Nursery World - HR Update - Letting someone go

Make sure you consider both law and ethics when dismissing someone,says Jacqui Mann of HR4 Nurseries

In April 2012 the length of service required for employees to claim unfair dismissal was increased from one to two years. Many business owners clapped their hands, thinking this would now make it easier to dismiss someone. We have several calls a week from nursery owners asking how they can dismiss someone with less than two years' service.

The first point to consider when dismissing employees is the relevance of the nine 'protected' characteristics as listed in the Equality Act: age, sex, sexual orientation, religious belief, maternity or pregnancy, gender reassignment, civil partnerships, race and disability. Be careful how you approach the dismissal - if it is perceived to be related to one of these characteristics then it is likely to result in a claim.

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