Unfair dismissal or general protections? Here's how to tell which fits your situation.
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These two claims can look similar from the outside, both deal with a dismissal, but they turn on different questions, and you generally can't run both for the same dismissal. Picking the right one matters, and it's a genuinely common point of confusion.
The core difference
- Unfair dismissal asks whether the dismissal itself was harsh, unjust, or unreasonable, and requires a minimum employment period.
- General protections asks whether you were dismissed because you exercised a workplace right, made a complaint, took leave, and so on, with no minimum employment period required.
- If your situation involves both a process problem and a suspicious reason, the timing and the "why" behind your dismissal usually points to the better fit.
Rather than guessing, tell us what actually happened, including anything you'd done shortly before being dismissed (a complaint, taking leave, asking about pay), and we'll help you work out which path fits.
Common questions
Generally no, you have to choose one path for the same dismissal. Which one fits depends on the real reason behind what happened, which is exactly what a quick conversation can help you work out.
Neither is automatically better, they suit different situations. General protections can involve a broader range of remedies and doesn't require a minimum employment period, but it needs to link clearly to a protected reason.
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.