Section 108 — Qualifying period of employment.

(1) Section 94 does not apply to the dismissal of an employee unless he has been continuously employed for a period of not less than [F1 two years] ending with the effective date of termination.

(2) If an employee is dismissed by reason of any such requirement or recommendation as is referred to in section 64(2), subsection (1) has effect in relation to that dismissal as if for the words [F1 “two years”] there were substituted the words “ one month ”.

(3) Subsection (1) does not apply if—

(aa) [F2 subsection (1) of section 98B (read with subsection (2) of that section) applies,]

(b) [F3 subsection (1) of section 99 (read with any regulations made under that section) applies,]

(c) subsection (1) of section 100 (read with subsections (2) and (3) of that section) applies,

(d) subsection (1) of section 101 (read with subsection (2) of that section) or subsection (3) of that section applies,

(da) [F4 subsection (2) of section 101ZA applies (read with subsection (3) of that section) or subsection (4) of that section applies,]

(dd) [F5 section 101A applies,]

(e) section 102 applies,

(f) section 103 applies,

(ff) [F6 section 103A applies,]

(g) subsection (1) of section 104 (read with subsections (2) and (3) of that section) applies, . . .

(gg) [F7 subsection (1) of section 104A (read with subsection (2) of that section) applies, . . . ]

(gh) [F8 subsection (1) of section 104B (read with subsection (2) of that section) applies, . . . ]

(gi) [F9 section 104C applies,]

(gj) [F10 subsection (1) of section 104D (read with subsection (2) of that section) applies,]

(gk) [F11 section 104E applies,]

(gl) [F12 subsection (1) of section 104F (read with subsection (2) of that section) applies,]

(gm) [F13 section 104G applies,]

(h) section 105 applies,[F14 . . .]

(hh) [F14 paragraph (3) or (6) of regulation 28 of the Transnational Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 1999 (read with paragraphs (4) and (7) of that regulation) applies, ] [F15 . . . ]

(i) [F15 paragraph (1) of regulation 7 of the Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000 applies,]

(j) [F16 paragraph (1) of regulation 6 of the Fixed-term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2002 applies,]

(k) [F17 paragraph (3) or (6) of regulation 42 of the European Public Limited-Liability Company Regulations 2004 applies,]

(l) [F18 paragraph (3) or (6) of regulation 30 of the Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 2004 (read with paragraphs (4) and (7) of that regulation) applies,] [F19 . . . ]

(m) [F19 paragraph 5(3) or (5) of the Schedule to the Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Consultation by Employers and Miscellaneous Amendment) Regulations 2006 (read with paragraph 5(6) of that Schedule) applies] [F20 ...][F21 , or]

(o) [F21 paragraph (3) or (6) of regulation 31 of the European Cooperative Society (Involvement of Employees) Regulations 2006 (read with paragraphs (4) and (7) of that regulation) applies,]

(q) [F21 [F22 paragraph (1)(a) or (b) of regulation 29 of the European Public Limited-Liability Company (Employee Involvement) (Great Britain) Regulations 2009( S.I. 2009/2401) applies, [F23 or ]]]

(r) [F21 [F22 [F23 paragraph (1) of regulation 17 of the Agency Workers Regulations 2010 applies]]]

(4) [F24 Subsection (1) does not apply if the reason (or, if more than one, the principal reason) for the dismissal is, or relates to, the employee's political opinions or affiliation.]

(5) [F25 Subsection (1) does not apply if the reason (or, if more than one, the principal reason) for the dismissal is, or is connected with, the employee's membership of a reserve force (as defined in section 374 of the Armed Forces Act 2006).]

Amendment notes

1. F1 Words in s. 108(1)(2) substituted (6.4.2012) by The Unfair Dismissal and Statement of Reasons for Dismissal (Variation of Qualifying Period) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/989), arts. 1, 3 (with art. 4)
2. F2 S. 108(3)(aa) inserted (6.4.2005) by Employment Relations Act 2004 (c. 24), ss. 40(6), 59(2)-(4); S.I. 2005/872, arts. 4, 5, Sch. (subject to arts. 6-12)
3. F3 S. 108(3)(b) substituted (6.4.2005) by Employment Relations Act 2004 (c. 24), ss. 57(1), 59(2)-(4), Sch. 1 para. 32; S.I. 2005/872, arts. 4, 5, Sch. (subject to arts. 6-12)
4. F4 S. 108(3)(da) inserted (4.5.2016 for specified purposes) by Enterprise Act 2016 (c. 12), s. 44(1)(d), Sch. 5 para. 10
5. F5 S. 108(3)(dd) inserted (1.10.1998) by S.I. 1998/1833, reg. 32(4)
6. F6 S. 108(3)(ff) inserted (2.7.1999) by 1998 c. 23, s. 7(1); S.I. 1999/1547, art. 2
7. F7 S. 108(3)(gg) inserted (1.11.1998) by 1998 c. 39, s. 25(3); S.I. 1998/2574, art. 2(1), Sch. 1 (with art. 3)
8. F8 S. 108(3)(gh) inserted (5.10.1999) by 1999 c. 10, ss. 7, 20(2), Sch. 3 para. 3(3) (which amending Act was repealed (in part on 27.8.2002 and 4.12.2002, otherwise prosp.) by Tax Credits Act 2002 (c. 21), s. 60, Sch. 6; S.I. 2002/1727, art. 2) and insertion continued (1.9.2002 for certain purposes, otherwise prosp.) by Tax Credits Act 2002 (c. 21), s. 27, Sch. 1 para. 3(4); S.I. 2002/1727, art. 2
9. F9 S. 108(3)(gi) inserted (6.4.2005) by Employment Relations Act 2004 (c. 24), ss. 41(5), 59(2)-(4); S.I. 2005/872, arts. 4, 5, Sch. (subject to arts. 6-12)
10. F10 S. 108(3)(gj) inserted (30.6.2012) by Pensions Act 2008 (c. 30), ss. 57(5), 149(1); S.I. 2012/1682, art. 2, Sch. 2
11. F11 S. 108(3)(gk) inserted "after paragraph (gj)" (6.4.2010 for certain purposes and otherwise prosp.) by Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 (c. 22), ss. 40, 269(4), Sch. 1 para. 4; S.I. 2010/303, art. 4, Sch. 3 (with arts. 8-14) (as amended by S.I. 2010/1151, art. 22)
12. F12 S. 108(3)(gl) inserted (2.3.2010) by The Employment Relations Act 1999 (Blacklists) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/493), reg. 12(4)
13. F13 S. 108(3)(gm) inserted (1.9.2013) by Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013 (c. 27), ss. 31(5), 35(1); S.I. 2013/1766, art. 2
14. F14 S. 108(hh) and preceding word inserted (15.1.2000) by S.I. 1999/3323, reg. 29(2)
15. F15 S. 108(3)(i) and word "or" preceding it inserted (1.7.2000) by S.I. 2000/1551, reg. 10, Sch. para. 2(2)
16. F16 S. 108(3)(j) and preceding word inserted (1.10.2002) by The Fixed-term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/2034), reg. 11, Sch. 2 Pt. 1 para. 3(11) (with regs. 13-20 and subject to transitional provisions in Sch. 2 Pt. 2)
17. F17 S. 108(3)(k) and the preceding word "or" inserted (8.10.2004) by The European Public Limited-Liability Company Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/2326), regs. 1(2), 43(2)(b)
18. F18 S. 108(3)(l) and the preceding word "or" inserted (6.4.2005) by The Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/3426), regs. 1(1), 31(2)(b) (with reg. 3)
19. F19 S. 108(3)(m) and word inserted (6.4.2006) by The Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Consultation by Employers and Miscellaneous Amendment) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/349), regs. 1(3), 17, Sch. para. 6(2)(b)
20. F20 By virtue of The European Cooperative Society (Involvement of Emplees) Regulation Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/2059), reg. 32(2)(a) it is provided that the word "or" at the end of s. 108(3)(m) is omitted (18.8.2006)
21. F21 S. 108(3)(n) and word inserted (1.10.2006) by The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/1031), reg. 49(1), Sch. 8 para. 24(b) (with regs. 44-46)
22. F22 S. 108(3)(q) and preceding word inserted (1.10.2009) by The European Public Limited-Liability Company (Employee Involvement) (Great Britain) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/2401), reg. 30(3) (with reg. 41)
23. F23 S. 108(3)(r) and preceding word inserted (1.10.2011) by The Agency Workers Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/93), reg. 25, Sch. 2 para. 16 (as amended by S.I. 2011/1941, reg. 2(5)(b)(c))
24. F24 S. 108(4) inserted (25.6.2013) by Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 (c. 24), ss. 13, 103(2) (with s. 24(3))
25. F25 S. 108(5) inserted (1.10.2014) by Defence Reform Act 2014 (c. 20), ss. 48(2), 50(1) (with s. 48(4)); S.I. 2014/2370, art. 4(d)