WONE Global's guide to United Kingdom records this change under people and visas. Each statement below has been checked against the source it links to.
Employees in England, Scotland and Wales usually need 2 years' service to claim unfair dismissal; for dismissals from 1 January 2027 this falls to 6 months for most employees.
Northern Ireland, where employment law is devolved, usually requires 1 year; GOV.UK does not say whether the 2027 change applies there. Automatically unfair reasons need no qualifying period.
GOV.UK · Dismissing staff: eligibility to claim unfair dismissal ↗ Checked against an official source · Not yet professionally reviewed · checked 18 October 2026
This is a summary of the rule as published, not advice on how it applies to you. The WONE Global Partner for this service in United Kingdom can advise on that.











