Salisbury-based Access2 Human Resources is hosting a free seminar for businesses. Picture: Michael Illas

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Salisbury HR firm warns of “major change” coming to businesses

Jamie JonesAugust 31, 20260 Comment0

A SALISBURY HR firm is urging employers to act now before a “major change” for businesses comes into force next year.

From January 2027, employees will be able to claim unfair dismissal at work much sooner after starting a new job than they can now – and Salisbury-based Access2 Human Resources is urging people to be ready.

Currently, an employee has to work for their employer for two years before they can bring a claim for “ordinary unfair dismissal”- (a claim that they were sacked without good reason or a fair process.

From January 1, 2027, that waiting period drops to just six months. It will apply to anyone who started their job on or after 1 July 2026, meaning any new employees now being hired will be covered by the change.

The change means employers will have less time to notice and deal with any problems with new employees before they gain more protection against unfair dismissal.

For employers, this means making sure new employees know what is expected of them, checking in regularly and raising any problems early. Employers can no longer rely on waiting until the end of a probation period to decide whether someone is right for the job.

Access2 Human Resources says employment tribunals across the UK are already busy. They received 50,000 claims in 2025/26, and unfair dismissal is the single biggest category of complaint, making up almost a quarter of all cases.

And they say the financial risk for employers is significant. In 2023/24, employers that lost an unfair dismissal case paid out £6,746 on average. From January 2027, the current cap on how much compensation a tribunal can award will also be scrapped, meaning payouts could be higher still./

Salisbury-based Access2 Human Resources is hosting a free seminar for businesses. Picture: Michael Illas

Dan Jenkins, Managing Director at Access2 Human Resources, said: “This is a major change for employers and the time to prepare is now. Employers recruiting new employees cannot afford to wait until January to think about how they are going to manage probation and performance.

“The fact that unfair dismissal already represents the largest category of Employment Tribunal complaints shows just how important it is for employers to get this right.

“With the waiting period reducing from two years to six months, employers will need to be much more proactive about identifying concerns and making fair, timely decisions.”

The new rules do not mean employees cannot be dismissed after six months. Employers can still dismiss someone where there is a fair reason and the correct process has been followed. However, with employees gaining protection much sooner, employers need to be on top of performance issues and make sure they deal with problems promptly.

A free seminar at 9.30am on September 10, hosted by Access2 Human Resources, will explain the changes and help local employers get their processes in order, to avoid falling foul of the new laws.

Business owners, directors and managers from across Salisbury are invited to attend. It is taking place at The Old Fire Station in Salt Lane, and will also include a question and answer section from 10am to noon, followed by a buffet lunch.

To book a place at the seminar, visit the Access2 Human Resources website.