Being fired from your job may have come as a huge blow – and you may believe that you simply weren’t at fault. While your employer is allowed to dismiss those who are not performing well in their job, it is not uncommon for this act to be carried out illegally. In this case, you have the right to challenge their decision. Some of the most common and legal reasons why an employer can dismiss you from your position include unreasonable behaviour, competency for the role, redundancy or breach of statutory duty. If, however, your dismissal does not meet any of these criteria, you may have a case on your hands. Do be aware that you can only make a dismissal claim if you have been working at the company for two years or more, but there are certain exceptions to this rule. Here are some of the reasons why you may have been unfairly dismissed from your job: Discrimination The same rules apply towards anti-discrimination laws during the hiring process as dismissal from your job. It is illegal for employers to fire their staff due to their race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, age, pregnancy or marital status. It can be difficult to prove that you have been fired for one of these reasons, but an employer must be able to provide hard evidence that the dismissal was linked to business grounds, such as performance reviews complete with correct documentation. Taking care of family emergencies
On certain workdays, you may need to take time off to deal with family and medical emergencies – and these situations cannot be helped. This is especially true if you are the dependent for an elderly relative for example and are expected to deal with situations as and when they arise. It is illegal for an employer to fire you on these grounds. Undertaking Jury service
If you are called up for jury service, it is a legal requirement to attend and if an employer prevents you from going or threatens to fire you, you are obliged to take them to an employment tribunal. In some cases, an employer may ask you to delay it (if their business is failing and needs immediate support for example) which is perfectly acceptable but only for up to 12 months after the initial request. Your employer retaliates
There are certain situations in which you may wish to make a complaint, such as a health and safety concern and in this case, you are protected from being shown the door under UK health and safety laws. The same also applies if feel you are being harassed by your employer and can prove that making a complaint forced your boss to take action against you.
This list is not exhaustive and you may need to carry out additional research into whether or not your dismissal is deemed to be illegal. Websites such as ACAS and the Government websites both have some fantastic support and advice available too, especially following a difficult year in a pandemic with many people being made redundant.
If you discover that your termination was legal and need to find new employment, we can help re-write your CV to secure your perfect job role.