The New Landscape of Dismissal Protection: A Seismic Shift in 2027
Category: HR | Date: 24/09/2026 15:00 | Duration: 1hr | Tag: SEFEUK26D3S5 | Type: Webinar | Speaker: Kate Lawson
Course Details
There are significant changes to employment rights taking effect in 2026 and 2027 through the phased introduction of the Employment Rights Act 2025.
One of the most substantial changes is the reduction of the qualifying service employees need to bring a claim for unfair dismissal in the employment tribunal from the current 2 years to 6 months from 1 January 2027. This will have an impact on all employers and businesses, and change how employers need to manage probationary periods and early poor performance, as well as the use of and termination processes for fixed-term contracts including maternity cover roles.
In this session, we will reflect on this change in the law and the practical implications for all businesses, covering information that is vital for management of your practice as well as awareness when advising employer clients.
In this session Kate Lawson will cover the following topics:
- What is the change in the law and when does it come into force?
- We will consider the current law and the law following the change in 2027, and how this is immediately relevant to all employers, including partnerships, SMEs and third sector organisations.
- What will this change mean in practice for my business?
- We will consider the circumstances and potential claims impacted by a reduction in qualifying service, and what this means for dismissal of new joiners. We will also summarise context around the workings of employment tribunals.
- What should we be doing to prepare for this change?
- We will consider the increased significance of probationary periods as a result of this change and how to use probationary periods effectively.
- How does this change impact fixed-term contract roles for projects and maternity cover?
- We will consider the rights of fixed term employees and the important considerations for maternity cover roles.
- What related changes under the Employment Rights Act 2025 are also important to prepare for?
- We will summarise other changes of significance under the new Act in the context of unfair dismissal, including the removal of the current cap on compensation that a tribunal can award.
By attending this session, you will understand the impact of this change in the law for all employers and have the tools to make practical preparations for this significant shift in employment rights for your business and your clients.
This will be of interest to all business owners who currently have, or intend to hire, employees, as well as vital context in advising clients on organisational structure planning, change and financial management.
Course level: Intermediate / Need to know
This course is part of The September Fest 2026.
CPD Course Speaker
Element Law
Kate Lawson
Kate is an experienced employment law solicitor, having qualified in 2001. She is director of Element Law.
Kate focuses solely on employment and HR law and related issues. The focus of her work is as trusted adviser to SMEs, including a number of professional partnerships and not for profit organisations. She supports her clients on a day-to-day providing practical, commercial advice on a range of areas from grievance and disciplinary matters to family friendly leave arrangements to business mergers and acquisitions and redundancy consultations to employment tribunal claims.
Kate provides regular practical HR and management training on a range of topics, including for her clients and for government departments. She speaks at events and on podcasts for organisations including at the House of Commons on Menopause and the Workplace and for the Society of Occupational Medicine and on Reasonable Adjustments and Neurodiversity.
Kate focuses solely on employment and HR law and related issues. The focus of her work is as trusted adviser to SMEs, including a number of professional partnerships and not for profit organisations. She supports her clients on a day-to-day providing practical, commercial advice on a range of areas from grievance and disciplinary matters to family friendly leave arrangements to business mergers and acquisitions and redundancy consultations to employment tribunal claims.
Kate provides regular practical HR and management training on a range of topics, including for her clients and for government departments. She speaks at events and on podcasts for organisations including at the House of Commons on Menopause and the Workplace and for the Society of Occupational Medicine and on Reasonable Adjustments and Neurodiversity.