From 1 July 2026, anyone you employ can claim unfair dismissal after just 6 months. No more 2-year grace period or informally managing people out. That changes how you hire, how you onboard, how you run probation and how you manage performance. Our latest guide breaks down: What's actually changing and when it takes effect What it really costs when it goes wrong (spoiler: it's a lot more than the headline tribunal figure) The 3 things you need to get right before

From 1 January 2027, the way you do it has to be different. And, if you get the process wrong, it could cost you. The Employment Rights Act is reducing the unfair dismissal qualifying period from 2 years to 6 months. Anyone you hire from 1 July 2026 will be covered by the new rules. That doesn't mean you've lost the ability to let someone go during their early months. It means you can't afford to do it casually.

There's a date that every employer hiring right now needs to have circled in red: 1 July 2026. After that point, the countdown to 6-month unfair dismissal rights begins for every new starter and if your probation process hasn't caught up with that yet, now is t