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From 1 January 2027, fire and rehire will be automatically unfair dismissal in most cases. What’s covered, the narrow exception and what to do now.
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Call: +44 798 393 6747 -
Mail: tara@zesthr.co.uk
unfair dismissal
press
Press Release November 2026
Press release: November 2026 Unfair dismissal compensation cap scrapped from January Small business owners who put off dealing with people problems could face significantly higher financial penalties from January 2027, warns local HR consultant Tara Anstee. The statutory cap on unfair dismissal compensation, currently the lower of £123,543 or 52 weeks’ gross pay, will […]
- By tara
- November 6, 2026
Newsletter
November 2026 Newsletter
What the new uncapped unfair dismissal compensation means for your business From January, dismissing someone and putting them back on worse terms will be automatically unfair. No qualifying service needed or cap on the compensation a tribunal can award. Most small business owners aren’t aware when they’re “firing and rehiring”. But that’s what it’s called […]
- By tara
- November 2, 2026
Blog
What the new 6-month tribunal time limit means for your business
As of 1 October 2026, the time limit for most employment tribunal claims has doubled from 3 months to 6 months. This means that an employee can now file a complaint against you for something that happened up to 6 months ago. The old 3-month deadline quietly protected employers for years. A significant number of […]
- By tara
- October 6, 2026
Blog
The cheapest way to avoid an employment tribunal
A single tribunal claim can wipe out tens of thousands of pounds and consume months of your time. From January 2027, with the compensation cap being removed, those figures are only going to go up. The vast majority of claims don’t start with a dramatic incident. They start with small things that turn into bigger […]
- By tara
- September 22, 2026
Blog
SOSR dismissal: What it is, when to use it and how to evidence it properly
SOSR stands for “some other substantial reason” and, somewhere along the way, it became a catch-all excuse for employers who want to fire an employee but don’t have a compelling reason why. But, be warned employers. If you choose to use SOSR as your “we’ll work it out later” excuse for a dismissal, a tribunal […]
- By tara
- September 15, 2026
Blog
Can I still dismiss someone in their first 6 months of employment?
Short answer: yes, you can. But 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 […]
- By tara
- June 2, 2026