If you have been dismissed and believe your employer acted unfairly, we can advise you clearly on whether you have a claim, what it might be worth, and how to protect your position.
To bring an ordinary unfair dismissal claim, you generally need at least two years' continuous employment with your employer. Once that threshold is met, your employer must show both that they had a potentially fair reason for dismissing you, and that they acted reasonably in treating that reason as sufficient to dismiss — including following a fair process.
The law recognises five potentially fair reasons for dismissal: conduct, capability (which covers both poor performance and ill health), redundancy, a legal restriction that prevents you from doing your job, and "some other substantial reason" — a catch-all for situations that do not fit the other categories but are still a legitimate business reason. A dismissal can still be unfair even where the underlying reason is fair, if your employer failed to follow a reasonable procedure — for example by not investigating properly, not giving you a chance to respond, or not offering a right of appeal.
Certain reasons for dismissal are treated as automatically unfair, and in these cases the normal two-year qualifying period does not apply — you can bring a claim regardless of your length of service. Common examples include dismissal for whistleblowing (making a protected disclosure), dismissal connected to pregnancy or maternity leave, dismissal for asserting a statutory employment right, and dismissal related to health and safety concerns you have raised. If you were dismissed shortly after raising a concern or exercising a right at work, it is worth having the circumstances reviewed even if you have less than two years' service.
Before a claim can be issued, you must notify ACAS through their early conciliation service, which gives both sides a chance to resolve the dispute without going to a tribunal hearing. Many cases settle at this stage, or shortly afterwards, often through a settlement agreement rather than continued litigation. If the matter proceeds, we will represent your interests throughout, from drafting your claim to preparing for a final hearing if one becomes necessary.
Unfair dismissal compensation is usually made up of two parts. A basic award is calculated using a formula based on your age, length of service and weekly pay, in a similar way to statutory redundancy pay. A compensatory award then reflects your actual financial losses — including lost earnings and benefits — up to a statutory cap. Both the weekly pay figure used in the calculation and the overall compensatory award cap are reviewed each April, so we will always confirm the current limits that apply to your case and give you a realistic view of what your claim could be worth.
You normally have three months less one day from your last day of employment to start a tribunal claim, though contacting ACAS for early conciliation can extend this. This deadline is applied strictly by tribunals, and late claims are only accepted in limited circumstances. If you think you have been unfairly dismissed, do not wait to seek advice.
Call us on 020 3058 3365 or complete the form for a free initial assessment. We will explain your options clearly, including whether a negotiated settlement or a tribunal claim is the better route for you. If your employer has already offered you a settlement agreement, we can review it as part of the same conversation.
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Free confidential assessment · Same-day appointments usually available · Your employer usually pays the fees