Your situation
Pages for exactly what happened to you, from probation to pregnancy, and what it means in law.
Each page covers one situation: what it means in law, what to keep and whether you may have a claim.
Pick the group closest to what happened to you.
Pushed out or forced to resign
13
Pay cuts, demotions, transfers and pressure to leave that may count as dismissal.
When A Pay Cut Pushes You OutYour employer cut your salary and resigning now feels like the only way out.Demoted Without Your AgreementYour title and duties changed overnight and nobody asked whether you agreed.Transferred Far From HomeYour employer moved you far away with little notice and resigning feels forced.When Your Duties Quietly DisappearYour responsibilities were taken away one by one until your role meant nothing.Sitting Idle With No WorkYour employer stopped giving you tasks and the silence feels deliberate.Pushed Into Unpaid LeaveYour employer sent you on unpaid leave and you were given no real choice.Told To Resign Or Be FiredYour manager gave you an ultimatum: resign quietly or be dismissed on the spot.Shut out of meetings as a senior employee?The invitations to the meetings that matter have quietly stopped.Transferred so that you would quit?The new posting felt designed to make you quit, not to meet a need.Bonus withheld to push you out?A promised bonus never arrived, and leaving now feels like the only option.Told to backdate your resignation letter?Your employer wants the letter dated earlier than the day you agreed.Did walking out in anger count as resigning?You left in a heated moment, and your employer now calls it resignation.Reference refused after your settlement?You signed a settlement and left, and now no reference is coming.
Accused of misconduct or poor performance
9
Dismissals over conduct, warnings, inquiries or performance plans.
When A Performance Plan Is A SetupYour improvement plan feels built to fail, not to help you improve.Fired Over A WhatsApp MessageA short message ended your job with no meeting and no real explanation.Dismissed Without A Show Cause LetterYou were let go over an accusation you never had the chance to answer.Sacked Without Any HearingYour employer skipped the internal hearing and went straight to dismissing you.Dismissed over a misconduct claim you dispute?You deny the allegation, or you think the punishment was far too harsh.Fired for performance with no warning?You were told your work fell short and never got a chance to improve.Accused of abandoning your job?Your employer says you abandoned your job, but you never meant to quit.Fired over a social media post?You posted something in your own time, and it cost you your job.Dismissed over a charge, not a conviction?You were charged but not convicted, and your employer dismissed you anyway.
Probation, contracts and worker status
7
Probationers, fixed-term and gig workers, and foreign workers.
Dismissed during probation?You were let go before confirmation and are unsure what rights you have.Contract renewed again and again, then not renewed?You worked contract after contract, and now there is no new one.Dismissed when your work permit ended?Your work permit lapsed or was cancelled, and your job ended with it.Paid commission only, but still an employee?You are paid only by commission, yet your days look like an employee's.Gig account deactivated, like being fired?Your work always looked like a real job, then your account was deactivated.Probation extended again and again?There is no confirmation date in sight and no clear reason why.Called a contractor, but work like an employee?You signed as a contractor, but you follow a fixed schedule and a manager.
Retrenchment and closure
5
Redundancy, company closure, change of owner and unpaid final pay.
Retrenched, but the company is hiring?Your role was made redundant, then a similar job was advertised.Your employer closed. What are you owed?Everyone lost their jobs at once, and the payments are unclear.Dismissed after your company was sold?New owners took over, and your job was gone in the handover.Role declared redundant with no warning?You were told in one meeting that your position no longer exists.Final pay withheld after you left?Your last salary, leave pay and notice pay have not reached your account.
Pregnancy, illness and speaking up
6
Dismissal during pregnancy or medical leave, or after a complaint or report.
Dismissed while you are pregnant?You shared your pregnancy, and soon after, your job ended.Dismissed while on medical leave?You were still recovering when the termination letter arrived.Dismissed after reporting harassment?You reported harassment at work and were let go soon after.Dismissed after reporting wrongdoing?You flagged a problem at work and now you have no job.Dismissed for refusing an unlawful order?You refused to do something you believed was illegal, then lost your job.No role waiting after maternity leave?You came back from maternity leave and your old job is gone.
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