Legal: Reducing Employment Tribunal claims

The government has confirmed that the qualifying period for the right to claim unfair dismissal will be doubled from one to two years.

From 6 April 2012 an employee will need to have at least two years' service to bring a claim for unfair dismissal. There will be exceptions such as discrimination but the rule is that for ‘normal' unfair dismissal, an employee with less than two years' service will not be protected.