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United Kingdom

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Common lawUnitary parliamentary constitutional monarchyReviewed· 2026-06-20
Capital
London
Population
68,500,000
Languages
English, Welsh
Currency
GBP

United Kingdom · Employment

Employment in United Kingdom

What the atlas records on employment in United Kingdom, checked against the primary sources cited below.

Employment

Unfair dismissal protection after two years' service

Reviewed· 2026-08-03

Employees with two years of continuous service can only be dismissed for one of five potentially fair reasons, following a fair procedure. Claims go to the Employment Tribunal, where no fee is payable.

Key rules

  • 5.6 weeks of paid annual leave is the statutory minimum, inclusive of public holidays.
  • Discrimination claims under the Equality Act require no minimum service and have no compensation cap.
  • Statutory redundancy pay is calculated by age, weekly pay and years of service.

Governing law

  • Employment Rights Act 1996
  • Equality Act 2010
  • Working Time Regulations 1998

Penalties and consequences

  • Basic and compensatory awards for unfair dismissal
  • Uncapped discrimination compensation including injury to feelings

In practice

Early conciliation through Acas is a mandatory step before a tribunal claim, and the three-month-less-one-day limitation period is strictly enforced.

Sources

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Employment in United Kingdom | LawLegiance