- Employee law
- May 11, 2020
Employee Dismissals During The Coronavirus Outbreak
By Lawbite Team

Can I dismiss an employee immediately if they have not completed two years’ employment?
- for blowing the whistle;
- for a health and safety reason;
- because of participation in trade union activity;
- for reasons connected with pregnancy, childbirth, or statutory maternity, paternity, adoption, parental leave, shared parental leave or time off for dependants.
Do I have to follow redundancy procedures?
- a business closure;
- the employee’s place of work is to close; or
- a reduced requirement of the employer for employees to carry out work of a particular kind or to do so at the place where the employee was employed.
Can I lay off staff temporarily?
- there is an implied right to lay-off employees or put them on short-term working but there is a strict test and is only likely in those industries where there is a custom and practice of lay-offs and short-time working; or
- you get the agreement of the employees to make a change to the terms and conditions of employment. This will usually involve consultation with the employees and possibly collective consultation depending on the number of employees involved and the likelihood that they will agree to the changes. If you and the employee reach an agreement to make changes, ensure it is documented in writing.
In summary
In closing
Nothing in this article constitutes legal advice on which you should rely. The article is provided for general information purposes only. Professional legal advice should always be sought before taking any action relating to or relying on the content of this article. Our Platform Terms of Use apply to this article.
Related Articles
Read our latest blog posts on GDPR, featuring all the latest legal news, analysis and opinion from our expert lawyers.
.png)
- By Lawbite Team
- December 22, 2020
Redundancies in the age of COVID - Pitfalls and how to avoid them
In December 2020, the UK Furlough Scheme enacted in response to the Covid 19 Pandemic, was extended until the end of April 2021. A key aspect of th...
.png)
- By Lawbite Team
- December 08, 2020
How Can Commercial Landlords Deal with Rent Arrears in the Era of Covid?
Many SMEs are a tenant, but a good number also are a commercial property landlord. On both sides of the commercial property lease equation, times ...
.png)
- By Lawbite Team
- November 10, 2020
Coronavirus – Managing Risk as Staff Return To Work
As the UK Coronavirus lockdown begins to lift, with non-essential shops being allowed to open in June and more establishments in July, SME owners w...
LawBite can help you
LawBite is on a mission to provide business legal advice that is easier to access, clearer to understand and much cheaper. Our on-line legal advice platform can quickly connect you with expert business legal advice. Our friendly, highly qualified business lawyers, solicitors and mediators will give you the guidance and reassurance that comes from customised legal advice for small and medium sized business.
Whether you are bringing or defending a legal claim, outsourcing work, want a business contract review to ward off disagreements, talk to an expert trademark lawyer, resolve a contractual dispute with methods like mediation and arbitration, or getting your new company set up and on the right footing with a robust shareholder agreement and GDPR standards, we can help you succeed.