Six-Month Unfair Dismissal and Probation Kit for Small Employers (Great Britain)

A probation tracker that works out when each person can claim unfair dismissal, review forms, letters and a plan for employers, ahead of the change from two years to six months on 1 January 2027.

Independent, not governmentChecked 28 October 20269 sources

Dates. The qualifying period for ordinary unfair dismissal falls from two years to six months for dismissals that take effect on or after 1 January 2027.

From 1 January 2027 an employee in England, Scotland or Wales needs six months’ service, not two years, to claim ordinary unfair dismissal, and the cap on the compensatory award goes. It is not in force yet: today the rule is still two years. The date applies by when the employment ends, not when notice was given, so people on notice in December can be affected.

This kit helps you work out, person by person, when that protection starts and the last day to give notice on a cautious count, plan fair probation reviews before it, and keep dated records. It does not make a dismissal fair and does not tell you to dismiss anyone: discrimination, whistleblowing, pregnancy and several other claims need no minimum service, and you still need a genuine reason and a fair process. Employment law is reserved to the UK Parliament, so the rules are the same in Scotland.

Formats: PDF and Word files, plus an Excel workbook with the tracker, the timing check and the evidence log. The date columns use formulas (EDATE) that work in Excel and Google Sheets. No macros.

Free sample: Working Out the Dates (PDF, 2 pages, 304 kB). Two real pages from the kit’s printable pack, unaltered: how the protected-from date and the last day to give notice are worked out, with nine worked examples.