Workers at greater risk of job loss

Around 2.7 million workers face an increased risk of losing their jobs when the UK government increases the qualifying period for protection from unfair dismissal from one year to two years on Good Friday, the TUC has warned.

The union said it feared the change in the law will also increase job insecurity, discriminate against younger workers, part-time women workers and employees from black and ethnic communities, and encourage more of a “hire-and-fire” culture.

The TUC argued there was no evidence that a shorter qualifying period has led to job losses or has constrained recruitment, pointing out that since 1999 when the qualifying period was last reduced from two years to 12 months, more than 1.7 million extra jobs have been created.