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06-08-2009

Dismissal letter effective when employee reads it

If an employee is summarily dismissed (i.e. dismissed without notice) by letter, dismissal will not generally be effective until the letter is read by the employee. This may be some time after the letter was sent if, for example, the employee was away from home and did not deliberately avoid reading it.

Whenever possible, employers should inform their employees of the dismissal in person and hand them a letter confirming the decision.

If you need advice on dismissals, please contact us – we would be pleased to talk to you.

Contacts:

Employment Department

Raj Dhokia: r.dhokia@fgdlaw.co.uk
Martin Fine: m.fine@fgdlaw.co.uk