Employment Rights Act 2025: Reviewing probation periods under the new legislation

What’s in the webinar

Flora Neville walks through the Employment Rights Act 2025 changes to unfair dismissal rights and what they mean for how you now handle probation periods with the changes taking place on 1 January.

The session covers the legal changes, real worked examples, and practical steps to review your current process.

It’s just 45 minutes with a 15-minute live Q&A at the end.

Why you should join

From 1 January 2027, employees will only need six months’ service to bring an unfair dismissal claim, and the compensation cap will be abolished. That changes the risk calculation on probation significantly. Many businesses are still running six-month probations without realising they’re already in the danger zone, this session explains why, with real examples, and tells you what to do about it.

Who it’s for

• SME business owners
• SME managers
• Anyone who hires staff

If you don’t have a dedicated HR team or you haven’t reviewed your probation process since this change was announced, this session is for you.

What you’ll learn

• What the unfair dismissal changes mean and when they come into force
• Why a six-month probation period is now higher risk, with worked examples showing exactly how claims can arise
• How long probation periods should be under the new rules
• How to structure induction and probation so you can make defensible decisions
• The five probation mistakes most likely to result in a claim, and how to avoid them
• How to handle probation extensions correctly without inadvertently increasing your risk

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