> Once you hire a perm employee in U.K. and they pass the probation period, it is very very difficult to fire anybody with current laws. Which laws? The probat

> Once you hire a perm employee in U.K. and they pass the probation period, it is very very difficult to fire anybody with current laws. Which laws? The probation period seems to be quite diversionary for the employee - I know quite a few people who think that when they pass probation they're "safe". If you were employed after April 2012, the law prohibits you taking your employer to a tribunal for unfair dismissal unless you've been employed for 2 years (except for discrimination). More importantly, and far less discussed in all the HR/labour blogs on the web: in my experience and circles companies now make you quit by, for example, forcing a change in working requirements you can't meet, tearing up your old contract (and presenting a new one with worse terms), making changes to your job and so on. > 3. Probably also a perception problem. Software engineering is not seen as a good job comparable to lawyer, doctor or banker. So engineering profession is not respected and companies don't think engineering jobs are worth more than 30-40k. That I agree with, especially if the company's main product/service isn't software.