U is for...

This is like the Voldemort of the HR world, shrouded in mystery and fear, leaving employers worried about what they can and can’t do when it comes to parting company with someone. 

Let us be what Harry Potter is to Voldemort and stop this thing in its tracks. Here’s a fact check: 

Employees can only claim unfair dismissal after 2 years of service. 

The average payout for an unfair dismissal claim in 2020 was £10,812, far less than the newspapers would have you believe. 

It isn’t automatically an unfair dismissal if you sack someone who’s off sick. 

In the grand scheme of things, unfair dismissal isn’t such a baddy hey? Although of course that’s not a green card to go dismissing people willy nilly. It’s not a good thing to dismiss people, but it’s also not something to be scared of when it’s really necessary. 

All processes to dismiss have a fair procedure attached to them, and if you do it in the right way, with respect and for the right reason, you’ll be doing your best to keep unfair dismissal claims from your common room...I mean, door. 

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