Can I be fired without notice?

Yes, in some situations. The ESA says that your employer does not have give you notice if they end your employment less than 3 months after you started working.

Or your employer might say that they’re firing you because of something you did or did not do.

Your employer might say that they have “cause” to fire you without giving you any notice. Having cause means that they have a good reason.

Reasons you can be fired without notice

Here are some examples of when an employer might have the right to fire you without giving you any notice:

• You stole from your employer.
• You damaged your employer’s property on purpose.
• You threatened or assaulted someone at work.
• You refused to do something that’s an important part of your job, unless you have a good reason. A good reason could be refusing to do work that’s not safe.

Even if you did something wrong, your employer might not have the right to fire you without notice. For example, this might apply if:

• what you did was not very serious
• your employer did not give you a chance to correct your behaviour
• you have worked for your employer for a long time

Get legal advice if you think your employer was wrong to fire you without notice or you should get more notice. See Where can I get help and information?

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January 2026 Previous page Next page