The New Starter Pack

From 1 January 2027 an employee can claim unfair dismissal after six months, not two years, and the compensation cap disappears on the same day. Anyone you hire now reaches that six-month mark after the new rules are live. This pack covers how to hire properly, and gives you the forms to do it.

• Your last safe decision date: the date by which a hire has to be confirmed or concluded, worked out from the start date and the notice period
• The day-one written statement the law says every new starter must have, as a fill-in form
• Employee privacy notice, ready to complete, which UK GDPR requires and most small employers miss
• Right to work check record: helps you record and retain your evidence (the statutory excuse depends on doing the prescribed check correctly)
• Key dates planner, new starter details form and probation review sheets
• Three probation outcome letters: confirm, extend, or end it properly
• A six-month management timeline, and the 2026/27 numbers you need to budget a hire

Read four sample pages first → No email needed.

From 1 January 2027 the cap on unfair dismissal compensation is abolished, so awards are assessed on the employee's actual loss. This is £4.99, and it is an allowable business expense.