Dismissed by a small business? A different standard applies, but it still applies.
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If your employer has fewer than 15 employees, a different test, the Small Business Fair Dismissal Code, applies to whether your dismissal was fair, and the minimum employment period before you're eligible to claim is twelve months instead of six. Neither of these means a small business can dismiss you however it likes.
This might be your situation if
- You worked for an employer with fewer than 15 staff and were dismissed.
- You weren't warned, given a reason, or given a chance to respond before being let go.
- You're unsure whether you've reached the twelve-month minimum employment period.
- You want to understand what standard actually applies to your situation.
Small business employers still have to follow a genuine process, it's just measured against a different (though not lower) standard. Tell us what happened and how long you'd worked there, and we'll help you understand your position.
Common questions
Generally, an employer with fewer than 15 employees, counted across the whole business, not just your location or team.
No. It sets a different standard for what counts as a fair process, but your employer still needs to meet it. If they didn't, whether that's a lack of warning, no genuine reason, or no chance to respond, it's still worth having checked.
Get in touch
Tell us what's happened and we'll connect you with the right employment lawyer or adviser.
Tell us what happened
Takes about two minutes. No long intake form, the detail comes later, once a real adviser is involved.