent legislative updates will remove the qualifying period for ordinary unfair dismissal where the dismissal relates to a spent conviction. This amendment is proposed to come into effect from 1 January 2027. 

• Type:

  Legal timetable

  Unfair dismissal compensation cap is removed

  Updated to confirm that the removal of the unfair dismissal compensation cap applies to dismissals where the effective date of termination is on or after 1 January 2027. This gives HR extra clarity on exactly when their employer faces increased financial risks if it gets a dismissal wrong.

• Type:

  Legal timetable

  Reduction in unfair dismissal qualifying period from two years to six months

  Updated to confirm that the reduction in the unfair dismissal qualifying period applies to dismissals where the effective date of termination is on or after 1 January 2027. This gives HR extra clarity on exactly when their employer faces increased risks if it gets a dismissal wrong.

• Date:

  15 May 2026

  Type:

  Podcasts and webinars

  Webinar: Unfair dismissal changes - are your probationary processes ready for 1 July?

  Employment law expert Darren Newman breaks down one of the most significant reforms contained in the Employment Rights Act 2025: the reduction in the qualifying period for protection from unfair dismissal from two years to six months. This is a change HR can't afford to ignore.

• Date:

  4 May 2026

  Type:

  News

  Employers' bodies call for more dialogue on union access rights

  UK employer bodies have written to the government calling for tripartite discussions with ministers and unions on the implementation of trade union access rights in the Employment Rights Act 2025.

• Type:

  Quick reference

  Unfair dismissal compensation

  Updated to reflect an increase in unfair dismissal compensation limits, effective from 6 April 2026. 

• Type:

  FAQs

  What is the unfair dismissal basic award?

  The maximum amount of a week's pay for calculating the basic unfair dismissal award is increased for dismissals on or after 6 April 2026.