A Bad Hire Gets Costlier in January: Zinc Explains How Pre-Employment Checks Help

Unfair dismissal claims are about to become a lot more accessible for employees. Under the Employment Rights Act, from 1 January 2027, workers can claim unfair dismissal after six months in a job instead of two years. 

Not only does that shorten the window in which an employer can part ways with hires, it also raises the stakes of getting hiring decisions right in the first place. 

In Episode 7 of Inside the Workroom, Employment Hero’s UK Managing Director Kevin Fitzgerald, speaks to Sam Norman, COO at pre-employment screening company, Zinc, and Tom Jewell, Zinc’s Chief Customer Officer.

What you’ll learn

• Why pre-employment checks work best as part of the hiring process, not a final tick-box
• How AI-polished CVs are changing what employers need to verify
• What the Employment Rights Act’s six-month unfair dismissal qualifying period could mean for when employers run checks
• Why one-off background checks leave gaps, and what re-checking staff looks like in practice
• How Zinc keeps people connected as it grows, including randomised Monday team lunches
• Why first-time managers shape company culture, and why autonomy needs more support as a business scales

Listen to Inside the Workroom

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