Unfair Dismissal Qualifying Period: Increase to Two Years Will Only Affect New Joiners

Unfair dismissal qualifying period: increase to two years will only affect new joiners

On 6 April 2012 the qualifying period for unfair dismissal will increase from one to two years. When the government announced this change on 3 October 2011 , it gave no indication how it would affect existing employees (who may already have qualified for unfair dismissal rights.

Although BIS has not yet made a formal announcement, it is understood that, subject to Parliamentary approval, the new two-year qualifying period will only apply to employees whose employment begins on or after 6 April 2012. Those who are already in employment before that date will retain the current one-year qualifying period.