Certain statutory rights or complaints require a minimal length of qualifying continuous employment before they can be claimed at an Employment Tribunal. These are:
One month - qualifying service
- Guarantee payments during layoff
- Minimum period of notice of termination of employment
- Pay during medical suspension
26 weeks - qualifying service
- Adoption leave and pay
- Paternity leave and pay
- Maternity pay
- The right to request flexible working
Following the publication of the Government's annual employment law review in March this year, one of the changes confirmed means that employees starting new employment from 6 April 2012 must be employed at their workplace for a minimum of two years before they are able to make a claim for unfair dismissal, an increase to the previous qualifying period of one year's service. For those employed prior to 6 April 2012 the one year qualifying service applies. (Please contact the advice line for clarification if required.)
Two years - qualifying service
- Redundancy payments
- Time off to look for work whilst under notice of redundancy