Dismissal
Losing your job is not the same as being dismissed unfairly, and the difference is legal rather than emotional. These guides set out the five potentially fair reasons for dismissal, conduct, capability, redundancy, illegality and some other substantial reason, and explain the second half of the test that employers lose on far more often: whether a fair procedure was actually followed.
You will also find the practical detail. How long you need to have worked somewhere before you can bring an ordinary unfair dismissal claim, which dismissals are automatically unfair with no qualifying period at all, what constructive dismissal really requires when you resign in response to your employer's conduct, and how a redundancy becomes a sham redundancy.
Compensation gets its own treatment, because expectations are usually wrong in both directions. Basic award, compensatory award, the statutory cap, mitigation and the effect of any settlement offer already on the table are all covered.
Ill health dismissal: when it is fair and when it is not
Facing dismissal because of ill health? What your employer must do first, medical evidence, reasonable adjustments, and when you can challenge it.
Last reviewed October 2026Dismissed during probation: what rights do you have?
Dismissed during probation? Your notice, pay and discrimination rights, how the 2027 unfair dismissal changes affect you, and when you can claim.
Last reviewed October 2026Performance improvement plans: your rights on a PIP
Put on a performance improvement plan? What a fair PIP looks like, red flags of a plan set up to fail, and how to respond to protect your job.
Last reviewed October 2026Capability dismissal: your rights and what a fair process looks like
Facing a capability dismissal for performance or ill health? What a fair process looks like, when it becomes unfair, and how to challenge it.
Last reviewed October 2026Bank holiday entitlement: your rights explained
No automatic right to bank holidays off or extra pay. How bank holidays fit into your 28 days, part-time workers, working on bank holidays and 2026 dates.
Last reviewed October 2026Unlawful deduction from wages: when your employer cannot take your pay
When can an employer deduct from your pay? What counts as an unlawful deduction, the time limits, the two-year backstop and how to claim your money back.
Last reviewed October 2026Holiday pay when leaving a job: what goes in your final pay
Leaving your job? How untaken holiday is paid in your final pay, how to calculate it, gross misconduct, notice periods and what to do if it is missing.
Last reviewed October 2026Holiday pay entitlement: what you are owed and how it is worked out
How much paid holiday you are owed, how holiday pay is calculated, what counts as normal pay, irregular hours, carry over and what to do if underpaid.
Last reviewed October 2026Redundancy notice periods: how much notice and pay you should get
How much notice you should get for redundancy, statutory vs contractual notice, pay during notice, PILON, garden leave and time off to find a job.
Last reviewed September 2026Voluntary redundancy: should you take it?
Offered voluntary redundancy? How enhanced packages work, the tax-free £30,000 rule, what to check before you volunteer, and your right to say no.
Last reviewed September 2026Redundancy consultation: what your employer has to do
Individual and collective redundancy consultation explained: the 30 and 45 day rules, what consultation must cover, and the 180 day protective award.
Last reviewed September 2026Being made redundant: your rights explained
Made redundant or at risk? Your rights on consultation, selection, notice and redundancy pay, what makes a redundancy unfair, and what to do next.
Last reviewed September 2026Fit notes and self-certification: proving sickness absence
Fit notes explained: self-certification for the first 7 days, who can issue a fit note, what may be fit for work means, and what to do if your employer rejects it.
Last reviewed September 2026Can you be dismissed while on sick leave? What the law says
Can you be sacked while off sick? Yes, but only through a fair capability process. Medical evidence, adjustments, disability rights and how to challenge it.
Last reviewed September 2026Long-term sickness absence: your pay, your job, and what happens when SSP ends
Long-term sick pay explained: the first 28 weeks, occupational sick pay, holiday accrual while off sick, the SSP1 form, and your options after SSP ends.
Last reviewed September 2026Statutory sick pay in 2026: what you get under the new rules
Statutory sick pay in 2026: the new day-one rules, the 80% or £123.25 rate, who qualifies, how to claim, and what to do if your employer refuses to pay.
Last reviewed September 2026Suspended from work: your rights while an investigation runs
Suspended from work? Your rights explained: full pay, what your employer must tell you, how long suspension can last, and when suspension itself is unlawful.
Last reviewed September 2026Final written warning: what it means and what you can do
Final written warning explained: how long it lasts, when employers can issue one straight away, how to appeal, and what happens if there is another issue.
Last reviewed September 2026Raising a grievance at work: how to do it properly
How to raise a grievance at work: informal steps, what to put in writing, the meeting, your right to a companion, appeals, and what to do if it is ignored.
Last reviewed September 2026Facing a disciplinary at work: the process and your rights
Facing a disciplinary at work? The ACAS process step by step, your right to a companion, possible outcomes, and what makes a disciplinary unfair.
Last reviewed September 2026TUPE rights: what a transfer means for your job, pay and terms
TUPE transfer explained for employees: what transfers, what your new employer can and cannot change, consultation rights, and when a TUPE dismissal is unfair.
Last reviewed September 2026Gross misconduct: what counts, and what to do if you are accused
What counts as gross misconduct, the fair process your employer must follow before summary dismissal, and when a gross misconduct dismissal is unfair.
Last reviewed September 2026Unfair dismissal qualifying period: two years drops to six months
From 1 January 2027 you need just six months' service to claim ordinary unfair dismissal, down from two years. What the Employment Rights Act 2025 changes, the exact dates, and what to do now.
Last reviewed September 2026Constructive dismissal payout: how much compensation could you get?
How constructive dismissal compensation is calculated: the basic award, the compensatory award, the £123,543 cap, worked examples and what affects the figure.
Last reviewed September 2026Need more than a guide?
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