Upcoming
changes
What are the upcoming changes?
Employees currently need two years’ service before they can bring an employment tribunal claim for ordinary unfair dismissal. Under the Employment Rights Act 2025 the qualifying period will reduce to six months. The Act is also abolishing the compensation cap (both the 52 week’s pay and £123,543 limits). The qualifying period for the right to request written reasons for dismissal will also reduce to six months.
These changes come into force on 1 January 2027 and will apply to all employees who already have six months’ service at that point, and to others as they progressively acquire six months service.
The current three months’ time limit for bringing a claim for unfair dismissal will also change. This will increase to six months – possibly from October 2026.
The Government has estimated that this change alone will entitle an additional 6.3 million employees to bring unfair dismissal claims.
Once this change is live, we expect to see:
A significant increase in the number of Employment Tribunal claims brought.
A substantial increase in the number of individuals and existing workers commencing ACAS Early Conciliation.
Organisations ensuring fairness and correct methods of dismissing an employee after the first six months of their employment.
Ever more claimants representing themselves in employment tribunal claims.